Tag Archives: The Mole Agent

Maite Alberdi to Receive Sundance Institute’s Vanguard Award for Nonfiction

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Maite Alberdi is leading the way in filmmaking… And, now she’s being recognized for it.

The 40-year-old Chilean film producer, director, documentarian, screenwriter and film critic will be honored by the Sundance Institute.

Maite Alberdi,Alberdi will receive the Vanguard Award during the institute’s opening-night gala that will kick off the Sundance Film Festival’s 40th edition on January 18.

The Vanguard Awards honor artists whose work highlights the art of storytelling and creative independence in both nonfiction and fiction.

The Vanguard Award for Nonfiction will go to Alberdi, who directed The Eternal Memory. The film follows the relationship of Chilean journalist Augusto Góngora and Chilean actress Paulina Urrutia. It premiered last year at Sundance and received the World Cinema Documentary Jury Prize.

She was the first Chilean woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for The Mole Agent, which premiered at Sundance 2020.

Alberdi has a long history with the festival: She received a Sundance Documentary Film Grant in 2013 and 2016 and served on the jury for the 2019 World Documentary Competition.

Other honorees include Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan, who will be honored with the first Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award, and Celine Song will also receive the Vanguard Award for Fiction.

The annual opening-night gala raises money for the nonprofit’s labs, grants and public programming. The Sundance Film Festival runs January 18-28 in Park City and Salt Lake City and online from January 25-28.

Chile Enters Fernando Guzzoni’s “Blanquita” into Oscars Best International Film Race

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Fernando Guzzoni may be contending for an Academy Award…

Chile has submitted the 39-year-old film director and scriptwriter’s Blanquita as its official entry for the Best International Film race at the Oscars.

Fernando GuzzoniGuzzoni’s film explores a real-life child prostitution scandal that rocked the country in the early 2000s.

The film was chosen as Chile’s official entry by members of the Chilean Film Academy, in its third selection since its creation in 2018.

“Once again we are witnessing both the quality and diversity of our cinema, as well as the criteria and commitment of our partners: 70% of them voted in this process, the most participatory since we as an Academy have been in charge of choosing the film that represents Chile at the Oscars”, said the body’s executive director Josefina Undurraga.

Blanquita, Fernando Guzzoni Blanquita world premiered in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival this year, winning the best screenplay prize for Guzzoni.

Big screen debutant Laura López stars as an 18-year-old resident of a foster home, who is a key witness in a trial against powerful politicians and businessmen implicated in a child sex scandal. As questions are asked, her role in the scandal becomes unclear.

Award-winning veteran actor Alejandro Goic co-stars as a priest who runs the home where the young woman lives. Other cast members include Amparo Noguera, Marcelo Alonso and Daniela Ramirez.

The feature is inspired by the real-life early 2000s Spiniak Case involving a paedophilia ring run by an entrepreneur and sports club owner, which provided services to a number of high-placed politicians and businessmen.

The case divided Chile as it went through the courts, with doubts being cast on the testimony of key witness who was caught up in the ring as a minor and accused two senators of abusing her.

Guzzoni spent a year investigating the case in-depth before writing his screenplay.

“I am very honored that Blanquita is Chile’s representative at the Oscars and grateful for the support of all my colleagues at the Film Academy,” said Guzzoni.

“The film puts forward in a thriller key an urgent issue about impunity and structural injustice in our country, therefore, it combines audience vocation and a story with high social sensitivity,” he continued.

“We believe that the film being awarded in Venice, the great reception from critics and the support of our international partners and distributors will allow us to carry out a campaign that seeks to make Blanquita’s message visible and position the film in the best possible way.”

Blanquita is Guzzoni’s fourth feature after La Colorina, Carne de Perro and Jesús, about a troubled, teenager who turns to violence in search of thrills.

“Blanquita is a powerful and current movie, which should make an impression on the Academy members. I can’t wait for them to see it,” said New Europe CEO Naszewski.

Chile won the Oscar for best international film in 2018 with Sebastían Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman, while Pablo Larrain’s No was nominated for the 2012-13 race and Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent was nominated in the Best Documentary category last year.

The deadline for the Best International Film category closed on October 3, with around 85 titles being publicly declared so far. Last year, there were submissions from 93 countries.

Jayro Bustamante’s “La Llorona” Makes Oscars Short List in International Feature Film Category

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Jayro Bustamante is one step closer to having a date with Oscar…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has revealed its shortlist of International Feature Film potential nominees, with the Guatemalan film director and screenwriter’s supernatural horror drama La Llorona making the grade.

Jayro Bustamante

Bustamante’s third feature film, representing his native Guatemala in the race, is rooted in the more recent history of Guatemala’s ruthless military leaders and their efforts in erasing indigenous tribes.

La Llorona recently made history as the first Central American film to earn a Golden Globe nomination.

But Bustamante isn’t the only Latinx director to have a project make the shortlist…

Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent, representing Chile, is among the 15 shortlisted films…

The 37-year-old Chilean writer/director’s documentary centers on a private investigator in Chile hires someone to work as a mole at a retirement home where a client of his suspects the caretakers of elder abuse.

Fernando Frías de la Parra’s I’m No Longer Here, representing Mexico, still has an Oscar shot as well…

Written and directed by the 42-year-old Mexican filmmaker, the film has been called “a thoughtful portrait of cultural identity.” It centers on a teen from Monterrey, Mexico who forges a new life in Queens, New York.

The full Oscar nominations will be announced on March 15, and ABC will air the 93rd annual Academy Awards live on April 25.

Here are the shortlisted films:

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Quo Vadis, Aida?
Chile, The Mole Agent
Czech Republic, Charlatan
Denmark, Another Round
France, Two of Us
Guatemala, La Llorona
Hong Kong, Better Days
Iran, Sun Children
Ivory Coast, Night of the Kings
Mexico, I’m No Longer Here
Norway, Hope
Romania, Collective
Russia, Dear Comrades!
Taiwan, A Sun
Tunisia, The Man Who Sold His Skin

La Llorona

The Mole Agent

I’m No Longer Here


 

National Board of Review Names Jayro Bustamante’s “La Llorona” Best Foreign Language Film

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Jayro Bustamante is celebrating a big honor…

The National Board of Review has announced its award winners for 2020, with the 46-year-old Guatemalan film director and screenwriter earning a prize.

Jayro Bustamante

Bustamante’s La Llorona took home the award for Best Foreign Language Film.

La Llorona centers on an aging paranoid war criminal, protected by his faithful wife, who faces death while being haunted by the ghosts of his past.

Meanwhile, Maite Alberdi‘s The Mole Agent was named to the NBR‘s Top 5 Foreign Language Films list.

The film centers on an 83-year-old man who poses as a resident in a Chilean nursing home to see if he can find signs of abuse.

Here’s the full list of NBR winners:

Best Film
DA 5 BLOODS

Best Director
Spike Lee, DA 5 BLOODS

Best Actor
Riz Ahmed, SOUND OF METAL

Best Actress
Carey Mulligan, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

Best Supporting Actor
Paul Raci, SOUND OF METAL

Best Supporting Actress
Youn Yuh-jung, MINARI

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Greengrass & Luke Davies, NEWS OF THE WORLD

Best Original Screenplay
Lee Isaac Chung, MINARI

Breakthrough Performance
Sidney Flanigan, NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS

Best Directorial Debut
Channing Godfrey Peoples, MISS JUNETEENTH

Best Animated Feature
SOUL

Best Foreign Language Film
LA LLORONA

Best Documentary
TIME

NBR Icon Award
Chadwick Boseman

NBR Freedom of Expression Award
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI

NBR Spotlight Award
Radha Blank for writing, directing, producing and starring in THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION

Best Ensemble
DA 5 BLOODS

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
Joshua James Richards, NOMADLAND

Top Films
(in alphabetical order)
First Cow
The Forty-Year-Old Version
Judas and the Black Messiah
The Midnight Sky
Minari
News of the World
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Soul
Sound of Metal

Top 5 Foreign Language Films
(in alphabetical order)
Apples
Collective
Dear Comrades
The Mole Agent
Night of the Kings

Top 5 Documentaries
(in alphabetical order)
All In: The Fight for Democracy
Boys State
Dick Johnson is Dead
Miss Americana
The Truffle Hunters

Top 10 Independent Films
(in alphabetical order)
The Climb
Driveways
Farewell Amor
Miss Juneteenth
The Nest
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
The Outpost
Relic
Saint Frances
Wolfwalkers

Colman Domingo Earns First-Ever Spirit Awards Nomination

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Colman Domingo has real spirit…

The Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations for the 2020-21 season finally have been announced today, with the 51-year-old half-Guatemalan/Belizean American Tony Award-nominated actor earning his first ever Spirit Awards nod.

Colman Domingo

Domingo is nominated in the Best Supporting Male category for his performance in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Maite Alberdi has picked up a nod…

The 37-year-old Chilean producer, director, documentarian and screenwriter is nominated in the Best Documentary category for her acclaimed film The Mole Agent, which is representing Chile in the Oscar race for Best International Film.

Juliano Dornelles and Kleber Mendonça Filho have been nominated in the Best International Film race.

The Brazilian filmmakers are nominated for their highly-acclaimed film Bacarau.

Cecilia Aldarondo is nominated for the Truer Than Fiction Award, which is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

The Puerto Rican filmmaker earned the nod for directing Landfall, which chronicles the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, while offering a sensitive and urgent portrait of the continued fraught relationship between the US and Puerto Rico.

Harold Torres has earned a nod in the television categories…

The 36-year-old Mexican actor is nominated in the Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series for his performance in “Zero, Zero, Zero.”

This year’s edition will break its longstanding tradition of taking place live on the Santa Monica beach on the Saturday afternoon before Sunday’s Oscars. Instead, the ceremony will air live at 7:00 pm PT on Thursday, April 22 — on IFC.

Here’s the full list of nominees for the 36th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards:

BEST FEATURE
First Cow
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Minari
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Nomadland

BEST FIRST FEATURE 
I Carry You With Me
The Forty-Year-Old Version
Miss Juneteenth
Nine Days
Sound of Metal

BEST FEMALE LEAD 
Nicole Beharie, Miss Juneteenth
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Julia Garner, The Assistant
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

BEST MALE LEAD 
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Adarsh Gourav, The White Tiger
Rob Morgan, Bull
Steven Yeun, Minari

BEST DIRECTOR
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Kelly Reichardt, First Cow
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

BEST DOCUMENTARY 
Collective
Director/Producer: Alexander Nanau
Producers: Hanka Kastelicová, Bernard Michaux, Bianca Oana

Crip Camp
Directors/Producers: Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham
Producer: Sara Bolder

Dick Johnson is Dead
Director/Producer: Kirsten Johnson
Producers: Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness

The Mole Agent
Director: Maite Alberdi
Producer: Marcela Santibáñez

Time
Director/Producer: Garrett Bradley
Producers: Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn

BEST SUPPORTING MALE 
Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Orion Lee, First Cow
Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
Glynn Turman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Benedict Wong, Nine Days

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE 
Alexis Chikaeze, Miss Juneteenth
Yeri Han, Minari
Valerie Mahaffey,French Exit
Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Yuh-jung Youn, Minari

BEST SCREENPLAY
Mike Makowsky, Bad Education
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Alice Wu, The Half Of It
Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY  
Kitty Green, The Assistant
Noah Hutton, Lapsis
Channing Godfrey Peoples, Miss Juneteenth
Andy Siara, Palm Springs
James Sweeney, Straight Up

BEST EDITING: 
Andy Canny, The Invisible Man
Scott Cummings, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Merawi Gerima, Residue
Enat Sidi, I Carry You With Me
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jay Keitel, She Dies Tomorrow
Shabier Kirchner, Bull
Michael Latham, The Assistant
Hélène Louvart, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Joshua James Richards, Nomadland

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM 
Bacurau
Brazil
Directors: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho

The Disciple
India
Director: Chaitanya Tamhane

Night of the Kings
Ivory Coast
Director: Philippe Lacôte

Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
Hungary
Director: Lili Horvát

Quo Vadis, Aida?
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Director: Jasmila Žbanić

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD  
Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

One Night in Miami…
Director: Regina King
Casting Directors: Kimberly R. Hardin
Ensemble Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD  
Given to the best feature made for under $500,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

The Killing of Two Lovers
Writer/Director/Producer: Robert Machoian
Producers: Scott Christopherson, Clayne Crawford

La Leyenda Negra
Writer/Director: Patricia Vidal Delgado
Producers: Alicia Herder, Marcel Perez

Lingua Franca
Writer/Director/Producer: Isabel Sandoval
Producers: Darlene Catly Malimas, Jhett Tolentino, Carlo Velayo

Residue
Writer/Director: Merawi Gerima

Saint Frances
Director/Producer: Alex Thompson
Writer: Kelly O’Sullivan
Producers: James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Raphael Nash, Roger Welp

PRODUCERS AWARD
The Producers Award, now in its 24th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Kara Durrett
Lucas Joaquin
Gerry Kim

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD 
The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 27th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

David Midell
Director of The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

Ekwa Msangi
Director of Farewell Amor

Annie Silverstein
Director of Bull

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD 
The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 26th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Cecilia Aldarondo
Director of Landfall

Elegance Bratton
Director of Pier Kids

Elizabeth Lo
Director of Stray

TV CATEGORIES

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children
Executive Producers: Jeff Dupre, Joshua Bennett, Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius

City So Real
Produced by: Zak Piper, Steve James
Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Betsy Steinberg, Jolene Pinder

Immigration Nation
Executive Producers: Christina Clusiau, Shaul Schwarz, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin, Brandon Hill, Christian Thompson
Co-Executive Producers: Andrey Alistratov, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Lauren Haber

Love Fraud
Executive Producers: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing, Amy Goodman Kass, Vinnie Malhotra, Jihan Robinson, Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman

We’re Here
Creators/Executive Producers: Stephen Warren, Johnnie Ingram
Executive Producers: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Peter LoGreco
Co-Executive Producers: Erin Haglund, Sabrina Mar

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

I May Destroy You
Creator/Executive Producer: Michaela Coel
Executive Producers: Phil Clarke, Roberto Troni

Little America
Executive Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Joshuah Bearman, Joshua Davis, Arthur Spector, Alan Yang, Siân Heder, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon

Small Axe
Executive Producers: Tracey Scoffield, David Tanner, Steve McQueen

A Teacher
Creator/Executive Producer: Hanna Fidell
Executive Producers: Michael Costigan, Kate Mara, Louise Shore, Jason Bateman, Danny Brocklehurst
Co-Executive Producer: Daniel Pipski

Unorthodox
Creator/Executive Producer: Anna Winger
Creator: Alexa Karolinski
Executive Producer: Henning Kamm

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Elle Fanning, The Great
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Abby McEnany, Work in Progress
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Never Have I Ever
Jordan Kristine Seamón, We Are Who We Are

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Conphidance, Little America
Adam Ali, Little America
Nicco Annan, P-Valley
Amit Rahav, Unorthodox
Harold Torres, Zero, Zero, Zero

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
I May Destroy You
Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Wruche Opia, Stephen Wight

Salvador Calvo’s Netflix Drama “Adú” Leads Spain’s Goya Awards Nominees with 14

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Salvador Calvo is the man to beat…

The Spanish filmmaker’s Netflix drama Adú is the frontrunner for this year’s Premios Goya (Goya Awards), Spain’s top film honors.

Salvador Calvo

Calvo’s film earned 14 nominations, including nods for best film and best director.

Calvo’s sophomore feature follows three interconnected stories all set in Africa. Two members of its ensemble cast Álvaro Cervantes and Adam Nourou, picked up Goya nominations for best supporting actor and best newcomer actor, respectively.

The Goyas 2021 best film nominees include Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín‘s La boda de Rosa, Pilar Palomero‘s The Girls, and The People Upstairs aka Sentimental, from director Cesc Gay.

In addition to Calvo and Bollaín, the best director category this year includes Juanma Bajo Ulloa, nominated for his horror thriller Baby, and veteran filmmaker Isabel Coixet for It Snows in Benidorm.

Contenders for the best Ibero-American film include Chilean documentary The Mole Agent, Forgotten We’ll Be from Columbian filmmaker Fernando Trueba, the Guatemalan horror film The Curse of la Llorona, and Fernando Frias‘ Mexican drama I’m No Longer Here.

Last year, Pedro Almodóvar’s semi-autobiographical drama Pain and Glory was the big winner at the Goyas, winning seven honors, including for best picture, director, original screenplay, and best actor for Antonio Banderas.

The 2021 Goya Awards will be held in a live-streamed ceremony from the Teatro del Soho CaixaBank in Málaga on Saturday, March 6.   Banderas will direct this year’s award ceremony and will present the 35th Goya Awards together with Spanish journalist María Casado.

Here’s the full list of nominations for the 35th Goya Awards:

Best Film
Adú
Ane Is Missing
La boda de Rosa
The Girls
The People Upstairs  

Best Director
Salvador Calvo for Adú
Juanma Bajo Ulloa for Bafrom
Icíar Bollain for La boda de Rosa
Isabel Coixet for It Snows in Benidorm

Best Novel Adaptation
Pilar Palomero for The Girls
David Pérez Sañudo for Ane is Missing
Bernabé Rico for El inconvenient
Núria Giménez Lorang for My Mexican Bretzel

Best Actress
Amaia Aberasturi for Coven
Andrea Fandós for The Girls
Patricia López Arnaiz for Ane is Missing
Candela Peña for La boda de Rosa

Best Actor
Mario Casas for Cross the Line
Javier Cámara for The People Upstairs
Ernesto Alterio for A Normal World
David Verdaguer for One for All

Best Supporting Actress
Juana Acosta for El inconvenient
Verónica Echegui for My Heart Goes Boom!
Natalia de Molina for The Girls
Nathalie Poza for La boda de Rosa

Best Supporting Actor
Sergi López for La boda de Rosa
Juan Diego Botto for The Europeans
Alberto San Juan for The People Upstairs
Álvaro Cervantes for Adú

Best Actress Newcomer
Jone Laspiur for Ane is Missing
Paula Usero for La boda de Rosa
Milena Smith for Cross the Line
Griselda Siciliani for The People Upstairs

Best Actor Newcomer
Adam Nourou for Adú
Chema del Barco for The Plan
Janick for Historias lamentables
Fernando Valdivielso for Cross the Line

Best Original Screenplay
Adu
La boda de Rosa
Historias lamentables
The Girls

Best Adapted Screenplay
The People Upstairs
Ane is Missing
The Europeans
Unknown Origins

Best Animated Film
Turu, the Wacky Hen

Best Documentary
Anatomía de un dandy
Drowning Letters
The Year of the Discovery
My Mexican Bretzel 

Best European Film
Corpus Christi from Poland
The Father from the United Kingdom
An Officer and A Spy from France
Falling from the United Kingdom 

Best Ibero-American Film
El agente topo from Chile
El olvido que seremos from Colombia
La llorona from Guatemala
Ya no estoy aquí from México 

Best Cinematography
Adú
Coven
Black Beach
The Girls 

Best Production Design
Adú
Coven
Black Beach
It Snows in Benidorm

Best Original Music
Adú
Coven
Baby
El verano que vivimos

Best Original Song
Adú
El verano que vivimos
La boda de Rosa
The Girls 

Best Editing
Adú
Black Beach
The Year of the Discovery
The Girls 

Best Sound
Adú
Coven
Black Beach
The Plan 

Best Art Direction
Adú
Coven
Black Beach
The Girls 

Best Costume Design
Coven
My Heart Goes Boom!
The Girls
The Europeans 

Best Makeup and Hairdressing
Adú
Coven
My Heart Goes Boom!
Unknown Origins 

Best Special Effects
Coven
Adú
Black Beach

Chile Selects Maite Alberdi’s “The Mole Agent” for International Oscar Consideration

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Maite Alberdi’s name has been thrown in the Oscar ring…

The 37-year-old Chilean producer, director, documentarian and screenwriter’s documentary The Mole Agent will represent Chile in the International Oscar race this year.

The Mole Agent

The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival back in January. It follows a private investigator in Chile who hires someone to work as a mole at a retirement home where a client of his suspects the caretakers of elder abuse. Marcela Santibañez produced.

Gravitas Ventures is handling U.S. rights on the film, which is now streaming on Hulu. The movie will launch on POV on January 25.

The deadline for submissions to the Oscar race is December 1, with the 2021 ceremony scheduled to take place on April 25. The shortlist for the International Oscar will be unveiled February 9 and nominations will be announced March 15.

Maite Alberdi Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

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Maite Alberdi has new representation…

The 37-year-old Chilean producer, director, documentarianand screenwriter has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for worldwide representation in all areas. 

Maite Alberdi,

Alberdi runs the production company Micromundo Productions and is known for making documentaries that paint intimate portraits of characters in small-scale worlds.

Most recently, Alberdi directed and wrote the documentary The Mole Agent, which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for “World Cinema – Documentary” at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. The Mole Agent was also nominated for awards at the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Miami Film Festival, among others.

Ahead of the film’s Sundance screening, Alberdi won the prestigious 2020 Chicken & Egg Award, which annually recognizes six experienced documentarians.

Previously, Alberdi directed, produced, and wrote the 2016 feature documentary The Grown-Ups. Her additional credits include the documentary short I’m Not From Here and the feature documentaries Tea Time and The Lifeguard. 

Alberdi also co-authored the book Teorías de cine documental en Chile 1957-1973.

Fernanda Valadez’s “Identifying Features” Added to NYC’s New Directors/New Films Series Lineup

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Fernanda Valadezis bringing her award-winning new project to the Big Apple.

Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art have announced the complete lineup for the 49th annual New Directors/New Films, which includes the Mexican filmmaker’s Identifying Features.

Fernanda Valadez

Valadez’s film, which won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival,tells the story of Magdalena, a mother who embarks on a journey in search of her son who disappeared en route to the US border. Traveling through the foreboding towns and landscapes of northern Mexico, she meets Miguel, a young man recently deported from the United States who is making his way home. The two accompany one another: Magdalena looking for her son, and Miguel eager to see his mother again in a territory where victims and aggressors ramble together.

Other films in the lineup include Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ Boys State; Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent; Zheng Lu Xinyuan’s debut feature The Cloud in Her Room; Janis Rafa’s Kala azar; Arun Karthick’s Nasir;Valentyn Vasyanovych’s Atlantis; Brazilian filmmaker Maya Da-Rin’s The Fever;Mamadou Dia’s Nafi’s Father; and Aneil Karia’s Surge.

In all, the iconic series will screen 27 features and 10 short films from 35 countries, with 13 North American premieres and 4 U.S. premieres, 15 films directed or co-directed by women and 15 works by first-time feature filmmakers

“The New Directors/New Films selection is always international in scope, but I’m particularly struck by the sheer breadth of this year’s lineup,” said Dennis Lim, Film at Lincoln Center Director of Programming and 2020 New Directors/New Films co-chair.

“We have everything from speculative war films to intimate dramas, unnerving works of science fiction to political documentaries, hailing from countries often represented on screen as well as some less commonly seen ones. Collectively these films speak to the continued vibrancy and daring of world cinema in an age of political uncertainty and cultural sameness. They prove that cinema still has what it takes to reflect and enhance the moment we live in,” said Lim, who was just named Director of Programming for Film at Lincoln Center’s New York Film Festival.

This year’s New Directors/New Filmsseries will run from March 25 – April 5.