53rd Premios Ariel (Ariel Awards) for Mexican film - winners

The Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas, A.C. (Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences) held their 53rd Premios Ariel (Ariel Awards) yesterday at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.

The crime satire El Infierno (Hell) by Luis Estrada swept the awards with nine prizes including Best Picture, Director and Actor (Damián Alcázar). Going into the night, it led with 14 nominations.

Still, many scratched their heads that Mexico's submission to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and eventual nominee Biutiful was not even nominated for Best Picture or Best Director. Of its seven nominations, its only win of the evening was for Cinematography. The other Best Picture nominations had gone to Abel and Chicogrande. While Abel managed wins for Best Newcomer (Cristopher Ruiz-Esparza) and Screenplay (Agusto Mendoza and Diego Luna), Chicogrande went home empty-handed.

The Camera d'Or winner at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival Año bisiesto (Leap Year) received the Best Actress prize for the film's star Mónica del Carmen. Its writer/director Michael Rowe received the award for Best First Work.

The only other multiple winner was Las buenas hierbas (The Good Herbs) which won for Supporting Actress (Ofelia Medina) and Visual Effects.

Best Documentary went to José Ramón Mikelajáuregui's La historia en la mirada (History in the Eyes). Cuba's José Martí: el ojo del canario (José Martí: the Eye of the Canary) and Spain's También la lluvia (Even the Rain) tied for Best Ibero-American Film.

The Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas, A.C. continues to struggle with only 86 of 788 academy members bothering to cast ballots for the 53rd Premios Ariel. The Academy President Carlos Carrera also said that they are on the verge of extinction due to lack of funding.

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Complete list of winners for the 53rd Premios Ariel

Best Picture
El infierno (Hell)

Best Director

Luis Estrada, El infierno (Hell)

Best Actress
Mónica del Carmen, Año bisiesto (Leap Year)

Best Actor
Damián Alcázar, El infierno (Hell)

Best Supporting Actress
Ofelia Medina, Las buenas hierbas (The Good Herbs)

Best Supporting Actor
Joaquín Cosio, El infierno (Hell)

Best Newcomer
Cristopher Ruiz-Esparza, Abel

Best Original Screenplay
Agusto Mendoza and Diego Luna, Abel

Best Cinematography
Rodrigo Prieto, Biutiful

Best Editor
Mariana Rodríguez, El infierno (Hell)

Best Original Music
Alejandro Giacomán, Hidalgo, la historia jamás contada (Hidalgo, the Untold Story)

Best Sound
Pablo Lach and Santiago Núñez, El infierno (Hell)

Best Art Direction
Salvador Parra and María José Pizarro, El infierno (Hell)

Best Costume Design
Gilda Navarro and Adolfo Ramírez, El atentado (File of Attempted Murder)

Best Makeup
Roberto Ortiz, El infierno (Hell)

        
Best Visual Effects
Alejandro Valle, Las buenas hierbas (The Good Herbs)

Best Special Effects
Alejandro Vázquez, El infierno (Hell)

Best First Work
Año bisiesto (Leap Year), Michael Rowe

Best Documentary
La historia en la mirada (History in the Eyes), José Ramón Mikelajáuregui

Best Short Fiction Film
El último canto del pájaro Cú (The Cu Bird´s Last Song), Alonso Ruiz Palacios

Best Documentary Short Film
Río Lerma, Esteban Arrangoiz

Best Animated Short Film
Luna, Raúl Cárdenas and Rafael Cárdenas

Best Ibero-American Film
(tie)
José Martí: el ojo del canario (José Martí: the Eye of the Canary), Fernando Pérez (Cuba)
También la lluvia (Even the Rain), Iciar Bollaín (Spain)