Several Latin American films, from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, were awarded at the 70th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, which took place February 20 - March 1.
Colombian filmmaker Camilo Restrepo was the winner of the GWFF Best First Feature Award for his debut film Los Conductos, which had its world premiere in the new Encounters competition at the festival. The award comes with a cash prize of 50,000 Euros. Also in the same competition, Argentine director Matías Piñero received a Special Jury Mention for his most recent film Isabella.
The Mexican film Los Lobos, the second feature film by Samuel Kishi Leopo, was the winner of two awards: the Grand Prix for Best Film in the Generation Kplus competition—with a cash prize of 7,500 euros—and the Peace Film Prize, awarded to a film with a strong powerful message of peace and the sklfull aesthetic execution of its themes.
Also in the Generation Kplus competition, two Argentine films received awards: Martina Matzkin’s The Name of the Son / El nombre del hijo was awarded the Special Prize of the International Jury for the Best Short Film, endowed with 2,500 euros, and Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière’s Mum, Mum, Mum / Mamá, mamá, mamá was presented with a Special Mention.
The Brazilian film My Name Is Baghdad / Meu nome é Bagdá by Caru Alves de Souza, received the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Film, endowed with 7,500 euros. In its written statement, the jury described the film as ”a sweeping, generous slice of freedom, filled with beautiful friendships, music, movement and solidarity in action.”
Window Boy Would Also Like to Have a Submarine / Chico ventana también quisiera tener un submarino by Uruguayan director Alex Piperno, was the winner of the Tagesspiegel Readers’ Jury Award, presented to the best film in the Forum section of the festival.
The Argentine film Playback / Playback. Ensayo de una despedida by Agustina Comedi was the winner of the Teddy Award for Best LGBTQ Short Film of the festival, and Peruvian filmmaker Diego Sarmiento was one of the three winners of the "Talents Footprints - Mastercard Enablement Programme" for his Seeds Project.
