Alanis, the fifth feature film by Argentine filmmaker Anahí Berneri was awarded with two of the top prizes, the Silver Shells for Best Director and Best Actress, at the 65th edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival. Berneri becomes the first Argentine and fifth Latin American filmmaker—after Valeria Sarmiento, Francisco Lombardi, Raúl Ruiz and Fernando Eimbcke—to win the Best Director Award at the Spanish film festival.

Alanis is a political drama about the dismal choices foisted upon vulnerable women that follows a young Buenos Aires mother and sex worker who suffer the hypocrisy of the laws that are supposed to protect her. The film’s protagonist, Sofía Gala Castiglione, became the third Argentine actress to win Best Actress Award at the festival after Graciela Borges (Chronicle of a Lady / Crónica de una señora, 1971) and Norma Aleandro (Autumn Sun / Sol de otoño, 1996).

The Argentine film Sort of a Family / Una especie de familia by Diego Lerman, was the winner of the Jury Prize for Best Screenplay, while the Colombian film Killing Jesus / Matar a Jesús by Laura Mora received a Special Mention in the Kutxabank / New Directors competition.

The Chilean film Los Perros by Marcela Said was the winner of the top prize for Best Film in the Latino Horizons competition for Latin American films. 

Article published by Cinema Tropical