J.A. Bayona's 'Society of the Snow' makes history with 12 Goya Awards

The 2024 Goya Awards marked a triumphant night for Catalan cinema, with J.A. Bayona's 'Society of the Snow' winning twelve out of thirteen statuetes, including Best Director and Best Picture. 

Bayona's film tells the story of the survival of 16 passengers who survived for 72 days after a plane crash in the Valle de las Lágrimas between Chile and Argentina in October 1972.  

With the backing of Netflix and an impressive budget of €60 million, 'Society of the Snow' has become the third most-awarded film in the history of the Goyas.

"My home is Spanish cinema, and I am very proud to be part of this family," he said after winning Best Director. 

In his speech, Bayona thanked Netflix for proving the potential of ambitious Spanish films and opened up about the challenges of securing financing for the film he had been waiting a decade to make.

"For 10 years, we have been hearing people telling us that this film was not possible, that making a movie in Spanish with this level of ambition couldn't be done. Well, thanks to the arrival of Netflix because... They were proven wrong," he said. 

Bayona celebrated the film's global success, which reached 150 million viewers on Netflix and 450,000 in Spanish cinemas, despite not being shown in two of Spain's largest cinema chains.

In addition to Bayona's success, the 2024 Goya Awards also recognized other notable Catalan films. The Catalan co-production '20,000 species of bees' by Estíbaliz Urresola took home three statuettes, and 'Robot dreams,' directed by Pablo Berger, won two.

On March 10, Society of the Snow will be competing for two gongs at the Oscars, with nominations for Best International Film and Best Hair and Makeup. Meanwhile, Robot Dreams will compete for Best Animated Feature.