Women directors denounce the Spanish cinema award for Depp



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MADRID (AP) – Spain’s leading female filmmaker group on Tuesday condemned the San Sebastian Film Festival’s decision to award Johnny Depp its highest honor, saying it gave the international event a bad name after it a UK judge ruled last year that allegations of domestic violence against the actor were “essentially right”.

Cristina Andreu, president of the Spanish Association of Women Directors and Audiovisual Media, said she was “very surprised” by the decision, announced on Monday, to award Depp the Donostia Prize at the 69th edition of the festival next month. The award is the first prize of the event and aims to honor lifelong accomplishments.

“It speaks very badly of the festival and its leadership, and sends a terrible message to the audience: ‘It doesn’t matter if you are an abuser as long as you are a good actor,” “Andreu told The Associated Press.

The association, which has close ties to the San Sebastian festival, “is studying the next steps,” she added.

The San Sebastian International Film Festival, held in northern Spain, will take place from September 17 to 25 this year. Depp is expected to receive the award in person on September 22, in what will be his third appearance at the event.

An email request for comment from Depp’s Los Angeles publicist went unanswered outside of office hours.

Last year Depp lost a defamation case against a UK newspaper which accused him of domestic violence, with a judge ruled the allegations were “essentially correct”. In March, a UK court denied Depp leave to appeal the ruling he assaulted his ex-wife, Amber Heard, saying his attempt to overturn the ruling had “no real prospect of success. “.

Depp is also suing Heard for $ 50 million in Virginia for a Washington Post editorial essay she wrote on domestic violence. The trial in this case was recently postponed until April 2022.

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