We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2009 Sydney Latin American Film Festival Audience Award for most popular Feature film, Documentary and Short film. The vote was hotly contested with all Official Selection films rating highly with you, our audience. The winners are:
PACHAMAMA - Feature Film winner and $1500 cash prize
Toshifumi Matsushita, 2008, Bolivia, Japan, 104min
The charming coming-of-age Quechua language film which tracks the experiences of a young boy and his father as they embark upon the Bolivian salt route through altiplano communities, won the hearts of our audience, and has been a favourite at festival screenings across the globe. Read more
THE CIRCLE (El Circulo) - Documentary Film winner and $1000 cash prize
José Pedro Charlo & Aldo Garay, 2008, Argentina, Germany, Uruguay, 96min
This powerful Uruguayan testimonial about former Tupamaro guerilla, Henry Engler's survival of solitary confinement during the dirty war was your vote for Best Documentary 2009. The film has received multiple awards on the festival circuit. Read more
LA OROYA: Full Metal Air (La Oroya: Aire Metalico) - Short Film winner and $500 cash prize Alvaro Sarmiento Pagan, 2008, Peru, 28min
Shot on a small budget, this hard hitting short provides a snapshot into one of the worlds most contaminated towns situated next to a North American-owned refinery in Oroya, Peru. Read more
Congratulations to all filmmakers and their crews. We look forward to screening these films and many others from the 2009 program throughout next year as part of our Cine Lounge screenings. Stay tuned for details.
Hasta pronto!
SLAFF Crew
