The premiere marks the Cannes competition debut for the filmmaking duo known as Los Javis, who have built international following with the series “Veneno” and “La Mesías.”

The duo said in a visibly emotional speech while the applause continued, “Ninety years ago, Federico García Lorca was killed by fascism because he was gay. So, to everyone who thinks that we are gonna step back in our LGBT rights, we have bad news. Because we are here to stay. So, thank you. Cannes Festival, thank you. Long live Cannes. For the opportunity, thank you. May we all truly know that we are in the same fight.”

Gay Directors, Gay Films? By Emanuel Levy (Columbia University Press, August 2015).

The Black Ball traces the interconnected lives of three gay men across three eras – 1932, 1937, and 2017 – placing together stories of desire, loss, and the legacy of one generation onto the next.

The film’s title alludes to a mode of social rejection: a black ball cast into a voting urn to deny a young gay man entry into a Granada club.

Glenn Close appears in a supporting role alongside Guitarricadelafuente – the beloved Spanish singer-songwriter, making his screen debut – Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes and Lola Dueñas, with Penélope Cruz contributing an extended cameo.

Ambrossi and Calvo co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Alberto Conejero, drawing on García Lorca’s four surviving pages of an unfinished novel, written before the poet was murdered by Nationalist forces in 1936, as well as on Conejero’s play “La piedra oscura.”

The film was shot over 12 weeks across Castile and León, Cantabria, Andalusia and Madrid, with additional filming in Greece. Key crew from “La Mesías” returned for the production, including cinematographer Gris Jordana and composer Raül Refree. “The Black Ball” is also the first film produced under Suma Content Films, the new cinema division of Los Javis’ production company.

Ambrossi and Calvo have been among the most exciting voices in Spanish screen culture since their debut feature, “Holy Camp!”

They broke out internationally with Veneno, their HBO Max series about Spanish trans activist and entertainer Cristina Ortiz.

They further cemented their reputation with La Mesías, which premiered at San Sebastián Film Fest, became the first Spanish series at Sundance, scored prizes at France’s Series Mania and swept Spain’s Feroz and Forqué awards.

The Black Ball is their first feature in the Cannes official selection and is in contention for both the Palme d’Or and the Queer Palm.

It is co-produced by Movistar Plus+, Suma Content Films, Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar’s El Deseo and Le Pacte, with international sales handled by Goodfellas.

The film opens theatrically in Spain on Oct. 2 via Elastica Films.