Manuel Olaya shoots his first feature film 'Infortunio' (Misfortune) in Tabernas Cinema

The film that is shot at the Oasys MiniHollywood and the Tabernas Desert has Juan Sánchez, Álex Navarro, Pedro López and Quique Durio l The initial idea was to shoot a short film but in the end it will be a feature film

Diario de Almería

By Diego Martínez

June 29, 2025

[Image of the exterior filming of Olaya's film 'Misfortune'.]

Oasys MiniHollywood and the Tabernas desert host the filming of the film “Infortunio” (Misfortune) directed by Manuel Olaya. The cast includes Juan Sánchez, Alex Navarro, Pedro López, Quique Durio, Antonio Casado, Anuska Martínez, Mar Paris, Pablo Jiménez, Guillermo Llorente, Jordi Vargas, Israel Jurado, Antonio Olaya, Armin Lautz, Antonio Expósito, Andrés Macho, Manuel Olaya, José Mezcua, Antonio Saldaña, Diego Cano, Joaquim Sáez, Antonio Coca, David Hubbard, Mapi and Miguel Morales.

The film is produced by Lamento Films, MiniHollywood Oasys Studios, Kinedric Audiovisual and Un Nuevo Renacer Producciones. David Miralles is Assistant Director & BSO and Gilberto Vilaplana, Director of Photography, Editing & Editing while Antonio Casado is the Head of Production. Ignacio Mañas is in charge of Sound & Executive Production, Pablo de Torres is the Camera Operator 2 and Luis Vercet, Script.

Fernando Pinto is the Production Assistant; Andy Arche is in charge of Lighting & Still Photo; Mapi, Still Photography; Jordi Vargas, Art Department, Leonardo Giménez, Costumes and Props, Carol Sievwright, Costumes and Props, Israel Jurado, Master Armorer; Antonio Expósito, Master Armourer, Diego Cano, Make-up, Hairdressing & Making Off and Carlos Merino, Story Board.

The action is set in 1880 in the West of the United States. Coyote Arango, of Mexican origin, has had a price put on his head. Together with his gang, they sow chaos with robberies and murders in the West of the country. In what will be their last heist, each of them must face their destinies and test their courage and loyalty.

The director of the film says that a teaser was shot for what was going to be a short film with the title Misfortune "We never got to shoot that short film, but I realized that the script could go further, simply by putting one more character, and making a presentation of each character at the beginning of the story gave me a feature film."

[Manuel Olaya giving instructions to the actors before filming.]

"So I decided to macerate it and work on it carefully, and in that time I shot two short films, Two Bullets for the Devil and Agnella, which by the way on Friday, July 25, there will be a screening of my short films at the MiniHollywood Oasys in the Desert Nights by the barbecue," he says.

"Misfortune is more of an action western, a little more violent than the short films I've done previously. To get out of the stereotype of the classic western, a lot of work has been done on the art section. We've been working on it for three years. From a very young age in military service I acquired my first collector's item from this wonderful time that is the history of the Far West. Since then, both props and costumes have been collected," explains Olaya.

[Manuel Olaya with Ignacio Mañas 'El Indaliano'.]

"Among my first short films there was a western genre, shot in Alicante, in a small set there that is now called fun west, a very simple set, but there I shot my first western. Fate took me to Almeria to visit the sets, I made friends, and they allowed me to meet José María Rodríguez, and those friendships were what interfered with me being able to shoot a short film that was destined to be shot in Alicante again and in Teruel. Its title Arizona 1878 is a story of the old west that accumulated in its tour of the festival circuit for two years 207 official selections to festivals around the world, and 144 international awards and recognitions" recalls the filmmaker.

"For me it was a dream to shoot in the mythical film set where films such as For a Few Dollars More or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly were shot. I think that these things are not even dreamed of. Since then, my bond with Almeria has been very great to the point that I usually go down between two and three times a month, as long as work allows me to have two or three days off, I organize myself to go down," concludes Olaya, who wants to finish shooting his first film before the end of the year.