Pablos’ “Las Elegidas” Picks Up Five Ariel Awards

David Pablos is the chosen one…

The 32-year-old Mexican filmmaker’s Las Elegidas, a drama about a teenage girl forced into prostitution, proved to be the big winner at the 58th Ariel Awards, Mexico’s version of the Oscars.

David Pablos

Produced by Canana Films, Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna’s production company, Las Elegidas earned Pablos the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay awards.

The film, which had its world premiere last year in the Cannes Film Festival‘s Un Certain Regard, was also named Best Picture.

In all, writer-director Pablos’ film won five Ariels on Saturday night in Mexico City, including cinematography and breakthrough performance for actress Nancy Talamantes.

Also winning five awards was Gloria, Christian Keller‘s biopic about controversial Mexican pop icon Gloria Trevi. Gloria won best actor and actress for performances by Marco Perez (Amores Perros) and Sofia Espinosa.

Best Ibero-American picture went to Ciro Guerra‘s Amazon jungle-set Embrace of the Serpent, which made history last year when it became Colombia’s first film to ever receive an Oscar nomination.

Lifetime achievement awards were handed to veteran filmmaker Paul Leduc and Rosita Quintana, an actress known for her work during Mexico’s golden age of cinema.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Best Picture: Las Elegidas
Director: David Pablos (Las Elegidas)
Actor: Marco Perez (Gloria)
Actress: Sofia Espinosa (Gloria)
Supporting Actor: Noe Hernandez (600 Millas)
Supporting Actress: Adriana Paz (Hilda)
Breakthrough Performance (Actor): Martin Castro (El Jeremias)
Breakthrough Performance (Actress): Nancy Talamantes (Las Elegidas)
Cinematography: Las Elegidas
Original Screenplay: Las Elegidas
Adapted Screenplay: Un Monstruo de Mil Cabezas
Ibero-American Picture: El Abrazo de la Serpiente
Documentary: El Hombre Que Vio Demasiado
Animated Picture: La Increible Historia del Nino de Piedra
First Work: 600 Millas
Production Design: Mexican Gangster
Costume Design: Mexican Gangster
Makeup: Gloria
Original Score: El Hombre Que Vio Demasiado
Sound: Gloria
Editing: Gloria
Special Effects: Mexican Gangster
Visual Effects: Mexican Gangster
Short Fiction Film: Tremulo
Short Documentary: Ausencias
Short Animated Film: Zimbo

Luna’s Cesar Chavez Biopic to Premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival

Diego Luna’s latest directorial effort is set to premiere in Germany…

The 34-year-old Mexican actor/director’s biopic Cesar Chavez: An American Hero will have its world premiere next month at the Berlin International Film Festival, according to the movie’s production company.

Diego Luna

The film about Latino icon Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) will be entered into the festival’s official program in the Berlinale Special section, which presents recent works by contemporary directors, as well as cinematic portraits of renowned personalities, Canana Films, which Luna co-owns with fellow Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal, said in a statement.

The cast of the biopic is led by Michael Peña, who portrays the late migrant farmworkers’ leader and civil rights activist.

Michael Pena as Cesar Chavez

Golden Globe winning actress America Ferrera portrays Chavez’s wife, while Rosario Dawson plays Dolores Huerta, Chavez’s partner in founding the National Farmworkers Association (later renamed to the United Farm Workers).

“Cesar Chavez represents the largest non-violent protest movement in U.S. history; his goal was to achieve basic human rights for the more than 50,000 farm workers in California,” said the production company’s statement.

“We think the film will send the message that change is in our hands. Chavez did something that everyone thought was impossible with courage that inspired an entire nation.”

Cesar Chavez, which will hit U.S. theaters on March 28 and arrive in Mexico on May 2, was filmed in the United States and the northern Mexican state of Sonora.

It marks Luna’s second foray into directing, after his hit 2010 comedy/drama Abel.

Participant Media Lands the Rights to Luna’s Cesar Chavez Biopic

It looks like Diego Luna’s biopic on Latino labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez will be making its way to theaters in North America…

Diego Luna

Participant Media has landed all North American rights to Chavez, which is being directed by the 32-year-old Mexican actor.

Based on a script by Hotel Rwanda scribe Keir Pearson, the film stars Michael Peña as the highly celebrated Mexican American labor organizer.

Cesar Chavez

The biopic focuses on Chavez’s work organizing the largest non-violent protest in U.S. history to aid more than 50,000 farm workers in California.

Luna’s Canana Films is producing the biopic, currently filming in Sonora, Mexico, and co-starring America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson, Wes Bentley, Michael Cudlitz and Gabriel Mann.

Chavez Biopic

Canana principals Pablo Cruz, Gael Garcia Bernal (who makes a cameo appearance in the film) and Luna are producing with John Malkovich (who stars as Bogdanovich, one of Chavez’s key adversaries.