Colombian Oscar bid Embrace of the Serpent was the big winner on Sunday at the third edition of the Platino Awards, the Latin version of the Oscars.

The film, which won the Director's Fortnight at Cannes, grabbed 7 of the 8 prizes it was nominated for, including best film and best director for Ciro Guerra.

"We, the producers, are trying to bring people to the theaters, but we need the support of our governments in order to create consumption habits for our cinema," said the film's producer Cristina Gallego, referring to the fact that Latin America's booming film industry struggles with concentrated local markets often dominated by Hollywood blockbusters, which hover box offices.

Organized by EGEDA, the Platino Awards aim to become the Ibero American version of the Oscars, with the involvement of film academies from 23 Spanish-speaking countries, plus Brazil and Portugal.

Broadcast to the Americas by TNT, and hosted by Spanish director Santiago Segura, Uruguayan actress Natalia Oreiro (The German Doctor) and Mexican comedian Adal Ramones, the gala was held at the new Convention Center in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

The ceremony featured numerous comedy excerpts, including a clip featuring Zoe Saldana complaining in Spanish about not being nominated, as well as several cracks at US Republican candidate Donald Trump's project to build a wall against Mexican immigrants.

Argentine actor Ricardo Darin -star of Wild Tales and one of the few Latin American stars with box office appeal across the region- received a Platino Lifetime Achievement award. Last year's edition honored Antonio Banderas with the same prize.

"We're here to strengthen this wonderful idea of the Platino awards, because we all know that what we're really pursuing is the recognition of so many colleagues' efforts and talent, which spread all throughout the region," said Darin.

"We have the talent, all we need is confidence in our selves," he added.

Guatemalan Nobel prize winner Rigoberta Menchu delivered the Platino Award for Film and Education Values to Anna Muylaert's The Second Mother.

The full list of winners is below:

Best Film

Embrace of the Serpent (Ciro Guerra)

Best Director

Ciro Guerra (Embrace of the Serpent)

Best Actress

Dolores Fonzi (Paulina)

Best Actor

Guillermo Francella (The Clan)

Best Screenplay

The Club (Pablo Larrain, Guillermo Calderón, Daniel Villalobos)

Best Sound

Embrace of the Serpent (Carlos Garcia, Marcos Salavarria)

Best Cinematography

Embrace of the Serpent (David Gallego)

Best Editing

Embrace of the Serpent (Cristina Gallego, Etienne Boussac)

Best Art Direction

Embrace of the Serpent (Angelica Perea)

Best Opera Prima

Ixcanul Volcano (Jayro Bustamante)

Best Original Score

Embrace of the Serpent (Nascuy Linares)

Best Documentary

The Pearl Button (Patricio Guzman)

Best Animated Feature

Atrapa la bandera (Enrique Gato)

Platino Award for Film and Education for Values

The Second Mother (Anna Muylaert)

Lifetime Achievement

Ricardo Darin

Hollywood Reporter |