Celebrating Latino Talent: 2023 Sundance Film Festival Winners

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival highlighted the amazing Latino talent in the film industry through its diverse selection of films. From heart-touching stories to thought-provoking dramas, viewers were able to watch films directed and written by Latino filmmakers. Read on to see who are the Latino winners at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

The Sundance Film Festival, the world’s largest independent film festival, committed to diversity and inclusion in its programming this year. The festival and institute have been actively working to increase the representation of Latinos and multicultural stories on its selection committee and at the festival itself. And its results are paying off.

Here are the Latino winners at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival:

Festival Favorite Award
Radical / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Christopher Zalla)
Synopsis: A Mexican border town struggling with poverty, corruption, and violence provides the backdrop for a real story about a school teacher who goes above and beyond to ensure his students reach their full potential. He does this by introducing them to an extraordinary approach that ignites their curiosity and unlocks their genius.

World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary
The Eternal Memory / Chile (Director and Producer: Maite Alberdi)
Synopsis: It’s been 25 years of love between Paulina and Augusto, but 8 years ago he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Both of them dread the day when Augusto won’t recognize Paulina and their life together being altered forever.

Jury citation: This film opened our hearts by bringing us closer to the meaning of life and death, and the element that threads sense into all of it – love. Through a simple yet complex portrayal of confinement, it brings us to the lives of these fascinating characters who make us wiser and more loving the longer we stay with them. The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary goes to The Eternal Memory.

Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award
U.S. Documentary
Going Varsity in Mariachi / U.S.A (Editor: Daniela I. Quiroz)
Synopsis: Musicians from the South Texas region have established a strong presence in the highly competitive world of high school mariachi music. With the tutelage of Coach Abel Acuña, the teenage captains from Edinburg North High School’s celebrated team are determined to take a meager budget and inexperienced troupe of musicians to championship glory.

Jury citation: A joyful edit that carries the heart of the characters while still exploring difficult and sensitive issues in a delicate and beautiful way. We deeply care for our heroes and the spirit of life on the border. The Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award: U.S. Documentary goes to Editor, Daniela I. Quiroz, Going Varsity in Mariachi.

Short Film Special Jury Award, International
Directing
AliEN0089 / Chile (Director and Screenwriter: Valeria Hofmann)
Synopsis: Mariana di Girolamo portrays a gamer whose virtual and real worlds collide when someone enters her home and hacks her computer after she posts a video about the harassment she’s facing in an online game.

Jury citation: A frightening tale blending online gaming, contemporary politics, and genre elements to create a striking horror story. We give a Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing to AliEN0089.

The success of these films is an important milestone for the Latino community as it demonstrates that their stories can be appreciated by audiences around the world. This is an inspiring example of how Latinos are making their mark in the film industry and are continuing to contribute to its growth. With the Academy Awards around the corner including several Latino nominees, it is clear that Latinos are continuing to contribute to the growth of the film industry in a major way.