Carmen Machi Wins Spain's National Film Award

Actress Carmen Machi has been awarded the 2025 Premio Nacional de Cinematografía, Spain's top film honor, by the Ministry of Culture. The prize includes a €30,000 purse. The jury praised her as a 'tireless worker' across film, theater, and television, with over a hundred productions to her name, and noted she 'represents the values of a modern, strong, independent woman.' Machi began her stage career as the bride in Lorca's 'Blood Wedding' and joined the Teatro de La Abadía company in 1994. She gained fame for her role in the TV series 'Aída,' winning a Unión de Actores award, two TP de Oro, three Fotogramas de Plata, a Premio Ondas, and an Academia de Televisión award. In film, she has appeared in Pedro Almodóvar's 'Talk to Her,' Pablo Berger's 'Torremolinos 73,' Álex de la Iglesia's 'My Big Night,' Carlota Pereda's 'Piggy,' and Emilio Martínez-Lázaro's 'Spanish Affair,' for which she won the Goya for Best Supporting Actress in 2014. In 2024, she received the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts from the Ministry of Culture. The award is typically presented at the San Sebastián Festival; last year's winner was Eduard Fernández. The jury was chaired by Camilo Vázquez of the ICAA, with members including Piluca Baquero (Academia de Cine), Marina Parés (DAMA), Fátima Baeza (Unión de Actores), Guadalupe Balaguer (CIMA), Iván Agenjo (DIBOOS), and Ariadna Cortés, Pere Gaviria Ibáñez, and Elsa Fernández Santos (ICAA).