Road Movie ‘Gueros’ Big Winner at Mexico’s Academy Awards

Writer-director Alonso Ruizpalacios‘s Gueros won five of Mexico’s Ariel Awards on Wednesday night, including best picture, director and first work.

Produced by Catatonia Films alongside associate producer Gael Garcia Bernal, Gueros is a black-and-white road movie set against a backdrop of Mexico City student protests in 1999. Last year the film won best first feature in Berlin’s Panorama section and a cinematography prize at Tribeca.

Gueros also picked up statuettes for best cinematography and sound, making it the biggest winner of the 57^th Ariel Awards.

Best Ibero-American picture went to the Oscar-nominated revenge anthology Wild Tales, produced by Pedro Almodovar and directed by Argentina’s Damian Szifron. Wild Tales raked in more than $26 million worldwide after having received rave reviews at Cannes last year.

Career achievement awards were handed out to Guillermo del Toro producer Bertha Navarro (Pan’s Labyrinth) and special effects veteran Miguel Vazquez (Aguirre, Wrath of God).

The academy also paid tribute to three screenwriters who made important contributions to Mexican cinema: Nobel Prize laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Love in the Time of Cholera), Jose Emilio Pacheco (Hell Without Limits) and Vicente Lenero (Midaq Alley).

The ceremony was held at Mexico City’s Palace of Fine Arts.

Here is a list of the winners:

Best Picture

Gueros

Best Director

Alonso Ruizpalacios for Gueros

Best Actress

Adriana Paz for La Tirisia

Best Actor 

Juan Manuel Bernal for Obediencia Perfecta

Best Supporting Actress 

Isela Vega for Las Horas Contigo

Best Supporting Actor 

Noe Hernandez for La Tirisia

Breakthrough Performance for an Actress

Nora Isabel Huerta for Seguir Viviendo

Breakthrough Performance for an Actor 

Sebastian Aguirre for Obediencia Perfecta

Cinematography 

Gueros

Original Screenplay 

Carmin Tropical

Adapted Screenplay  

Obediencia Perfecta

Documentary 

H2Omx

First Work 

Gueros

Best Ibero-American Picture 

Wild Tales

Editing

Las Oscuras Primaveras

Production Design

Cantinflas

Visual Effects 

Visitantes

Special Effects

El Crimen del Cacaro Gumaro

Original Music 

Las Oscuras Primaveras

Sound 

Gueros and Las Oscuras Primaveras (tie)

Costume Design

Cantinflas

Makeup

Cantinflas

Short Fiction 

Ramona

Short Animation 

El Modelo de Pickman

Short Documentary 

El Penacho de Moctezuma