Almodóvar cancels press events due to media pressure over “Panama Papers”

The final promotional events for the upcoming movie Julieta, directed by world-famous Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, have been cancelled after the director and his brother and producer, Agustín, were revealed to be among the names released as part of the so-called “Panama Papers” leak.

The Almodóvar brothers released a brief statement saying that they were “up to date” with their tax obligations, but refused to make further comment

The pair figured in the documents as having power-of-attorney of a company called Glen Valley Corporation between 1991 and 1994. The firm was registered in the British Virgin Islands, a territory considered in Spain as a tax haven.

“Give the media priorities regarding issues not related to Julieta, we have made the decision at [production company] El Deseo to cancel the photocall and press junket scheduled for tomorrow,” the company announced in a brief press release relating to events scheduled for Wednesday.

The director will not be granting interviews, but other commitments, such as interviews with the entire cast, will be honored.

The Almodóvar brothers are just two names on the long list of politicians, business figures and sports stars who appear in the leaked information, which details fiscally opaque companies registered in tax havens and that were obtained from Panamanian firm of lawyers Mossack Fonseca, which specializes in the creation of offshore businesses.

When their names first emerged earlier this week, the Almodóvar brothers released a brief statement saying that they were “up to date” with their tax obligations, but refused to make further comment about the company in question.

Glen Valley Corporation was active from March 22, 1991 to November 11, 1994, and was controlled by Mossack Fonseca from Geneva, Switzerland. The creation of the company coincides with the first commercial successes of the director. In 1990, he released Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, which took the equivalent of €3.1 million, and in 1991, High Heels, which grossed €5.2 million.

English version by Simon Hunter.