The Colombian film Oscuro Animal, and the Mexican films El Charro de Toluquilla and Maquinaria Panamericana were the top winners at the 31st edition of the Guadalajara Film Festival.
Oscuro Animal (pictured left), a Colombian-Argentinean co-production by director Felipe Guerrero was the winner of four awards. The film was awarded the prize for Best Ibero-American Film, with a cash prize of about $14,000 USD, Best Director, Best Actress (presented to Marleyda Soto, Luisa Vides Galiano, and Jocelyn Meneses), and Best Cinematography. The film is the story of three women who who manage to escape a dangerous war situation in the Colombian jungle, and settle in Bogota, looking to start a new life.
In the Ibero-American competition the Mexican film La 4a compañía / The 4th Company by Amir Galván Cervera and Mitzi Vanessa Arreola received a Special Jury Prize, and was the winner of the Best Actor Award for Adrián Ladrón, while the Puerto Rican film La granja / The Farm by Ángel Manuel Soto was the winner of the Best First Film Award.
The Mexican documentary feature El Charro de Toluquilla (pictured right), José Villalobos’ directorial debut, was the winner of the Award for Best Documentary, with a cash prize of $8,400 USD approximately, and was also the most popular film of the festival winning the Audience Award.
The film tells the story of Jaime García, who appears to be the quintessentially machismo mariachi singer, yet beneath his magnetic confidence lies a man struggling to maintain a relationship with his estranged family while living as an HIV-positive man.
The Colombian film Paciente / Patient by filmmaker Jorge Caballero was the winner of the Jury Special Prize in the Ibero-American documentary competition.
In the Mexican competition, Joaquín del Paso’s debut feature Maquinaria Panamericana / Pan-American Machinery (pictured left) was the winner of the Mezcal Award for Best Mexican Film. The film follows the employees of the outdated factory Maquinaria Panamericana, who after finding the boss is dead, discover the company is bankrupt, the workforces have no prospects of employment elsewhere and no hope for any retirement funds. In a state of confusion, fear and grief they agree to lock themselves in their dusty workplace to play out improbable solution.
Bruno Santamaría’s documentary feature Margarita, received a Special Jury Mention also in the Mexican competition.
The 31st edition of the Guadalajara Film Festival took place March 4-13 in Mexico.
