'Leonor Will Never Die' Earns Spirit Awards Nomination for Best International Film

The nominees for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards are out and Filipino director Martika Ramirez Escobar's debut, "Leonor Will Never Die," is nominated for Best International Film! The announcement was made yesterday, Nov. 22, by the prestigious award-giving body.

The drama-comedy centers on titular character Leonor Reyes, once a major figure in the Philippine film industry as an action actress but now withered by time. While she starred in a series of action films back in the day, she now struggles to make ends meet. Upon stumbling on an ad calling for screenplays, she entertains an unfinished script about a young man compelled to exact vengeance against his brother's murderers. In a twist, however, Leonor falls into a coma due to an accident, thus transporting her inside the unfinished film.

"Leonor Will Never Die" is the debut feature film of Escobar, a filmmaker-cinematographer who graduated from the University of the Philippines with honors. Her thesis film "Stone Heart," in fact, bagged the Best Film at Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

"Leonor Will Never Die" has gone on to bag the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit at the Sundance Film Festival, the Amplify Voices Award for Best Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Noves Visions Best Director award at the Stiges International Film Festival in Spain — all won this 2022.

The film joins four others in competition for the Best International Film award, namely "Saint Omer" by Alice Diop, "Return to Seoul" by Davy Chou, "Joyland" by Saim Sadiq, and "Corsage" by Marie Kreutzer.

To support "Leonor Will Never Die" and Escobar, feel free to catch the film this Saturday and Sunday at 1 PM and 3 PM, respectively, at the Cinematheque Manila in Ermita. It will also screen on Dec. 3 and 9. 

It will also hit the theater screens in the United States beginning this week, starting in New York City and Yonkers City in the state of New York at Metrograph and Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers theaters on Nov. 25 and 29, respectively. These will be followed by screenings in Texas, California, Illinois, Washington, and more.

For the schedule of the U.S. screenings of "Leonor Will Never Die," go here. You may also view Escobar's Vimeo portfolio here.