The directorial debut of Spanish film-maker Antonio Mendez Esparza won the Grand Prize at the 51st Cannes Critics Week.

Cannes Critics Week awarded its prizes last night, with Spanish director Antonio Méndez Esparza’s debut feature Aqui Y Alla winning the Nespresso Grand Prize.

The film centres around a man who returns to his mountain village in Mexico after having lived in the U.S for years.

It was chosen by a jury of film critics headed by French director Bertrand Bonello.

The Visionary Prize France 4 Award went to Bulgarian director Ilian Metev’s documentary Sofia’s Last Ambulance following three overworked paramedics in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia and is being sold by Films Boutique. Israeli director Meni Yaesh’s theological thriller God’s Neighbours won the SACD Award.

The ACID/CCAS Support for distribution went to Argentinean screenwriter Alejandro Fadel for his directorial debut Los Salvajes.

In the short film section, the Nikon Discovery Prize was given to Damien Manivel for Un Dimanche Matin, with a special mention going to Juliana Rojas for O Duplo.The Canal+ Award went to Shin Suwon’s Circle Line.

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