By contributing blogger Benjamín Harguindey
Ministry of Culture Hernán Lombardi (left) and festival director Marcelo Panozzo.
The 16th Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI) was given official closure this Saturday 12th in the Centro Cultural Recoleta at midday, and as always Ministry of Culture Hernán Lombardi reflected on the past twelve days of “the great celebration of Latin American cinema” alongside festival director Marcelo Panozzo.
Announcing the winners.
“We’re trying to help with the release of BAFICI movies throughout the year – economically, logistically,” said Lombardi. “Oftentimes these movies have a very short stint at the theaters and they miss out on the market”. After a brief in memoriam in honor of the late great thespian Alfredo Alcón – who passed away the day before at the age of 84 – the list of winners was announced.
The winning movies of the three main categories were Fifi Howls from Happiness (a French-US production) in the International Competition, The Gold Bug (“El escarabajo de oro”) in the Argentinian Competition and It For Others (a UK production) in the Vanguard & Genre Competition.
International Competition
Best Movie: Fifi Howls from Happiness, by Mitra Farahani (US-France)
Special Jury Award: Mauro, by Hernán Rosselli (Argentina)
Best Director: Diego and Daniel de la Vega Vidal, for The Mute (“El mudo”, Peru-France-Mexico)
Best Actor: Fernando Bacilio, for The Mute
Best Actress: Sophie Desmarais, for Sarah préfère la course (Canada)
Special Mention: The Future (“El futuro”, Spain) and Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy (Thailand)
Argentinian Competition
Best Movie: The Gold Bug (“El escarabajo de oro”), by Alejo Moguillansky and Fia-Stina Sandlund
Best Director: Gustavo Fontán, for The Face (“El rostro”)
Special Mention: Letter to a Father (“Carta a un padre”), by Edgardo Cozarinsky
Vanguard & Genre Competition
Grand Prize: Manakamana, by Stephanie Spray and Pancho Vélez (US-Nepal)
Best Movie: It For Others, by Duncan Campbell (UK)
Special Mention: Living Stars, by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat (Argentina)
Best Short Film: Redemption, by Miguel Gomesl (Portugal)
Short Film Special Mention: Alan Vega, Just a Million Dreams, by Marie Losier(France)
Human Rights Competition
Best Movie: The Naked Room (“El cuarto desnudo”, Mexico), by Nuria Ibañez
Special Mention: ReMine, the Last Workers’ Movement (“ReMine, el último movimiento obrero”, Spain), by Marcos Martínez Merino
Short Film Competion
First Award: What They Say of the Mount (“Lo que dicen del monte”), by Octavio Tavares and Francisca Oyaneder.
Second Award: The Queen (“La reina”), by Manuel Abramovich
Special Mentions: Rockero Reyes, by Romina Cohn, and I Don’t Know María (“No sé María”), by Paula Grinzpan.
Unofficial Awards
People’s Choice: While I’m Singing (“Mientras estoy cantando“), by Julián Montero Ciancio.
Argentine Association of Cinematographical Chronists (ACCA): Letter to a Father, by Edgardo Cozarinsky.
Argentine Association of Cinematographical Photography Authors (ADF): Some Girls (“Algunas chicas“), for Fernando Lockett.
International Federation of Cinematographic Press (FIPRESCI): Mauro, by Hernán Rosselli.
Latin American Sound and Image School Federation (FEISAL): Natural Sciences (“Ciencias naturales“), by Matías Lucchesi.
Special Mention: Castanha, by Davi Prietto.
Worldwide Catholic Association for Communication (SIGNIS): Sarah préfère la course, by Chloé Robichaud.
Special Mention: La Salada, by Juan Martín Hsu.
Filming in Argentina: The blog of San Telmo Productions 