Mar del Plata Film Festival

Mar del Plata Film Festival
Location	Mar del Plata, Argentina
Awards	Ástor Award, Ernesto Che Guevara Award
Language	International
Official website

The Mar del Plata International Film Festival (Spanish: Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata) 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.

History

Created in 1954, it was not considered to be a competitive festival, it was more of a display of selected international movies; during this stage the event was named Festival Cinematográfico Internacional (International Cinematographic Festival).

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 Asociación de Cronistas Cinematográficos de la Argentina 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 (International Cinematographic Festival of the Argentine Republic). In 1966 there was a military coup d'etat 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 1970 the festival was cancelled. There were some attempts to reactivate it, but this did not happen until 1996 when the festival returned with new renovations.

Since then there were several changes. In the first years the event was not held in March; from 2001 to 2007 it returned to that month. Since 2008 the Festival has been hel in November. During this stage the festival was granted a 'Category A,' the highest class assigned by FIAPF.

Awards

Originally the awards were called Ombú after the Argentine national tree, but in 2004 the name was changed to Ástor for Ástor Piazzolla. The twenty-second Mar del Plata Film Festival, held from 8 to 18 March 2007, introduced a new competition specifically for Latin American film-makers. The competition awards the Ernesto Che Guevara Award to the best Latin American film.

Currently, awards are given to: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Script, Best Latin American Film and the judge's special award.

List of winners

Year	Winners
2011	Best Film: Abrir puertas y ventanas, by Milagros Mumenthaler (Argentina) Jury's special award: Tyrannosaur, by Paddy Considine (United Kingdom) Best Director: Milagros Mumenthaler, for Abrir puertas y ventanas (Argentina) Best Actress: Joslyn Jensen for Without (United States) Best Actor: Olivier Gourmet, for L'Exercise de L'État (Belguim/France) Best Script: Paddy Considine, for Tyrannosaur (United Kingdom) Special Mention: Girimunho, by Helvécio Marins Jr. and Clarissa Campolina (Brasil) Special Mention: El lugar más pequeño, by Tatiana Huezo Sánchez (Mexico/El Salvador)
2010	Best Film: Essential Killing, by Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland) Jury's special award: White, White World, by Oleg Norkovic (Serbia) Best Director: Alexei Fedorchenko, for Silent Souls (Russia) Best Actress: Mirela Oprisor and Maria Popistasu (ex aequo) for Tuesday, After Christmas (Romania) Best Actor: Vincent Gallo, for Essential Killing Best Script: Denis Osokin, for Silent Souls Special Mention: Chantapras, by Otar Iosseliani (France)
2009	Best Film: Cinco días sin Nora, by Mariana Chenillo (Mexico) Jury's special award: El Cuerno de la Abundancia, by Juan Carlos Tabío (Cuba) Best Director: Elia Suleiman, for The Time That Remains (Palestine) Best Actress: Allison Janney for Life During Wartime, by Todd Solondz (United States) Best Actor: Gary Piquer for Mal día para pescar, by Alvaro Brechner (Spain/Uruguay) Best Script: Cesc Gay for V.O.S. (Spain) Special Mention: El Cuerno de la Abundancia, by Juan Carlos Tabío (Cuba)
2008	Best Film: Still Walking, by Hirokazu Koreda (Japan) Jury's special award: Involuntary, by Ruben Östlund (Sweden) Best Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, for Tokio Sonata (Japan) Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert for Home, by Ursula Meier (Switzerland/France /Belgium) Best Actor: Ulrich Thomsen for Fear Me Not, by Kristian Levring (Denmark) Best Script: Kristian Levring and Anders Thomas Jensen for Fear Me Not Special Mention: Regreso a Fortín Olmos by Patricio Coll and Jorge Goldenberg (Argentina)
2007	Best Film: Ficció, by Cesc Gay (Spain) Jury’s Special Award: Gardens in Autumn, by Otar Iosseliani (France-Italy-Russia) Best Director: ex aequo to Marina Spada, for As the Shadow (Italy) and Hong Sang-soo for Woman on the Beach (South Korea) Best Actress: Sandra Hüller, for Madonnas (Germany-Switzerland-Belgium) Best Actor: Carlos Resta, for A Wrecked Filmmaker (Argentina) Best Script: Zaza Rusadze and Dito Tsintsadze, for The Man from the Embassy (Germany) Special Mention: The Greatest Love in the World, by Carlos Diegues (Brazil)
2006	Best Film: Noticias lejanas, by Ricardo Benet (Mexico) Best Director: Marco Martins, for Alice (Portugal) Best Actress: Justine Clark, for Look Both Ways (Australia) Best Actor: William Macy, for Edmond (United States) Best Script: Sarah Watt, for Look Both Ways (Australia) Best Iberoamerican Film: Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus, by Marcelo Gómez (Brazil) and Derecho de familia, by Daniel Burman (Argentina) Special Mention: Be with Me, by Eric Khoo (Singapore) Special Mention: Café Transit, by Kambozia Partovi (France/Iran)
2005	Best Film: Le grand voyage, by Ismaël Ferroukhi (France/Morocco) Best Director: Yasmine Kassari, for L'Enfant Endormi (Morocco/Belgium) Best Actress: Emmanuelle Devos, for La Femme de Gilles (Belgium) and Laura Linney, for P.S. (United States) Best Actor: Mohamed Majd, for Le grand voyage (France/Morocco) Best Script: Bernd Eichinger, for Der Untergang, by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Germany/Italy) Best Iberoamerican Film: Quase Dois Irmaos, by Lucía Murat (Brazil) Special Judge's Award: Jab-e Talj, by Mohsen Amiryoussefi (Iran)
2004	Best Film: Buena Vida Delivery, by Leonardo Di Cesare (Argentina) Best Director: Benedek Fliegauf, for Dealer (Hungary) Best Actress: Nicoletta Braschi, for Mi piace lavorare (Italy) Best Actor: Luis Tosar, for El lápiz del carpintero (Spain) and Alejandro Urdapilleta, for Adiós querida luna (Argentina) Best Script: Leonardo Di Cesare and Hans Garrino, for Buena Vida Delivery (Argentina) Best Iberoamerican Film: O outro lado da rúa, by Marcos Bernstein (Brazil) Special Judge's Award: Mi piace lavorare, by Francesca Comencini (Italy) Special Mention: Dealer, by Benedek Fliegauf (Hungary) Special Mention: Touching the Void, by Kevin Macdonald (Great Britain)
2003	Best Film: Separaçoes, by Domingos de Oliveira (Brazil) Best Director: Antonio Chavarrías, for Volverás (Spain) Best Actress: Zooey Deschanel, for All the Real Girls (United States) Best Actor: Domingos de Oliveira, for Separaçoes (Brazil) Best Script: David Ofek/Yossi Madmon/Lior Shefer, for Hamangalistim (Israel) Best Iberoamerican Film: El Fondo del Mar, by Damián Szifron (Argentina) Special Judge's Award: Valentín, by Alejandro Agresti (Argentina) Special Mention: At kende sandheden, by Nils Malmros (Denmark) Special Mention: Tristán Ulloa, for his work in Volverás (Spain)
2002	Best Film: Bolívar soy yo, by Jorge Alí Triana (Colombia) Best Director: István Szabó, for Taking Sides (Germany/Hungary) Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst, for The Cat's Meow (United States) Best Actor: Stellan Skarsgård for Taking Sides and Libero de Rienzo, for Santa Maradona (Italy) Best Script: Caryl Phillips, for The Mystic Masseur (United Kingdom/India) Best Iberoamerican Film: Bolívar soy yo, by Jorge Alí Triana (Colombia) Special Judge's Award: Caja Negra, by Luis Ortega (Argentina) Special Mention: Annas Sommer, by Jeanine Meerapfel (Germany) Special Mention: Revolution nº 9, by Tim McCann (United States)
2001	Best Film: Ta Ja, Zlodziej, by Jacek Bromski (Poland) Best Director: Jean-Pierre Denis, for Les Blessures Assassines (France) Best Actress: Julie-Marie Parmentier, for Les Blessures Assassines (France) Best Actor: Ulises Dumont and Federico Luppi, for Rosarigasinos (Argentina) Best Script: Ta Ja, Zlodziej, by Jacek Bromski (Poland) Best Iberoamerican Film: Anita no pierde el tren, by Ventura Pons (Spain) Special Judge's Award: Shahr-E Zanan, by Ataollah Hayati Special Mention: for the work of Rosa María Sardá, for Anita no pierde el tren (Spain)
1999	Best Film: As bodas de Deus, by Joao Cesar Monteiro (Portugal) Best Director: Giuseppe Bertolucci, for Il dolce rumore della vita (Italy) Best Actress: Reddy Gibbs, for Crossing Fields (United States) Best Actor: Matthew Lillard, for SLC Punk (United States) Best Script: Pablo Nisenson and José Pablo Feinmann, for Angel, la diva y yo (Argentina) Best Iberoamerican Film: Ángel, la diva y yo (Argentina) Special Judge's Award: Sokkotansi, by Matti Ijas (Finland) Special Mention: El mar de Lucas, by Víctor Laplace (Argentina)
1998	Best Film: Abr-O Aftaab, by Mahmoud Kabari (Iran) Best Director: Paolo y Vittorio Taviani, for Tu Ridi (Italy) Best Actress: Yelda Reynaud for Yara (Germany/Turkey) Best Actor: Regis Royer for Lautrec (France) / Paschalis Tsarouchas for Vassiliki (Greece) Best Script: Pablo Torre, for La Cara del Ángel (Argentina) Best Iberoamerican Film: Amor y Cia. by Helvecio Ratton (Brazil) Special Judge's Award: Inquietude de Manoel de Oliveira (Portugal) Special Mention: Mala Época by Mariano De Rosa, Rodrigo Moreno, Salvador Roselli and Nicolás Saad (Argentina) Special Mention: La Primera Noche de mi Vida by Miguel Albaladejo (Spain)
1997	Best Film: The Tango Lesson, by Sally Potter (United Kingdom) Best Director: Ricardo Franco, for La Buena Estrella (Spain) Best Actress: Geno Lechner, for Gesches Gift (Germany) Best Actor: Antonio Resines / Jordi Molla for La Buena Estrella (Spain) Best Script: Thom Fitzgerald, for The Hanging Garden (Canada) Best Iberoamerican Film: Plaza de Almas, by Fernando Diaz (Argentina) Premio Special Judge's Award: Mrs. Brown, by John Madden (United Kingdom) Special Mention: Star Maps, by Miguel Arteta (United States)
1996	Best Film: El Perro del Hortelano, by Pilar Miró (Spain) Best Director: Zhang Yuan, for East Palace, West Palace (China) Best Actress: Renée Zellweger for The Whole Wide World (United States) Best Actor: Silvio Orlando, for La Mia Generazione (Italy) Best Script: Zhang Yuan and Wang Xiaobo for East Palace, West Palace (China) Best Iberoamerican Film: Buenos Aires Vice Versa, by Alejandro Agresti (Argentina) Special Judge's Award: Kriegelbilder by Heiner Stadler (Germany) Special Mention: Zhang Jian, for the photography of East Palace, West Palace (China) Special Mention: Pierre Louis Thevenet, for the Arts Direccion of Tranvía a la Malvarrosa
1970	Best Film: Macunaíma, by Joaquim Pedro de Andrade (Brazil) Best Director: Frank Perry, for The Last Summer (United States) Best Actor: Ugo Tognazzi, for Il Commissario Pepe (Italy) Best Actress: Liza Minnelli, for The Sterile Cuckoo (United States) Best Spanish Film: Juan Lamaglia y Sra., by Raúl de la Torre (Argentina)
1968	Best Film: Bonnie and Clyde, by Arthur Penn (United States) Best Director: Gyorgy Révész, for Egy Szerelem Három Éjszakája (Hungary) Best Actor: Tony Musante, for The Incident (United States) Best Actress: Annie Girardot, for Vivre pour vivre (France)
1966	Best Film: ¡At' Zije Republika!, by Karel Kachyňa (Czechoslovakia) Best Director: Antonio Pietrangeli, for Io la conoscevo bene (Italy) Best Actor: Yevgueni Lebdenev, for Posledniy Mesyats Osenj (Soviet Union) Best Actress: Mireille Darc, for Galia (France)
1965	Best Film: Gli Indifferenti, by Francesco Maselli (Italy) Best Director: Claude Lelouch, for Une fille et des fusils (France) Best Actor: Martin Held, for Die Festung (Germany) Best Actress: Nuria Torray, for Diálogos de la Paz (Spain)
1964	Best Film: I compagni, by Mario Monicelli (Italy) Best Director: Karel Kachyňa, for Nadeje (Czechoslovakia) Best Actor: Vittorio Gassman / Ugo Tognazzi, for I Mostri (Italy) Best Actress: Natalie Wood, for Love with the Proper Stranger (United States) Best Spanish Film: El Demonio en la Sangre, by René Múgica (Argentina)
1963	Best Film: Az Angyalok Földje, by Gyorgy Révész (Hungary) Best Director: Dino Risi, for Il Sorpasso (Italy) Best Actor: Tom Courtenay, for The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (United Kingdom) Best Actress: Wanda Luczycka, for Gloz z Tamtego Swiata (Poland)
1962	Best Film: I Giorni Contati, by Elio Petri (Italy) Best Director: François Truffaut, for Jules et Jim (France) Best Actor: Paul Newman, for The Hustler (United States) Best Actress: Nadezha Rumiántseva, for Devchata (Soviet Union)
1961	Best Film: Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, by Karel Reisz (United Kingdom) Best Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot, for La Verité (France) Best Actor: Albert Finney, for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (United Kingdom) Best Actress: Susan Strasberg, for Kapò (Italy) Best Spanish Film: Shunko, by Lautaro Murua (Argentina)
1960	Best Film: Die Brücke, by Bernhard Wicki (Germany) Best Director: Pietro Germi, for Un maledetto imbroglio (Italy) Best Actor: Paul Muni, for The Last Angry Man (United States) Best Actress: Eleonora Rossi Drago, for Estate Violenta (Italy)
1959	Best Film: Smultronstället, by Ingmar Bergman (Sweden) Best Director: Rolf Thiele, for Das Madchen Rosemarie (Germany) Best Actor: Victor Sjostrom, for Smultronstället (Sweden) Best Actress: Susan Hayward, for I Want to Live! (United States) Best Spanish Film: El jefe, by Fernando Ayala (Argentina)
1954	No awards given out

External links

• Official website
• Mar del Plata Website with news and things to do