October 16, 2026: Thursday marked the launch of NewFest38 and the NYC premiere of the acclaimed, buzzed-about Spanish-language film La Bola Negra.
Co-directors, co-writers and former partners Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi attended, as expected, but cast member Glenn Close joined Julio Torres in a big surprise.
Close, recovering from hip surgery, used a cane but did the pre-party, red carpet and joined her fellow creatives onstage to deliver this wonderful introductory speech:
La Bola Negra is Spain’s official selection for Oscar consideration, and is also a Best Picture frontrunner. Check out raves from The New York Post (!), The Nightly, IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter.
It received a standing ovation that carried over to the after-party, held at Slate NY (54 W. 21st St., NYC), where things got festive and starving artists gorged themselves on high-end food and mutual appreciation.
The directors arrived fashionably late and did their best to accommodate all selfie requests. They seemed like filled vessels, with new liquid streaming down the sides from all the gushing compliments.
I had fun chatting with my film-world friend John D. Lee, and ran into directors Keri Pickett (Uncle Roy) and Andrew Chappelle (I’m Gonna Kill You) as well as Mike Balaban, queer historian with a historically photogenic caboose.
Come check out NewFest38!