'Clandestine Childhood' Sweeps Argentine Academy Awards

BUENOS AIRES – Clandestine Childhood, Argentina’s bid for the 2013 foreign-language Academy Award, was the big winner this week at the Sur Awards, presented by the Argentine Film Academy, winning 10 trophies.

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Armando Bo’s Sundance entry The Last Elvis came in a distant second with six statues, while Pablo Giorgelli’s festival hit and Camera D’Or winner Las Acacias picked up two.

Benjamin Avila, which came in with 16 nominations, won in such categories as best film, director, actor and actress, supporting actor and actress and original screenplay. Pablo Trapero’s White Elephant, the other big nominee this year, went home empty-handed, as did Ana Piterbarg’s Everybody Has a Plan.

Plan was produced by and starred Viggo Mortensen, making his first incursion in Argentine cinema. He grew up in the country and is now attached to renowned art-house filmmaker Lisandro Alonso’s next film, which he will also produce.

Full award list:

Best Film
Clandestine Childhood (Benjamin Avila)

Best Opera Prima
Las Acacias (Pablo Giorgelli)

Best Documentary Film
Tierra sublevada 2: oro negro (Pino Solanas)

Best Director
Benjamin Avila (Clandestine Childhood)

Best Lead Actress
Natalia Oreiro (Clandestine Childhood)

Best Lead Actor
Ernesto Alterio (Clandestine Childhood)

Best Supporting Actress
Cristina Banegas (Clandestine Childhood)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Cesar Troncoso (Clandestine Childhood)

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress
Hebe Duarte (Las acacias)

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor
John McInerny (The Last Elvis)

Best Original Screenplay
Benjamin Avila – Marcelo Müller (Clandestine Childhood)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paula Hernandez / Leonel D’agostino (Un amor – based on a short story by Sergio Bizzio)

Best Cinematography
Javier Julia (The Last Elvis)

Best Editing
Gustavo Giani (Clandestine Childhood)

Best Art Direction
Daniel Gimelberg (The Last Elvis)

Best Costume Design
Ludmila Fincic (Clandestine Childhood)

Best Make Up
Alberto Moccia (The Last Elvis)

Best Original Score
Sebastian Escofet (The Last Elvis)

Best Sound Design (ex aequo)
Martin Porta (The Last Elvis) and Fernando Soldevila (Clandestine Childhood)

Best Foreign Film
Hugo (Martin Scorsese)