Platino Awards 2023: Who Succeeded and where to See the Winning Productions?

For the third consecutive time, the IFEMA fairgrounds in Madrid, Spain, hosted the ceremony that brings together the incredible film industry talents from the 23 Ibero-American countries. The Colombian Carolina Gaitán, the Mexican Omar Chaparro, and the Spanish Paz Vega presented the 2023 Platino Awards with TNT and HBO Max, broadcasting for Latin America and RTVE for Spain. At the end of the ceremony, Argentina was the country that swept the night by taking a total of 9 awards among all its nominated productions.

Another of the great moments of the gala occurred with the actor Benicio del Toro, who was honored with the Platinum Award of Honor for his extensive career in the film industry and for being one of the most outstanding representatives of Ibero-American talent. The Puerto Rican producer also had some words for the press in Madrid and assured that one of his milestones in Hollywood was to overcome certain conditions that affect Latino artists in the cinema.

The musical touch was noticed during the night and paid a great tribute to Latin America. Omar Chaparro sang the iconic song "Macarena" by the Spanish group Los del Río. Ultimately, he joined Carolina Gaitán to remember Puerto Rico with the reggaeton song "Cuéntale" by Don Omar. The Colombian brought her roots to the stage with the music "La Bicicleta" by Shakira and Carlos Vives.

Cuba was another of the countries honored by the singer Lucrecia, who got everyone to dance to the song "Sazón" by Celia Cruz. For his part, Argentine actor Michael Brown surprised more than one when he sang the song "Lamento Boliviano" by Los Enanitos Verdes. Clara Alvarado and Mané de la Parra brought Mexico to the stage with "Me Gustas Mucho" by Juan Gabriel. Finally, Sebastián Yatra and the Spanish Blanca Paloma did the same with their songs "Una Noche sin Pensar" and "EAEA."

Successful Night for Argentine Cinema

The tenth edition of the Platino Awards awarded 17 awards in the film category. The film "Argentina, 1985" won two of the most important types, Best Ibero-American Fiction Film, and Best Male Performance, awarded to actor Ricardo Darín. We must add the conquests for Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, and the Film and Education in Values award, whose purpose is to honor a film that induces positive social and human values for society. You can enjoy the story directed by Santiago Miter on Prime Video.

On the Spanish side, "As Bestas" extends its harvest of awards after sweeping the Goya 2023 at the time. The director Rodrigo Sorogoyen was awarded a distinction in that category, and three others won for Best Male Performance of Cast (Luis Zahera), Best Sound Direction, and Best Editing Direction. The thriller, which follows a French couple who seeks to connect with nature in a Galician rural environment, but ends up arousing hostility among the neighbors, is available to rent on platforms such as Apple TV and Prime Video.

Another of the most successful Spanish films of the moment is "Cinco Little Wolves." Director Alauda Ruiz de Azúa's debut feature is a drama about motherhood, which follows a first-time mother who finds herself overwhelmed by the continuous task of caring for her baby and ends up going to her parent's house to share responsibilities. She will soon realize that although she is a mother, she has never stopped being a daughter. The moving story shines thanks to the performances of Laia Costa and Susi Sánchez, winners of the Platino Awards for Best Female Performance and Best Supporting Female Performance, respectively. As in the previous case, this film is also available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Finally, one of the pleasant surprises of the night was the film "Utama" by director Alejandro Loayza Grisi. The story of an elderly Quechua couple living in the Bolivian highlands won Best Original Music and Best Cinematography awards. The rest of the winners were: "El Caso Padilla" for Best Documentary, "Águila y Jaguar: Los Guerreros Legendarios" for Best Animated Film, "1976" for Best First Fiction Film, and "Official Competition" for Best Ibero-American Comedy of Fiction. So far, none of these titles is available on streaming platforms.

Also read: Mexico at FILBo: what you can't miss

Colombia, the Queen of Ibero-American Television

It is no secret to anyone that the productions made in Colombia are among the best in Latin America. The 2023 Platino Awards echoed this excellent moment they were living and awarded the television series "Noticia de un Secuestro" in four of the six categories of the gala. And it is that the adaptation of the book by Gabriel García Márquez not only won the award for Best Ibero-American Film Miniseries or TV Series but also for Best Miniseries or TV Series Creator (Andrés Wood), Best Female Performance (Cristina Umaña), and Best Female Performance cast (Majida Issa). This co-production between Colombia and Chile consists of six episodes and can be enjoyed on Prime Video.

For his part, Argentine actor Guillermo Francella won the award for Best Male Performance for his role as Eliseo in "El Encargado." This comedy series follows the manager of a high-class building, who uses his surveillance power to meddle in the inhabitants' lives with his helpful attitude. The tones of irony and humor make Eliseo's character one of the best that Francella has played in her acting career. Its 11 episodes are available on the Star+ platform.

Lastly, Alejandro Awada won the Platinum Award for Best Supporting Male Performance for the series "Iosi, the repentant spy." The series created by Daniel Burman for Prime Video is based on a true story and has eight episodes. Set in 1985, the plot follows a young intelligence agent from the Argentine Federal Police who aims to infiltrate a Jewish community to collect information on the Andinia Plan, which was used to commit terrorist attacks on the Israeli embassy in 1992 Argentina.