Penélope Cruz enters awards season with three films

Spanish actress and Oscar winner Penélope Cruz is positioned for a significant awards season with three different films: ‘Black Ball’, ‘Invitation’, and ‘Shelter’. This marks a rare opportunity for the actress to potentially secure her second Academy Award.

In ‘Black Ball’, directed by Lucas Davi, Cruz plays a cabaret singer in an epic film inspired by Federico García Lorca. In Olivia Wilde’s comedy ‘Invitation’, she stars alongside Edward Norton in a role that critics suggest could qualify her for Best Supporting Actress.

Her most prominent prospect is ‘Shelter’, a new film by Florian Zeller scheduled for the Venice Film Festival. Zeller wrote the film specifically for Cruz and her husband, Javier Bardem, marking their eighth cinematic collaboration. Sony Pictures Classics intends to launch a campaign for Cruz in the Best Actress category following screenings in Venice and Toronto.