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Emilia Pérez Director Thanks Karla Sofía Gascón At Goya Awards Amid Racism Controversy; J.A. Bayona Demands Attacks To Stop
Emilia Pérez won Best European Film at the 2025 Goya Awards, with the film’s team showing support for Karla Sofía Gascón during their acceptance speech.
Karla Sofía Gascón, the lead actress of Emilia Pérez, did not attend the 2024 Goya Awards in Spain. The film was nominated for Best European Film, which it won, but Gascón was not present at the ceremony in Granada.
Her absence followed discussions between the event organizers and Gascón after past racist and Islamophobic comments resurfaced.
Representatives from the movie’s Spanish distributors acknowledged her during their acceptance speech, calling for "more cinema, more culture" in response to "hatred and ridicule," which was met with applause from the audience.
Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona, a Cannes jury member who had awarded Emilia Pérez's four female leads, including Gascón, the Best Actress prize, shared his thoughts on the situation.
Speaking to El País, he said, "Everything that is happening with Emilia Pérez makes me sad because there is a great film behind it." He acknowledged Gascón's offensive remarks, saying, "Karla Sofía Gascón has made a mistake, and her messages are inexcusable."
However, he also urged for a balanced response, stating, "There is a lynching around Karla Sofía Gascón… and we have to put the brakes on a little and also think about the film and all the people who have worked on that film."
The resurfacing of Gascón’s past remarks has led her to scale back her awards-season appearances. She skipped the Critics Choice Awards despite being nominated for Best Actress and was also absent at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards.
At the DGA ceremony, Emilia Pérez director Jacques Audiard acknowledged Gascón while accepting a medallion for his nomination, referring to her as one of his beloved actresses. However, in a recent Deadline interview, Audiard stated, "I haven’t spoken to her, and I don’t want to."
Despite the controversy, Emilia Pérez continues to earn recognition. The Goya win for Best European Film was not a surprise, as ballots had been submitted before Gascón’s comments surfaced.
Zoë Saldaña, who stars alongside Gascón, recently won Best Supporting Actress at the Critics Choice Awards, suggesting the film may still have momentum. With 13 Oscar nominations, the question remains whether Gascón will attend the Academy Awards.
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