‘Wild Tales’ Sweeps Argentine Academy Awards

Damian Szifron’s Wild Tales won all major categories at the Sur Awards, the Argentine equivalent of the Oscars, taking 10 of its 15 nominations.

The dark comedy won 10 awards for best film, director (Szifron), actress (Erica Rivas), actor (Oscar Martínez), supporting actor (German De Silva), original screenplay (Szifrón), cinematography (Javier Julia), sound (Jose Luis Diaz), editing (Pablo Barbieri, Damian Szifron) and original score by two-times Oscar-winner Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel, Brokeback Mountain)

“Thanks to all the people that worked in the film and allowed for this script to become something much better than what I had written. I also need to thank the public, for the way they received the film,” said Szifron at the awards ceremony on Tuesday night at Usina del Arte. 

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Regarded as a favorite in the run for a best foreign-language film nomination at the Oscars, Szifron’s film competed in Cannes and won the foreign language film slate on Tuesday at the National Board of Review. Earlier this year the film set the all-time opening record for a local film at the Argentine box office. 

Juan Pablo Buscarini’s The Games Maker was the second favorite at the Argentine Academy Awards, with 3 awards out of its 10 nominations: best art direction (Dimitri Capuani), best costume design (Magda Banach), and best makeup (Magdalena Puibusqué and Angela Garacija).

Miguel Cohan‘s Betibu followed with 2 awards, for best adapted screenplay and a female breakthrough performance for Marina Bellati.

The full awards are listed below:

Best film: Wild Tales

Best director: Damian Szifrón (Wild Tales)

Best actress: Érica Rivas (Wild Tales)

Best actor: Oscar Martínez (Wild Tales)

Best supporting actor: Germán De Silva (Wild Tales)

Best supporting actress: Erica Rivas (Aire Libre)

Best original screenplay: Damian Szifrón (Wild Tales)

Best adapted screenplay: Ana and Miguel Cohan (Betibu)

Best cinematography: Javier Juliá (Wild Tales)

Best original score: Gustavo Santaolalla (Wild Tales)

Best sound: José Luis Díaz (Wild Tales)

Best editing: Pablo Barbieri, Damian Szifrón (Wild Tales)

Best art direction: Dimitri Capuani (The Games Maker)

Best costume design: Magda Banach (The Games Maker)

Best makeup: Magdalena Puibusqué and Angela Garacija (The Games Maker)

Best first film: From Tuesday to Tuesday (Gustavo Triviño)

Best documentary: The Color Out of Space (Sergio Wolf)

Female breakthrough performance: Marina Bellati (Betibu)

Male breakthrough performance: Pablo Pinto (From Tuesday to Tuesday)