MORENO FUENTES and AMANDA had won THE SPECIAL JURY HONORABLE MENTION FOR LGBTQ FILM AT HOLLYWOOD GOLD AWARDS
Can't count all my awards anymore, even though there are only 11 on IMDB, cause it's tiring to list them all!! :-)
The Honorable Mention is a free choice exclusive to the Jury of the Awards, it is not granted in all categories: very few have been awarded. Of course, I didn't expect it at all. And for a Spaniard still unknown as I am in the American market, among all American winners (only two other winners from the UK, one French and another Canadian film), it can be considered more than a triumph, almost a miracle. Nor in Spain, but in the UK they are starting to pay for my efforts and screenings: It is very comforting. That's why languages are just a vehicle, nothing more.
Amanda is a wild, particular, unclassifiable project. Has maybe a disconcerting and unusual approach that even captivates and keeps the audience in suspense, and I think that's why it's so surprising. A journey towards Identity questioning it, turning it upside down, rather than just advocating: That's perhaps the reason for which has received several awards worldwide, mostly in the English-speaking world: from Directing to Screenplay, even Post-Modern or Experimental Film, and had escaped being typecast.
Its success has been gradual by word of mouth. Suddenly, jurors and audiences started to talk about the Film from one Festival to another. Some time ago, it's Festivals themselves who offer me to participate and classify me: but need a new project, taking new steps in production and distribution: Except some few names, Spanish market doesn't export a lot of content: altough it has one of the most poweful emerging generations, it's not sufficiently protected and supported locally as in France or in the UK. There's no doubt that this Award in Los Angeles is very important.
Ceremony was held a short time ago at Santa Monica Blvd. I considered wheter or not to attend, but basically prior commitments left me with a very tight schedule for planning it.
That's my first Triumph and Award in the States!! So encouraging and moving!!! (First Award and fifth Nomination).
I tend to be quite busy this time of the year: June has always been a hard month to manage and take days off. I gave it a lot of thought and was on the edge of attending, in fact the organisers asked me about it and provided just in case, accommodation for some days: Really kind and gently. Finally, I couldn't really manage my schedule for those dates. It would have been too little time, because I would have liked to spend at least one week in NY and another one in Los Angeles and around California, relaxed and not all at once (I'm quite jetlagged), able to meet again in person -if possible- most of my American friends (especially the Fusions): Promise to go as soon as I can in good time!!
I'm coming up with a very different story: My first foray in English. Quite opposite to previous one, a real challenge, based in part on things that have happened to myself while traveling to Festivals: I mean, I got the idea at a Festival and started afterwards to develop the plot, the characters.
I'll try to manage gathering Madrid/London/LA/NY with the main indoor studio in the first city (but some outdoor locations in others). Financing will come first aim, of course, so co-producers (the more the merrier) long talks and (comfortable) negotiations will be required, and it'll take time: It's a project crafted to be commercial (let's be realistic) and wouldn't mind focusing it to cable, online and on Theaters. The script itself requires to be filmed in English. Sometimes I wrote parts and visualize them, and sometimes first visualize it and then wrote it down: I got a story again!! I'll try to go further this time on production and distribution, that's the hardest step.
I spent confinements (and now also partly) living in English most of the day (watching, reading, listening, learning): It worked as a pleasant escape, too. Spanish and English are built differently (they are actually quite untranslatable -any language is-) . So if you translate literally one to another (even with a native coach doing it for you), you don't really end up speaking or commanding either:
-A Lost in (Google) Translation-: you really need to listen two Irish, Brits or Americans speaking each other and just to talk to them (Spain is the country with the highest number of UK residents of the world): A better idea! Learn to speak up a language by thinking and living in that language, (not by translating it constantly from your own) should be of course exhausting, but there's no other way: Lockdowns have been wonderful for that reason. There's a need of learning in me, opposite to complain!! And there's a need of doing useful, focused, practical and real things. Sounds paradoxical, but setting impossible dreams in motion requires being so, so practical too.
In part stories, life, challenges, progress, an Artistic Vocation has a lot to do with hardship, effort, pain, to ask, observe, deep rehearsing, loneliness and constantly need of learning and tellying, more than winning (or losing) awards: That's the gleamy tip of the iceberg. Why not to say that's for sure very pleasant, but that we also hide heartaches, envy, frivolousness, excessive compliments, brown-noses, buttering up, umbearable egos, resigns and sorrows?: Well, maybe our Artistic Vocation remains over all also as an Iceberg or a Rock!!: We always remain that child performing, rehearsing in front of the mirror: who wasn't born that way, simply doesn't understand it!!
First Nomination ever came from a Festival at Queens New York, ending 2019. I kept astonished!! But suddenly, starting 2020, got a new brand couple of them: one from Delhi (the own city Council Festival) and another one at London 2020 North Europe Fusion International FilmFest. Of course, never wondered winning both (almost at the same time), so should decide wheter going Delhi or London (with any expectations). Those awards while "Old Normal", may have influenced 4 new awards at the UK (attending again few tine ago, two of them non-virtual): So my life or steps are pointing unexpectedly to London or LA. Still watching one of this videos, makes myself keep astonished!! Of course my vocation since kid is writing, performing and directing Movies, more than winning awards, although can't deny that everyone has been welcome, naturally.
Bowie used to say and sung that we are "Absolute Beginners": That's what I am and feel right now!! Every play, every role, performance... is "a new life", a new beginning!! (Although a little better if you never forget who really you are, also ordinary people in anything else).
I dedicate this Award to all my American friends! Thank you Los Angeles!! Thank you, America!! ¡Gracias, América!
SPECIAL JURY HONORABLE MENTION. HOLLYWOOD GOLD AWARDS-22 Los Angeles. US
BEST INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ SHORT FILM AWARD EIGHT AND A HALF INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. JANUARY 2022. ROME, ITALY.
BEST DIRECTOR IN EXPERIMENTAL LONDON DIRECTOR AWARD LDA-22. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022. SHOREDITCH LONDON, THE UNITED KINGDOM.
BEST DIRECTOR LUIS BUNUEL MEMORIAL AWARDS 2021 (LBMA22) JANUARY 2022
BEST INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ SHORT FILM LUIS BUNUEL MEMORIAL AWARDS (LBMA22) JANUARY 2022.
SPECIAL JURY PRICE FOR BEST DIRECTOR IN EXPERIMENTAL. EUROPE FILM FESTIVAL UNITED KINGDOM. LONDON, THE UNITED KINGDOM EFFUK2021. DECEMBER 2021
BEST DIRECTOR AWARD and BEST INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ FILM AWARD at L'AGE D'OR INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL (LIAFF-21).
WINNER FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL POST-MODERN FILM and OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD at CALCUTTA INTERNATIONAL CULT FILM FESTIVAL, CICFF-21. India
WINNER GOLDEN LEAF INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OCTOBER 2021.
4-AWARD WINNER AT TAGORE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (TIFF-21), India (BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SHORT SCRIPT, BEST ACTOR, BEST LGBTQ FILM).
OFFICIAL SELECTION BEST SHORT FILM AWARD' LONDON OCTOBER 2021. The UNITED KINGDOM.
WINNER FOR BEST DIRECTOR SPECIAL JURY AWARD RAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 2021. TAMIL NADU, INDIA.
WINNER FOR BEST LGBTQ AWARD MOVIE 2021. WORLD FILM CARNIVAL FESTIVAL SINGAPORE.
WINNER' SPECIAL JURY AWARD PRIZE. GONA FILM AWARDS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. 1st March 2021 INDIA.
WINNER AT URUVATTI INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2021 FOR BEST LGBTQ MOVIE, INDIA.
WINNER FOR BEST LGBTQ SHORT FILM 2021 AT PORT BLAIR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (PBIFF-21), INDIA.
WINNER AT NORTH EUROPE FUSION INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, LONDON EDITION 2020' BEST INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ SHORT MOVIE AWARD. LONDON FEBRUARY 2020. THE UNITED KINGDOM.
WINNER DRUK HIMALAYAS lNTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL-19 AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD, BHUTAN.
WINNER DELHI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (DIFF-19) SPECIAL JURY PRIZE, INDIA.
WINNER MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL EXCELLENCE AWARD, INDIA (MIFF-19).
WINNER NOIDA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (NIFF-20) SPECIAL JURY PRIZE, INDIA.
WINNER CHAMBAL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (CIFF-2020).INDIA.
OMOVIES-19 Official Selection. Naples. Italy/ Queens Underground International Festival New York-19. Official Selection. The United States// Semi-Finalist International Shortfilm in a Foreign Language, Los Angeles CineFest-21. The United States// 2 Nominations for South Europe Fusion International Film Festival. Valencia, Spain October 2020.// 2 Nominations for Uruvatti International Film Festival 2021 // 2 Nominations for Port Blair International Film Festival/ 1 Nomination for International Gona Films Award 2021.// 1 Nomination for Golden Harvest FilmFestival-21 Tokyo, Japan.