The Student wins top prize in Cartagena

Santiago Mitre’s The Student (Argentina) won the prize for best film at the 52nd annual Cartagena International Film Festival, as voted on by a jury consisting of film-makers Claire Denis and Hector Babenco and critic Dennis Lim.
 
The Student, which marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Mitre (Lion’s Den, Carancho), is the story of a young student who loses his innocence in the world of university politics. It had its world premiere at Locarno last year.
 
Alejandro Landes Echavarria won the prize for best director for his Colombian title Porfirio, while Esteban Lamothe was named best actor for The Student.

Kyzza Terrazas won a special jury prize for Mexican film Machete Language.
 
The Student was also named best film by the FIPRESCI jury.
 
The Tiniest Place, Tatiana Huezo’s celebrated portrait of survivors of the El Salvador civil war, was named best documentary film by a jury composed of Debra Zimmerman, Ricardo Giraldo and Ricardo Restrepo. Huezo also won the best director award, and Everardo Gonzalez’s Drought from Mexico won the special jury prize.
 
In the Colombia Al 100% section, Porfirio won best film and Alejandro Landes Echavarria again won best director, while Andres Burgos won a special jury prize for Sofia & The Stubborn and Andres Crespo an acting prize for Pescador.
 
The festival is in its second year under new director Monika Wagenberg.