Cannes' Atelier Selects Films from Argentina, Chile, and Mexico

Cinéfondation's Atelier, the co-production showcase at the Cannes Film Festival has announced the 15 directors selected for its tenth edition, which includes projects from Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.

The projects includes Invisible by Argentinean director Pablo Giorgelli (pictured), the follow up to his acclaimed debut feature road movie Las acacias, which won the Camera d’Or at Cannes in 2011.

From Chile, Matías Rojas Valencia will present A la sombra de los árboles / In the Shade of the Trees, following his 2013 road movie debut Raíz. This project, a chronicle of true events at a sinister Chilean boarding school run by German settlers, was at Berlin’s co-production market last month and is produced by Don Quijote Films.

From Mexico, Daniel Castro Zimbrón is presenting the psychological thriller The Darkness, which is his second feature film, and turns on a family in an isolated hamlet cabin whorled by perpetual fog and terrorized by a stalking beast.

Additionally Spanish-born Antonio Méndez Esparza, who won the top prize at Cannes' Critics Week for his debut feature film Aquí y allá, presents Saudade, which is the story of a young Brazilian mother who migrates to Spain.

Created in 2005, the Cinéfondation’s Atelier stimulates creative filmmaking and encourage the emergence of a new generation of filmmakers. The directors, along with their producers, will be given the opportunity to meet potential partners at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival in a bid to finish their projects and start the making their films.

Tribeca to Present PELO MALO, GÜEROS, MARAVILLA, and MALA MALA

The Tribeca Film Festival announced this morning its World Narrative and Documentary Competition Selections plus its Out-of-Competition Viewpoints titles for its 13th edition.

Tribeca has announced 47 of the 87 feature-length films which will comprise this year's lineup, which includes the U.S. Premiere of Venezuelan film Pelo malo / Bad Hair (pictured left) by Mariana Rondón and the Mexican film Güeros by Alonso Ruizpalacios, the international premiere of the Argentinean film Maravilla by Juan Pablo Cadaveira, and the Puerto Rican film Mala Mala by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini.

Screening in the Viewpoints section, Pelo malo tells the story of Junior, a nine-year-old living in Caracas, wants nothing more than to straighten his unruly hair to look like a singer for his school photo—a fixation that stirs homophobic panic in his overtaxed mother. Each effort Junior makes to alter his appearance and gain his mother’s love is brushed off with abrasive avoidance until he’s ultimately faced with a heartbreaking decision. With a painfully tender performance by Samuel Lange, writer-director Rondón directs this coming-of-age drama about the search for identity clashing with intolerance.

A water balloon suddenly dropping from the sky exploding on a mother’s head in the frantic first moments of Güeros (pictured right), this striking debut feature -and the only Latin American film in the World Narrative Competition, which announces its director, Alonso Ruizpalacios, as a bold new voice of Mexican cinema. Set amidst the 1999 student strikes in Mexico City, this coming-of-age tale finds two brothers venturing through the city in a sentimental search for an aging legendary musician. Shot in beautiful black-and-white, Güeros brims with youthful exuberance.

Also participating in the Viewpoint section, Cadaveira's Maravilla (pictured below left) is the true underdog story of the Argentinian boxer Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez, as he sets out to reclaim the title of Middleweight champion that was unfairly snatched from him in 2011 by Julio Chávez, Jr. Focusing on the rise of Martinez from penniless amateur to world champion and sporting celebrity, director Juan Pablo Cadaveira offers a fascinating glimpse into today’s boxing landscape, revealing the politics of the sporting profession that often places entertainment value over the sport itself.

Competing in the World Documentary Feature section, Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles’ Mala Mala vibrant and visually striking immersion in the transgender community of Puerto Rico celebrates the breadth of experiences among trans-identifying women:  from campaigning for government-recognized human rights, to working in the sex industry, or performing as part of drag troupe, “The Doll House.” Unapologetic and unconventional, Mala Mala explores the ways internal and external identity pave the path of self discovery through the unique yet universal stories of its fascinating cast of characters.

The 2014 Tribevca film selection was chosen from a total of 6,117 submissions and includes feature films from 32 countries, including 55 world premieres, 6 international premieres, 12 North American premieres, 9 U.S. Premieres and 5 New York premieres. The 13th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival will run April 16-27 in New York City.

TropicalFRONT on Intelatin Cloudcast: February 2014 Show

In the second edition of TropicalFRONT on Intelatin Cloudcast of 2014, Sergio Muñoz and Carlos A. Gutiérrez discuss the Latin American films that participated at the Berlinale including Celina Murga's La tercer orilla / The Third Side of the River, Benjamín Naishtat's Historia del miedo / History of Fear, Claudia Llosa's Aloft, and Karim Aïnouz's Praia do Futuro.

Additionally they discuss the Chilean film Matar a un hombre / To Kill a Man, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was recently acquired by Film Movement for U.S. distribution; and the film Azul no tan rosa which became the first Venezuelan film to win Spain's Goya Award for Best Latin American Film.

Sergio interviews actor Freddy Rodríguez of Top Rebel Productions which was held live at Mercado Los Angeles at a Chef's Table prepared by Chef José Acevedo, and Sergio's VOD pick of the week from the Film Movement catalog featuring Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Music performed by Asaf Avidan of Israel.

Listen to the show on iTunes.

List of Mexican Oscar Winners of All-Time [Updated]

February 23, 2015 [UPDATE].- Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu made history last night at the 87th edition of the Academy Awards, winning three Oscars for his film Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), the most statuettes ever won by a Mexican national.

He was awarded the Oscars for Best Picture -which marked the first time the Academy Awards' top honors went to a production directed by a Latino filmmaker, for Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay (shared with the Armando Bo, Nicolás Giacobone and Alexander Dinelaris.

Additionally, Mexican DP Emmanuel Lubezki was awarded the Oscar for Best Cinematography for the same film. It was Lubezki's second Oscar win, after he won last year in the same category for his work in Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity.

In total, four Oscar statuettes were handed to two Mexican nationals -the same number of Oscars as last year, increasing the total number of Academy Awards handed to Mexican hands to 18.

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March 3, 2014.- With last night's unprecedented four Oscar wins by Mexican nationals -Alfonso Cuarón's historical win for Best Director plus his Oscar for Best Editing, Emmanuel Lubezki's win for Best Cinematography, and Mexican-born Kenyan Lupita Nyongo's win for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, the number of statuettes handed to Mexican hands totals 14.

The very first Mexican national to receive an Oscar was Art Director Emile Kuri for his work in William Wyler's The Heiress in 1950. He repeated his Oscar win in the same category in 1955 with the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Richard Fleischer. He remains the most Oscar nominated Mexican to date, with eight nominations total.

Anthony Quinn (pictured right) was awarded the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role twice: for his performance as Eufemio Zapata in Viva Zapata! in 1953, and for his performance as French painter Paul Gauguin in the 1956 film Lust for Life.

In the early seventies, the short documentary film Centinelas del silencio / Sentinels of Silence about ancient Mexican civilizations directed by Robert Amram and produced by Manuel Arango (pictured left) was awarded with two Academy Awards: for Best Short Subject and for Best Documentary Short Subject. It was the first and only time that a short film won Oscars in two categories -the Academy changed its rules afterwards to prevent documentaries from competing against narrative films in the Best Short Subject category.

Even though he was not presented with an award, Gonzalo Gavira was part of the team that won an Oscar for Best Sound for the movie The Exorcist by William Friedkin in 1973.

Almost thirty years had to pass before another Mexican won an Academy Award, that came in 2001 when German-born Mexican Brigitte Broch was awarded the Oscar for Best Art Direction for her work on Moulin Rouge directed by Baz Luhrmann. The following year Beatrice de Alba took home the Oscar for Best Make Up for her work in Julie Taymor's Frida.

In 2006, there were two Mexican winners at the Oscars for their work in Guillermo del Toro's El laberinto del fauno / Pan's Labyrinth: Guillermo Navarro (pictured below left) for Best Cinematography, and Eugenio Caballero (pictured right with Spanish set designer Pilar Revuelta) for Best Art Direction.

Eight years later, at last night's 86th Academy Awards four Oscars were handed to Mexican hands, the most ever in a single ceremony.

Y Tu Oscar También

Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón made history this evening becoming the first Latino director to ever win the Oscar for Best Director. Cuarón won for Gravity, beating David O. Russell, Alexander Payne, Steve McQueen and Martin Scorsese.

In his acceptance speech Cuarón thanked his son Jonás, with whom he wrote the screenplay, as well as his country fellowman directors Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo del Toro. He dedicated the award to his mom. Cuarón won two Oscars in total as he was also presented the award for Best Sound.

Mexican Director of Photography Emmanuel Lubezki also won an Oscar for Best Cinematography for his work on Gravity. It was his sixth nomination since 1996, and it was his very first win. Gravity was awarded with seven Oscars out of its ten nominations, becoming the most awarded film of the evening.

Mexican-born Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o was the winner of the Oscar for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, which was the winner of the top award for Best Film.

The winners of the 86th annual edition of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences were presented this evening at a ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Who Are the Latino Nominees at the 86th Academy Awards?

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will present the winners of its 86th annual edition this Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California. Needless to say, the Oscars have had a timid relationship with Latino talent (as well as with women, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, among many other groups of people).

Yet, this 2014, Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón might make history by wining the Oscar for Best Director, thus becoming the first Latino ever to win the honor. Having won the Best Directors honors at the Golden Globes and the DGA Awards, Cuarón is the top contender in his category over David O. Russell, Alexander Payne, Steve McQueen and Martin Scorsese.

Cuarón is the fourth Latin American nominated as Best Director after Argentine Hector Babenco for Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1985, Brazilian Fernando Meirelles for City of God in 2003, and Mexican Alejandro González Iñárritu for Babel in 2006. Cuarón himself had been previously nominated for the Oscars (with his brother Carlos) in 2002 for Best Original Screenplay for his film Y Tu Mamá También.

Cuarón's space sci-fi film Gravity leads this year's Oscars nominations, tied with American Hustle with ten, including nominations for Best Film, Best Actress, Best Editing, and Best Special Effects, among other categories.

Mexican DP Emmanuel Lubezki is also nominated for Best Cinematography for his work in Gravity. This is his sixth nomination without winning -two of them for his work in other films directed by Cuarón: A Little Princess in 1996 and Children of Men in 2006. Being the top contender in this category, if Lubezki fails to win this time, then he can take it very personal.

The other contender with Latino heritage is Mexican-born Kenyan actress Lupita O' Nyong'o, whose performance in 12 Years a Slave has catapulted her to international stardom. She's also the top contender to take home the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

This Sunday we'll find out if these deserving nominees will be honored. Ay güey!