Director Patricio Guzman’s Cordillera among winners in industry strands.
The 32nd Guadalajara Film Festival (March 10-17), bookended by fierce criticism of US president Donald Trump by local and international industry, has feted Everardo Gonzalez’s documentary Devil’s Freedom (La Libertad Del Diablo) with best Mexican feature, best Ibero-American documentary and best cinematography as well as the Mexican film critics trophy.
The feature, about violence in Mexico, is handled by Films Boutique and received its world premiere in Berlin earlier this year where it won an Amnesty International award.
Carlos Lechuga’s Santa And Andres, about political dissent in Cuba, was named best Ibero-American feature and also won best script.
Nicaraguan director Jose Maria Cabral’s prison drama Carpinteros (Woodpeckers) won best Ibero-American director in addition to best actor for Jean Jean.
Mexican debutant Sofia Gomez’s The Blue Years (Los Anios Azules), a coming of age drama, garnered five awards including best director, the Fipresci prize and best actress for Paloma Dominguez.
Jose Ramon Chavez’s family drama Ayudame A Pasar La Noche (Help Me Make it Through the Night) won the audience award for a Mexican film.
The jury, which handed out close to €80,000 in prizes, included veteran Mexican director Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, director Bruce LaBruce, Argentinian producer and Tribeca advisory committee member Gabriela Sandoval and US journalist Anna Thompson.
Industry prizes
Private sponsors backed industry strands at the festival to the tune of €660,000 in cash and services.
The 11th Guadalajara Construye works in progress strand showcased seven films selected from more than 100 applicants.
Mi Mundial, the Argentina-Uruguay-Brazil co-production by Carlos Morelli, won three awards; Infection (Infeccion), the Venezuela-Mexico co-production by Flavio Pedota, and Mexican title My Demons Never Swore Solitude (Mis Demonios Nunca Juraron Soledad) by Jorge Leyva, won two prizes each.
Also awarded in Guadalajara was Mexican title Wind Traces (Restos Del Viento) by Jimena Montemayor.
In the 13th Ibero-American co-production meeting 12 projects were awarded among the 34 selected.
Standing out was the new project by celebrated Chilean documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzman, Cordillera which rounds out his feted trilogy already comprising Nostalgia For The Light and The Pearl Button.
For the complete list of awards click here.
Homage
Prolific Portuguese producer Paulo Branco, revered Mexican actress Ofelia Medina, German director Fatih Akin and thelate Argentinian director Hector Babenco received homages.
Meanwhile, Germany was the guest country on the occasion of the 2016-2017 Mexican-German cultural year celebrations. Twenty German films spearheaded by Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann were showcased. Fatih Akin’s Tschick was the festival opening film.
The 33rd edition of the festival will run March 10-17, 2018.
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