Awakening Beauty
2025 film
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Awakening Beauty (Spanish: Bella)[1] is a 2025 animated drama film directed by Manuel H. Martín and Amparo Martínez Barco. It tackles violence against women and its red flags.
- Manuel H. Martín
- Amparo Martínez Barco
- Manuel H. Martín
- Carmen Jiménez
| Awakening Beauty | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Spanish | Bella |
| Directed by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Starring | |
| Edited by | Manuel H. Martín |
| Music by | Beatriz López Nogales |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Syldavia Cinema |
Release dates |
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Running time | 61 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Spanish |
Plot
The plot follows Bella a young woman with a brilliant future who falls for artist Ponce. Moving forward six years, they are married, had children and are living in a luxury residence but, as her "Prince Charming" turns out to be a monster, she is also enduring protracted psychological violence and abuse.[2][3]
Cast
- Michelle Jenner as Bella[4]
- Víctor Clavijo as Ponce[4]
Production
Written by Manuel H. Martín and Carmen Jiménez, the screenplay is freely inspired by the real life experiences of Ana Bella Estévez, a Sevillian activist against gender violence.[5][3] The film is a Spanish-American co-production by La Claqueta PC alongside Bella Animación La Película AIE, Tal y Cual, and Miami Film Gate.[5]
Release
Awakening Beauty had its world premiere at the 70th Valladolid International Film Festival on 27 October 2025.[6] Distributed by Syldavia Cinema,[5] it was released theatrically in Spain on 28 November 2025.
Reception
Salvador Llopart of La Vanguardia rated Awakening Beauty 2 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be, rather than a film, "a pamphlet that is not ashamed to be one".[7]
David Arroyo of MeriStation rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, declaring it a sort of "instruction manual with examples of abuse, consequences, and solutions", albeit a quite comprehensive and well developed one.[8]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 31st Forqué Awards | Best Animation Film | Nominated | [9] | |
2026 |
5th Carmen Awards | Best Animation Film | Won | [10] | |
| 81st CEC Medals | Best Animation Film | Nominated | [11] | ||
| 40th Goya Awards | Best Animated Film | Nominated | [12] | ||