The newcomers won on the 23rddistrict Morelia Film Festival (FICM) on October 17, where a large number of the first films received the main prizes of this edition. Pablo Pérez Lombardini's environmental thriller La Reserva was named Best Feature Film, Director and Actress (Carolina Guzmán).
Pérez Lombardini's debut feature film first attracted attention at Ventana Sur last year. Not only does he take home Ojo figurines, but he also receives rewards in cash and in kind.
Based on real-life accounts from environmentalists, The Preserve follows a forester's unwavering fight to protect the forest surrounding her remote village. The image, taken by non-professionals in rural Chiapas, captures the intense, ongoing struggle facing conservationists across Latin America.
In this edition, more than 100 films took part in the competition. Hailed by Alfonso Cuarón as “a cultural landmark not only for Morelia but for all of Mexico” and by Guillermo del Toro as “an important platform for Mexico and world cinema… and one of the most important cultural events in the world,” the festival was founded and is still led by Daniela Michel.
The festival, which began on October 10 and will end on October 19, attracted many foreign guests presenting their films throughout the week. These included Stellan Skarsgård (“Sentimental Value”), Juliette Binoche (“V-Y: On the Move”), Jodie Foster (“Private Lives”), Gael García Bernal (“I love dogs25th Anniversary), Kleber Mendonça Filho (Secret Agent), Rodrigo Garcia (Madness), Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident), Charlie Kaufman (How to Shoot a Ghost), Sherien Dabis (All That's Left of You), Lucretia Martel (“Our Land”), Robin Campillo (“Enzo”) and Oliver Lax (“Sirat“).
Jodie Foster, courtesy of FICM
The Ojo Award for Best Screenplay went to Karen Plata for her work on the children's survival story “The Devil Smokes (And Keeps Burnt Matches in the Same Box)” by newcomer Ernesto Martinez Bucio, who won the award for best first feature at the Ojo Festival. Berlinalethe first line of “Perspective”.
Meanwhile, David Pablo's On the Road, fresh off a major win at Venicewon the Ojo Award for Cinematography for its cinematographer Ximiena Amann and Best Actors for its leads, Victor Miguel Prieto and Osvaldo Sanchez.
Actress Mayra Hermosillo won the main audience prize for her feature-length directorial debut Vanilla, which also had its world premiere in Venice. Richard Linklater won the International People's Choice Award for his “A New Uncertainty.”
In the Mexican section of Indira Kato's documentary Llamarse Olimpia, about Olympia Coral Melo, who campaigned against cybersex violence and became a feminist icon, received the Ojo Award, which also includes cash and kindness awards.
Among the contenders for awards for post-production in the industry section of the festival “Pics-in-Post”: Morelia ImpulseDano Garcia's “Mickey” from Chicken & Egg Films' all-female film won three awards.
The jury headed by Ava DuVernay (President) together with Pablo Berger, David Linde And Andrea Pallaoro selected the following winners:
Ojo Award for Best Mexican Feature Film
“Reserve” (“Reserve” by Pablo Perez Lombardini)
Ojo Award for Best Director of a Mexican Feature Film
Pablo Perez Lombardini for “Reserve”
Casa Wabi – Escine Award for Emerging Director
Nuria Ibáñez Castañeda, “The Guardian” (“The Guardian”)
Best Cinematography in a Mexican Feature Film
Ximena Amann, “On the Road” David Pablos)
Best Screenplay for a Mexican Feature Film
Karen Fee for Ernesto Martinez Busio's film “The Devil Smokes (And Keeps Burnt Matches in the Same Box)”
Ojito Award for Best Actress in a Mexican Feature Film
Carolina Guzman for “Reserve”
Ojito Award for Best Actor in a Mexican Feature Film
Victor Miguel Prieto and Osvaldo Sanchez for “On the Road”
Audience Award for International Feature Film
“New Wave”, Richard Linklater
Audience Award for Mexican Feature Film
“Vanilla” (Vainilla, Mayra Hermosillo)
Special Mention in Mexican Feature Film
Basilio Moncada, for his role in “The Guardian” (“El Guardian”)
MEXICAN DOCUMENTARY (Jury: B. Ruby Rich, Andrei Uyka and Kathy Geritz)
Best Mexican Documentary
“Being Olympia”, Indira Kato
People's Choice Award
“My Benjamin” (“My Benjamin” by Victoria Clay-Mendoza)
IMPULSE MORELIA 11
Expert group: Ava Kahen, Christian Calonico, Benjamin Domenech, Cedric Suchtivalli and Alberto Valverde.
Caffeine Post-Production Awards:
- Workflow development and delivery package: “Mickey”, Dano Garcia.
- Visual effects package: “Chicas sades”, Fernanda Tovar.
- Graphic design package: “Big Family”, Matthias Meyer.
Glamor All studio awards:
- One week of 5.1 audio mixing: “Mickey” by Dano Garcia.
- One week of color grading: “Invisible Wars” by Marcela Arteaga.
Churubusco Prize Research:
- 375,000 Mexican pesos for “Dreams that migrate”, Juan Javier Perez.
- 375,000 Mexican pesos “Mickey” Dano Garcia.
José Maria Riba Prize: “Sad Girls” by Fernanda Tovar.
Juliette Binoche received the Artistic Excellence Award from FICM.
