Edition 2009

From August 21 thru 29, 28,045 people attended the Festival’s several venues to witness the new proposals from local, national and international filmmakers.

A total of 194 films were selected and screened, from 2,424 films of 117 different countries that were received at the Monterrey IFF’s headquarters.

The emotional story about a non-conventional friendship welcomed the attendees to the 5th edition of the Monterrey International Film Festival with the animated short film “Mary and Max” from director Adam Ellion. The film inaugurated the event in which Australia was the honored guest country.

This year, besides organizing the Film Industry Day for the second time, with the theme “Pictures for sale (and filmmakers too)”, the Festival celebrated the first International Cinematographers Encounter, with the support of the Filmmakers Association of Nuevo León and the Mexican Association of Cinematographers. A total of 855 attendees gathered to listen to the keynote conference by famous Australian cinematographer Peter James, and attend the workshops and lectures offered by specialists in this area such as Serguéi Saldívar Tanaka, Henner Hoffmann, Emiliano Villanueva and Peter Majtan.

To continue with its tradition of celebrating the talent of those working in films, this Festival’s edition honored film director María Novaro with the Mexican Career Achievement Tribute, and Australian Bruce Beresford with the International Career Achievement Tribute. Both received the Cabrito de Plata for their incomparable contributions to cinema.

The jury for the 5th Monterrey IFF was formed by Juan Farré; Oscar Moreno, 2008 winner for his film “Hoy el día se repite diferente” (Today, The Same Day is Different); Bina Paul Venugopal, Kerala Film Festival artistic director; Silvia Perel, Latino International Film Festival; Fernando Rovzar; Ricardo Vélez Pareja, Cartagena Film Festival; Tomas Wells, Miguel Kohan, Aarón Margolis and Gabriela Tagliavini.

Download Official Catalogue 2009

Awards

International Competition

Best International Feature Film Fiction
Kolme viisasta miestä directed by Mika Kaurismaki (Finland)

Best International Feature Film Documentary
Bloody Mondays & Strawberry Pies directed by Coco Schrijber (Netherlands)

Special Mention 
The Yes Men fix the World by Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonano and Kart Engfehr (United States, France)

Best Director
Paolo Sorrentino for Il Divo (Italy)

Best Screenplay
Paolo Sorrentino for Il Divo (Italy)

Best Leading Role Performance
Edward Hogg for White Lightnin´ (United Kingdom)

Best Cinematography
Agnès Godard for Home (France)

Best Sound
Luc Yersin for Home (France)

Best Film Editing
Gys Zevenbergen for Bloody Mondays & Strawberry Pies (Netherlands)

Audience Award
Kolme viisasta miestä directed by Mika Kaurismaki (Finland)

Best International Short Film Fiction
Madaram Sayeh bolandi darad directed by Kaveh Ghaharemany (Iran)

Special Mention for Dan v Benetkan directed by Rok Bicek (Slovenia)

Best Short Film Documentary
Vivid Dreams. Looking for Arthur C. Clarke directed by Stefano Rebechi (Italy)

Special Mention for Sociedad Anónima directed by Beatriz Betsabé Bautista (Mexico)

Best Short Film Animated
Milovan Circus directed by Gerlando Infuso (Belgium)

Special Mention for Niño de mis Ojos directed by Guadalupe Sánchez Sosa (Mexico)

Mexico from North to South in competition

Best Mexican Short Film
Spital Zürich directed by Miguel Muzquiz

Special Mention for Jaulas directed by Juan José Media

Best Feature Film from Nuevo León
El Día directed by Tao

Best Short Film from Nuevo León
Princesa en la Torre directed by Cristóbal Juárez

Special Mention for Panoramas directed by Gian Cassini and Luego directed by Ana Laura Rascón

Gallery

2009