Alfonso Cuarón to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Locarno Film Festival

Posted on July 16, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón is being recognized for his stellar career…

The 62-year-old Mexican filmmaker, known for award-winning films Gravity and Roma, will receive the 2024 Locarno Film Festival‘s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The five-time Oscar winner will receive the award on Sunday, August 11 in Piazza Grande.

That same day, the audience will have an opportunity to meet the Mexican filmmaker in a panel conversation at Forum Spazio Cinema.

The Locarno tribute will be accompanied by the screening of Alain Tanner’s Jonas qui aura 25 ans en l’an 2000, which was personally selected by Cuarón.

Before the screening of Tanner’s film, Cuarón will discuss its significance both for his own work and film history in general. The conversation will be moderated by Frédéric Maire, director of Cinémathèque Suisse, and is organized in collaboration with Les Films du Camélia.

Cuarón is best known for movies including Y Tu Mamá También (2001), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Children of Men (2006), Gravity (2013) and Roma (2018).

Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the festival, said: “Alfonso Cuarón is a visionary author of agile and liberated imaginaries. Combining an experimental spirit with the sweep of great popular writers, he has managed to capture the imagination and hearts of millions of viewers, passing on the same wonder that he himself experienced as a child and teenager basking in the glow of classic Mexican cinema. From coming-of-age novels to science fiction, from melodrama to grand sagas like Harry Potter, Alfonso Cuarón has reinvented himself as an artist with each new film, always in the service of the pleasure of cinema, and has thus created a truly multifaceted body of work.”

Alfonso Cuarón Reportedly Working on Horror Television Series

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón is ready to bring the drama to television…

The 55-year-old Mexican filmmaker is reportedly working with Anonymous Content on a drama series, which is being pitched to pay cable and streaming outlets, garnering interest from multiple networks, according to Deadline.com.

Cuarón would work with actor Casey Affleck on the project.

Details about the project are being kept under wraps, but it is rumored to be a horror genre series that tracks the origins of a cult.

Cuarón is writing, directing and executive producing; Affleck is starring and executive producing. Anonymous Content, which signed Cuarón earlier this year, is producing.

Cuarón, who won the Best Director Oscar for directing Gravity, has a diverse feature resume that also includes Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

His next movie, Roma, is slated for release next year.

On the television side, Cuarón previously co-created and executive produced the NBC drama series Believe.

Cuarón to Preside Over the International Jury at This Year’s Venice Film Festival

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón is ready to chair, and chair alike…

The 53-year-old Mexican director and Oscar-winner will chair the International Jury for the Competition at the 72nd Venice Film Festival in September.

The appointment by the board of directors comes two years after Cuarón’s Gravity opened the festival out of competition and one year after his friend Alejandro G. Inarritu raised the curtain with Birdman.

Both men went on to win the directing Academy Award (among others) for their respective films.

Two of Cuarón’s other Oscar nominated films have also premiered on the Lido: 2001’s Y Tu Mamà También and 2006’s Children Of Men. The former won the Osella Award for Best Screenplay and the Marcello Mastroianni Award (for stars Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna).

Children Of Men later won the Osella Award for Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography.

The Venice Film Festival runs from September 2-12.

Arvelo’s “The Liberator,” Starring Edgar Ramirez, Selected as Venezuela’s Oscar Submission for Foreign Language Film

Posted on September 6, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alberto Arvelo is one step closer to a possible Oscar nomination…

The Venezuelan filmmaker’s latest project The Liberator has been selected to be the country’s submission to the Foreign Language Film category for the next Academy Awards, according to the Venezuelan paper Ultimas Noticias.

The paper reports that a selection of Venezuelan film industry professionals voted on Arvelo’s film earlier this week.

The voting was reportedly divided between The Liberator and Mariana Rondon’s indie drama Bad Hair, winner of the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian Film Festival last year.

An absolute rarity for local standards in terms of production value, The Liberator is a $50 million co-production between Spain and Venezuela about military and political leader Simon Bolivar, who commanded an army that freed a great part of the region from Spanish colonialism back in the 19th century, and is regarded as a forefather of South America, together with Argentine Jose de San Martin.

The epic period piece stars Venezuela’s most high profile international actor Edgar Ramírez (Carlos, Zero Dark Thirty) as Bolivar, with a score by the L. A. Philharmonic’s music director Gustavo Dudamel, and a script by Timothy J. Sexton, who co-wrote Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men.

The film’s unusually international crew also features Spanish cinematographer Xavi Gimenez (The Machinist, Agora), production designer Paul D. Austerberry (Twilight Saga: Eclipse), costume designer Sonia Grande (Midnight in Paris) and editor Tariq Anwar (American Beauty, The King’s Speech).

The Liberator opened in Venezuela on July 24, selling more than 500,000 tickets to date.

The film is scheduled for US release on October 3.

Cuarón Takes Home Two Academy Awards for “Gravity”

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón has matching Oscars to place on his mantel…

The 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker, a three-time nominee at this year’s Academy Awards, took home two prizes during the awards show.

Cuarón was named Best Director for helming the 3D space thriller, Gravity, making him the first Mexican to win the award in that category.

During his acceptance speech, Cuarón paid special tribute to the film’s star Sandra Bullock.

“Sandy, you are Gravity, you are the soul and heart of the film. You are an amazing collaborator and one of the best people I have ever met,” he said.

Moments after Cuarón’s name was read, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted: “Extraordinary work. Congratulations!”

Speaking backstage after collecting his Oscar, Cuarón said he hoped his win would help shine a light on the work of other Mexican filmmakers, and Mexican culture.

“I don’t think there is enough attention paid to Mexican culture and what is happening in Mexico,” Cuaron said.

Cuarón had been predicted to win the best director award, having swept the category in other awards ceremonies before Sunday’s Oscars, including the Directors Guild of America’s top prize.

In addition, Cuarón took home another award, winning the Best Film Editing Oscar alongside Mark Sanger for his hands-on work on Gravity.

Meanwhile, Gravity’s lenser Emmanuel Lubezki followed up his American Society of Cinematographers Award win with the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

It was the Mexican cinematographer’s first win in six nominations. He previously earned nods for lensing 1995’s A Little Princess, 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, 2005’s A New World, 2006’s Children of Men and 2011’s The Tree of Life. three of Lubezki’s nominations were for his work on Cuarón films.

In all, Gravity was the night’s big winner, taking home seven awards.

But Cuarón and Lubezki weren’t the only Latinos to take home their first Oscars…

Jared Leto, a first-time nominee, took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his critically acclaimed performance as male-to-female transgender character Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. It’s a role the 42-year-old part-Spanish American actor discusses in a featurette from the film’s distributor Focus Features.

Here’s a complete look at this year’s Oscar winners:

Best picture
12 Years a Slave

Best actor
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Best actress
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best supporting actor
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best supporting actress
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave

Best director
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Best animated feature film
Frozen

Best foreign film
The Great Beauty

Best original screenplay
Her, Spike Jonze

Best adapted screenplay
12 Years a Slave, John Ridley

Best original score
Gravity

Best original song
Let It Go, from Frozen

Best cinematography
Gravity

Best costume design
The Great Gatsby

Best documentary feature
20 Feet From Stardom

Best documentary short subject
The Lady in Number 6

Best film editing
Gravity

Best makeup and hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club

Best production design
The Great Gatsby

Best animated short film
Mr. Hublot

Best live-action short film
Helium

Best sound editing
Gravity

Best sound mixing
Gravity

Best visual effects
Gravity

Lubezki Wins American Society of Cinematographers Award for “Gravity”

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

The (Oscars) future looks bright for Emmanuel Lubezki…

The Mexican cinematographer took home an ASC Award at the 28th annual American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards on Saturday at the Hollywood & Highland Ray Dolby Ballroom.

Lubezki earned the prize in the in the theatrical motion picture category for lensing Alfonso Cuarón’s 3D sci-fi thriller Gravity.

He topped a field of nominees that included Sean Bobbitt for 12 Years a Slave, Barry Ackroyd for Captain Phillips, Philippe Le Sourd for The Grandmaster, Bruno Delbonnel for Inside Llewyn Davis, Phedon Papamichael for Nebraska and Roger Deakins for Prisoners.

It’s the third ASC feature award for Lubezki, who previously won for Children of Men and The Tree of Life.

The win puts Lubezki in some select company. In the event’s 28-year history, only one cinematographer, the late Conrad Hall, won the feature category an unprecedented four times. And, Lubezki now joins fellow nominee Deakins as the only cinematographers with three wins in the category.

Also this year, Lubezki received his sixth Oscar nomination, and is vying for his first Academy Award.

Here’s a complete list of winners:

Film
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC, Gravity

One-hour Episodic Television Series:
Jonathan Freeman, ASC, HBO’s Game of Thrones, “Valar Dohaeris”

Television Movie/Miniseries:
Jeremy Benning, CSC, National Geographic Channel’s Killing Lincoln

Half-Hour Episodic Series:
Blake McClure, Comedy Central’s Drunk History, “Detroit”

Spotlight Award
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, Ida

Cuarón Earns Three Academy Award Nominations

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón has doubled his Oscar nominations in one fell swoop…

During this morning’s Academy Awards press conference, the 52-year-old Mexican multi-talented filmmaker received three nominations for his critically acclaimed film Gravity.

He’d previously earned nods for Best Original Screenplay for Y tu mamá también and Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing for Children of Men.

In addition to receiving a nomination for producing the Best Picture nominee, Cuarón is up for Best Director – an award he picked up at the Golden Globes – and Best Film Editing alongside Mark Sanger.

In all, the 3D sci-fi thriller starring Sandra Bullock earned a titanic ten Academy Award nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Bullock, tying David O. Russell’s drama American Hustle for the most nods this year.

Gravity’s lenser Emmanuel Lubezki follows up his American Society of Cinematographers Award nomination with an Oscar nod for Best Cinematography.

It’s the sixth Academy Award nomination for the Mexican cinematographer. He previously earned nods for lensing 1995’s A Little Princess, 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, 2005’s A New World, 2006’s Children of Men and 2011’s The Tree of Life. three of Lubezki’s nominations were for his work on Cuarón films.

But Cuarón and Lubezki aren’t the only Latinos nominated this year…

First-time Golden Globe winner Jared Leto has received his first-ever Oscar nomination.

The 42-year-old part-Spanish American actor/singer earned the nod for his gender-bending performance as male-to-female transgender character Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. It’s a role he discusses in a featurette from the film’s distributor Focus Features.

The 86th Academy Awards will be awarded on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland, televised live on ABC and hosted by Ellen DeGeneres for a second time.

Here’s a complete look at this year’s nominees.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Christian Bale in “American Hustle”
Bruce Dern in “Nebraska”
Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Chiwetel Ejiofor in “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey in “Dallas Buyers Club” (Focus Features)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Barkhad Abdi in “Captain Phillips”
Bradley Cooper in “American Hustle”
Michael Fassbender in “12 Years a Slave”
Jonah Hill in “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Jared Leto in “Dallas Buyers Club”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Amy Adams in “American Hustle”
Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock in “Gravity”
Judi Dench in “Philomena”
Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sally Hawkins in “Blue Jasmine”
Jennifer Lawrence in “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave”
Julia Roberts in “August: Osage County”
June Squibb in “Nebraska”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
“The Croods”
“Despicable Me 2”
“Ernest & Celestine”
“The Wind Rises”

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Grandmaster”
Philippe Le Sourd “Gravity”
Emmanuel Lubezki
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
Bruno Delbonnel “Nebraska”
Phedon Papamichael “Prisoners”

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
“American Hustle” Michael Wilkinson
“The Grandmaster” William Chang Suk Ping
“The Great Gatsby” Catherine Martin
“The Invisible Woman” Michael O’Connor
“12 Years a Slave”
Patricia Norris

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
“American Hustle” David O. Russell
“Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón
“Nebraska” Alexander Payne
“12 Years a Slave” Steve McQueen
“The Wolf of Wall Street” Martin Scorsese

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“The Act of Killing”
“Cutie and the Boxer”
“Dirty Wars”
“20 Feet from Stardom”

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
“CaveDigger”
“Facing Fear”
“Karama Has No Walls”
“The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life”
“Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall”

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
“American Hustle” Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten
“Captain Phillips” Christopher Rouse
“Dallas Buyers Club” John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa
“Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger
“12 Years a Slave” Joe Walker

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
“The Broken Circle Breakdown”
“The Great Beauty”
“The Hunt”
“The Missing Picture”
“Omar”

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
“Dallas Buyers Club” Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews
“Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” Stephen Prouty
“The Lone Ranger” Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)
“The Book Thief” John Williams
“Gravity” Steven Price
“Her” William Butler and Owen Pallett
“Philomena” Alexandre Desplat
“Saving Mr. Banks” Thomas Newman

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
“Alone Yet Not Alone” from “Alone Yet Not Alone”
“Happy” from “Despicable Me 2”
“Let It Go” from “Frozen”
“The Moon Song” from “Her”
“Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
“American Hustle”
“Captain Phillips”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Gravity”
“Her”
“Nebraska”
“Philomena”
“12 Years a Slave”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”

Lubezki Nominated for American Society of Cinematographers Award

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Emmanuel Lubezki is earning serious kudos from his peers…

The Mexican cinematographer has been nominated for an ASC Award from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) in the theatrical motion picture for Outstanding Achievement.

Lubezki, a previous winner 2012’s The Tree of Life and 2007’s Children of Men, earned the recognition for lensing Alfonso Cuarón’s international hit film Gravity, which has been hailed as “one of the most technologically impressive films to ever see the light of day” by nofilmschool.com.

Here’s a look at all the nominees:

• Sean Bobbitt, BSC for 12 Years a Slave
• Barry Ackroyd, BSC for Captain Phillips
• Philippe Le Sourd for The Grandmaster
• Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC for Gravity
• Bruno Delbonnel, ASC, AFC for Inside Llewyn Davis
• Phedon Papamichael, ASC for Nebraska
• Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC for Prisoners

The winner will be revealed at the awards ceremony on February 1, at the Hollywood & Highland Ray Dolby Ballroom.

“Our members believe these cinematographers have set the contemporary standard for artful, theatrical motion picture cinematography,” says ASC President Richard Crudo. “They have mastered a complex craft which contributes vitally to the storytelling process, and augments the intentions of everyone involved with the production.”

Traditionally, the organization selects five nominees, but a three-way tie this year boosts that number to seven.

In addition to his two previous wins, Lubezki was also nominated in 2000 for Sleepy Hollow.

Cuarón to Receive Visual Effects Society’s Visionary Award

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

There’s no denying Alfonso Cuarón is a visionary filmmaker… But now he’ll have an award to prove it.

The Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s professional honorary society, has named the 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker as the recipient of its Visionary Award in recognition of his extraordinary career, most recently including his landmark achievement on this year’s critically acclaimed 3D sci-fil film Gravity.

The VES Visionary Award recognizes an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of visual effects to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work. VES will honor Cuarón for his consummate artistry, expansive storytelling and profound ability to use and pioneer technology and visual effects to bring his unique visions to life.

A three-time Oscar nominee and one of Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainers of the Year, Cuarón directed, co-wrote, produced and edited Gravity, which is one of the most acclaimed films of this or any year. The accolades that Cuarón and the film have received to date include: Best Director and Best Picture awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association; four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress (Sandra Bullock); and ten Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Art Direction.

Cuarón made his feature film directorial debut in 1992 with Sólo Con Tu Pareja, the biggest box office hit in Mexico that year, which brought him an Ariel Award as the film’s co-writer. Cuarón made his American feature film debut in 1995 with the widely acclaimed A Little Princess, followed in 1998 by Great Expectations. He then wrote and directed Y tu mamá también, for which he received his first Oscar nomination, for Best Original Screenplay, as well as BAFTA Award nominations for Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay. He went on to helm Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third film in the most successful motion picture franchise of all time. Cuarόn’s 2006 hit, Children of Men, was celebrated by critics and film fans for its groundbreaking techniques. The film brought two Oscar nominations to Cuarón, for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing.

“Alfonso pushes the known boundaries of filmmaking,” said Jeffrey A. Okun, VES Board Chair. “He has been at the forefront in using visual effects to tell remarkable, highly nuanced stories that change the way we think about what is possible to achieve. Throughout his career, Alfonso has shown a rare talent for using cutting-edge technology to engage us in his deeply visceral storytelling and create unforgettable cinematic experiences.”

The award will be presented at the 12th Annual VES Awards on February 12, 2014 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Previous winners of the VES Visionary Award have been Christopher Nolan and Ang Lee.

Cuarón Sci-Fi Film “Gravity” Headed to the Zurich International Film Festival

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón is bringing a little gravity to Switzerland…

The 51-year-old Mexican filmmaker’s highly anticipated new film Gravity will be screened at this year’s Zurich International Film Festival.

Cuarón’s new sci-fi film, which was written by him and his son Jonás Cuarón, will get a gala premiere at the festival.

The film centers on Dr. Stone (Sandra Bullock), a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone—tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they’ve lost any link to Earth… and any chance for rescue.

The full Zurich Festival line-up will be announced by September 12. The 9th Zurich International Film Festival runs from September 26- October 6.

Gravity is scheduled to hit theaters in IMAX and 3D on October 4th.

Cuarón’s previous credits include Great Expectations, Y tu mamá también, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Children of Men.

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