03/05/2017 - Niñato by Adrián Orr and Summer 1993 by Carla Simón have been awarded at the Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival

Adrián Orr’s feature-length career has got off to a flying start: after world-premiering his documentary Niñato [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] at the recent Visions du Reel festival in Nyon, where it scooped the Société des Hoteliers de la Côte Jury Prize (read more), its participation in Argentina’s BAFICI just days later could not have been more successful: this documentary, in which he immerses the audience in the intimate surroundings of a family composed of a single father and three children, pocketed the Best Film Award in the international competition. According to Orr: “David, nicknamed Niñato, the main character in my movie, is one of my best friends. We were in the same hip-hop group when we were teenagers. I’ve always admired how he kept his passion for making music alive, year after year, even when he became a father: he exudes this exact same passion when he’s with his kids. I filmed the dichotomy between these two passions: being a father and attempting to carry on living as his teenage self.”

Another feature debut revolving around children, albeit a fiction (based on autobiographical events experienced by its writer-director), Summer 1993 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
film profile] by Carla Simón, was crowned with the Best Director Award in the international section at BAFICI, as well as with the Signis Award handed out by the World Catholic Association for Communication. After being presented at the most recent Berlinale, where it took home two prizes (read more), the film then received the Golden Biznaga for Best Film at Málaga (see the news). And these two additional accolades from BAFICI make it potentially one of the Spanish titles of the year.

Yet more independent Spanish films picked up awards in the Vanguardia y Género competitive section: a Special Mention went to Mimosas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Oliver Laxe
film profile] by Óliver Laxe, thus rounding off a magnificent year for the movie, which has been harvesting accolades ever since it was presented at Cannes last May. Furthermore, the Best Short Film Award was shared between two friends: Velasco Broca, for Our Friend the Moon, and Chema García Ibarra, for the Spanish-Turkish co-production La disco resplandece.

Lastly, the co-production between Ecuador and Spain Un secreto en la caja, a documentary directed by Javier Izquierdo, bagged the FIPRESCI Award.

Here is the complete list of winners at BAFICI:

International Competition

Best Film 
Niñato [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Adrián Orr (Spain)

Special Jury Prize 
Dark Skull - Kiro Russo (Bolivia/Qatar)

Best Director 
Carla Simón - Summer 1993 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
film profile] (Spain)

Best Individual Performance
Daniela Castillo – Reinos (Chile)

Best Ensemble Performance
Hoy partido a las 3 - Clarisa Navas (Argentina/Paraguay)

Special Mention 
Arábia - Affonso Uchôa, João Dumans (Brazil)

Vanguardia y Género Competition

Grand Prize 
Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves - Mathieu Denis, Simon Lavoie (Canada)

Best Feature 
So Long Enthusiasm - Vladimir Durán (Argentina/Colombia)

Special Mention 
Mimosas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Oliver Laxe
film profile] - Oliver Laxe (Spain/Morocco/France)

Best Short Film (ex aequo)
Our Friend the Moon - Velasco Broca (Spain)
La disco resplandece - Chema Garcia Ibarra (Turkey/Spain)

Human Rights Competition

Best Film 
Tonsler Park - Kevin Jerome Everson (USA)

Special Mention 
El pacto de Adriana - Lissette Orozco (Chile)

Non-official Awards

FIPRESCI Award
Un secreto en la caja - Javier Izquierdo (Ecuador/Spain)

ACCA Award
La vendedora de fósforos - Alejo Moguillansky (Argentina)

SIGNIS Award
Summer 1993 - Carla Simón

FEISAL Award
Porto [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gabe Klinger
film profile] - Gabe Klinger (Portugal/USA/France/Poland)
Special Mention 
Hoy partido a las 3 - Clarisa Navas

ADF Award
Pablo Paniagua – Dark Skull 

ASA Award
Manuel de Andrés - El espanto (Argentina)

SAE EDA Award
Laura Bierbrauer - Una hermana (Argentina)

(Translated from Spanish)