Sweet Potatoes
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the winners of the 47th annual Student Academy Awards, which include two short films directed by Latin American talent: Crescendo by Percival Argüero Mendoza from Mexico’s Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC), and Sweet Potatoes by Bolivian director Rommel Villa Barriga from the University of Southern California (USC).
Argüero Mendoza’s Crescendo, a winner in the Narrative competition for international film schools, tells the story of Victoria, who is auditioning for the second violin position in the prestigious string quartet lead by her teacher, Antonio Montenegro. The night before the audition, she attends a cocktail party with the sole intention of remaining on his good side. When he tries to seduce her, she discovers that her talent will not be the only decisive factor in her getting the spot. Insecure and threatened by the sensual nature of Renée, her main competition, Victoria is forced to take part in a power-play, only to realize that her own freedom is at stake.
A winner in the Narrative (Domestic Film Schools) category, Sweet Potatoes is based on the life of Luis Miramontes, the Mexican scientist who in 1951, synthesized the main hormone of the birth control pill. The film was shot in Durango, Mexico, and deals with the religious and personal consequences of his groundbreaking invention.
Additionally, Spanish-American director Pilar Garcia-Fernandezsesma from the Rhode Island School of Design was a winner in the animation category for domestic film schools for her undergraduate thesis Ciervo, about a young girl who holds violence, submission, and independence in an uneasy balance as one morphs into the other.
This year’s race featured 1,474 entries from 207 domestic and 121 international colleges and universities. The winning films are eligible to compete for 2020 Oscars in the Animated and Live Action short film and Documentary Short Subject categories.
