Cine Las Americas announced the audience award winners for the recently concluded CLA2020 Virtual Showcase presented by the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF) & the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB-MACC). Leading the list of winning films and filmmakers were Patricia Velásquez Guzmán’s APEGO (ATTACHMENT) (Best Narrative Feature) and Claudia Escobar’s DEAR HOMELAND (Best Documentary Feature).
Created as an alternative to the 23rd edition of the Austin-based film festival celebrating films made by and/or about Latinxs and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the CLA2020 Virtual Showcase took place on consecutive weekends, July 16-19 and July 23-26, and presented 49 films (7 features, 32 shorts, and 10 music videos) hailing from 12 different countries. The films represent the works of some 60 directors with over 30 being female, as well as films from Indigenous filmmakers, LGBTQ+ filmmakers and POC filmmakers.
CLA Executive Director Jean Anne Lauer said, “It was vitally important to all of us associated with Cine Las Americas that we find a way to give these films and the filmmakers who created them a dedicated platform, even in the midst of shut downs, stay-at-home orders, and of course, every adjustment we all needed to make concerning our health and those around us. What resulted was a special event and coming together of our filmmakers, audiences, staff, and community. Regardless of it being in a virtual space, we made those connections Cine Las Americas is famous for.”
CLA Lead Program Associate Ernie Quiroz added, “As we attempt to provide as much of the film festival experience as we could, even in a virtual form, citing films for top achievement and celebrating them with our audience awards was equally important. That additional stamp of approval is key for films as they make their way through this newly imagined virtual film festival tour and then to their (hoped for) eventual sale. And each of our winners truly deserved the audiences’ favor.”
Joining Patricia Guzmán’s Costa Rican and Chilean drama APEGO (ATTACHMENT) and Escobar’s U.S and Mexican documentary, DEAR HOMELAND as Audience Award winners are Julio Mas Alcaraz’s ZAPATOS DE TACÓN CUBANO (CUBAN HEEL SHOES) (Best Narrative Short) and Kristen Lappas and Tom Rinaldi’s BLACKFEET BOXING: NOT INVISIBLE (Best Documentary Short) in the short film categories, with Caitlin Díaz music video of Sávila’s ÉCHALE SÁVILA getting the audience nod for Best Music Video.
The Audience Award for Best Hecho en Tejas Film went to Sharon Arteaga’s WHEN YOU CLEAN A STRANGER’S HOME, and the Audience Award for Best “Emergencia” Youth Film was a tie between THE AMERICAN DREAM, directed by Janetzy Cruz, and Youth Programs at BAVC, and JOSELYN’S STORY, which was a team effort, co-helmed by Isabel Lozano, Leonie Sarath, Griselda Martinez, Susana Torres, Nattaly Gomez, and The Representation Project.
Arteaga and Díaz both duplicated wins from last year’s edition of Cine Las Americas when Arteaga took both the Hecho en Tejas Audience Award, as well as the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) Award for her short film PLANE PRETEND and Díaz was honored with the Audience Award for her music video FANTASIA.
For more information about Cine Las Americas, visit https://cinelasamericas.org/.
CLA2020 Audience Award Winners:
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
APEGO (ATTACHMENT)
Director. Patricia Velásquez Guzmán
Countries: Costa Rica/Chile
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature
DEAR HOMELAND
Director: Claudia Escobar
Countries: Mexico/United States
Audience Award for Best Narrative Short
ZAPATOS DE TACÓN CUBANO (CUBAN HEEL SHOES)
Director: Julio Mas Alcaraz
Country: Spain
Audience Award for Best Documentary Short
BLACKFEET BOXING: NOT INVISIBLE
Directors: Kristen Lappas, Tom Rinaldi
Country: United States
Audience Award for Best Hecho en Tejas Film
WHEN YOU CLEAN A STRANGER’S HOME
Director: Sharon Arteaga
Country: United States
Audience Award for Best Music Video
ÉCHALE SÁVILA
Director: Caitlin Díaz
Music by: Sávila
Country: United States
Audience Award for Best “Emergencia” Youth Film (TIE)
THE AMERICAN DREAM
Directors: Janetzy Cruz, Youth Programs at BAVC,
Country: United States
HOME: JOSELYN’S STORY
Directors: Isabel Lozano, Leonie Sarath, Griselda Martinez, Susana Torres, Nattaly Gomez, The Representation Project
Country: United States
About CINE LAS AMERICAS
Cine Las Americas is a multi-cultural, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Austin Texas, offering theatrical screenings of films made by and/or about Latinos or Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Films from Spain and Portugal are also included, enhancing a truly Pan-American cinematic experience. The mission of Cine Las Americas is to promote cross-cultural understanding and growth by educating, entertaining and challenging the diverse Central Texas community through film and media arts.
