by Alfredo Galindo
Mid-week at the Cineteca Nacional in México City actresses Fiona Palomo and Arcelia Ramírez announced the nominees for the Best In Mexican Cinema of 2023 according to the Mexican Academy of Arts and Sciences with “Totem”, by Lila Avilés, a film submitted by Mexico for the Best International Film Academy Award lead the nominations with a total of 15, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Lila Avilés, director of “Totem,” leads the nominations with a total of 15, including Best Picture and Best Director.
“Totem” tells the story centering on a seven year old girl named Sol (Naima Senties, nominated for Best Breakthrough Performance) who is at his grandfather’s house preparing the birthday party of her sick father in a party progression which leads ironically and tragically to her family’s disintegration.
“Heroico,” garnered 11 nominations.
Following “Totem”, with 11 nominations, are “Heroico”, directed by David Zonana, a coming of age of a young indigenous 18 year old man (Santiago Sandoval) inside the Mexican Army and “Temporada de Huracanes”, directed by Elisa Miller, surrounding the mystery hate crime after two kids find a dead body inside a river both in southern Mexico with 11 nominations each one.
Monica Huarte,”Señora Influencer”, already won the Diosa de plata, Mexico’s Golden Globes, for her satirical performance.
Other important categories such as Best Actress include Academy Award nominee Adriana Barraza (“Babel”) for “El último vagón”; Adriana Llabres for “Todo el silencio”; Cassandra Ciagherotti and Ilse Salas for Rodrigo Garcia’s “Familia” and Monica Huarte for the satire “”Señora Influencer”. Barraza and Huarte won on a tie both the Diosa de Plata (the Mexican equivalent of the Golden Globes given by the Mexican Film Press) so their confrontation repeats.
Famed director Rodrigo Garcia’s “Familia,’ got top acting nominations.
For Best Actor we have Daniel Giménez Cacho (“Bardo”) also for “Familia”; Harold Torres for “ Disappear Completely”; Juan Daniel Garcia for “Perdidos en la noche”; Noé Hernández for “Kokoloco” and Pedro de Tavira Egurrola for “Recursos Humanos”. Some of the films have been released so far in the US but some other are available on streaming with films such as “Hurricane season”; “The end of the tracks”; “Familia”, “Disappear Completely” and “Lost in the night” on Netflix. “Society of Snow”, the Spanish film by JA Bayona, also a Netflix production, which swept the Goya Awards last February is also nominated for an Ariel for Best Iberoamerican Film. La mejor de las suertes!