Penelope Cruz movie Official Competition begins filming in Spain

Filming is underway in Spain on Argentinian directors Mariano Cohn and Gaston Duprat’s new movie, Official Competition, starring Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas.

The project is being produced by Spanish outfit The MediaPro Studio, who have worked with Woody Allen on several of his films, including Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Official Competition tells the story of a multimillionaire businessman who decides to make a film and so assembles a stellar team, including famed filmmaker Lola Cuevas (Cruz) and two well-known actors, both of whom are huge talents, but with even bigger egos: Felix Rivero (Banderas ) and Iván Torres (Oscar Martínez). Through a series of increasingly eccentric tests designed by Lola, Felix and Ivan face not only each other, but also their own legacies.

Cruz and Banderas have collaborated with Pedro Almodóvar for many years and starred (without sharing the screen) in Almodóvar’s fresh Goya winner Pain & Glory, the pair have rarely been seen together at the same time on screen, though. The last time this happened was, briefly, in Almodóvar’s 2013 film I’m So Excited.

Official Competition is the third film produced by the MediaPro Studio with Cohn and Duprat, following My Masterpiece and 4x4. Cohn and Duprat also co-wrote the script with Andres Duprat.

Protagonist Pictures is handling international sales on the film.