Mezcal by Ignacio Ortiz
This year's round of major North American academy awards ended earlier this evening with the presentation of the Mexican Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 2005 Ariel Awards at a ceremony held at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.
Just like at the American Academy Awards, which featured a Crash/Brokeback Mountain split, the Ariel statuettes for best director and best film went to two different nominees: Felipe Cazals won as best director for Las vueltas del Citrillo / The Citrillo's Turns (described by Variety's Eddie Cockrell as "a well-made but nearly impenetrable drama"), while the best Mexican motion picture of the year was the psychological drama Mezcal, directed by Ignacio Ortiz.
Mayahuel del Monte
Among the other Ariel winners were Víctor Gaviria's Colombian-made Sumas y restas as the best Ibero-American film, best actor Damián Alcazar for Las vueltas del Citrillo, and best actress Mayahuel del Monte (above) for Noticias lejanas. Directed by Ricardo Benet, Noticias lejanas was chosen the year's best first film.
Veteran actor and telenovela producer Ernesto Alonso, 86, winner of one of the evening's three Golden Ariel honorary awards, was unable to take part in the ceremony because he had been hospitalized earlier in the day. Silvia Pinal (above), the star of Luis Buñuel's Viridiana and The Exterminating Angel, accepted the award in his place.
Academy president Diana Bracho (right), the Mama in Y tu mamá también, dedicated the ceremony to those who made possible the Mexican sound film industry, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary.
By the way, the first all-talking Mexican film, Santa (1931), stars Lupita Tovar, 94, the leading lady in the Spanish-language version of Bela Lugosi's Dracula.
Photos: © Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas