Colombian film Birds of Passage / Pájaros de verano was the winner of the top award for Best Film at the 40th edition of the Havana Film Festival. Directed by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra, the film tells the story of the origins of the Colombian drug trade, as seen through eyes of an indigenous Wayuu family that becomes involved in the booming business of selling marijuana to American youth in the 1970s. When greed, passion and honor collide, a fratricidal war breaks out and puts their lives, culture and ancestral traditions at stake.
The three Cuban films participating in the main competition received the Special Jury Award: Alejandro Gil’s Inocencia, Arturo Sotto’s Nido de Mantis, and Fernando Pérez and Laura Cazador’s Insumisas. The award for Best Director was for Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas for Our Time / Nuestro tiempo, the film’s DP Diego García was also the winner for Best Cinematography.
Other winners in the main competition for fiction films were Carlos Sorín for Best Screenplay for the Argentine film Joel, Ilse Salas for Best Actress for The Good Girls / Las niñas bien from Mexico, and Lorenzo Ferro for Best Actor for El Ángel from Argentina.
The Peruvian film Retablo by Álvaro Delgado Aparicio L. was the recipient for Best First Film, and the Mexican film The Chambermaid / La camarista received the Special Jury Award in the same competition.
In the documentary competition, the Colombian film Ciro and Me / Ciro y yo by Miguel Salazar was the winner of the top prize for Best Film, and the Argentine film El camino de Santiago. desaparición y muerte de Santiago Maldonado by Tristán Bauer and the Brazilian film The Trial / O processo by María Augusta Ramos received a Special Jury Award.
The animation competition was topped by the Brazilian film Tito and the Birds / Tito e os Pássaros by Gustavo Steinberg, Gabriel Bitar, and André Catoto, and the Chilean film La casa lobo / The Wolf House by Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña received a Special Jury Prize.
