Morelia International Film Festival 2025 Winners List

Morelia International Film Festival 2023: Celebrating Cinematic Excellence

The 23rd edition of the Morelia International Film Festival took place from October 10 to 19, culminating in a spectacular awards ceremony at the Teatro Melchor Ocampo. This year, the festival showcased outstanding films from both its Official Selection and the 11th edition of Impulso Morelia, a special initiative dedicated to supporting films in post-production.

Under the esteemed leadership of jury chair Ava DuVernay, the festival featured an impressive lineup of 103 Mexican and international films. Notable screenings included Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Bill Condon’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, and Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling. The festival attracted numerous celebrity guests, including Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value), Juliette Binoche (In-I: In Motion), Jodie Foster (Vie privée), and Gael García Bernal (Amores Perros, celebrating its 25th anniversary).

Full List of Winners

Michoacán Short Script Competition:

• Winner: Herculano, Melisa Estefanía Sandoval Partida
• Special Mention: Pastel y crisantemos, Karla Martínez
• Michoacan Section Winner: Aki, David Buitrón Fernández
• Special Mention: Corolario, Luz Barragán

Mexican Short Film Section:

• Special Jury Prize (sponsored by Renta Imagen): Sigo Soñando (Oc nitemiki), Misael Alva
• Special Mention: Al borde del volcán, Jorge Granados Ross
• Best Mexican Animated Short Film: Una parvada de estruendo, Mariana Mendivil
• Best Mexican Documentary Short Film: Las voces del despeñadero, Irving Serrano and Víctor Rejón
• Best Mexican Fiction Short Film: Casa Chica, Lau Charles

Mexican Documentary Feature Section:

• Special Mention: Brigada 2045, Olivia Luengas Magaña
• Audience Award for Mexican Documentary Feature Film: Mi Benjamín, Victoria Clay-Mendoza
• Best Mexican Documentary Feature Film: Llamarse Olimpia, Indira Cato

Mexican Fiction Feature Section:

• Special Mention: Basilio Moncada for his performance in El guardián
• Audience Award for Mexican Fiction Feature Film: Vainilla, Mayra Hermosillo
• Audience Award for International Feature Film: Nueva ola francesa (Nouvelle Vague), Richard Linklater
• Best Actor (Mexican Feature Film): Víctor Miguel Prieto and Osvaldo Sánchez for En el camino
• Best Actress (Mexican Feature Film): Carolina Guzmán for La reserva
• Best Screenplay for a Mexican Fiction Feature: Karen Plata for El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja)
• Best Cinematography for a Mexican Feature: Ximena Amann for En el camino
• Casa Wabi-Escine Prize for a First-Time Director: Nuria Ibáñez Castañeda for El guardián
• Best Director (Mexican Fiction Feature): Pablo Pérez Lombardini for La reserva
• Best Mexican Feature: La reserva, Pablo Pérez Lombardini

Impulso Morelia 11:

• Caffeine Postproduction Awards:

  • Workflow Design and Deliveries Package: Mickey, Dano García
  • Visual Effects Package: Chicas tristes, Fernanda Tovar
  • Graphic Design Package: La gran familia, Matías Meyer

• Splendor Omnia Studio Awards:

  • One Week of 5.1 Sound Mixing: Mickey, Dano García
  • One Week of Color Correction: Guerras invisibles, Marcela Arteaga

• Estudios Churubusco Award:

  • $375,000 MXN to Sueños que migran, Juan Javier Pérez
  • $375,000 MXN to Mickey, Dano García
• José María Riba Award: Chicas tristes, Fernanda Tovar

Women in Film and Television Mexico Award:

• Honorable Mention: Llamarse Olimpia, Indira Cato
• Best Documentary Feature Directed by a Woman: Vidas en la orilla, Lucía Gajá

The Morelia International Film Festival continues to be a vibrant platform for filmmakers, celebrating creativity and innovation in the cinematic arts.