The Success of Award-Winning Director Carla Simón

Catalan filmmaker Carla Simón has expanded her international profile with the release of her latest film, Romería. Following a trajectory of critical success at major European festivals, Simón transitioned from the Berlin International Film Festival to the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where Romería played in competition.

The film has already secured distribution in the United States, with Janus Films picking up the title following its presentation at Cannes.

A History of Critical Success

Simón’s rise in the global cinema landscape began with her first feature film, Summer 1993, released in 2017. The film, which drew from Simón’s own youth experiences, focuses on a young girl’s reaction to the sudden death of her parents.

Filmed over six weeks in rural Garrotxa, where Simón grew up, Summer 1993 earned significant accolades, including:

• The award for Debut Film at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival
• The Golden Biznaga for Best Film at the Málaga Film Festival
• The Goya Award for Best New Director
• Three Goya Awards and five Gaudí Awards in total

Simón continued her success at the Berlinale with her sophomore feature, Alcarràs, in 2022. This production marked a landmark for Catalan cinema, as Simón became the first person to win the Golden Bear, the top prize at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.

Biographical Context and Artistic Influence

The themes of loss and childhood present in Simón’s work are deeply rooted in her personal history. Born on December 29, 1986, in Barcelona, Simón spent her youth in the Catalan village of Les Planes d’Hostoles.

By the age of six, Simón’s parents died of AIDS, leading her to live with her uncle and his family in Garrotxa in northern Catalonia. Her father was Galician.

Her formal training in the craft began at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, where she graduated in film science in 2009. She later expanded her expertise by studying television work at Televisió de Catalunya and attending the London Film School.

During her tenure in London, Simón directed the short film Lipstick and the documentary Born Positive, establishing the foundational skills that would later define her feature work.

The Broader Catalan Cinematic Movement

Simón’s achievements have positioned Catalonia as a significant export of European talent. The success of Summer 1993 and Alcarràs paved the way for other Catalan productions to gain traction on the international stage.

In 2023, Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s feature debut, 20,000 Species of Bees, won the Silver Bear for best leading performance at the Berlin International Film Festival.

At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where Romería competed, another Catalan production, Sirât by Oliver Laxe, won the Jury Prize ex-aequo. Sirât has since secured U.S. Distribution through Neon and was selected as Spain’s entry for the best international feature Oscar.