EMMA LUSTRES wins gold medal at the Forqué Awards

Emma Lustres, audiovisual producer and renowned defender of producers’ rights in the sector, will be awarded the Gold Medal by the EGEDA Board of Directors during the 31st Forqué Awards ceremony, to be held on December 13 at the IFEMA Municipal Palace in Madrid.

In the words of Enrique Cerezo, president of EGEDA, “this recognition, the highest award that the Management Entity grants to a key figure in the development of the production sector, reflects the important role that Emma Lustres has played in making some of the most memorable films in our recent cinema history possible. Her bold commitment to productions of great relevance and quality and her clear vision of the future in participating in the founding of the successful production company Vaca Films demonstrate the talent and brilliance of a woman who has managed to establish herself as one of the great figures who will be remembered in Spanish audiovisual history. Added to this is her commitment, shared with EGEDA, to defending the rights of producers as a fundamental figure in the seventh art through her involvement in various associations of this collective.

This recognition adds to a long list of awards given to productions made by Vaca Films, one of Spain’s leading independent fiction production companies, including two Forqué Awards. Its productions have participated in international festivals such as Venice, Toronto, Berlin, and San Sebastián.

Emma Lustres has also received several distinctions, notably the Castelao Medal, a civil award granted by the Xunta de Galicia to individuals and institutions that stand out for their work in the artistic, literary, sporting, economic, or intellectual fields.

VACA FILMS, THE SUCCESS OF INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
One of the greatest achievements in Emma Lustres’ distinguished career is the founding, together with Borja Pena, of the audiovisual production company Vaca Films Studio in early 2003.

With the aim of developing and producing high-quality, commercially successful feature films for the domestic market with high international potential, this independent production company has given rise to numerous initiatives such as Vaca TV, Vaca Net TV, and Vaca Docs, aimed at developing content for platforms.

Its productions include some of the greatest hits of recent Spanish cinema, such as: Hasta el Cielo and Cien años de perdón, by Daniel Calparsoro; El desconocido, by Dani de la Torre; Celda 211 and El niño, by Daniel Monzón; and Quien a Hierro Mata, by Paco Plaza.

Through Vaca Docs, he has produced the documentary El circo de los muchachos for Amazon Prime; through Vaca TV and Vaca Net, four of the most recent hits in Spanish fiction: the series El desorden que dejas for Netflix, written and directed by Carlos Montero; La Unidad for Movistar+, created by Dani de la Torre and Alberto Marini; Hasta el cielo: la serie for Netflix, directed by Daniel Calparsoro; and Clanes created by Jorge Guerricaechevarría, details of which will soon be announced for a second season. Similarly, next December, Vaca Films will release Golpes, the debut feature film by prestigious screenwriter Rafael Cobos, starring Luis Tosar and Jesús Carroza, and the film for Amazon Prime Dímelo Bajito, which will be followed by Dímelo en secreto, currently in production.

Conceived as a completely independent company, Vaca Films has remained true to its philosophy by allowing its founding partners to retain 100% of the shares in Vaca Films Invest, the parent company of the holding company that owns the group’s companies. Its productions have grossed more than €50 million in Spanish cinemas and have been distributed worldwide through major platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, international distributors Sony, Disney, Fox, Universal, StudioCanal, and France’s Playtime.

MEDAL FOR THE DEFENSE OF PRODUCERS’ RIGHTS
Throughout her career, Emma Lustres has shared her commitment to defending producers’ rights, a commitment that she has demonstrated by serving on the boards of directors of various institutions dedicated to defending the audiovisual sector. Her work in defending the role of producers makes her an example to be celebrated by a sector in which this Gold Medal winner has left an indelible mark.