“Undertow” awarded World Cinema Audience Award for Best International Drama at this year’s Sundance Festival
“Contracorriente”, the Colombo-Peruvian feature produced by Dynamo, won the World Cinema Audience Award for Best International Drama at this year’s prestigious Sundance Film Festival. Chosen from among 3,724 fiction and documentary films, it was one of three Latin American productions competing with a total of 14 entries in the World Cinema category.
This prestigious festival founded and headed by Robert Redford since 1978 is the largest independent film event in the US and a platform for foreign films seeking access to the North American film market. This is the first time a Colombian co-production has achieved recognition of this sort in the festival’s international category.
“It’s truly wonderful. It’s been a great experience coming here and seeing how moved the audience was by a story I began writing in 2002 and took eight years to get on the screen,” stated Javier Fuentes-León during his acceptance speech.
This first film by Fuentes- León explores a controversial romance between two men. The director also affirmed that although the story is not his own, it does represent certain problems he faced as a homosexual and that he is very pleased to have been able to present to movie audiences.
The film starring Colombian Manolo Cardona, Bolivian Cristian Mercado and Peruvian Tatiana was filmed along Peru’s Pacific coast and was a co-produced by Peru, Colombia, Germany and France.
“This prize is especially significant because it’s an audience, which is what makes us so proud and excited. Historically, audience awards at the Sundance Festival are the most important.” commented Colombian producer Rodrigo Guerrero.
Other Latin American winners at the Sundance Festival were the Bolivian film “Zona Sur” by director Juan Carlos Valdivia, which won Best International Screenplay and Best International Director awards. The Argentine “El hombre de al lado” took the prize for Best Cinematography – International Drama.
“Contracorriente” continues to garner awards from audiences, specialized press and the “Sebastiane” Award for Best Gay Film at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain in September 2009.