Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' has won the Golden Spike, the top prize at the 70th Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain. The epic drama set in the 16th century stars Gael Garcia Bernal as Ferdinand Magellan. It serves as the Philippines' entry for the best international feature category at the 98th Academy Awards.
In November 2025, Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' won Best Picture at the 70th edition of the Valladolid International Film Festival, known as SEMINCI, established in 1956 in Valladolid, Spain. It shared the Golden Spike award with Kelly Reichardt's 'The Mastermind.' The 16th-century epic drama triumphed over entries from acclaimed directors including Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Sergei Loznitsa, Bi Gan, and Gabriel Mascaro.
"Para sa bayan at para sa pelikulang Pilipino (For the Philippines and for Filipino film)," the internationally celebrated filmmaker told Rappler about his latest accolade. 'Magellan,' the Philippines' entry for the best international feature category at the 98th Academy Awards, stars Gael Garcia Bernal as the explorer. It premiered globally at the Cannes Film Festival in May under the Cannes Premiere section and has screened in the Philippines and various international festivals.
The cast includes Bernal alongside Angela Azevedo, Amado Arjay Babon, Ronnie Lazaro, Hazel Orencio, Rafael Morais, Bong Cabrera, Dario Yazbek Bernal, and Tomas Alves. Filmed in the Philippines, Spain, and Portugal, the film holds a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. The Hollywood Reporter hailed it as an “exquisitely crafted feature (that) may be one of the director’s most accessible works to date.” As the official Oscars entry, it boosts prospects for Philippine cinema on the global stage.