Official Competition15

Directed Mariano Cohn & Gastón Duprat | Spain | 2022 | 1h 55m | Spanish w/ English subtitles | Starring Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Oscar Martínez, José Luis Gómez

Determined to create an artistic masterpiece, a billionaire businessman hires a famous filmmaker and two renowned actors to help him achieve his crowning achievement. Conceptual ideas and gigantic egos collide as they prepare to create a piece of cinematic art for the ages. Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas star is this sharp comedy skewering wealth, art, and narcissism.

Reviews

‘If awards season gets up your nose, with its self-congratulatory speeches and luvvie back-patting, this playful and wildly entertaining Spanish satire on the filmmaking process is the perfect antidote.’
★★★★
Philip De Semlyen, Time Out

‘Controlled pacing, visual punchlines, and an insider knowledge…Detail is what makes Official Competition a joy to behold.’
★★★★
Sophie Monks Kaufman, The Playlist

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Official Competition between September 9, 2022 and September 15, 2022.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Tomorrow (Tuesday 19th May)

17:30

The North 15
£6 for Members
2h 13m | Dutch w/ English subtitles
Reuniting after a decade, friends Chris and Lluis undertake a 600km hike across the Scottish Highlands. Shot in sequence, their journey along remote trails becomes a powerful study of friendship and the emotional terrain between reconciliation and self-discovery.

Book here

20:30

The Stranger 15
£6 for Members
2h 2m | French w/ English subtitles
Set in French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life until his mother’s death sparks judgment, conflict, and tragedy. François Ozon’s sensitive, queer-inflected adaptation illuminates the emotional and moral complexities at the heart of Albert Camus’s existential masterpiece.

Book here


Wednesday 20th May

15:00

Colours of Time 15
2h 6m | French w/ English subtitles
When cousins inherit a Normandy house, they uncover a hidden lineage linking them to ancestor Adèle Munier. As they retrace her journey to Paris amid Impressionism’s rise, past and present intertwine, revealing new identities and unexpected connections across generations.

Book here

17:45

Rose of Nevada 15
1h 54m
When a long-lost fishing boat returns to a Cornish village, hope rises for renewal. Nick and newcomer Liam join a voyage, but return transformed and caught in a haunting time loop. Shot on grainy 16mm, Mark Jenkin (Bait) delivers a haunting, mind-bending folktale.

Book here

20:30

Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? 18
1h 42m | French w/ English subtitles
Supermodel Polly Maggoo navigates relentless media attention as a documentary crew attempts to capture her life. William Klein’s witty satire dismantles fashion and fame, revealing an absurd world where modern identity is constructed, consumed, and endlessly performed.

Book here


Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!