2007 WINNERS

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM CATEGORY

BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM:
Los Ladrones Viejos, by Everardo González. (MEXICO)

FEATURE FICTION FILM CATEGORY

BEST FEATURE FICTION FILM:
Iszka’s Journey, by Csaba Bóllok (HUNGARY)

Special Jury Mention for Best Sound:
Escucha el Tiempo, by Alanté Kavaité (FRANCE)

Special Jury Mention for Best Cinematography:
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation, by Cao Hamburger (BRAZIL)

BEST MEXICAN SHORT FILM:
Fin de Trayecto, by Acán Coen

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM CATEGORY

FIRST PLACE:
Yaptik Haase, by Edgar Bartenev (RUSSIA)

SECOND PLACE:
A Sunday in Pripyat, by Blandine Huk & Frederic Cousseau (FRANCE)

SPECIAL JURY MENTION:
Somos Alzados en Bastones de Mando, by Mauricio Acosta (COLOMBIA)

ANIMATED SHORT FILM CATEGORY

FIRST PLACE:
458 NM, by Jan Blitzer, Ilija Brunck & Tom Weber (GERMANY)

SECOND PLACE:
Vodoo Bayou by Javier Gutiérrez (MEXICO)

SPECIAL JURY MENTION:
Apnee, by Claude Chabot (FRANCE)

FICTION SHORT FILM CATEGORY

FIRST PLACE:
Bhai Bhai, by Olivier Klein, (FRANCE)

SECOND PLACE:
Innocent as I was, by Xiao Xiao (CHINA)

SPECIAL JURY MENTION:
Tristeza, by Pierre Saint Martin (MEXICO)

By Gerardo Wario

"Con madre" (F-ing great!). These where the first words spoken by Hungarian Csaba Bollók, on the Arts Center stage and when addressing the reporters, after his feature film “Iszka’s Journey” was announced as winner of the Fiction category in the 3rd Monterrey International Film Festival.

Bollók showed that a week long stay in Monterrey was enough to learn the local idiom to express his happiness. Mexican filmmaker Everardo González, winner of the Cabrito de Plata -as the Festival’s award is known-, for best feature documentary film for “Los Ladrones Viejos” was not so eloquent because, as he recognizes, he was very nervous.

“Even though you have a speech prepared you feel jittery. But I’m very proud, it’s a great honor to be recognized for the work one does in any field”, he said.

In “Iska´s Journey”, the Hungarian director presents the difficult social problem of the traffic of people, particularly women and girls, in Eastern Europe.

Street girls participated as actresses in this film, Bollók explained. “I have to thank the girls that appeared in this film, this is their movie”, he added. The director expressed that in his country filmmaking is sponsored by the State, therefore in recent years an important movement has emerged of independent productions.

“In Hungary film production is traditional, it belongs to the State. There is a board formed by prestigious filmmakers from my country that mediates between the young filmmakers and the State”.

This film, selected among seven feature films, doesn’t have a commercial premiere date yet, but it will be shown in other festivals in the next months.

The director of “Los Ladrones Viejos”, a wonderful documentary that presents the memories and honor codes of four old time thieves which are behind bars after having become famous for their ability and methods, said that receiving this award is important for Mexican documentaries.

“This is what we are looking for, we want people to watch the films, and most of all it helps us to promote and legitimize these films. I’m very motivated because it gives me confidence that the film will be well received by audiences, it can be shown in more theaters, which is the discussion we are always having with the producers, distributors and exhibitors, that they have the idea that documentaries are not attractive to the public.

The next challenge, continued González, is to find good distribution. In his opinion, a dozen copies will be enough to premiere the film in Mexico City, then in Guadalajara and Monterrey, and then tour other Mexican cities. For the time being, there are more festivals in the future for “Los Ladrones Viejos”.

“It will be in Montreal next Sunday, and I’ll be there, then it has been invited to France, Mexico City and Morelia”. When asked if the very Mexican portrayal of the thieves’ cynicism and police corruption could be enjoyed in other countries González answered: “It was shown in Switzerland and the film worked very well with the audience. There is a special cynicism in every city that makes it attractive. In some sense the film is about this, the characters are cynical, likeable, charming, and this is universal. The theme is universal, the characters are local”.

For the moment, Saturday night was still young for Everardo.

He still had to make the first telephone call to tell someone about winning the award. “My wife and son, of course”, he said smiling. “Then the producers, partners, the film editor that worked so much, he is my main collaborator”.