Spain’s ‘Society of the Snow,’ ‘20,000 Species of Bees’ Sweep the Platino Awards
variety.comAnna Marie de la Fuente In a triumphant night for Spain, J.A. Bayona’s Oscar-nominated “Society of the Snow” swept the top prizes at Platino Xcaret, named after the venue of the annual Platino Awards this year, which took place at the Xcaret Resort, Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Argentina cinema’s plight, exacerbated by far-right president Javier Milei’s closure of its film institute, INCAA, was also on many people’s minds.
Citing veteran Argentine filmmaker Adolfo Aristarain as one of his inspirations, Bayona said upon receiving his best director award: “Argentina, we are here standing by your side, you’re not alone.” Bayona’s harrowing account of the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash, from which only 16 people survived after 72 days stranded in the Andes, became Netflix’s second most-viewed non-English film of all time. “I wouldn’t be here without the book that Pablo Vierci wrote,” said Bayona, who also thanked his cast and crew, upon winning best feature.
Basque director’s Estibaliz Urresola’s acclaimed debut feature “20,000 Species of Bees,” about an eight-year-old girl struggling with her gender identity, was also a big winner, grabbing four awards, including best first feature.
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