Champions

Touted as a “comedic slam dunk” by The Hollywood Reporter, Spain’s exuberant 2019 foreign language Oscars entry is the ultimate feel-good film that will leave audiences grinning from ear to ear.

Javier Gutiérrez (Marshland, SFF15, Truman, SFF16) stars as Marco Montes, the assistant coach for a Spanish basketball team who is ambitious, arrogant and has reached the end of his emotional tether. After publicly disgracing himself in a fight with his head coach, he drives drunk straight into the back of a police car and is sentenced to community service. To his dismay, Marco must now whip an amateur basketball team to shape. But this could prove to be his greatest challenge yet, as the team is made up of players with varying mental disabilities.

Featuring an endearing slew of characters easy to fall in love with, bright cinematography and lively pacing, it is no surprise that Champions smashed the Spanish box office records with its heart-warming message about the importance of trust, sympathy and breaking down prejudices.