Morelia 2013: Film Awards Go To WORKERS, THE NAKED ROOM And THE GOLDEN CAGE

On Saturday, October 26, the award ceremony for Morelia 2013 took place. I don't know how the show went, as I instead attended the last festival screening of Blue is the Warmest Color, but here are some thoughts and the complete list of winners.

Earlier, the results of the press voting were revealed, with Diego Quemada-Díez's The Golden Cage and Quebranto taking home the best film and best doc award, respectively. I'm one of the few persons at the festival who didn't love the bittersweet The Amazing Catfish, hence it was surprising that the press chose The Golden Cage, a drama about immigration, over it. On the other hand, Quebranto winning was hardly a surprise, though my favorite doc was The Naked Room.

The Amazing Catfish was arguably the favorite for the night, especially for the public's award. It would have been a very understandable choice, actually, but in Morelia The Golden Cage caused a bigger impression in critics and audiences alike, eventually wining the public's award too. Claudia Sainte-Luce's The Amazing Catfish left Morelia empty-handed, while The Golden Cage got one more prize: Best First or Second Mexican Feature.

One could think that with three awards Quemada-Díez's debut film was the night's absolute champion, however, the most important prize (Best Mexican Feature) went to Workers, a film by José Luis Valle. A real pleasant surprise was seeing my own personal favorite, The Naked Room, cited for Best Feature Length Documentary.

Below you can find the complete list of winners, and stay tuned as my Morelia 2013 coverage is not over yet!

MEXICAN FEATURE FILM SELECTION

Best Mexican Feature: Workers - José Luis Valle
Best First or Second Mexican Feature: The Golden Cage (La Jaula de Oro) - Diego Quemada-Díez
Public's Award: The Golden Cage (La Jaula de Oro) - Diego Quemada-Díez
Special Mention: The Empty Hours (Las Horas Muertas) - Aarón Fernández
Best Actor: Harold Torres and Carlos Bardem for González
Best Actress: Adriana Paz for The Empty Hours (Las Horas Muertas)
Press Award: The Golden Cage (La Jaula de Oro) - Diego Quemada-Díez
Klic Award: The Life After (La Vida Después) - David Pablos

MEXICAN DOCUMENTARY SELECTION

Best Feature Length Documentary: The Naked Room (El Cuarto Desnudo) - Nuria Ibáñez
Best Documentary by a Woman: The Naked Room (El Cuarto Desnudo) - Nuria Ibáñez
Best Documentary Short Film: The Invisible Mountains (Las Montañas Invisibles - Ángel Linares
Special Mention: Elevator (Elevador) - Adrián Ortiz
Special Mention for Documentary Short Film: B-boy - Abraham Escobedo
Press Award: Quebranto - Roberto Fiesco
Klic Award: Atempa, Dreams by the River (Atempa, Sueños a la Orilla del Río) - Edson Caballero

MEXICAN SHORT FILM SELECTION

Best Fiction Short Film: The Sidewalk (La Banqueta) - Anais Pareto
Best Animated Short Film: The Sad House (La Casa Triste) - Sofía Carrillo
Studio 5 de Mayo Special Award: Jerusalem - Alicia Segovia

MICHOACÁN SECTION

Best Work from the Michoacán Section: Supermodern Times (Tiempos Supermodernos) - Lubianca Durán
I.Sat Special Award: Dr. Onco - Yadira Arellano
Special Mention: It Releases Delay (Larga Espera) - Julio Alberto Ávila
Best Short Film Screenplay: Brujas - Cristina Bustamante