Guitarricadelafuente Makes Acting Debut in Spain's 2027 Oscar Entry

Álvaro Lafuente, the singer who performs as Guitarricadelafuente, has made his acting debut in La Bola Negra, the film Spain has put forward for the 2027 Oscar for best international feature film. The prize goes to films made in a language other than English. Billboard reported the debut on 5 November 2026.

In the film, Lafuente plays Sebastián, a young trumpeter. He survives an attack during the Spanish Civil War, and then Franco's forces forcibly recruit him. Sebastián's story forms the central timeline. The film also follows two other gay men at two other moments in Spanish history, in 1932 and 2017. Milo Quifes and Carlos González co-star.

The film was directed, co-written and produced by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who work together as Los Javis. It is inspired by an unfinished play by Federico García Lorca. The English title is The Black Ball, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Lafuente is a shy performer, and he took a stage name to keep his identity private. Los Javis first saw him perform at the Primavera Sound festival in 2024. Shortly after, they offered him the co-starring role. When he was invited to Madrid to talk about the part, there was no finished script yet. He told Billboard Español that he comes from music and songwriting, and that his character grew out of what he was feeling musically.

Music is part of the film. Lafuente wrote the song "La Nieve" with Raül Refree and Lucas Durán, and he performs it in the movie. The Hollywood Reporter has reported that the song is in contention for the Oscar for Best Original Song, a separate category from best international feature.

His recording history goes back to 2018. That year he released his first original composition, "El Conticinio," which he recorded using a PlayStation microphone. He also released "Guantanamera," which reached No. 69 on the songs chart published by PROMUSICAE, the Spanish music industry body that compiles it.

Spain's Oscar record in the international category is four wins and 22 nominations, according to Screen Daily. Nominees for the 2027 Oscars will be announced on 21 January 2027. Until then, the question of which films make the list stays open.