Gabriel Mariño is the man of the hour in Mexico…
The Mexican director’s “Yesterday Wonder I Was” was a big winner at the 6th Los Cabos Intl. Film Festival on Saturday night.
Mariño’s black & white low-fi fantasy tale won the Premio FIPRESCI in the Mexico Primero category, as well as the Cinemex Prize.
The film is a body-swapping tale of a solitary soul in one of the world’s most populated cities. The entity, completely unintentionally and unexplained, occasionally wakes up in a new body for an unknown period of time. Gender, age and physical features are all lost, the only thing remaining is the entity’s consciousness. The film follows the entity through parks, parties, rooftops and its beloved courtyard garden as it tries to make a connection with someone who will love it in return, in spite of its condition. That possible connection comes in the form of Luisa, a beautiful hairdresser who cuts the entity’s hair after each swap. When finally it wakes up in a body young and attractive enough to instill the necessary confidence, the entity makes its move and begins a relationship with Luisa, not knowing how she will respond to the next swap.
Mariño’s second feature film hit Los Cabos off Mexico’s Morelia Festival last month, where it won the awards for best first/second Mexican film and actress (Sonia Franco).
Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project,” which was shot with an eye for eye-popping color by ace Mexican cinematographer Alexis Zabe, took home the top prize at the festival.
Baker’s latest take on America’s margins – here a hooker mother and six-year-old scam-artist daughter struggling to get by at roadside motel flophouse in the shadow of Disney World – was always a frontrunner in main competition.
David Pablos’ “Dive” took was given the Los Cabos Goes to Cannes Award.
To be directed by Pablos, the project is inspired by a real case of sexual abuse by a trainer of his young female divers in Mexico’s high-board diving team. Winningly, the film looks set to present both the power dynamics, which facilitated the abuse and the protagonist’s psychological battle to recognize that she has even been the victim.
Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman accepted an Outstanding Cinema Award at the beginning of Los Cabos’ awards gala ceremony.
Here’s a look at the night’s big winners:
LOS CABOS COMPETITION: “The Florida Project,” (Sean Baker, U.S.)
MEXICO PRIMERO
PREMIO FIPRESCI: “Yesterday Wonder I Was,” (Gabriel Mariño, Mexico)
CINEMEX PRIZE: “Yesterday Wonder I Was”
CINEMEX AUDIENCE AWARD: “Road to Mars,” (Humberto Hinojosa)
ART KINGDOM AWARD: “Morir a los desiertos,” (Marta Ferrer, Mexico)
GABRIEL FIGUEROA FILM FUND AWARDS
LOS CABOS GOES TO CANNES AWARD: “Dive,” (David Pablos)
WORKS IN PROGRESS: “History Lessons,” (Marcelino Islas Hernández)
FILM IN DEVELOPMENT: Noche de fuego,” (Tatiana Huezo); “Israela & Talleen,” (Trisha Ziff)
LABO AWARD: “Bayoneta,” (Kizza Terrazas); “The Chambermaid,” (Lila Avilés)
CTT EXP & RENTALS AWARD: “Dive”
CHEMISTRY AWARD: Penumbra, by Pablo Barrera
TALENT ON THE ROAD / WORLD TALENT HOUSE AWARD: “My Tender Matador,” (Rodrigo Sepúlveda, Chile)
LCI AWARD: “Temple,” (Lucia Gaja)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Nicole Kidman