Spanish films snag most nominations for postponed Platino Awards

By David Villafranca

Los Angeles, Mar 18 (efe-epa).- A pair of Spanish films on Wednesday secured the most nominations for the postponed 7th edition of the Xcaret Platino Awards for Ibero-American Cinema, with Spanish Civil War drama “La trinchera infinita” (The Endless Trench) leading the way with eight nods and acclaimed director Pedro Almodovar’s “Dolor y gloria” (Pain and Glory) garnering seven.

Those awards, the most prestigious in the Latin American film world, were to have been handed out in a May 3 ceremony at the Barcelo Maya Grand Resort’s convention center in Mexico’s Riviera Maya tourism and resort district.

But the organizers of that awards gala, the Spain-based Audiovisual Producers’ Rights Management Entity (EGEDA) and the Ibero-American Federation of Film and Audiovisual Producers (FIPCA), announced last week that it will be postponed until 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Both “La trinchera infinita” and “Dolor y gloria” were nominated in the Best Ibero-American Film category along with the Brazilian picture “A vida invisivel” (Invisible Life), directed by Karim Ainouz; and “Monos,” a Colombian, Argentine and Uruguayan production that was directed by Alejandro Landes.

Almodovar and the trio of filmmakers behind “La trinchera infinita,” Jon Garaño, Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga, made the final shortlist in the Best Director category along with Juan Jose Campanella (“El cuento de las comadrejas,” or “The Weasel’s Tale”) and Alejandro Amenabar (“Mientras dure la guerra,” or “While at War”).

Belen Cuesta (“La trinchera infinita”), Carol Duarte (“A vida invisivel”), Graciela Borges (“El cuento de las comadrejas”) and llse Salas (“Las niñas bien,” or “The Good Girls) received the Best Actress nods.

The nominees in the Best Actor category, meanwhile, are Antonio Banderas (“Dolor y gloria”), Karra Elejalde (Mientras dure la guerra”), Antonio de la Torre (“La trinchera infinita”) and Ricardo Darin (“La odisea de los giles,” or “Heroic Losers”).

The four films in the running for Best Animated Film are the Spanish Christmas comedy-drama “Klaus,” Spanish biopic “Buñuel en el laberinto de las tortugas” (Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles), Brazil’s “A cidade dos piratas” (City of Pirates) and Spain’s “Elcano y Magallanes” (Elcano & Magellan: The First Voyage Around the World).

The Xcaret Platino Awards also recognize excellence in the Ibero-American television industry.

Spanish television heist crime drama series “La casa de papel” (Money Heist) and Argentine crime-drama miniseries “Monzon” received the most nominations in the TV categories with four and three, respectively.

Both were nominated in the Best Ibero-American Miniseries or TV series category along with Colombia’s “Distrito salvaje and Argentina’s “El marginal III.”

Candela Peña (“Hierro”), Cecilia Suárez (“La casa de las flores,” or “The House of Flowers”), Leticia Dolera (“Vida perfecta,” or “Perfect Life”) and Ursula Corbero (“La casa de papel”) were the nominees for Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV series, while Alvaro Morte (“La casa de papel”), Javier Camara (“Vota Juan,” or “Vote for Juan”), Jorge Roman (“Monzon”) and Oscar Jaenada (“Hernan”) received the nods for Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV series.

The nominees were chosen by an international jury made up of 12 personalities in the Ibero-American film world, the award organizers said Wednesday. EFE-EPA

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