Goya Awards 2017: 'A monster calls' sweeps the board again and Emma Suárez scoops up two Best Actress trophies

A monster calls, by Juan Antonio Bayona and based upon the Patrick Ness novel of the same name, scooped up a record nine trophies last night (Saturday) at the 2017 awards, including Best Director, plus all the 'technical' categories: Best Photographic Effects, Best Makeup and Hair, Best Artistic Direction, Best Production, Best Special Effects, Best Original Sound Track, Best Scenery, and Best Sound Effects.

Bayona, originally from Catalunya – the host region of the Gaudí Awards – said it was a 'source of pride' to 'represent Spanish cinema at home and abroad'.

His next project will be directing the sequel to Jurassic World.

In another historic moment last night, Emma Suárez won Best Actress for her lead role in Pedro Almodóvar's Julieta, which also starred the late Bimba Bosè, and Best Supporting Actress for La Próxima Piel ('The next skin') – a double whammy which has not been achieved at the Goyas since 'Almodóvar Girl' Verónica Forqué did so in 1988.

Emma's Best Actress was presented by the very same director she worked under for the film in question – Pedro Almodóvar – the only award won out of the seven nominations for Julieta.

Suárez, along with Roberto Álamo – who won Best Actor for Rodrigo Sorogoyen's crime thriller Que Dios nos perdone ('May God forgive us') – wanted to send out a message in their acceptance speeches to debunk the myth of film stars being multi-billionaire celebrities: Only 8% of actors and actresses are able to live off their profession; the remaining 92% need 'ordinary' day jobs on top to pay the bills.

Four Goya Awards went to director Raúl Arévalo's début film, Tarde para la ira ('Too late for rage'), which took its creator eight years to bring to fruition.

A close-up view of violence and living on the fringes of society, Tarde para la ira won Manolo Solo the Best Supporting Actor award, and Arévalo (first picture, with his producer Beatriz Bodegas) and his co-writer David Pulido Best Original Script, plus Best Film – the most coveted award of the night – and Best New Director for Arévalo himself.

The man with a thousand faces, or El hombre de las mil caras won Best Adaptation, and Best New Actor for Carlos Santos, who dedicated his award to his sister Laura who is battling with cancer.

Ana Belén won an Honorary Goya for Lifetime Achievement and, during her speech, she called for more consideration for the film industry, which is 'shown so much contempt by governments'.

Her 'protest' speech mirrored that of presenter Dani Rovira, who said: “I'm going to dedicate as much time to politicians in my speech as they dedicate to the film industry – as in, none.”

Best Documentary went to Frágil equilibrio ('Fragile balance'), about the refugee crisis, and Best Short Documentary to Cabezas habladoras ('Talking Heads', although not the same as British writer Alan Bennett's monologues).

Best New Actress went to Anna Castillo for El Olivo ('The Olive Tree'); Best European Film went to Elle ('She', or 'Her'), a French production starring Isabelle Huppert in the leading role, and Best Latin American Film went to El ciudadano ilustre ('The illustrious citizen'), which was directed, produced and shot in Argentina.

Famous faces, some of whom presented the various awards, were guests of honour at this year's Goyas including Ken Loach, Pedro Almodóvar, and Alejandro Amenábar, who wrote and directed The Others, plus Abre los ojos ('Open your eyes'), the Spanish precursor to Amenábar's Hollywood version starring Tom Cruise, Vanilla Sky.

Politicians from various parties posed for photographs with the Spanish Film Academy chairwoman Yvonne Blake, and at one point Rovira donned red stiletto-heeled shoes to call for a fairer deal and more visibility for women in the arts and entertainment industry.