Catalan film ‘Estiu 1993’ receives 5 Fénix Awards nominations

The poignant film Estiu 1993 (Summer 1993) has been having a good year, well into fall. Indeed, the film has been nominated for 5 awards at the Fénix Awards 2017, to be celebrated in December. This semi-autobiographical debut by director Carla Simón taking place in the Catalan countryside was also chosen as the Oscar candidate from Spain.

The Fénix Awards celebrate films made in all of Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. Put on by the Cinema23 organization, the awards are open to 22 Ibero-American countries. This includes artists who live outside their countries of origin or those who simply address issues and stories within any of the countries in question, according to the organization website.

This 2017 event will be the 4th year the awards have been held. Other films nominated are Una Mujer Fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) by Chilean director Sebastián Lelio, and La Región Salvaje (The Untamed) by Mexican director Amat Escalante, among 20 works of fiction and 9 documentaries. The winners will be chosen by 880 professionals in the film industry from the 22 Ibero-American countries included in Cinema23.

Carla Simón’s feature-length film tells the story of a six-year-old little girl who loses her mother, following the protagonist as she deals with loss, grieving, and Integration into a new family. As well as the coveted Oscar nomination, Estiu 1993 has been welcomed with various rave reviews. It has also won Best First Feature at the Berlinare Film Festival as well as awards in Cannes, Malaga, Buenos Aires and at home in Catalonia. The film has also been nominated for the LUX Film Prize, to be chosen in November.