Thursday, June 22, 2017

MEXICO'S "THE NIGHT GUARD" WINS LA FILM FESTIVAL

By José Alberto Hermosillo
El Vigilante Team  Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
Los Angeles, California, June 22, 2017. The organizers of Los Angeles Film Festival produced by Film Independent announced the winners in all the categories
LA Film Festival. Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
The most prominent surprise was The World Fiction Award which went to Mexico's "The Night Guard," ("El Vigilante") directed by Diego Ros. 
 El Vigilante Q&A Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
"The Night Guard" or "El Vigilante" is an unpretentiously beautiful film, set in one location, in one night. The intense thriller had the spectators on the edge of their seats wanting to know what happens next, with all of those unexpected twists and turns that make this minimalist and yet a hunting story, hard to forget.
El Vigilante producer  Yossy Zagha, dir Diego Ros and actor Ari Gallegos. Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
This film has a very subtle expressionistic reflection of today's Mexican reality. The story is told from a much more optimistic and brave generation of Mexican actors and filmmakers.
El Vigilante, actors Ari Gallegos and Leonardo Alonso, Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
The performance of the young actor Leonardo Alonso ("Sin Nombre," "Espiral") is terrific. He plays a naive and responsible security man on a construction site. He is finishing his shift and wants to go home with his family, but some strange circumstances keep him in there for the rest of the night. Almost like in Luis Buñuel's "The Exterminating Angel." Newcomer Ari Gallegos is great in a supporting role. 
Nocturne (l.) music composer Carlos Ayhllón and his brother (r.) director Luis Ayhllón
This year, the presence of Mexican films at the LA Film Festival was strong with two other excellent projects such as "Nocturne/Norturno" by Luis Ayhllón. With the compelling performances of Juan Carlos Colombo ("Cantinflas," "Nora's Will") and Irela De Villers, whose performance was sublime.
El Vecino (The Neighbor). Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
Also in the Nightfall Competition premiered 'El Vecino/The Neighbor.'
El Vecino (The Neighbor) actor Paco Mifote and director Giancarlo Ruiz. Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
"El  Vecino" is a mind-blowing experimental film, directed by Giancarlo Ruiz with the extraordinary performance of Paco Mifote ("Northless/Norteado"). The entire project was shot in Tijuana pretending it was an island in the middle of nowhere. Highly-recommended!
Actress Auden Thornton won a special mention Breakout Performance award for her amazing interpretation of Angie in 'Beauty Mark.' She plays a young single mother who has to take care of her alcoholic mother and her three-year-old son, and who was abused when she a child. Auden Thornton's performance is fantastic. 
El Vigilante Team  Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
THE LA FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS:
LA Film Fest Posters. Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
U.S. Fiction Award: “Becks” by Elizabeth Rohrbaugh and Daniel Powell. 

U.S. Fiction Cinematography Award presented by Aputere:  Cinematographers Christian Sorensen Hansen and Pete Ohs for “Everything Beautiful is Far Away.”
Everything Beautiful is Far Away. Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA 
World Fiction Award“The Night Guard  (El Vigilante) by Diego Ros.
Documentary Award: Amanda Kopp and Aaron Kopp for “Liyana.”
"And Then There Was Eve." Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
LA Muse Awards Fiction: Savannah Bloch for “And Then There Was Eve.”

LA Muse Documentary Award: Mark Hayes for “Skid Row Marathon.”

Nightfall Award: "Serpent" directed by Amanda Evans.

Award for Short Fiction: “A Funeral for Lightning, directed by Emily Kai Bock
Award for Short Documentary: “Black America Again" by Bradford Young

Audience Award for Documentary Feature Film: "Skid Row Marathon," directed by Mark Hayes.

Audience Award for Fiction Feature Film: "The Keeping Hours," directed by Karen Moncrieff.

Audience Award for Short Film: "Swim," directed by Mari Walker. 
Audience Award for Web Series: "High & Mighty," directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada.

A special prize was given to this year's Guest Director, Miguel Arteta (“Chuck & Buck,” “The Good Girl,” “Beatriz at Dinner”), with "The Spirit of Independence Award Festival." 

Congratulations to all the winners and participants.
Replace. Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
Desolation, cast & crew. Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
Counterpunch Cast. Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA
 "And Then I Go." Photo by Jose Hermosillo © 2017 FESTIVAL IN LA

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