Two hotly-favored competitors frontrunners, Spain’s motherhood-centered “Lullaby” and “Utama,” shot on an awe-inspiring Bolivian Altiplano, swept the board at a historic, 25th Málaga Film Festival which stated so much in regards to the present state of the Spanish movie business.
Running March 18-26, the Festival proved a vibrant affair, galvanised by renewed curiosity within the Spanish cinema after a buoyant reception for its main films at Berlin, in addition to the enjoyment of proving the primary time many business attendees had seen one another in individual in two years and backing from Spain’s AVS Hub plan for a vastly bigger business presence.
In Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s “Lullaby,” coming after Sundance hit “Piggy” and Carla Simón’s Berlin Golden Bear triumph “Alcarrás,” Spain would look to have a 3rd artwork pic breakout in simply the primary three months of 2022, all pushed by a younger technology of girls cineastes, administrators and producers. Carlota Pereda’s “Piggy” makes use of fairly brilliantly a plus-dimension lady’s complicity with a serial killer to drive house to audiences the terrifying hatred inspiredly bullying. “Lullaby” is far nearer in mould to “Alcarrás,” as a younger mom retreats to her household house on the Basque coast, discovering a brand new understanding along with her as soon as censorial mom.
Acclaimed at Málaga for its authenticity of element – psychological, of place, and household energy dynamics – “Lullaby” scored 4 huge fundamental competitors prizes – finest Spanish image, actress for each protagonists, screenplay and, crucially for its industrial prospects, Malaga’s Audience Awards. It additionally stopped 4 non-official awards.
Confirming that breakout artwork movies can nonetheless do the enterprise overseas, Latido introduced at Málaga first gross sales on “Lullaby” to China (Huanxi Media), in addition to Film Stop for the Baltic States and Lucky Dogs for Scandinavia. Conversations are superior for offers with Germany, former-Yugoslavia and Poland, stated Juan Torres at gross sales agent Latido Films.
Utama
Courtesy of Alpha Violet
A identified amount, having scored this 12 months’s Sundance World Cinematic Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, Bolivian Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s “Utama” nonetheless shocked for its novel method to local weather change, charting its influence on the lifetime of an aged couple the Bolivian Altiplano.
Using huge widescreen pictures of barren, parched landscapes – “We didn’t want to make a ‘National Geographic’ cover,” the director stated at Málaga – the film proves emotionally involving in its portrait of the couple clinging on to a life regardless of draught and sickness, which is their very own and decided to reside it out with dignity.
Prizes served to shine the sunshine on some acclaimed highlights at Málaga: “The Gigantes,” a Baja California-set feminine friendship story from Spanish maverick Beatriz Sánchis (“They Are All Dead”); Leonardo Sbaraglia’s tearaway perf in Argentine Leonardo Brzezicki’s “Almost in Love”; and Nicolás Poblete, delivering arguably probably the most highly effective of confessions in Matías Bize’s “Private Messages.”
Anaïs Taracena gained finest doc characteristic for “El Silencio del Topo,” a tribute to Elías Barahona, a poet and journalist who served as a press attaché to Donando Álvarez Ruíz – Guatemalan inside minister over 1978-82, now charged with crimes towards humanity – utilizing his insider’s data to avoid wasting the lives of dozens of activists opposing the countrys heinous authorities. 40 years later his heroism is lastly celebrated.
The Gigantes
Courtesy of Festival de Málaga
MALAGA FILM FESTIVAL: THE WINNERS
Golden Biznaga, Spanish Picture
“Lullaby,” (Alauda Ruiz de Azúa)
Golden Biznaga, Latin American Picture
“Utama,” (Alejandro Loayza Grisi)
Silver Biznaga, Special Jury Prize
“My Emptiness and I,” (Adrián Silvestre)
Special Mention
“The Gigantes,” (Beatriz Sanchis)
Silver Biznaga, Director
Alejandro Loayza Grisi
Silver Biznaga ‘Hotel AC Palace,’ Best Actress
Laia Costa y Susi Sánchez, (“Lullaby”)
Silver Biznaga ‘Hotel AC Palace,’ Best Actor
Leonardo Sbaraglia, (“Almost in Love”)
Silver Biznaga, Supporting Actress
Debora Maria da Silva, (“A mãe”)
Silver Biznaga, Supporting Actor
Nicolás Poblete, (“Private Messages”)
Original Screenplay
Aldua Ruiz de Azúa
Silver Biznaga, Original Score
Cergio Prudencio, (“Utama”)
Silver Biznaga, Cinematography
Nicolás Wong Díaz, (“The Gigantes”)
Silver Biznaga, Post Production
Rodrigo Saquel, (“Private Messages”)
Silver Biznaga, Critics Award
“Utama”
Silver Biznaga, Audience Award ‘Flixolé’.
“Lullaby,” (Alauda Ruiz de Azúa)
ZONAZINE AWARDS
Silver Biznaga, Best Spanish Picture
“Places Where We’ve Never Been,” (Roberto Pérez Toledo)
Silver Biznaga, Best Iberoamerican Picture
“Mostro,” (José Pablo Escamilla)
Silver Biznaga, Best Director
Meritxell Colell, (“Duo”)
Silver Biznaga, Best Actress
Milena Smit y Olivia Baglivi, (“Libélulas”)
Silver Biznaga, Best Actor
Pepe Ocio y Sergio Torrico, (“Places Where We’ve Never Been”)
Silver Biznaga, Audience Award
“Libélulas,” (Luc Knowles)
DOCUMENTAL AWARDS
Silver Biznaga, Documental Feature
“El Silencio del Topo,” (Anaïs Taracena)
Silver Biznaga, Best Documentary Direction
“La visita y un jardín secreto,” (Irene M. Borrego)
“Delia,” (Victoria Pena)
Silver Biznaga, Best Documentary Direction
“La visita y un jardín secreto,” (Irene M. Borrego)
Jury Special Mention
“Memória Sufocada,” (Gabriel Di Giacomo)
Silver Biznaga, Audience Award
“La visita y un jardín secreto,” (Irene M. Borrego)
Special Jury Mention
“Balika,” (Aitor Sánchez y Lander Ibarretxe)
“Delia,” (Victoria Pena)
Silver Biznaga, Audience Award ‘Plus Málaga’ Section
“Presque,” (Bernard Campan, Alexandre Jollien)
SUPPORTING WOMEN RIGHTS – AWARDS
Silver Biznaga, Supporting Women’s Rights
“Daida Back To The Ocean,” (Pablo Ramírez Bolaños)
Silver Biznaga, Supporting Women’s Rights Jury Award
“Las cartas perdidas,” (Amparo Climent)
Special Mention, Supporting Women’s Rights
“Sorda,” (Nuria Muñoz-Ortín, Eva Libertad)
Silver Biznaga, Supporting Women’s Rights Documentary
“Once Upon a Place,” (Celia Novis)
Silver Biznaga, Supporting Women’s Rights Fiction Feature
“Llana negra,” (Elisabet Terri)
Silver Biznaga, Supporting Women’s Rights Costume Design
Susana Guerrero Núñez, (“Los elegidos”)
Special Jury Mention
“Nunca te dejaré sola,” (Mireia Noguera)
Silver Biznaga, Supporting Women’s Rights Audience Award
“Sorda”
