To return to documentary filmmaking after her lauded debut fiction feature “Prayers for the Stolen” (“Noche de Fuego”), Tatiana Huezo laid down a set of parameters to follow.
“I didn’t want to include any interviews, any narration or any voice-over,” she told Variety. “The Echo” (“El Eco”), world premiering at Berlinale’s Encounters sidebar, sometimes feels like a fictional story as a result.
“After ‘Prayers..,’ I felt like returning to the language of the documentary, but most importantly, to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, in the smallest details in everyday life,” she mused. Its trailer bows exclusively in Variety.
Research on the docu took some four years. The Mexican-Salvadoran filmmaker found the titular village of El Eco in the state of Puebla, a four-hour drive from Mexico City. After visiting several rural schools, she zeroed in on the village, captivated by its name and even more so after...
“I didn’t want to include any interviews, any narration or any voice-over,” she told Variety. “The Echo” (“El Eco”), world premiering at Berlinale’s Encounters sidebar, sometimes feels like a fictional story as a result.
“After ‘Prayers..,’ I felt like returning to the language of the documentary, but most importantly, to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, in the smallest details in everyday life,” she mused. Its trailer bows exclusively in Variety.
Research on the docu took some four years. The Mexican-Salvadoran filmmaker found the titular village of El Eco in the state of Puebla, a four-hour drive from Mexico City. After visiting several rural schools, she zeroed in on the village, captivated by its name and even more so after...
- 2/16/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Panama City — Mexican documentary filmmaker Everardo Gonzalez is attending Iff Panama for screenings of his multiple award-winning doc “Devil’s Freedom” and as tutor at the fest’s Documentary Workshop, working in conjunction with Campus Latino’s Bettina Walter, Toronto’s documentary programmer, Thom Powers.
“Devil’s Freedom,” a harrowing documentary on Mexico’s drug wars, won top kudos at Los Angeles and Guadalajara.
Gonzalez says that he now wants to change tack in his next project, “El Vientre Yermo” (Sterile womb), that explores hidden life in 10 deserts around the world. He has already explored the universe of the Mexican desert in his 2012 documentary “Drought, but this project focuses on the positive signs of life found in the desert.
He feels that the project is almost a cleansing experience after delving into the psychological and emotional horrors of Mexico’s drug wars in “Devil.”
The shoot includes deserts in Namibia,...
“Devil’s Freedom,” a harrowing documentary on Mexico’s drug wars, won top kudos at Los Angeles and Guadalajara.
Gonzalez says that he now wants to change tack in his next project, “El Vientre Yermo” (Sterile womb), that explores hidden life in 10 deserts around the world. He has already explored the universe of the Mexican desert in his 2012 documentary “Drought, but this project focuses on the positive signs of life found in the desert.
He feels that the project is almost a cleansing experience after delving into the psychological and emotional horrors of Mexico’s drug wars in “Devil.”
The shoot includes deserts in Namibia,...
- 4/10/2018
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
With 92 countries in the running and not a clear frontrunner, this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar race is wide open for surprises, snubs, and possibly a country without previous wins taking the prize. The 9-film shortlist is expected to be announced this week and there are plenty of strong candidates, which means a few of the bigger titles may get shut out — as is the case every year.
Based on my recollections from screenings, conversations, and precursor awards nominations, I’ve put together a list of 20 films that, in my opinion, appear to be the ones most likely to make it to the next phase of the competition. I’ve listed some reasons for these picks, but like with all awards, nothing is certain. I’ve also included five more films that have the merits to sneak in, but that are long shots at this point.
Top 20 Contenders
Argentina
Zama (Dir.
Based on my recollections from screenings, conversations, and precursor awards nominations, I’ve put together a list of 20 films that, in my opinion, appear to be the ones most likely to make it to the next phase of the competition. I’ve listed some reasons for these picks, but like with all awards, nothing is certain. I’ve also included five more films that have the merits to sneak in, but that are long shots at this point.
Top 20 Contenders
Argentina
Zama (Dir.
- 12/11/2017
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
My Top Ten Oscar® Submissions for Best Foreign Language Film includes Darkest Horse: from Slovakia, ‘The Line’You know how, when you finally see a movie you really love, all things seem possible? How a great movie transports you to a new reality? Without that experience, normal life seems drab and dreary unless you use other means of transcendance, like hope, art, music, dancing, religion or drugs.
Have I yet raved about any of the 25 foreign language submissions?
Yes, but it was a long time ago when it won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, that I was so enamoured Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi’s Of Body and Soul (as I was with her previous film, the 1989 Cannes Film Festival Camera d’or winner, My Twentieth Century, which was seen by about a .02% of the population). But that was way back in February.
I would put my body...
Have I yet raved about any of the 25 foreign language submissions?
Yes, but it was a long time ago when it won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, that I was so enamoured Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi’s Of Body and Soul (as I was with her previous film, the 1989 Cannes Film Festival Camera d’or winner, My Twentieth Century, which was seen by about a .02% of the population). But that was way back in February.
I would put my body...
- 12/10/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
In her harrowing film Tempestad (Tempest), about the horrors of human trafficking, Tatiana Huezo elicits outrage and sorrow as gangsters operate with impunity and the voices of victims go unheard.
The poignant documentary tells two loosely connected stories: one follows a woman who lands in a cartel-controlled prison after she's wrongly convicted of human trafficking, the other centers on a grieving circus mom seeking justice for her missing daughter.
Sadly, despite the intrepid filmmaking effort of El Salvador-born, Mexico-raised Huezo, the outlook remains bleak in Mexico, where the murder rate is on track to become the worst ever this year and forced...
The poignant documentary tells two loosely connected stories: one follows a woman who lands in a cartel-controlled prison after she's wrongly convicted of human trafficking, the other centers on a grieving circus mom seeking justice for her missing daughter.
Sadly, despite the intrepid filmmaking effort of El Salvador-born, Mexico-raised Huezo, the outlook remains bleak in Mexico, where the murder rate is on track to become the worst ever this year and forced...
- 11/28/2017
- by John Hecht
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Tempestad has been selected as Mexico’s official entry to the 90th Academy Awards in the foreign-language film category, and was also recently nominated for an International Emmy Award for Best Documentary. It was also the winner of the Best Documentary at the last edition of the Cinema Tropical Awards, and its Dp Ernesto Pardo was nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers Award.
Its U.S. theatrical premiere is October 20 at Anthology Film Archives who is co-presenting with Cinema Tropical, its distributor.
Utilizing the direct testimony of two women whose lives have been torn apart by the cartel-fueled terror racking Mexico in the 21st century, Tempestad is an impressionistic portrait — at once lyrical and shattering — of the human cost of the country’s lawlessness.
This extraordinary film by Salvadorian filmmaker Tatiana Huezo, whose Ariel Award (among others) winning doc was The Tiniest Place/ El lugar más pequeño, will shake...
Its U.S. theatrical premiere is October 20 at Anthology Film Archives who is co-presenting with Cinema Tropical, its distributor.
Utilizing the direct testimony of two women whose lives have been torn apart by the cartel-fueled terror racking Mexico in the 21st century, Tempestad is an impressionistic portrait — at once lyrical and shattering — of the human cost of the country’s lawlessness.
This extraordinary film by Salvadorian filmmaker Tatiana Huezo, whose Ariel Award (among others) winning doc was The Tiniest Place/ El lugar más pequeño, will shake...
- 10/4/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Tempestad, Tatiana Huezo's hard-hitting documentary about victims of the human-trafficking trade, has been chosen as Mexico's submission for foreign-language film Oscar consideration.
Mexico's film academy on Wednesday announced it will also submit Tempestad to vie for best foreign picture for Spain's 32nd Goya Awards in February.
The pic follows two loosely connected narratives of women who have suffered the brutal consequences of human trafficking in Mexico.
Jim Jarmusch collaborator Jim Stark (Down by Law) executive produced Tempestad alongside brothers Nicolas and Sebastian Celis, producers of Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron's latest picture, Roma.
Salvadoran-born writer-director Huezo won high praise on the festival circuit for her first work, The Tiniest Place (El Lugar Mas Pequeno), a powerful documentary that reflects on...
Mexico's film academy on Wednesday announced it will also submit Tempestad to vie for best foreign picture for Spain's 32nd Goya Awards in February.
The pic follows two loosely connected narratives of women who have suffered the brutal consequences of human trafficking in Mexico.
Jim Jarmusch collaborator Jim Stark (Down by Law) executive produced Tempestad alongside brothers Nicolas and Sebastian Celis, producers of Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron's latest picture, Roma.
Salvadoran-born writer-director Huezo won high praise on the festival circuit for her first work, The Tiniest Place (El Lugar Mas Pequeno), a powerful documentary that reflects on...
- 9/13/2017
- by John Hecht
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Crime drama La 4ta Compania (The 4th Company) grabbed nine of Mexico's top film prizes, including best picture and actor, Tuesday night at the 59th Ariel Awards.
Based on a true story, The 4th Company follows members of a 1970s inmate football team who participate in a crime ring while serving their prison sentences. The film exposes corruption and collusion in Mexican prisons.
Mitzi Vanessa Arreola and Amir Galvan co-directed The 4th Company, which was nominated for 20 Ariels.
Best director went to Tatiana Huezo for Tempestad, a documentary that looks at the effects of human trafficking in Mexico. Jim Stark (Down...
Based on a true story, The 4th Company follows members of a 1970s inmate football team who participate in a crime ring while serving their prison sentences. The film exposes corruption and collusion in Mexican prisons.
Mitzi Vanessa Arreola and Amir Galvan co-directed The 4th Company, which was nominated for 20 Ariels.
Best director went to Tatiana Huezo for Tempestad, a documentary that looks at the effects of human trafficking in Mexico. Jim Stark (Down...
- 7/12/2017
- by John Hecht
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The American Society of Cinematographers recently added an very welcome category called "Spotlight" in which they note the work of DPs working in films with either very limited releases or festival only entries. It's a smart way to draw attention to work that might otherwise go unnoticed. In this new category they've nominated Lol Crawley for Childhood of a Leader (which we recently discussed), Gorka Gomez Andreu's work on the Georgian Oscar submission House of Others, Ernesto Pardo for the Mexican film Tempestad, and Juliette van Dormael's lensing of the Belgian film Mon Ange (My Angel). Why there are only 4 honorees and not the traditional 5 we do not know.
But the marquee category is of course Theatrical Motion Pictures. And here's the beauties they most loved looking at this year...
Bradford Young for Arrival
1st Asc nomination. Also his first BAFTA nomination. One previous Spirit nomination for Selma. Other...
But the marquee category is of course Theatrical Motion Pictures. And here's the beauties they most loved looking at this year...
Bradford Young for Arrival
1st Asc nomination. Also his first BAFTA nomination. One previous Spirit nomination for Selma. Other...
- 1/12/2017
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The American Society Of Cinematographers (Asc) on Wednesday unveiled its nominees in the theatrical release and Spotlight categories for the 31st Annual Asc Awards For Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography.
Winners will be announced on February 4 at the Society’s awards gala in Hollywood.
Theatrical release nominees
Greig Fraser, Lion
James Laxton Moonlight
Rodrigo Prieto, Silence
Linus Sandgren, La La Land
Bradford Young, Arrival
Prieto has earned two Asc nominations prior to this for Frida and Brokeback Mountain. The remaining contenders are first-time nominees.
The Asc also recognises outstanding cinematography in feature that screened at festivals, internationally or in limited theatrical release.
Spotlight Award nominees
Lol Crawley, Childhood Of A Leader
Gorka Gomez Andreu, House Of Others
Ernesto Pardo, Tempestad
Juliette van Dormael, Mon Ange (My Angel)
“Each of the nominated films offers a unique vision on the part of the director of photography,” said Asc president Kees van Oostrum. “These movies also represent a less formulaic or traditional...
Winners will be announced on February 4 at the Society’s awards gala in Hollywood.
Theatrical release nominees
Greig Fraser, Lion
James Laxton Moonlight
Rodrigo Prieto, Silence
Linus Sandgren, La La Land
Bradford Young, Arrival
Prieto has earned two Asc nominations prior to this for Frida and Brokeback Mountain. The remaining contenders are first-time nominees.
The Asc also recognises outstanding cinematography in feature that screened at festivals, internationally or in limited theatrical release.
Spotlight Award nominees
Lol Crawley, Childhood Of A Leader
Gorka Gomez Andreu, House Of Others
Ernesto Pardo, Tempestad
Juliette van Dormael, Mon Ange (My Angel)
“Each of the nominated films offers a unique vision on the part of the director of photography,” said Asc president Kees van Oostrum. “These movies also represent a less formulaic or traditional...
- 1/11/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The American Society of Cinematographers nominees for the 31st annual Asc Awards (February 4) boost Oscar frontrunners “La La Land” and “Moonlight” as well as Rodrigo Prieto’s 35 mm work on “Silence,” Greig Fraser’s “Lion” and “Arrival,” whose cinematographer Bradford Young would be the first African-American Oscar nominee.
“Arrival,” “La La Land” and “Lion” also landed BAFTA nods.
Left out by the Asc but still vying for Oscar nominations are Charlotte Bruus Christensen (“Fences”), Roger Deakins (“Hail, Caesar!”), Stephane Fontaine (“Jackie”), Jody Lee Lipes (“Manchester By the Sea”), Seamus McGarvey (“Nocturnal Animals”), Giles Nuttgens (“Hell or High Water”) and Mandy Walker (“Hidden Figures”).
The Asc nominees below are all first-timers except for third-timer Prieto, who was also nominated “Frida” (2002) and “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). All other nominees this year are first-time contenders (see my Oscar predictions in this category):
Greig Fraser, Asc, Acs for “Lion”
James Laxton for “Moonlight”
Rodrigo Prieto,...
“Arrival,” “La La Land” and “Lion” also landed BAFTA nods.
Left out by the Asc but still vying for Oscar nominations are Charlotte Bruus Christensen (“Fences”), Roger Deakins (“Hail, Caesar!”), Stephane Fontaine (“Jackie”), Jody Lee Lipes (“Manchester By the Sea”), Seamus McGarvey (“Nocturnal Animals”), Giles Nuttgens (“Hell or High Water”) and Mandy Walker (“Hidden Figures”).
The Asc nominees below are all first-timers except for third-timer Prieto, who was also nominated “Frida” (2002) and “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). All other nominees this year are first-time contenders (see my Oscar predictions in this category):
Greig Fraser, Asc, Acs for “Lion”
James Laxton for “Moonlight”
Rodrigo Prieto,...
- 1/11/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The American Society of Cinematographers nominees for the 31st annual Asc Awards (February 4) boost Oscar frontrunners “La La Land” and “Moonlight” as well as Rodrigo Prieto’s 35 mm work on “Silence,” Greig Fraser’s “Lion” and “Arrival,” whose cinematographer Bradford Young would be the first African-American Oscar nominee.
“Arrival,” “La La Land” and “Lion” also landed BAFTA nods.
Left out by the Asc but still vying for Oscar nominations are Charlotte Bruus Christensen (“Fences”), Roger Deakins (“Hail, Caesar!”), Stephane Fontaine (“Jackie”), Jody Lee Lipes (“Manchester By the Sea”), Seamus McGarvey (“Nocturnal Animals”), Giles Nuttgens (“Hell or High Water”) and Mandy Walker (“Hidden Figures”).
The Asc nominees below are all first-timers except for third-timer Prieto, who was also nominated “Frida” (2002) and “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). All other nominees this year are first-time contenders (see my Oscar predictions in this category):
Greig Fraser, Asc, Acs for “Lion”
James Laxton for “Moonlight”
Rodrigo Prieto,...
“Arrival,” “La La Land” and “Lion” also landed BAFTA nods.
Left out by the Asc but still vying for Oscar nominations are Charlotte Bruus Christensen (“Fences”), Roger Deakins (“Hail, Caesar!”), Stephane Fontaine (“Jackie”), Jody Lee Lipes (“Manchester By the Sea”), Seamus McGarvey (“Nocturnal Animals”), Giles Nuttgens (“Hell or High Water”) and Mandy Walker (“Hidden Figures”).
The Asc nominees below are all first-timers except for third-timer Prieto, who was also nominated “Frida” (2002) and “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). All other nominees this year are first-time contenders (see my Oscar predictions in this category):
Greig Fraser, Asc, Acs for “Lion”
James Laxton for “Moonlight”
Rodrigo Prieto,...
- 1/11/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Could there be a more perfect moment than this? Sitting in the garden behind the Hotel Nacional, looking at the Cuban flag so proudly waving over the Straits of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. The same site where the defense was built during the Cuban Missile Crisis, this moment of time marks a particularly precarious balance between peaceful coexistence and military aggression as we contemplate the recent death of Castro and election of Trump, wondering how it will play out in 2017.Hotel Nacional, Headquarters of Festival de Cine Nuevo Iberoamericano, Havana, Cuba
Cuba, ten days after the death of Fidel Castro, head of state for 52 years,may be a bit more subdued, but life here goes on, even with the influx of American tourists (other tourists have always been here); there is a sense of harmony. And in spite of the scarcity of luxuries for its people, the people...
Cuba, ten days after the death of Fidel Castro, head of state for 52 years,may be a bit more subdued, but life here goes on, even with the influx of American tourists (other tourists have always been here); there is a sense of harmony. And in spite of the scarcity of luxuries for its people, the people...
- 12/29/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Tatiana Huezo's Mexican documentary Tempestad topped the international competition at the fifth edition of the Costa Rica Film Festival. Jurgen Urena's Abrazame Como Antes won both the Central American and Costa Rican competitions.
The competition and audience award winners in each of the festival’s three categories were announced Sunday at a closing ceremony at the Magaly Theater, in San Jose
Premiered at Berlinale, Tempestad is Salvadorian Tatiana Huezo's follow-up to The Tiniest Place and addresses the topic of human trafficking in Mexico through the experiences of two young women.
Jurgen Urena's second feature and follow-up to Munecas Rusas, Abrazame Como Puedas...
The competition and audience award winners in each of the festival’s three categories were announced Sunday at a closing ceremony at the Magaly Theater, in San Jose
Premiered at Berlinale, Tempestad is Salvadorian Tatiana Huezo's follow-up to The Tiniest Place and addresses the topic of human trafficking in Mexico through the experiences of two young women.
Jurgen Urena's second feature and follow-up to Munecas Rusas, Abrazame Como Puedas...
- 12/19/2016
- by Agustin Mango
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Costa Rica International Film Festival has announced the full list of winners from its fifth edition. An initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Youth’s Film Center, this year’s festival included 72 films from around the world and ran from December 8 to December 17 in San Jose.
Read More: Costa Rica’s Big Movie Dreams: How a Country With 150 Theaters Plans to Improve the Central America Film Industry
The jurors of the 2016 fest announced the competition and audience award winners in each of the festival’s three categories at the closing ceremony Saturday at the Magaly Theater.
“After 10 intense days, the 2016 edition of the Costa Rica International Film Festival comes to an end, having firmly established that it is committed not just to national and Central American cinema, but to strengthening its ties with audiences, whose numbers swelled this year compared to the 2015 edition,” Crfic Artistic Director Marcelo Quesada said in a statement.
Read More: Costa Rica’s Big Movie Dreams: How a Country With 150 Theaters Plans to Improve the Central America Film Industry
The jurors of the 2016 fest announced the competition and audience award winners in each of the festival’s three categories at the closing ceremony Saturday at the Magaly Theater.
“After 10 intense days, the 2016 edition of the Costa Rica International Film Festival comes to an end, having firmly established that it is committed not just to national and Central American cinema, but to strengthening its ties with audiences, whose numbers swelled this year compared to the 2015 edition,” Crfic Artistic Director Marcelo Quesada said in a statement.
- 12/19/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Jurgen Ureña’s film was named Best Central American Feature Film and Best National Feature Film as the 2016 Costa Rica International Film Festival (Crfic) wrapped on Sunday.
Best International Feature Film went to Mexican director Tatiana Huezo’s Tempestad, while the National Short Film Competition winner was Roya Eshraghi’s El Arbol (Costa Rica-Cuba).
Audience awards went to Pieter-Jan De Pue’s The Land Of The Enlightened (Belgium-Ireland-Holland-Germany-Afghanistan), short film Belleza, Valentía y Fortaleza en la Ocupada Cisjordania by Glorianna Ximendaz, and Marcela Zamora’s documentary Los Ofendidos (El Salvador).
The festival took place in San José, Costa Rica, from December 8-17 with the backing of the ministry of culture and youth’s Centro de Cine.
Best International Feature Film went to Mexican director Tatiana Huezo’s Tempestad, while the National Short Film Competition winner was Roya Eshraghi’s El Arbol (Costa Rica-Cuba).
Audience awards went to Pieter-Jan De Pue’s The Land Of The Enlightened (Belgium-Ireland-Holland-Germany-Afghanistan), short film Belleza, Valentía y Fortaleza en la Ocupada Cisjordania by Glorianna Ximendaz, and Marcela Zamora’s documentary Los Ofendidos (El Salvador).
The festival took place in San José, Costa Rica, from December 8-17 with the backing of the ministry of culture and youth’s Centro de Cine.
- 12/19/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Cinema Tropical Awards, which honor the best in Latin American film production, have announced the nominees for their seventh annual ceremony. They feature 23 films from eight countries nominated in six different categories: Best Feature Film; Best Documentary Film; Best Director, Feature Film; Best Director, Documentary Film; Best First Film and Best U.S. Latino Film.
Read More: LatinoBuzz: Nominees Announced for the 6th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards
The winners will be announced at a special evening ceremony at The New York Times Company headquarters in New York City on Friday, January 13. The winning films will be showcased as part of the Cinema Tropical Festival at Museum of the Moving Image this winter.
The jury for the festival this year includes the following: Carlos Aguilar, film critic and journalist; Fábio Andrade, film critic and screenwriter; Ela Bittencourt, film critic and programmer; Eric Hynes, Associate Curator of Film, Museum of the Moving Image; Toby Lee,...
Read More: LatinoBuzz: Nominees Announced for the 6th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards
The winners will be announced at a special evening ceremony at The New York Times Company headquarters in New York City on Friday, January 13. The winning films will be showcased as part of the Cinema Tropical Festival at Museum of the Moving Image this winter.
The jury for the festival this year includes the following: Carlos Aguilar, film critic and journalist; Fábio Andrade, film critic and screenwriter; Ela Bittencourt, film critic and programmer; Eric Hynes, Associate Curator of Film, Museum of the Moving Image; Toby Lee,...
- 12/14/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie” may be getting Oscar buzz, but it’s not his only film up for contention. His Spanish-language picture “Neruda,” starring Luis Gnecco and Gael García Bernal, has also been well received by critics, especially at the 2016 Fenix Awards — it took home four prizes, including Best Picture and Best Editing.
The drama, which is also Chile’s official Oscar entry for Best Foreign-Language Film, tells the story of poet Pablo Neruda (Gnecco), arguably the most famous communist in post-wwii Chile. When the political tides shift, he is forced into hiding with tenacious police inspector Oscar Peluchoneau (Bernal) hot on his trail.
Read More: How The Fenix Awards Became Mexico’s Secret Weapon at the Oscars
The third annual Fenix Ibero-American Film Awards took place on December 7 in Mexico City and honored the best in film from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Another big hit of the night...
The drama, which is also Chile’s official Oscar entry for Best Foreign-Language Film, tells the story of poet Pablo Neruda (Gnecco), arguably the most famous communist in post-wwii Chile. When the political tides shift, he is forced into hiding with tenacious police inspector Oscar Peluchoneau (Bernal) hot on his trail.
Read More: How The Fenix Awards Became Mexico’s Secret Weapon at the Oscars
The third annual Fenix Ibero-American Film Awards took place on December 7 in Mexico City and honored the best in film from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Another big hit of the night...
- 12/8/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
The Masked MonkeysThe cutting edge of cinema culture at this moment is not what’s premiering in competition at Cannes or picking up the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Rather, it is at the quietly flourishing but deeply influential genre of film festival focusing on new and adventurous work in documentary filmmaking. More than any red carpet extravaganza, this type of festival is consistently challenging audiences to expand their understanding of how the art of cinema explores reality and how reality complicates moviemaking. Whether big, like Copenhagen’s Cph:dox, or smaller, like Missouri’s True/False Film Fest, these events go further than the traditional and staid vision of festivals devoted to documentary film, whose emphasis is above all on the camera as a bland tool to invisibly tell a nonfiction story, and instead present more closely curated programs that showcase the infinite nuance and complexity—not to mention shades...
- 11/29/2016
- MUBI
Arrival, Snowden directors of photography also among winners at international cinematography festival.
Lion cinematographer Greig Fraser was awarded the Golden Frog in main competition at Camerimage, the international film festival for the art of cinematography, which uniquely awards films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values.
The 24th edition of the festival was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland from November 12 – 19.
Fraser took home the top award for shooting director Garth Davis’ Lion, the true story of an Indian boy separated from his family and adopted by an affluent couple. The film features Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara and Dev Patel.
UK box office success Arrival, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, was awarded the Silver Frog for Bradford Young’s photography, while DoP Anthony Dod Mantle was presented the Bronze Frog for Snowden, the biopic of the former Nsa whistle-blower, directed by Oliver Stone.
The main festival competition aims to honour features in which the image significantly contributes...
Lion cinematographer Greig Fraser was awarded the Golden Frog in main competition at Camerimage, the international film festival for the art of cinematography, which uniquely awards films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values.
The 24th edition of the festival was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland from November 12 – 19.
Fraser took home the top award for shooting director Garth Davis’ Lion, the true story of an Indian boy separated from his family and adopted by an affluent couple. The film features Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara and Dev Patel.
UK box office success Arrival, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, was awarded the Silver Frog for Bradford Young’s photography, while DoP Anthony Dod Mantle was presented the Bronze Frog for Snowden, the biopic of the former Nsa whistle-blower, directed by Oliver Stone.
The main festival competition aims to honour features in which the image significantly contributes...
- 11/22/2016
- ScreenDaily
Just because events like Venice, Tiff and Nyff are over, that doesn’t mean fall film festival season is slowing down. Quite the contrary, as the renowned Morelia International Film Festival is currently in full swing in Mexico.
Founded in 2003, the festival was designed to put a greater spotlight on Mexican cinema, but it has since grown into an international event, hosting directors as diverse as Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñárritu to Todd Haynes, Michel Gondry, Alejandro Jodorowsky and the late Abbas Kiarostami. The festival runs through October 30, and IndieWire has partnered with Festival Scope to give readers the chance to attend from the comfort of their own homes.
Now through Thursday, October 27, IndieWire readers have an exclusive opportunity to register for a chance to win an online festival pass to screen 20 features and documentaries from the Morelia Film Festival on the Festival Scope website. Click here for the...
Founded in 2003, the festival was designed to put a greater spotlight on Mexican cinema, but it has since grown into an international event, hosting directors as diverse as Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñárritu to Todd Haynes, Michel Gondry, Alejandro Jodorowsky and the late Abbas Kiarostami. The festival runs through October 30, and IndieWire has partnered with Festival Scope to give readers the chance to attend from the comfort of their own homes.
Now through Thursday, October 27, IndieWire readers have an exclusive opportunity to register for a chance to win an online festival pass to screen 20 features and documentaries from the Morelia Film Festival on the Festival Scope website. Click here for the...
- 10/24/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The non-competitive strand will also feature Pablo Larrain’s Neruda and Kirsten Johnson’s Cameraperson.Scroll down for full line-up
This year’s Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 12-20) will feature 17 titles in its Kinoscope programme, including festival hits such as Toni Erdmann and Cameraperson
First launched in 2012, the non-competitive strand selects titles from around the world, excluding territories featured in the festival’s main competition.
This year’s line-up includes titles that have received plaudits at major festivals, including three Palme d’Or nominated films from this year’s Cannes Film Festival: Kleber Mendonca Filho’s Aquarius, Alain Guiraudie’s Staying Vetical, and Maren Ade’s crowd favourite Toni Erdmann, which clocked the highest ever score on Screen’s Cannes Jury Grid.
Also from Cannes is Pablo Larrain’s Neruda, which premiered in Directors’ Fortnight, while the programme includes Kirsten Johnson’s documentary Cameraperson, which recently won the top prize at Sheffield Doc/Fest.
Titles that premiered...
This year’s Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 12-20) will feature 17 titles in its Kinoscope programme, including festival hits such as Toni Erdmann and Cameraperson
First launched in 2012, the non-competitive strand selects titles from around the world, excluding territories featured in the festival’s main competition.
This year’s line-up includes titles that have received plaudits at major festivals, including three Palme d’Or nominated films from this year’s Cannes Film Festival: Kleber Mendonca Filho’s Aquarius, Alain Guiraudie’s Staying Vetical, and Maren Ade’s crowd favourite Toni Erdmann, which clocked the highest ever score on Screen’s Cannes Jury Grid.
Also from Cannes is Pablo Larrain’s Neruda, which premiered in Directors’ Fortnight, while the programme includes Kirsten Johnson’s documentary Cameraperson, which recently won the top prize at Sheffield Doc/Fest.
Titles that premiered...
- 7/18/2016
- ScreenDaily
Documentary festival announces winners.
Cameraperson, a documentary about the career of cinematographer Kirsten Johnson, has won the grand jury award at Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 10-15).
Johnson, who also directs the film, is the Us cinematographer behind Laura Poitras’ Oscar-winning Edward Snowden doc Citizenfour and Kirby Dick’s The Invisible War among many others.
The award, supported by Screen International and Broadcast, comes with a cash prize of £2,000 ($2,800).
The jury described the film as “a work that´s both expansive and intimate, formally ambitious and morally humble”.
“Though this filmmaker has travelled the world to tell others stories, her real...
Cameraperson, a documentary about the career of cinematographer Kirsten Johnson, has won the grand jury award at Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 10-15).
Johnson, who also directs the film, is the Us cinematographer behind Laura Poitras’ Oscar-winning Edward Snowden doc Citizenfour and Kirby Dick’s The Invisible War among many others.
The award, supported by Screen International and Broadcast, comes with a cash prize of £2,000 ($2,800).
The jury described the film as “a work that´s both expansive and intimate, formally ambitious and morally humble”.
“Though this filmmaker has travelled the world to tell others stories, her real...
- 6/14/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Tasters of the films in competition at this week’s Sheffield Doc/Fest.
Click here to see the full competition line-ups.
Opening FilmWhere To Invade Next - Michael Moore Grand JuryJim: The James Foley Story - Brian Oakes Brothers - Wojciech Staron The Settlers - Shimon Dotan Bobby Sands: 66 Days - Brendan J Byrne Presenting Princess Shaw - Ido Haar City 40 - Samira Goetschel Tempestad - Tatiana Huezo The Land of the Enlightened - Pieter-Jan De Pue Notes On Blindness - Peter Middleton, James Spinney Environmental JurySeed: The Untold Story - Taggart Siegel, Jon Betz Kivalina - Gina Abatemarco Freightened - The Real Price of Shipping - Denis Delestrac...
Click here to see the full competition line-ups.
Opening FilmWhere To Invade Next - Michael Moore Grand JuryJim: The James Foley Story - Brian Oakes Brothers - Wojciech Staron The Settlers - Shimon Dotan Bobby Sands: 66 Days - Brendan J Byrne Presenting Princess Shaw - Ido Haar City 40 - Samira Goetschel Tempestad - Tatiana Huezo The Land of the Enlightened - Pieter-Jan De Pue Notes On Blindness - Peter Middleton, James Spinney Environmental JurySeed: The Untold Story - Taggart Siegel, Jon Betz Kivalina - Gina Abatemarco Freightened - The Real Price of Shipping - Denis Delestrac...
- 6/9/2016
- ScreenDaily
World premiere of Intimate Lighting restoration, a focus on Mexican female directors, a tribute to Otto Preminger and the first Eurimages Lab Project Award set for 2016 edition.
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) has unveiled the first wave of titles and industry initiatives set for its 51st edition (July 1-9).
The festival, hosted in the picturesque Czech spa town, will world premiere a digital restoration of Ivan Passer’s Intimate Lighting. The bittersweet comedy about an encounter between two former classmates and musicians is described one of the most striking films of the Czechoslovak New Wave of the 1960s.
The 82-year-old director, who was honoured with Kviff’s Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema in 2008, will be present at the premiere on July 2.
Mexican female directors
Semana Santa
Kviff will also spotlight Mexican female directors, screening nine features and one short from the past five years. The filmmakers include Elisa Miller, who won a Palme...
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) has unveiled the first wave of titles and industry initiatives set for its 51st edition (July 1-9).
The festival, hosted in the picturesque Czech spa town, will world premiere a digital restoration of Ivan Passer’s Intimate Lighting. The bittersweet comedy about an encounter between two former classmates and musicians is described one of the most striking films of the Czechoslovak New Wave of the 1960s.
The 82-year-old director, who was honoured with Kviff’s Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema in 2008, will be present at the premiere on July 2.
Mexican female directors
Semana Santa
Kviff will also spotlight Mexican female directors, screening nine features and one short from the past five years. The filmmakers include Elisa Miller, who won a Palme...
- 4/26/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Below you will find our favorite films of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, as well as an index of our coverage.Daniel Kasmantop Picksi. From the Notebook Of..., Marble Ass, Tout une nuitII. A Quiet Passion, The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo & Isolation of 1/880000, Creepy, Things to Come, Short StayIII. Hanasareru Gang, Tempestad, Karla, A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery, Le fils de Joseph, Ta'angIV. Between Fences, Fire at Sea, Doomed Love – A Journey through German Genre FilmsCOVERAGEAwardsHail...Cinema?: Hail Caesar! (Joel & Ethan Coen)Two Women in Mexico's Storm: Tempestad (Tatiana Huezo)Why Not Stay in Philly?: Short Stay (Ted Fendt)The Title Says It Best: Creepy (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)Women Poets and Philosophers: A Quiet Passion (Terence Davies), Things to Come (Mia Hansen-Løve)Refugee Cinema: Fire at Sea (Gianfranco Rosi), Ta'ang (Wang Bing), Havarie (Philip Scheffner)Cryptograms: Crosscurrent (Yang Chao), Life After Life (Zhang Hanyi)Lost Souls of the...
- 3/7/2016
- by Notebook
- MUBI
The two spoken stories that run in parallel in Tatiana Huezo's smouldering, incendiary documentary would be worth hearing even if they weren't accompanied by such absorbing imagery. But they are, and yet even more than pictorial beauty and the power of personal testimony, it is the way that Huezo, with quiet confidence despite this only being her second feature-length documentary, weaves image, story and soundtrack together, that makes "Tempestad" such a rich and original piece of work. The subtlety of her approach interlaces ideas, resonances and emotions in ever-shifting, eternally edifying ways. And it ultimately promotes the film from human interest journalism to a grand work of socio-political critique and a quietly radical remodeling of familiar documentary formats. Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2016 At its most basic, it is the story of two Mexican women. They don't know each other, nor do they meet and we almost...
- 2/16/2016
- by Jessica Kiang
- The Playlist
© Pimienta FilmsThe Forum section of the Berlinale is where many look to find exciting new voices or more adventurous forays into what cinema can do away from the red carpet requirements of the festival's headline competition section. (This year, the Berlin competition has included several films that normally might have been invited to the Forum, chief among them Lav Diaz's 8-hour A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery, screening in front of a jury headed by Meryl Streep towards the end of the festival.) I will be spending much of my time in Berlin scouring the Forum and reporting back on what pleasures I find.The Mexican documentary Tempestad is a prime example of what makes the Forum rewarding, taking a risk on an ungainly but ambitious movie which deserves to be seen. The second feature by Tatiana Huezo, Tempestad ("Storm") begins as one woman's story, a woman being released...
- 2/13/2016
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
Documentary director Tatiana Huezo's new film, "Tempestad," is a socially powerful and horrifying look at coming home, presented in a way you probably have never seen it before. Read More: LatinoBuzz Interview: Why Nicolas Celis Is Mexico's Most Promising Producer Using the narration of one woman's true story, Huezo traces a young mother as she journeys home after being wrongly accused and locked away in prison for human trafficking. To get home, the woman must make a 1,200 mile journey from Matamoros to Cancún, all while facing inspections by armed men and constant fear. The viewer never sees the protagonist but just hears her voice, as Huezo fills out her story with her own visual and atmospheric imagery. "Tempestad" will premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival this Saturday, February 16 in the Forum sidebar. Watch an exclusive clip from the film above.
- 2/11/2016
- by Elle Leonsis
- Indiewire
Programme includes 34 world premieres.
The line-up for the 46th Berlinale Forum has been announced and will feature a total of 44 films in its main programme, of which 34 are world premieres and nine international premieres.
One focus of this year’s programme is the Arab region, with films shot by mainly young directors from an area that stretches between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, exploring both the past and present of their homelands.
In A Magical Substance Flows into Me, artist Jumana Manna sets out in search of the musical diversity of the Palestinian region.
Tamer El Said’s feature In the Last Days of the City (Akher ayam el madina) sends his alter-ego Khalid through the director’s home city of Cairo, which is in a state of uproar.
Maher Abi Samra’s documentary A Maid for Each (Makhdoumin) grapples with the employment of maids from the Global South in middle-class Lebanese households, a practice...
The line-up for the 46th Berlinale Forum has been announced and will feature a total of 44 films in its main programme, of which 34 are world premieres and nine international premieres.
One focus of this year’s programme is the Arab region, with films shot by mainly young directors from an area that stretches between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, exploring both the past and present of their homelands.
In A Magical Substance Flows into Me, artist Jumana Manna sets out in search of the musical diversity of the Palestinian region.
Tamer El Said’s feature In the Last Days of the City (Akher ayam el madina) sends his alter-ego Khalid through the director’s home city of Cairo, which is in a state of uproar.
Maher Abi Samra’s documentary A Maid for Each (Makhdoumin) grapples with the employment of maids from the Global South in middle-class Lebanese households, a practice...
- 1/19/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Of all the upcoming talent in the recent weeks in Mexico at the writers residency "Pueblo Magico", at Flicc, the Latin American Forum for Coproduction and New Talent, in Morelia and at Los Cabos, producer Nicolás Celis ("Heli", "We Are What We Are") stands out on many fronts.
Nico : At 29 years of age, I have worked on 20 to 25 movies. I have learned my craft from the directors I have worked with like Tatiana Huezo and Amat Escalante, to name just two.
I have created my own unique creative process and have learned about financing and distribution as well as production.
Sl: I noticed you work with Sebastian Celis. Who is that?
When our father died, my older brother who was a physicist wanted to do something with me. It was easier for him to go into film than for me to go into physics. We like spending time together. Really he is the perfect partner -- 100% trustworthy: we won't let each other down. We like the the same movies and both work a lot. Working with him brings us very close and we are more attached than ever and more interested in making long term plans. Working with my brother is very interesting. He can work well with the abstract and can understand ideas before they are totally conceived and then put those ideas onto paper. What's beautiful about film is your background is irrelevant.
Sl: What is your approach to producing films?
We always try to budget carefully. We aim to make the films for a reasonable cost which can actually be recouped. With low budgets, you can shoot quickly. We believe now is a very good time to make movies in Mexico. There is a lot of money available here through the various funding schemes, even if there is a lot of competition for that funding. With more and more people coming out of film schools that competition is only going to increase. So we are aggressively looking for private equity as well.
Sl: How did you get into film?
I was never formally schooled in filmmaking. I was rejected twice by Ccc (one of the top film schools in Mexico). In time though by helping to make shorts, I realized that I had skills that directors needed. My first short, "Ver llover" (2006)--I was unit production manager---was directed by Elisa Miller who did study at Ccc. The film went to Cannes and her second short—which I produced – went to Critics Week in Cannes and won the Palme d'Or She has returned to work with me on our upcoming feature "Skin Deep" which is now being presented as a project in development in Los Cabos. I came to realize I did not have to go to film school to be sought after. Directors seek me out now because we enjoy collaboration and they value my ability to work with them.
Sl: What are your most recent and upcoming films?
I have a number of films that are in post production or just completed.
A private screening of the documentary "Tempestad" was held in Morelia just weeks ago in its first edition of Impulso, which is only for works-in-progress. The audience for those screenings is exclusively sales agents, distributors, financiers and festival programmers who want to see films that are currently in post-production. We have big expectations for that film . We are aiming at Berlin or Cannes. This is the second documentary film by Tatiana Huezo whose first doc, “El Lugar Mas Pequeno"/ "The Tiniest Place” (which I also produced) won numerous Best Picture prizes at festivals around the world.
"Soy Negro" now is also in post. It is by Rafi Pitts from Iran and tells a story of migration to the USA from a different point of view with a Mexican touch. It has received support from the French Cnc, funds from Eurimages, Ffa in Germany, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenberg support, and Zdf/ Arte support. The Match Factory will represent the film internationally.
"Desierto" directed by Jonás Cuarón premiered in Toronto where it was acquired from Im Global for the U.S. by Stx, the new China-backed company headed by Robert Simonds and Cathy Schulman. "All of Me", the emotionally touching doc about Las Patronas, premiered in Los Cabos festival last year, won a top prize and was picked up for U.S. by Outsider Films from the new Berlin-based boutique international sales agent for award-winning docs, Rise and Shine.
"Semana Santa" whose international sales agent is Mundial was coproduced with Jim Stark, our new partner. He is the U.S. indie producer of the early Jarmusch films, Icelandic director Fridrik Thor Fridrikson, Bent Hamer and many others.
Sl: How did you join up with Jim Stark? I used to buy his films for the U.S. so I am very interested in what he is doing these days.
Jim was giving a workshop in Morelia four years ago that I attended. Later, he introduced me to Rafi Pitts in Guadalajara. And now he and I are working together on a lot of projects.
Jim makes the same sort of movies we do and is also good at raising money and making international connections. He shoots everywhere and has a couple of projects in Turkey, is still working with Icelanders and even has a project in Africa in Ivory Coast.
We're now working together on a Georgian doc and talking about other coproductions with international co-producers.
We just finished "Semana Santa" together and are finishing Tatania Huezo's new film "Tempestad".
We enjoy the process of working together. We're developing a couple of scripts based on novels we like and on our own ideas. We never know if the film will be a success or failure but we would rather have three years of a good experience working with directors we enjoy on projects we believe in than making "sure hits" or commercial films with directors we don't get along with.
Sl: You've done very well so far.
This is the most important year for us. We have finally established ourselves as an important Mexican production company involved with good directors. There are interesting voices in Mexico. We're now expanding into minority coproductions to do post and at the same time looking at foreign projects at the script stage. It's cheaper to work in Mexico than in Europe and Mexico is ready for coproductions.
It is a way to widen our reach. That's why we're working on Colombian Ciro Guerra's next film. His last film, "Embrace of the Serpent" (Colombia's submission for Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film) is a Colombian-Argentinean-Venezuelan coproduction being sold by Films Boutique, a French-German international sales company. Its U.S. distributor is Oscilloscope. Its French distributor, Diaphana, is a producer as well as a distributor.
Our long range goal is to grow our slate of coproductions. We think it is our best strategy for beating the competition which is quickly escalating here in Mexico.
From our side we can offer all the opportunities we have for financing and the high quality of Mexican services and crew. Also the low costs here mean shooting in Mexico is not a big risk. But having access to international partners and getting additional funding from Norway or Denmark is very prestigious and increases the chances that our films will be seen and appreciated outside of Mexico.
When I can, I like to participate in international workshops, coproduction meetings and even residencies like the new one in Tepoztlan where I met you. I went to an Eave workshop with ten other producers. We still keep in touch, we work together and try to spend some quality time together and when links with these other international producers are strong it increases the likelihood we can collaborate in the future.
Nico : At 29 years of age, I have worked on 20 to 25 movies. I have learned my craft from the directors I have worked with like Tatiana Huezo and Amat Escalante, to name just two.
I have created my own unique creative process and have learned about financing and distribution as well as production.
Sl: I noticed you work with Sebastian Celis. Who is that?
When our father died, my older brother who was a physicist wanted to do something with me. It was easier for him to go into film than for me to go into physics. We like spending time together. Really he is the perfect partner -- 100% trustworthy: we won't let each other down. We like the the same movies and both work a lot. Working with him brings us very close and we are more attached than ever and more interested in making long term plans. Working with my brother is very interesting. He can work well with the abstract and can understand ideas before they are totally conceived and then put those ideas onto paper. What's beautiful about film is your background is irrelevant.
Sl: What is your approach to producing films?
We always try to budget carefully. We aim to make the films for a reasonable cost which can actually be recouped. With low budgets, you can shoot quickly. We believe now is a very good time to make movies in Mexico. There is a lot of money available here through the various funding schemes, even if there is a lot of competition for that funding. With more and more people coming out of film schools that competition is only going to increase. So we are aggressively looking for private equity as well.
Sl: How did you get into film?
I was never formally schooled in filmmaking. I was rejected twice by Ccc (one of the top film schools in Mexico). In time though by helping to make shorts, I realized that I had skills that directors needed. My first short, "Ver llover" (2006)--I was unit production manager---was directed by Elisa Miller who did study at Ccc. The film went to Cannes and her second short—which I produced – went to Critics Week in Cannes and won the Palme d'Or She has returned to work with me on our upcoming feature "Skin Deep" which is now being presented as a project in development in Los Cabos. I came to realize I did not have to go to film school to be sought after. Directors seek me out now because we enjoy collaboration and they value my ability to work with them.
Sl: What are your most recent and upcoming films?
I have a number of films that are in post production or just completed.
A private screening of the documentary "Tempestad" was held in Morelia just weeks ago in its first edition of Impulso, which is only for works-in-progress. The audience for those screenings is exclusively sales agents, distributors, financiers and festival programmers who want to see films that are currently in post-production. We have big expectations for that film . We are aiming at Berlin or Cannes. This is the second documentary film by Tatiana Huezo whose first doc, “El Lugar Mas Pequeno"/ "The Tiniest Place” (which I also produced) won numerous Best Picture prizes at festivals around the world.
"Soy Negro" now is also in post. It is by Rafi Pitts from Iran and tells a story of migration to the USA from a different point of view with a Mexican touch. It has received support from the French Cnc, funds from Eurimages, Ffa in Germany, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenberg support, and Zdf/ Arte support. The Match Factory will represent the film internationally.
"Desierto" directed by Jonás Cuarón premiered in Toronto where it was acquired from Im Global for the U.S. by Stx, the new China-backed company headed by Robert Simonds and Cathy Schulman. "All of Me", the emotionally touching doc about Las Patronas, premiered in Los Cabos festival last year, won a top prize and was picked up for U.S. by Outsider Films from the new Berlin-based boutique international sales agent for award-winning docs, Rise and Shine.
"Semana Santa" whose international sales agent is Mundial was coproduced with Jim Stark, our new partner. He is the U.S. indie producer of the early Jarmusch films, Icelandic director Fridrik Thor Fridrikson, Bent Hamer and many others.
Sl: How did you join up with Jim Stark? I used to buy his films for the U.S. so I am very interested in what he is doing these days.
Jim was giving a workshop in Morelia four years ago that I attended. Later, he introduced me to Rafi Pitts in Guadalajara. And now he and I are working together on a lot of projects.
Jim makes the same sort of movies we do and is also good at raising money and making international connections. He shoots everywhere and has a couple of projects in Turkey, is still working with Icelanders and even has a project in Africa in Ivory Coast.
We're now working together on a Georgian doc and talking about other coproductions with international co-producers.
We just finished "Semana Santa" together and are finishing Tatania Huezo's new film "Tempestad".
We enjoy the process of working together. We're developing a couple of scripts based on novels we like and on our own ideas. We never know if the film will be a success or failure but we would rather have three years of a good experience working with directors we enjoy on projects we believe in than making "sure hits" or commercial films with directors we don't get along with.
Sl: You've done very well so far.
This is the most important year for us. We have finally established ourselves as an important Mexican production company involved with good directors. There are interesting voices in Mexico. We're now expanding into minority coproductions to do post and at the same time looking at foreign projects at the script stage. It's cheaper to work in Mexico than in Europe and Mexico is ready for coproductions.
It is a way to widen our reach. That's why we're working on Colombian Ciro Guerra's next film. His last film, "Embrace of the Serpent" (Colombia's submission for Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film) is a Colombian-Argentinean-Venezuelan coproduction being sold by Films Boutique, a French-German international sales company. Its U.S. distributor is Oscilloscope. Its French distributor, Diaphana, is a producer as well as a distributor.
Our long range goal is to grow our slate of coproductions. We think it is our best strategy for beating the competition which is quickly escalating here in Mexico.
From our side we can offer all the opportunities we have for financing and the high quality of Mexican services and crew. Also the low costs here mean shooting in Mexico is not a big risk. But having access to international partners and getting additional funding from Norway or Denmark is very prestigious and increases the chances that our films will be seen and appreciated outside of Mexico.
When I can, I like to participate in international workshops, coproduction meetings and even residencies like the new one in Tepoztlan where I met you. I went to an Eave workshop with ten other producers. We still keep in touch, we work together and try to spend some quality time together and when links with these other international producers are strong it increases the likelihood we can collaborate in the future.
- 11/15/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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