Identifying Features / Sin señas particulares, the debut feature by Fernanda Valadez, leads this year’s Ariel nominations, Mexico’s national film awards presented by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Science, with 16 noms including for Best Film, Best Director, Best First Film, and Best Actress.
Identifying Features, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and was the winner of the Gotham Award for Best International Film, tells the story of Magdalena, who sets out on a journey in search of her disappeared son en route to the U.S. border. Traveling through desolate towns and landscapes she meets Miguel, a young man recently deported from the U.S. who is making his way home. The two accompany one another: Magdalena, looking for her son, and Miguel, eager to see his mother again, in a region where victims and aggressors ramble together.
Samuel Kishi Leopo’s Los Lobos nabbed 13 nominations, while Yulene Olaizola’s Tragic Jungle / Selva Trágica received 12 nominations. Both films will also be competing for the Best Film. Rounding up the Ariel nominations for Best Film The Dance of the 41 / El baile de los 41 by David Pablos, and the documentary film The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo / Las Tres Muertes de Marisela Escobedo by Carlos Pérez Osorio, which was the biggest surprise nabbing seven nominations total, competing also for Best DIrector, Best First Film and Best Documentary.
The other feature films competing for Best Documentary are Things We Dare Not Do / Cosas que no hacemos by Bruno Santamaría, The Spokeswoman / La vocera by Luciana Kaplan, To See You Again / Volverte a ver by Carolina Corral Paredes and Yermo by Everardo González.
Michel Franco’s New Order / Nuevo órden, winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival also nabbed ten nominations, yet mostly on the technical categories, and failed to earn nominations for best film and for its director.
Competing for Best Ibero-American Film are the Brazilian film Babenco: Tell Me When I Die / by Bárbara Paz, the Chilean film The Mole Agent / El agente topo by Maite Alberdi, the Colombian film Forgotten We’ll Be / El olvido que seremos by Fernando Trueba, and the Guatemalan film La Llorona by Jayro Bustamante.
The winners of the 63rd edition of the Ariel Awards will be announced at a ceremony on September 25.
