The Mexican short Una canción para María wins Best Film at the 47th edition of the FILMETS Badalona Film Festival

30/10/2021

The winning short film is a ‘road movie’ about a father and daughter who flee in search of the American dream after accidentally stumbling upon a bag of organised crime money

The Night of the Venuses closing ceremony was hosted by Lídia Heredia and put healthcare workers centre-stage by mixing everyday situations from their working life with film scenes

  

Una canción para María, a 24-minute long Mexican production, has won the Best Film Award at the 47th edition of the FILMETS Badalona Film Festival. The film was written and directed by Omar Deneb Juárez and produced by J. Camilo Gutiérrez Galván

Una canción para María is a ‘road movie’ about a Mexican father and daughter who flee in search of the American dream after accidentally stumbling upon a bag of organised crime money. The short tells the story of a journey that has no going back. It’s a tale of geographical and moral boundaries told through a flashback that carries us to a dramatic conclusion.

The script of Una canción para María is sober and raw, with laconic dialogues and eloquent silences. The film stars actor Noé Hernández (as Saúl, the father), who portrays a rude and primitive loser overwhelmed by a stroke of luck, and the young Ximena Galván (as María, his daughter), who embodies the figure of emotional orphanhood with sympathetic credibility.

The short’s production has a clearly ‘indie’ feel with run-down back road settings but also offers visually expressive touches, such as the girl’s playful feet hanging out of the car window as they drive. A scene that contrasts sharply with the father’s dark gaze reflected in the rear-view mirror of the dilapidated car.

The original soundtrack by Carlos Virgilio Mendoza accompanies the story with calculated discretion using minimalist folk sounds.

A festival with several live sessions

The 47th edition of the FILMETS Badalona Film Festival took place from the 22nd to the 31st of October with audience-attended live competitive sessions held at the Zorrilla Theatre in Badalona, the Institut français in Barcelona, and the Can Castellet cinemas in Sant Boi de Llobregat. For the first time ever, the Germans Trias Hospital in Badalona was made an official non-competitive FILMETS venue, with short films screened in the paediatric ward and all the other patient rooms in the hospital. Shorts were also screened in the hospital’s Auditorium for healthcare staff during their rest periods.

The Night of the Venuses

The FILMETS awards were presented on Saturday evening during the Night of the Venuses closing gala at the Zorrilla Theatre in Badalona, which was broadcast by Televisió de Badalona and the Catalan Local Television Network. The Night of Venuses was hosted by Badalona-born journalist Lídia Heredia and fused everyday scenes from the lives of healthcare workers with film scenes to humorous effect.

Other notable award-winning shorts, in addition to the Best Film Award

Finale, Jury’s Special Prize

The Jury’s Special Prize went to Finale. A French production. Directed by Stéphan Castang

Ali Asgari, award for Best Director

The Best Director Award went to Ali Asgari, the director of Witness. A French-Iranian co-production

40 tableros, award for Best Screenplay

The Best Screenplay Award went to 40 tableros. Directed by Alfonso Gastiaburo. Argentina

Joint award for Best Performance for Abel Folk and Paula Jornet for the short La banyera

Actor Abel Folk and actress Paula Jornet were the joint winners of the FILMETS award for Best Performance

La banyera, Best Catalan Production

The award for Best Catalan Production went to La Banyera, by Sergi Martí

 

2021 AWARDS LIST

JURY’S VERDICT for the 47th edition of the FILMETS Badalona Film Festival 

  • Venus of Badalona and 5,000 euros – Best Film Award

Una canción para María, directed by Omar Deneb Juárez. Mexico.

  • Venus of Badalona and 1,000 euros – Jury’s Special Prize

Finale, by Stéphan Castant. France.

  • Venus of Badalona and 700 euros – Audience Award-La Vanguardia

El día que mi abuela conoció a Bruce Willis, by Arancha Salamanca. Spain.

  • Venus of Badalona and 400 euros – Award for Best Animated Film

Arka, by Natko Stipanicev. Croatia.

  • Venus of Badalona and 400 euros – Award for Best Documentary

Bab Sebta, by Randa Maroufi. France-Morocco

  • Venus of Badalona and 400 euros – Award for Best Film Produced in Badalona

Terminal Happiness, by Eric Romero. Catalonia

  • Venus of Badalona and 400 euros – Award for Best Film Produced in Catalonia

La banyera, by Sergi Martí

  • Venus of Badalona and 400 euros – Award for Best Film Produced in Spain

Cinco estrellas, by Roberto Jiménez. Spain.

  • Venus of Badalona and 400 euros – Award for Best Director

Ali Asgari, director of Witness. Iran-France

  • Venus of Badalona and 400 euros – Award for Best Screenplay

40 tableros, by Alfonso Gastiaburo. Argentina

  • Venus of Badalona – Award for Best Performance

Joint award for Abel Folk and Paula Jornet for La banyera. Catalonia

  • Venus of Badalona – Award for Best Original Score

Simon Whitfield for the original score for The Weather is Lovely. Taiwan-China.

 

The 2021 FILMETS Jury also awarded 2 special mentions

  • Special mention for the actress Maria Molins, star of the short film Mi amigo Juan Manuel, by José Luis López. Catalonia
  • Special mention for the short Les deux couillons, by Thibaul Segouin

 
 
 

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