Mar del Plata International Film Festival
The Mar del Plata International Film Festival is an international film festival that takes place every November in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. It is the only competitive feature festival recognized by the FIAPF in Latin America, and the oldest in this category in the Americas. The festival is organized by the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts.
History
Created in 1954 by Jesus Miller, it was not considered to be a competitive festival, it was just an exhibition of selected international movies; during this stage the event was named Festival Cinematográfico Internacional.In the early years famous international guests such as Mary Pickford, Gina Lollobrigida, Edward G. Robinson and Errol Flynn attended the event. The festival continued in this way until 1959, when the Argentine Film Critics Association took charge of running it; during this time the festival was approved and recognized by FIAPF.
In 1964 the festival moved temporarily to Buenos Aires, and the name was changed to Festival Cinematográfico Internacional de la República Argentina. In 1966 there was a military coup d'état in Argentina; in 1968 and 1970 the Instituto de Cine took charge of the festival.
From 1967 to 1969 the festival was cancelled because there were other festivals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During the 1960s several well-known guests appeared, including: Paul Newman, Alberto Sordi, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Vittorio Gassman, Toshirō Mifune, François Truffaut, Karel Reisz, Catherine Deneuve, Juan Antonio Bardem, Anthony Perkins, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Maria Callas, Cantinflas, Andrzej Wajda, Jacques Tati, Lee Strasberg, George Hamilton.
After the 1970 edition, the festival was canceled when Argentina entered an unstable sociopolitical period that culminated in the highly repressive military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. There were some attempts to reactivate it, but none succeeded until 1996, when the festival returned with new renovations. Since then there have been several changes. In the first years the event was not held in March; from 2001 to 2007 it returned to that month, and since 2008 it has been held in November. During this stage the festival was granted a 'Category A', the highest class assigned by FIAPF, making it the most important film festival of Latin America.
Nowadays, after a history marked by unstable political situations in Argentina, the festival is in constant growth and slowly regaining its historical reputation.
Awards
The main prize of the International Competition had different names throughout the history of the festival, but in 2004 it was definitely changed to Ástor in honor of the Argentine musician Ástor Piazzolla. The twenty-second Mar del Plata Film Festival, held in March of 2007, introduced a new competition specifically for Latin American film-makers. Now days, the festival helds four main competitions organised in various sections of the official selection: International Competition, Latin American Competition, Argentine Competition and, the more experimental one, Altered States Competition.Currently, the awards given by the jury at the International Competition are: Golden Ástor for Best Film, Silver Ástor for Best Director, Silver Ástor for Best Actress, Silver Ástor for Best Actor, Silver Ástor for Best Script, and a Special Jury Award.
Golden Ástor Winners
- * Denotes first win
Complete list of winners
| Year | Winners |
| 1954 | No awards given out |
| 1959 | Best Film: Smultronstället, by Ingmar Bergman Best Director: Rolf Thiele, for Das Madchen Rosemarie Best Actor: Victor Sjostrom, for Smultronstället Best Actress: Susan Hayward, for I Want to Live! Best Spanish Film: El jefe, by Fernando Ayala |
| 1960 | Best Film: Die Brücke, by Bernhard Wicki Best Director: Pietro Germi, for Un maledetto imbroglio Best Actor: Paul Muni, for The Last Angry Man Best Actress: Eleonora Rossi Drago, for Estate Violenta |
| 1961 | Best Film: Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, by Karel Reisz Best Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot, for La Vérité Best Actor: Albert Finney, for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Best Actress: Susan Strasberg, for Kapò Best Spanish Film: Shunko, by Lautaro Murua |
| 1962 | Best Film: I Giorni Contati, by Elio Petri Best Director: François Truffaut, for Jules et Jim Best Actor: Paul Newman, for The Hustler Best Actress: Nadezhda Rumyantseva, for The Girls Best Spanish Film: Cerca de las estrellas, by César Fernández Ardavín |
| 1963 | Best Film: Az Angyalok Földje, by Gyorgy Révész Best Director: Dino Risi, for Il Sorpasso Best Actor: Tom Courtenay, for The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Best Actress: Wanda Luczycka, for Gloz z Tamtego Swiata |
| 1964 | Best Film: I compagni, by Mario Monicelli Best Director: Karel Kachyňa, for Nadeje Best Actor: Vittorio Gassman / Ugo Tognazzi, for I Mostri Best Actress: Natalie Wood, for Love with the Proper Stranger Best Spanish Film: El Demonio en la Sangre, by René Múgica |
| 1965 | Best Film: Gli Indifferenti, by Francesco Maselli Best Director: Claude Lelouch, for Une fille et des fusils Best Actor: Martin Held, for Die Festung Best Actress: Nuria Torray, for Diálogos de la Paz |
| 1966 | Best Film: Long Live the Republic!, by Karel Kachyňa Best Director: Antonio Pietrangeli, for Io la conoscevo bene Best Actor: Yevgeni Lebedev, for Last Month of Autumn Best Actress: Mireille Darc, for Best Spanish Film: El bote, el rio y la gente, by Enrique Cahen Salaberry |
| 1968 | Best Film: Bonnie and Clyde, by Arthur Penn Best Director: Gyorgy Révész, for Egy Szerelem Három Éjszakája Best Actor: Tony Musante, for The Incident Best Actress: Annie Girardot, for Vivre pour vivre |
| 1970 | Best Film: Macunaíma, by Joaquim Pedro de Andrade Best Director: Frank Perry, for Last Summer Best Actor: Ugo Tognazzi, for Il Commissario Pepe Best Actress: Liza Minnelli, for The Sterile Cuckoo Best Spanish Film: Juan Lamaglia y Sra., by Raúl de la Torre |
| 1996 | Best Film: El Perro del Hortelano, by Pilar Miró Best Director: Zhang Yuan, for East Palace, West Palace Best Actress: Renée Zellweger, for The Whole Wide World Best Actor: Silvio Orlando, for La Mia Generazione Best Script: Zhang Yuan and Wang Xiaobo, for East Palace, West Palace Best Iberoamerican Film: Buenos Aires Vice Versa, by Alejandro Agresti Special Jury Award: Kriegelbilder, by Heiner Stadler Special Mention: Zhang Jian, for the photography of East Palace, West Palace Special Mention: Pierre Louis Thevenet, for the Arts Direccion of Tranvía a la Malvarrosa |
| 1997 | Best Film: The Tango Lesson, by Sally Potter Best Director: Ricardo Franco, for La Buena Estrella Best Actress: Geno Lechner, for Gesches Gift Best Actor: Antonio Resines / Jordi Molla, for La Buena Estrella Best Script: Thom Fitzgerald, for The Hanging Garden Best Iberoamerican Film: Plaza de Almas, by Fernando Díaz Special Jury Award: Mrs. Brown, by John Madden Special Mention: Star Maps, by Miguel Arteta |
| 1998 | Best Film: Abr-O Aftaab, by Mahmoud Kabari Best Director: Paolo y Vittorio Taviani, for Tu Ridi Best Actress: Yelda Reynaud, for Yara Best Actor: Regis Royer, for Lautrec / Paschalis Tsarouchas, for Vassiliki Best Script: Pablo Torre, for La Cara del Ángel Best Iberoamerican Film: Amor & Cia, by Helvécio Ratton Special Jury Award: Inquietude, by Manoel de Oliveira Special Mention: Mala Época, by Mariano De Rosa, Rodrigo Moreno, Salvador Roselli and Nicolás Saad Special Mention: La Primera Noche de mi Vida, by Miguel Albaladejo |
| 1999 | Best Film: As bodas de Deus, by João César Monteiro Best Director: Giuseppe Bertolucci, for Il dolce rumore della vita Best Actress: Reddy Gibbs, for Crossing Fields Best Actor: Matthew Lillard, for SLC Punk Best Script: Pablo Nisenson and José Pablo Feinmann, for Angel, la diva y yo Best Iberoamerican Film: Ángel, la diva y yo, by Pablo Nisenson Special Jury Award: Sokkotansi, by Matti Ijas Special Mention: El mar de Lucas, by Víctor Laplace |
| 2001 | Best Film: Ta Ja, Zlodziej, by Jacek Bromski Best Director: Jean-Pierre Denis, for Les Blessures assassines Best Actress: Julie-Marie Parmentier, for Les Blessures assassines Best Actor: Ulises Dumont and Federico Luppi, for Rosarigasinos Best Script: Ta Ja, Zlodziej, by Jacek Bromski Best Iberoamerican Film: Anita no pierde el tren, by Ventura Pons Special Jury Award: Shahr-E Zanan, by Ataollah Hayati Special Mention: for the work of Rosa María Sardá, for Anita no pierde el tren |
| 2002 | Best Film: Bolívar Soy Yo, by Jorge Alí Triana Best Director: István Szabó, for Taking Sides Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst, for The Cat's Meow Best Actor: Stellan Skarsgård, for Taking Sides and Libero de Rienzo, for Santa Maradona Best Script: Caryl Phillips, for The Mystic Masseur Best Iberoamerican Film: Bolívar soy yo, by Jorge Alí Triana Special Jury Award: Caja Negra, by Luis Ortega Special Mention: Annas Sommer, by Jeanine Meerapfel Special Mention: Revolution nº 9, by Tim McCann |
| 2003 | Best Film: Separações, by Domingos de Oliveira Best Director: Antonio Chavarrías, for Volverás Best Actress: Zooey Deschanel, for All the Real Girls Best Actor: Domingos de Oliveira, for Separações Best Script: David Ofek/Yossi Madmon/Lior Shefer, for Hamangalistim Best Iberoamerican Film: El Fondo del Mar, by Damián Szifron Special Jury Award: Valentín, by Alejandro Agresti Special Mention: At kende sandheden, by Nils Malmros Special Mention: Tristán Ulloa, for his work in Volverás |
| 2004 | Best Film: Buena Vida Delivery, by Leonardo Di Cesare Best Director: Benedek Fliegauf, for Dealer Best Actress: Nicoletta Braschi, for Mi piace lavorare Best Actor: Luis Tosar, for El lápiz del carpintero and Alejandro Urdapilleta, for Adiós querida luna Best Script: Leonardo Di Cesare and Hans Garrino, for Buena Vida Delivery Best Iberoamerican Film: O Outro Lado da Rua, by Marcos Bernstein Special Jury Award: Mi piace lavorare, by Francesca Comencini Special Mention: Dealer, by Benedek Fliegauf Special Mention: Touching the Void, by Kevin Macdonald |
| 2005 | Best Film: Le grand voyage, by Ismaël Ferroukhi Best Director: Yasmine Kassari, for L'Enfant Endormi Best Actress: Emmanuelle Devos, for La Femme de Gilles and Laura Linney, for P.S. Best Actor: Mohamed Majd, for Le grand voyage Best Script: Bernd Eichinger, for Der Untergang, by Oliver Hirschbiegel Best Iberoamerican Film: Quase Dois Irmaos, by Lucía Murat Special Jury Award: Jab-e Talj, by Mohsen Amiryoussefi |
| 2006 | Best Film: Noticias lejanas, by Ricardo Benet Best Director: Marco Martins, for Alice Best Actress: Justine Clark, for Look Both Ways Best Actor: William Macy, for Edmond Best Script: Sarah Watt, for Look Both Ways Best Iberoamerican Film: Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus, by Marcelo Gómez and Derecho de familia, by Daniel Burman Special Mention: Be with Me, by Eric Khoo Special Mention: Café Transit, by Kambozia Partovi |
| 2007 | Best Film: Ficció, by Cesc Gay Special Jury Award: Gardens in Autumn, by Otar Iosseliani Best Director: Marina Spada, for As the Shadow and Hong Sang-soo, for Woman on the Beach Best Actress: Sandra Hüller, for Madonna Best Actor: Carlos Resta, for A Wrecked Filmmaker Best Script: Zaza Rusadze and Dito Tsintsadze, for The Man from the Embassy Special Mention: The Greatest Love in the World, by Carlos Diegues |
| 2008 | Best Film: Still Walking, by Hirokazu Kore-eda Special Jury Award: Involuntary, by Ruben Östlund Best Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, for Tokyo Sonata Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert, for Home, by Ursula Meier Best Actor: Ulrich Thomsen, for Fear Me Not, by Kristian Levring Best Script: Kristian Levring and Anders Thomas Jensen, for Fear Me Not Special Mention: Regreso a Fortín Olmos, by Patricio Coll and Jorge Goldenberg Best Iberoamerican Film: Los bastardos, by Amat Escalante |
| 2009 | Best Film: Cinco días sin Nora, by Mariana Chenillo Special Jury Award: El Cuerno de la Abundancia, by Juan Carlos Tabío Best Director: Elia Suleiman, for The Time That Remains Best Actress: Allison Janney, for Life During Wartime, by Todd Solondz Best Actor: Gary Piquer, for Mal día para pescar, by Alvaro Brechner Best Script: Cesc Gay, for V.O.S. Special Mention: El Cuerno de la Abundancia, by Juan Carlos Tabío Best Iberoamerican Film: La hora de la siesta, by Sofia Mora Best Short Film: Ana y Mateo, by Natural Arpajou 2º Best Short: "Marcela", by Gastón Siriczman |
| 2010 | Best Film: Essential Killing, by Jerzy Skolimowski Special Jury Award: White, White World, by Oleg Norkovic Best Director: Alexei Fedorchenko, for Silent Souls Best Actress: Mirela Oprisor and Maria Popistasu, for Tuesday, After Christmas Best Actor: Vincent Gallo, for Essential Killing Best Script: Denis Osokin, for Silent Souls Special Mention: Chantapras, by Otar Iosseliani |
| 2011 | Best Film: Abrir puertas y ventanas, by Milagros Mumenthaler Special Jury Award: Tyrannosaur, by Paddy Considine Best Director: Milagros Mumenthaler, for Abrir puertas y ventanas Best Actress: Joslyn Jensen, for Without Best Actor: Olivier Gourmet, for L'Exercise de L'État Best Script: Paddy Considine, for Tyrannosaur Special Mention: Girimunho, by Helvécio Marins Jr. and Clarissa Campolina Special Mention: El lugar más pequeño, by Tatiana Huezo Sánchez Best Iberoamerican Film: Las malas intenciones, by Rosario Garcia-Montero |
| 2012 | Best Film: Dupa dealuri, by Cristian Mungiu Best Director: Reis Çelik, for Night of Silence Best Actress: Soko, for Augustine Best Actor: Ilyas Salman, for Night of Silence / Pablo Pinto, for De martes a martes Best Script: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram and Amy Jump, for Sightseers Special Mention: Memories Look at Me, by Song Fang Argentine Official Competition: Best Film: Hermanos de sangre, by Daniel de la Vega Best Director: José Celestino Campusano, for Fango Best Short Film: Ojos, by Pablo Gonzalo Pérez Best Short Film Director: Geraldine Baron, for Hotel Y |
| 2013 | Best Film: La jaula de oro, by Diego Quemada-Diez Best Director: Mariana Rondón, for Pelo malo Best Actress: Marian Álvarez, for La herida Best Actor: Vincent Macaigne, for Age of Panic Best Script: Mariana Rondón, for Pelo malo Special Mention: The Bright Day, by Hossein Shahabi Argentine Official Competition: Best Film: La utilidad de un revistero, by Adriano Salgado Best Director: Ada Frontini, for Escuela de sordos Best Short Film: Espacio personal, by Natural Arpajou Best Short Film Director: Mariano Luque, for Sociales |
| 2014 | Best Film: Come to My Voice, by Hüseyin Karabey Best Director: Mathieu Amalric, for La Chambre bleue Best Actress: Negar Javaherian, for Melbourne Best Actor: Park Jung-bum, for Alive Best Script: Alice Rohrwacher, for Le meraviglie Special Mention for Cinematography: Cavalo Dinheiro, by Pedro Costa Argentine Official Competition: Best Film: Su realidad, by Mariano Galperin Best Director: Adrián Biniez, for El 5 de Talleres Best Short Film: Zombies, by Sebastián Dietsch Best Short Film Director: Gastón Siriczman, for Nueve segundos |
| 2015 | Best Film: Embrace of the Serpent, by Ciro Guerra Best Director: Ivan Ostrochovský, for Koza Best Actress: Érica Rivas, for Incident Light Best Actor: Alfredo Castro, Roberto Farías, Alejandro Goic, Jaime Vadell for The Club Best Script: Pablo Larraín, Guillermo Calderón, Daniel Villalobos for The Club Audience Award: Remember, by Atom Egoyan Argentine Official Competition: Best Film: El movimiento, by Benjamin Naishtat Best Director: Fernando Salem, for How Most Things Work Best Short Film: Fantástico, by Tomás Sposato Best Short Film Director: Pablo Camaiti, for Gomorra |
| 2016 | Best Film: People That Are Not Me, by Hadas Ben Aroya Best Director: Radu Jude, for Scarred Hearts Best Actress: Sonia Braga, for Aquarius Best Actor: Mahershala Ali, for Moonlight Best Script: Andrei Konchalovsky, Elena Kiseleva for Paradise Special Mention for Cinematography: Nocturma, by Leo Hinstin Audience Award: Aquarius, by Kleber Mendonça Filho Argentine Official Competition: Best Film: El Aprendiz, by Tomás De Leone Best Director: Lukas Valenta Rinner, for Los Decentes Best Short Film: Murciélagos, by Felipe Ramírez Vilches Best Short Film Director: Mariano Cócolo, for Al Silencio |
| 2017 | Best Film: Wajib, by Annemarie Jacir Best Director: Valeska Grisebach, for Western Best Actress: Eili Harboe, for Thelma Best Actor: Mohammad Bakri, for Wajib Best Script: Kim Dae-hwan for The First Lap Audience Award: Primas, by Laura Bari Argentine Official Competition: Best Film: El Azote, by José Celestino Campusano Best Short Film: Y ahora elogiemos las películas, by Nicolás Zukerfeld |
| 2018 | Best Film: Between Two Waters, by Isaki Lacuesta Special Jury Award: Chuva É Cantoria Na Aldeia Dos Mortos, by Renée Nader Messora & João Salaviza and Vendrán lluvias suaves, by Iván Fund Best Director: Roberto Minervini, for What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire? Best Actress: Judy Hill, for What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire? Best Actor: Israel Gómez Romero, for Between Two Waters Best Script: Federico Veiroj for Belmonte Audience Award: If Beale Street Could Talk, by Barry Jenkins Argentine Official Competition: Best Film: El árbol negro, by Máximo Ciambella & Damián Coluccio Special Mention: Julia y el zorro, by Inés Barrionuevo Best Short Film: Aquel verano sin hogar, by Santiago Reale and Mientras las olas, by D. Gavaldá & C. Rivoira |
| 2019 | Best Film: O que arde, by Óliver Laxe Best Director: Pedro Costa, for Vitalina Varela and Angela Schanelec, for I Was at Home, But Best Actress: Liliana Juárez, for Planta Permanente Best Actor: Ventura, for Vitalina Varela Best Script: Óliver Laxe for O que arde Audience Award: The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão, by Karim Aïnouz Argentine Official Competition: Best Film: Angélica, by Delfina Castagnino Best Director: Laura Citarella and Mercedes Halfon, for Las poetas visitan a Juana Bignozzi Special Mention: Hogar, by Maura Delpero Best Short Film: Playback. Ensayo de una despedida, by Agustina Comedi Latin American Official Competition: Best Film: A febre, by Maya Da-Rin and Nunca subí el Provincia, by Ignacio Agüero Special Mention: Vendrá la muerte y tendrá tus ojos, by José Luis Torres Leiva Best Short Film: Plano controle, by Juliana Antunes |