By Geneva Gámez-Vallejo
It was a huge night for Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, as the 73rd Golden Globe Awards honored the Mexican film director, writer and producer for the second year in a row. In a room filled with Hollywood talent at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the Golden Globes stage was all his, at least for the full two minutes winners are allowed to give their speech. As he spoke of the complications the crew came across during filming of “The Revenant”, the movie for which he won Best Director and took home a second Golden Globe last Sunday night, for Best Picture, one of the lines that stuck out from his speech was “we all know in this room, that pain is temporary, but a film is forever, right?”
He couldn’t be more accurate, as his films are now part of an elite group of movies future generations will find under historical archives, whether it is for the winning mentions he’s privy of or the particular style of filming his work is recognized for. He can also, very well be the one director who’s given Leonardo DiCaprio the winning role of Best Actor -if the actor were to win the Academy Award this year- as the world and the cosmos all around the universe presumably suspect he may, and we fearlessly jump to this conclusion hoping he does. Not only because he deserves to be on the roster of actors with the gold statue, but because it’ll be outstanding for it to be honored to him through a film under the direction of Mexican talent. Our fingers are crossed. After all, he did take home the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture and offered a profound speech that is deserving of an award itself, in which the actor highlighted his experience in working with Iñárritu.
With a standing ovation, DiCaprio humbly explained “this film was about survival, it was about adaptation, it was about the triumph of the human spirit, but more than anything, it was about trust. And there’s no one more deserving of that trust, than our director Alejandro Iñárritu. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this journey with you; your leadership, your vision, your acute attention to making everyday so visceral and real for us…I’ve never had an experience like this in my entire life.”
Needless to say, if 2015 was a remarkable year for Iñárritu, he can start planning his triumph in conquering Hollywood as we speak, because all points the director towards collecting yet a few more Academy Awards come Oscar time. Lets not forget to mention, Mexican actor, Gael García Bernal’s Golden Globe win as Best Actor in a TV Series Comedy or Musical for his role in Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle”. Ironically, Gael’s film debut happened to be in “Amores Perros” a film, directed by nonetheless than Inárritu. The film was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film back in 2000. Gael, became an immediate staple in many of Iñarritu’s earlier work like “Babel” and “Rudo y Cursi”. Now, they both celebrate their fair share of reap in what they’ve sowed. Their triumph in
Hollywood is also one that the latino community embraces warm-heartedly as it speaks volumes of the quest for opportunity and its accomplishments many endure in varying fields but unify in pride and spirit of success.
The Golden Globe Awards have continuously been used as a window of prediction for what will come next during Oscar time, this year, the 88th Academy Awards are looking very promising for latinos in film, again. We highly recommend you take advantage of the many local theater venues that bring back some of the nominated films for you to catch before the big night on February 28th. For starters, AMC Theaters all around the country will run a marathon of all the Best Picture nominees, tickets are available starting Wednesday, January 20 at AMCs and online at www.amctheatres.com/events/best-picture-showcase. You can more than likely catch “The Revenant” at any of their venues.
Landmark Theatres will also be showcasing Oscar nominated short films, they state “Short films are the incubators of the directing stars of tomorrow, and show a remarkable variety of inspiration and technique. Landmark Theatres is once again happy to offer audiences a chance to see the new Academy Award nominees in the category of Best Animated Short Film.” Same goes for Best Live Action Short Films. Currently, you can catch “The Danish Girl” and “Carol” at the Hillcrest location, while Ken Cinema is showing “Spotlight”. For ticket information and showtimes visit www.landmarktheatres.com/sandiego
Reading Cinemas in the Gaslamp Quarter is currently showing a few of the nominations like “The Martian”, “Joy”, “Star Wars: Episode VII -The Force Awakens”, “Room”, “Spectre” and “Spotlight”.
Other Film Related Events Around the City
Coronado Island Film Festival: January 15 -18 at the Vintage Village Theater. You can count on four jam-packed days of fun, including the latest in filmmaking excellence from filmmakers of every level of their craft, from emerging newcomers to seasoned pros. In addition to a dazzling lineup of festival parties and lively panel discussions with industry veterans, with live performances and a special salute to honor the extraordinary life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his namesake holiday weekend. A special Celebrity Tribute will recognize favorite film legends, whose contribution to the world of film has inspired us, amazed us, and touched our hearts in so many ways. Festival passes range between $95 -$595. More information can be obtained at coronadoislandfilmfest.com
Borrego Springs Film Festival: January 14 -18 at the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center. The 2016 Borrego Springs Film Festival will showcase Narrative, Documentary, Animation, and Latino features and shorts. Films will be screened at the 180-seat Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center where capacity audiences are anticipated for every film showing. Networking events and parties occur at various local resorts throughout the weekend. Info at borregospringsfilmfestival.org
San Diego Black Film Festival: January 28 -31 at the Gaslamp Quarter Several films from previous years have gone on to win additional awards at other film festivals. Ticket and festival passes range between $10 -$200. More info at sdbff.com