El acompañante, by Cuban director Pavel Giroud, was selected to represent Cuban cinema in the Oscar and Goya awards, given by the film academies of the U.S. and Spain, respectively.

After an extensive international tour of festivals and screens in Europe, Asia and the Americas, the movie, premiered in 2015, managed to establish itself as the official proposal of the Caribbean island, following discussions of the Selection Committee coordinated by the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC).

The feature film, according to a note by ICAIC and the Cubacine portal, excelled for its ability to communicate effectively with the public from a story woven with notable narrative efficiency, humanist power and moving characters.

The movies Bailando con Margot (Arturo Santana, 2015); Café Amargo (Rigoberto Jimenez, 2015); La cosa humana (Gerardo Chijona, 2015); Cuba libre (Jorge Luis Sanchez, 2015); Esteban (Jonal Cosculluela, 2015); Leontina (Rudy Mora, 2016) also competed to represent Cuba in the Oscar and Goya awards.

The jury was composed of filmmakers Marilyn Solaya, Leandro de la Rosa and Marcel Beltrán, and critics Joel del Río and Frank Padrón.