54th Cartagena International Film Festival

One of the oldest, largest and most welcoming film festivals, Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias, took place in its titular location between 13th and 19th of March. The 54th edition of the celebrated event took place amidst beautiful, sunny weather, enthusiastic audiences and multiple filmmakers (both established and upcoming) who graced the city with their presence. Amongst the guests were Abbas Kiarostami, John Sayles, Pawel Pawlikowski, Clive Owen and many others. The city itself, once used by Gillo Pontecorvo as a location for his politically charged Marlon Brando vehicle Burn! (1968) turned into a paradise for film lovers.

Overall, the festival presented more than 300 titles, both from South America and from all over the world. The main sections were the Official Dramatic Competition (won by Dust on the Tongue from Colombia, directed by Rubén Mendoza), Official Colombian Competition (won by Marmato, a Colombian-American coproduction, directed by Mark Grieco), Official Documentary Competition (also won by Marmato), as well as a number of additional sections, such as Short Film Competition (won by Estatuas from Mexico, by Roberto Fiesco) and retrospective sections of John Sayles, Abbas Kiarostami and Pawel Pawlikowski (who also served as a juror for the Official Dramatic Competition). The FIPRESCI award was awarded to To Kill a Man (Chile/France, directed by Alejandro Fernadez Almendras).

The festival also included a number of workshops devoted to film criticism and film production, as well as meetings and Q&A sessions with the filmmakers in all competitions, as well as the ones serving as jurors. (Michal Oleszczyk)

Cartagena International Film Festival: www.ficcifestival.com