"Silent Light" wins Havana fest
by Anna Marie De La Fuente
Carlos Reygadas' "Stellet Licht" (Silent Light) made a sweep of the 29th Havana International Film Festival of New Latin American Cinema, winning nods for best picture, director, cinematography and sound. In addition, Venezuelan state-owned distrib Amazonia Films awarded the marital drama with a $25,000 cash prize and picked up Venezuelan distribution rights to pic. Amazonia handed an additional $5,000 to Reygadas (Mexico) who also wrote and co produced pic.
Second Best Picture prize went to Brazil's entry to the Best Foreign Oscar competish, "The year my parents went on vacation" by Cao Hamburger while third nod went to Ariel Rotter's "The Other" (El Otro) from Argentina. Hamburger's pic will debut stateside through Gotham-based indie City Lights Pictures in February.
In the Debut Films (Opera Prima) category, Brazil's Chico Teixeira took home the first prize for his "Alice's House," which bows in the U.S. in January through new indie distrib FiGA Films.
Top best docu prize went to "The Sugar Curtain" (El Telon de Azucar) by Camila Guzman Urzua.
Awards were given out in fest's various categories including animated feature and shorts.
Brian de Palma's "Redacted" opened fest at the Teatro Karl Marx on December 4 and wrapped Dec 14 on an eco-friendly theme with docu "Earth" by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield.
LIST OF FEATURES WINNERS :
First Best Picture Prize
Silent Light, Carlos Reygadas (Mexico)
Second Prize
The Year My Parents went on vacation, Cao Hamburger (Brazil)
Third Prize
The Other, Ariel Rotter (Argentina)
Special Jury Prize
Madrigal, Fernando Pérez (Cuba,Spain)
Special Jury Mention
Fiestapatria, Luis Vera, (Chile)
Best Director
Carlos Reygadas (Silent Light) (Mexico)
Best Actor
Julio Chavez (The Other) (Argentina)
Best Actress
Roxana Blanco (Matar a todos) (Uruguay, Chile, Argentina)
Screenplay
Pablo Vierci, Daniel Henriquez, Alejandra Marino (Matar a todos) (Uruguay, Chile, Argentina)
Cinematography
Alexis Zabe (Silent Light) (Mexico)
Art Direction
Erick Grass (Madrigal) (Cuba,Spain)
Editing
Juan Carlos Macias, Mauricio Santos, Valentina Leduc, Natalia Bruschtein
(Cobrador: In God we trust) (México)
and
Beto Villares (The Year my parents went on vacation) (Brazil)
Sound
Raul Locatelli (Silent Light) (Mexico)
Carlos Reygadas' "Stellet Licht" (Silent Light) made a sweep of the 29th Havana International Film Festival of New Latin American Cinema, winning nods for best picture, director, cinematography and sound. In addition, Venezuelan state-owned distrib Amazonia Films awarded the marital drama with a $25,000 cash prize and picked up Venezuelan distribution rights to pic. Amazonia handed an additional $5,000 to Reygadas (Mexico) who also wrote and co produced pic.Second Best Picture prize went to Brazil's entry to the Best Foreign Oscar competish, "The year my parents went on vacation" by Cao Hamburger while third nod went to Ariel Rotter's "The Other" (El Otro) from Argentina. Hamburger's pic will debut stateside through Gotham-based indie City Lights Pictures in February.
In the Debut Films (Opera Prima) category, Brazil's Chico Teixeira took home the first prize for his "Alice's House," which bows in the U.S. in January through new indie distrib FiGA Films.
Top best docu prize went to "The Sugar Curtain" (El Telon de Azucar) by Camila Guzman Urzua.
Awards were given out in fest's various categories including animated feature and shorts.
Brian de Palma's "Redacted" opened fest at the Teatro Karl Marx on December 4 and wrapped Dec 14 on an eco-friendly theme with docu "Earth" by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield.
LIST OF FEATURES WINNERS :
First Best Picture Prize
Silent Light, Carlos Reygadas (Mexico)
Second Prize
The Year My Parents went on vacation, Cao Hamburger (Brazil)
Third Prize
The Other, Ariel Rotter (Argentina)
Special Jury Prize
Madrigal, Fernando Pérez (Cuba,Spain)
Special Jury Mention
Fiestapatria, Luis Vera, (Chile)
Best Director
Carlos Reygadas (Silent Light) (Mexico)
Best Actor
Julio Chavez (The Other) (Argentina)
Best Actress
Roxana Blanco (Matar a todos) (Uruguay, Chile, Argentina)
Screenplay
Pablo Vierci, Daniel Henriquez, Alejandra Marino (Matar a todos) (Uruguay, Chile, Argentina)
Cinematography
Alexis Zabe (Silent Light) (Mexico)
Art Direction
Erick Grass (Madrigal) (Cuba,Spain)
Editing
Juan Carlos Macias, Mauricio Santos, Valentina Leduc, Natalia Bruschtein
(Cobrador: In God we trust) (México)
and
Beto Villares (The Year my parents went on vacation) (Brazil)
Sound
Raul Locatelli (Silent Light) (Mexico)
Michael Jones is the film festival editor at Variety.com. 
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