Gustavo Rondón Córdova's debut feature La Familia, was the winner of the top prize at the 21st edition of the Lima Film Festival, it was announced at the closing ceremony last night. Chilean film A Fantastic Woman / Una mujer fantástica by Sebastián Lelio was the presented with the Jury Special Prize, and Colombian filmmaker Natalia Santa received the Best Director Award for The Dragon Defense / La defensa del dragón.
La Familia, which had its world premiere at the Critics' Week section at Cannes, follows 12-year-old Pedro who roams the streets with his friends, raised by the violent urban atmosphere around him in a working class district of Caracas. After Pedro seriously injures another boy in a rough game of play, single father Andrés decides they must flee to hide. Andrés will realize he is a father incapable of controlling his own teenage son, but their situation will bring them closer than they have ever been.
Other winners include Cecilia Atán and Valeria Pivato's The Desert Bride / La novia del desierto from Argentina for Best First Film, Amat Escalante's The Untamed / La región salvaje for Best Screenplay, Daniela Vega, protagonist of A Fantastic Woman, for Best Actress, and Gonzalo de Sagarminaga for Best Actor in The Drago Defense.
Devil's Freedom / La libertad del diablo by Everardo González from Mexico was the winner of the Best Documentary Film, while Maite Alberdi's The Grown-ups / Los niños from Chile was awarded with a Special Mention from the jury.
The International Critic's Jury awarded the Mexican film The Night Guard / El vigilante by Diego Ros, and gave a Special Mention to The Idea of a Lake / La idea de un lago by Milagros Mumenthaler from Argentina.
Álvaro Delgado Aparicio's debut feature Retablo was named Best Peruvian Film of the festival, and Mariana Tschudi's documentary Pacificum, el retorno al océano was the winner of the Audience Award.
The 21st edition of the Lima Film Festival took place August 4-12 in Peru.
