23th Lima Film Festival
# 23th Lima Film Festival

The 23th Lima Film Festival, organized by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, took place from 9 to 17 August 2019 in Lima, Peru. The awards were announced on 17 August 2019, with Bacurau winning the Trophy Spondylus.

## Background

In July 2019, the Lima Film Festival officially announced its 23rd edition, under the motto "Escape to the Festival" (Spanish: Escápate al Festival) The festival took place from Friday, August 9th to Saturday, August 17th, 2019. Organized by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, through its Cultural Center, and presented in collaboration with the BBVA Foundation, the Ministry of Culture of Peru, the Gran Teatro Nacional del Perú, and El Comercio, tickets for the event went on sale from August 2nd, 2019, at the festival's official venues.

The festival welcomed back Ambulante for another year, a collective founded by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz, and Elena Fortes, dedicated to promoting documentary films to new audiences. In this edition, seven documentaries from different countries were showcased. The film documentary The Journey of Javier Heraud by Javier Corcuera served as the opening film, which took place at the Gran Teatro Nacional.

The event paid tribute to the careers of three individuals: French filmmaker Claire Denis, Bolivian documentarian Jorge Sanjinés, and the production group Grupo Ukamau on their 25th anniversary. Marianne Eyde and Mikael Wiström were the directors who received recognition for their careers. Additionally, Mexican actor Gael García Bernal visited the festival to present Chicuarotes, his second film as a director, and also conducted an open masterclass for the general public on Sunday, August 11th.

## Juries

### In Competition

**Fiction**

* Laura Imperiale, Mexican producer - Jury President
* Beatriz Seigner, Brazilian filmmaker
* Estrella Araiza, Mexican cultural manager
* Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguayan filmmaker
* Miguel Ángel Moulet, Peruvian filmmaker

**Documentary**

* Daniela Alatorre, Mexican producer - Jury President
* Agustina Comedi, Argentine filmmaker
* Fabiola Sialer, Peruvian editor

### International Critics

* Gisella Barthé - Jury President
* Marcela Gamberini
* Claudio Sánchez

## Official Selection

The lineup of titles selected for the official selection include:

### In Competition

**Fiction**


    Highlighted title indicates award winner.

| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Florianópolis Dream | Sueño Florianópolis | Ana Katz | ArgentinaBrazil |
| A Family Submerged | Familia sumergida | María Alché | ArgentinaBrazilGermanyNorway |
| Bacurau | Bacurau | Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles | BrazilFrance |
| The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão | A vida invisível | Karim Aïnouz | BrazilGermany |
| Sick, Sick, Sick | Sem seu sangue | Alice Furtado | BrazilFranceHolland |
| Sócrates | Sócrates | Alexandre Moratto | Brazil |
| Enigma | Enigma | Ignacio Juricic | Chile |
| Monos | Monos | Alejandro Landes | ColombiaArgentinaNetherlandsGermanySwedenUruguay |
| Litigante | Litigante | Franco Lolli | ColombiaFrance |
| Land of Ashes | Ceniza negra | Sofía Quirós Ubeda | Costa RicaArgentinaChileFrance |
| Our Mothers | Nuestras madres | César Díaz | GuatemalaFranceBelgium |
| José | José | Li Cheng | GuatemalaUnited States |
| The Chambermaid | La camarista | Lila Avilés | MexicoUnited States |
| The Good Girls | Las niñas bien | Alejandra Márquez Abella | Mexico |
| Song Without a Name | Canción sin nombre | Melina León | PeruSpainUnited States |
| La bronca | La bronca | Daniel & Diego Vega | Peru |
| Miriam Lies | Miriam miente | Natalia Cabral & Oriol Estrada | Dominican RepublicSpain |
| The Sharks | Los tiburones | Lucía Garibaldi | UruguayArgentinaSpain |

**Documentary**


    Highlighted title indicates award winner.

| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Ausencia de mí | Ausencia de mí | Melina Terribili | ArgentinaUruguay |
| The Faculties | Las facultades | Eloísa Solaas | Argentina |
| Summer Days | Días de temporada | Pablo Stigliani | Argentina |
| Let It Burn | Diz a ela que me viu chorar | Maíra Bühler | Brazil |
| Lemebel | Lemebel | Joanna Reposi Garibaldi | ChileColombia |
| Los sueños del castillo | Los sueños del castillo | René Ballesteros | ChileFrance |
| La paz | La paz | Tomás Pinzón Lucena | Colombia |
| A Wild Stream | Una corriente salvaje | Nuria Ibañez | Mexico |
| O amor é único | O amor é único | Marina Meijer | NetherlandsBrazil |
| By the Name of Tania | By the Name of Tania | Mary Jiménez & Bénédicte Liénard | PeruBelgiumNetherlands |
| The Revolution and the Land | La revolución y la tierra | Gonzalo Benavente Secco | Peru |

**Made in Peru**

Space dedicated to showcasing Peruvian films in their absolute premiere. Both this section and the "Irresistible" section competed for the Audience Award.

    Highlighted title indicates award winner.

| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| In the Middle of the Labyrinth | En medio del laberinto | Salomón Pérez | Peru |
| La cantera | La cantera | Miguel Barreda Delgado | Peru |
| Mapacho | Mapacho | Carlos Marín Tello | Peru |
| Hugo Blanco, Deep River | Hugo Blanco, río profundo | Malena Martínez Cabrera | Peru |
| Mi Barrios Altos Querido | Mi Barrios Altos Querido | Jimmy Valdivieso | Peru |
| Máxima | Máxima | Claudia Sparrow | PeruUnited States |
| Yutupis | Yutupis | Luis Pizarro Pérez | PeruBelgium |

**Irresistible**

Latin American films for all tastes that you won't want to miss. Both this section and the "Irresistible" section competed for the Audience Award.

| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Rojo | Rojo | Benjamín Naishtat | ArgentinaBelgiumBrazilGermanyFranceSwitzerland |
| Aire | Aire | Arturo Castro Godoy | Argentina |
| Método Livingston | Método Livingston | Sofía Mora | Argentina |
| Divine Love | Divino amor | Gabriel Mascaro | BrazilUruguayDenmark |
| Domingo | Domingo | Clara Linhart & Fellipe Barbosa | BrazilFrance |
| La venganza de Jairo | La venganza de Jairo | Simón Hernández | ColombiaMexico |
| The Awakening of the Ants | El despertar de las hormigas | Antonella Sudasassi | Costa RicaSpain |
| Leona | Leona | Isaac Cherem | Mexico |
| This Is Not Berlin | Esto no es Berlín | Hari Sama | Mexico |
| Midnight Family | Familia de medianoche | Luke Lorentzen | MexicoUnited States |
| Larga distancia | Larga distancia | Franco Finocchiaro | Peru |

### Samples

**Opening film**

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| The Journey of Javier Heraud | The Journey of Javier Heraud | Javier Corcuera | PeruSpain |

**Searches**

Films in which the author's freedom of exploration triumphs over the use of more conventional narratives. A list of films selected for the 'Searches' lineup is as follows:

| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Brief Story from the Green Planet | Breve historia del planeta verde | Santiago Loza | ArgentinaGermanyBrazilSpain |
| Silvia | Silvia | María Silvia Esteve | Argentina |
| Soft Rains Will Come | Vendrán lluvias suaves | Iván Fund | Argentina |
| Lapü | Lapü | César Alejandro Jaimes & Juan Pablo Polanco | Colombia |
| Vida a bordo | Vida a bordo | Emiliano Mazza De Luca | Uruguay |

**2019 Acclaimed**

The most highly anticipated auteur cinema of the past year worldwide: Cannes, Berlin, San Sebastián. A list of films selected for the '2019 Acclaimed' lineup is as follows:

| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Young Ahmed | Le jeune Ahmed | Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne | BelgiumFrance |
| The Wild Goose Lake | 南方车站的聚会 | Diao Yinan | ChinaFrance |
| The Realm | El reino | Rodrigo Sorogoyen | SpainFrance |
| Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Quentin Tarantino | United States |
| By the Grace of God | Grâce à Dieu | François Ozon | France |
| Varda by Agnès | Varda par Agnès | Agnès Varda | France |
| Joan of Arc | Jeanne | Bruno Dumont | France |
| It Must Be Heaven | It Must Be Heaven | Elia Suleiman | FranceQatarGermanyCanadaTurkeyPalestine |
| Oh Mercy! | Roubaix, une lumière | Arnaud Desplechin | France |
| Beanpole | Дылда | Kantemir Balagov | Russia |

**Pride and Prejudice**

Stories of diversity and gender-based violence. A list of films selected for the 'Pride and Prejudice' lineup is as follows:

| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Let It Be Law | Que sea ley | Juan Solanas | Argentina |
| Greta | Greta | Armando Praça | Brazil |
| A Thousand Women | As mil mulheres | Rita Toledo | Brazil |
| Cachada: The Opportunity | Cachada | Marlén Viñayo | El Salvador |
| Niña sola | Niña sola | Javier Ávila | Mexico |
| One Taxi Ride | Un viaje en taxi | Mak CK | MexicoSingapore |

**Galas**

Works starring or created by artists with a great trajectory. A list of films selected for the 'Galas' lineup is as follows:

| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Men of Hard Skin | Hombres de piel dura | José Celestino Campusano | Argentina |
| El Pepe: A Supreme Life | El Pepe, una vida suprema | Emir Kusturica | ArgentinaUruguay |
| Joel | Joel | Carlos Sorín | Argentina |
| Introduzione all'oscuro | Introduzione all'oscuro | Gastón Solnicki | ArgentinaAustria |
| Mario y los perros | Mario y los perros | Chema de la Peña | Spain |
| ¡He matado a mi marido! | ¡He matado a mi marido! | Francisco Lupini Basagoiti | United States |
| Santiago, Italia | Santiago, Italia | Nanni Moretti | ItalyFranceChile |
| Chicuarotes | Chicuarotes | Gael García Bernal | Mexico |
| Buddy | Buddy | Heddy Honigmann | NetherlandsPeru |
| Fallen from Heaven | Caídos del cielo | Francisco Lombardi | Peru |
| Defiant Souls | Insumisas | Fernando Pérez & Laura Cazador | SwitzerlandCuba |
| Madame Cinéma | Madame Cinéma | Jonathan Reverón | Venezuela |

**Around the World in 8 Days**

A tour of the international billboard, prioritizing those films that will soon be released in Lima. A list of films selected for the 'Around the World in 8 Days' lineup is as follows:

| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Countrie(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Delfín | Delfín | Gaspar Scheuer | Argentina |
| The Nightshifter | Morto Não Fala | Dennison Ramalho | Brazil |
| The Guilty | Den skyldige | Gustav Möller | Denmark |
| Teen Spirit | Teen Spirit | Max Minghella | United States |
| Remi, Nobody's Boy | Rémi sans famille | Antoine Blossier | France |
| Rolling to You | Tout le monde debout | Franck Dubosc | France |
| The Ash Lad: In the Hall of the Mountain King | Askeladden - I Dovregubbens Hall | Mikkel Brænne Sandemose | Norway |
| Yesterday | Yesterday | Danny Boyle | United KingdomUnited States |
| Blinded by the Light | Blinded by the Light | Gurinder Chadha | United Kingdom |
| King of Thieves | King of Thieves | James Marsh | United Kingdom |

## Awards

### In Competition

**Fiction**

* Trophy Spondylus: Bacurau by Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles
* Special Jury Prize: Song Without a Name by Melina León
* Best Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles for Bacurau
* Best Actress: Ilse Salas for The Good Girls
   * Honorable Mention: Pamela Mendoza for Song Without a Name
* Best Actor: Rodrigo Palacios for La bronca
* Best Screenplay: María Alché for A Family Submerged
* Best Cinematography: Helene Louvart for The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão
* Best Debut: The Chambermaid by Lila Avilés
   * Special Mention: The Sharks by Lucía Garibaldi

**Documentary**

* Trophy Spondylus: La paz by Tomás Pinzón Lucena
   * Special Mention: Lemebel by Joanna Reposi Garibaldi

### International Critics

* International Critics' Jury Award for Best Film: Bacurau by Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles
   * First Special Mention: The Chambermaid by Lila Avilés
   * Second Special Mention: A Family Submerged by María Alché

### Audience

* Audience Award for International Films: The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão by Karim Aïnouz
* Audience Award for National Films: Máxima by Claudia Sparrow

### Other Official Awards

* Ministry of Culture Jury Award for Best Peruvian Film: Song Without a Name by Melina León
   * First Honorable Mention: The Revolution and the Land by Gonzalo Benavente Secco
   * Second Honorable Mention: La cantera by Miguel Barreda Delgado
   * Third Honorable Mention: La bronca by Daniel & Diego Vega
* National Institute of Consumer Defense and Intellectual Property Award - INDECOPI for Best Screenplay of a Peruvian Film participating in the competition sections of Fiction, Documentary, Made in Peru, and Irresistible: Song Without a Name by Melina León
* APC Signis Peru - Monseñor Luciano Metzinger Communicators Association Award: The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão by Karim Aïnouz
* Peruvian Association of Film Press - APRECI Award for Best Film in Competition: La bronca by Daniel & Diego Vega
   * Honorable Mention: The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão by Karim Aïnouz
