For the second consecutive year, a Brazilian film dominated the Premios Platino, the annual Ibero-American awards event, known this year as the Platinos Xcaret, held in the Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Kleber Mendonça’s “The Secret Agent” achieved great success by winning top awards for best feature, director, screenplay, and actor (Wagner Moura), along with four additional categories, surpassing last year’s three-award winner “I’m Still Here” by Walter Salles. The crime drama also received four Oscar nominations and won four prizes at Cannes, including those for director and actor.
Spain’s San Sebastian Golden Shell awardee “Sundays” (“Los Domingos”) secured the audience prize, given out in a pre-awards ceremony, where awards across 21 categories, many newly introduced, were presented.
Enrique Cerezo, president of the Spanish rights group Egeda and the Platino Awards, emphasized the growth of production in Colombia and other Latin American countries before presenting the Platino Honorary Award to Argentina’s Guillermo Francello. Francello is celebrated for his performances in Argentine classics like the Oscar-winning “The Secret in their Eyes” and Pablo Trapero’s “The Clan.”
“This award recognizes a lifetime’s journey,” Francello said, expressing deep gratitude for the respect and significance of the Gala.
In a competition between Spain and Argentina for technical awards, Spain’s “Sirât” by Oliver Laxe triumphed in special effects, cinematography, and sound categories, while Argentina’s “The Eternaut” and Spain’s “Anatomy of a Moment” competed on the TV side.
“The Eternaut,” Netflix’s ambitious Argentine series, claimed seven awards, including best series and actor for its lead, Ricardo Darín.
Marcos Ludevid / Netflix
Dolores Fonzi received the supporting actress award for her significant role in the Oscar-shortlisted “Belén,” which she also directed. Additionally, she earned the Film & Education in Values award for her poignant story about a woman arrested for having a miscarriage.
Brazil was also successful in the series category with “Scars of Beauty,” a major local success. This recognition highlights both creator-writer Raphael Montes, known for crime fiction in Brazil, and HBO Max Latin America’s first original telenovela as global streamers continue to expand into long series formats.
The event on May 9 was marked by a political dispute that surfaced during the proceedings for the first time.
Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president, and Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Madrid regional government, were at odds over political and ideological differences, as well as Spain’s colonial history in Latin America. Díaz Ayuso, a conservative Spanish leader, has been critical of Mexico’s left-wing government, labeling Mexico as a “narco-state” and rejecting calls for Spain to apologize for historical abuses during the conquest, while defending certain aspects of Spain’s role in the Americas.
Tensions escalated during Díaz Ayuso’s visit to Mexico, where she accused the Mexican government of organizing a boycott against her and pressuring award organizers. These claims, however, were not independently verified.
In response, event host Grupo Xcaret issued a statement firmly denying any threats or directives from Sheinbaum or any government officials concerning the awards.
“Due to the unfortunate comments made by the representative of the Community of Madrid in recent months, culminating in a political tour in Mexico just before the Platino Xcaret Awards, we have asked the organizers to withdraw their invitation to avoid the event being used as a political platform, rather than a celebration honoring the Ibero-American film industry,” the statement read.
Now in its 13th edition, the gala is co-sponsored by the Community of Madrid and the Madrid City Council. The Xcaret resort in Cancun alternates hosting duties with the city of Madrid, which will next host the event in 2027.
Full List of Winners:
FILM
Best Feature
“The Secret Agent,” Kleber Mendonça Filho (Brazil)
Director
Kleber Mendonça Filho, “The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
Lead Performance, Actor
Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
Lead Performance, Actress
Blanca Soroa, “Sundays” (“Los Domingos”) Spain
Screenplay
Kleber Mendonça Filho, “The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
First Feature
“Sorda,” Eva Libertad (Spain)
Best Feature Comedy
“The Dinner” (“La Cena”), Manuel Gómez Pereira (Spain)
Original Score / Music
Tomaz Alves Souza, Mateus Alves, “The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
Supporting Role, Actor
Alvaro Cervantes, “Sorda” (Spain)
Supporting Role, Actress
Dolores Fonzi, “Belén” (Argentina)
Animated Feature
“Olivia & the Clouds” (Tomás Eduardo Pichardo Espaillat, Dominican Republic)
Documentary Best Feature
“Apocalypse in the Tropics” (Petra Costa, Brazil)
Original Music
Tomas Alves Souza, Mateus Alves, “The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
Editing
Eduardo Serrano, Matheus Farias, “The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
Art Direction
Thales Junqueira, “The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
Cinematography
Mauro Herce, “Sirât” (Spain)
Sound Direction
Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas, Yasmina Praderas, “Sirât” (Spain)
Costume Design
Helena Sanchis, “La Cena” (Spain)
Special VFX
Pep Claret, “Sirât” (Spain)
Makeup & Hair
Ana Lopez- Puigcerver, Belén Lopez-Puigcerver, Nacho Diaz, “The Captive” (Spain)
Film & Education in Values
“Belén,” Dolores Fonzi (Argentina)
HONORARY AWARD
Guillermo Francella (Argentina)
TELEVISION
TV Best Series
“Scars of Beauty” (“Beleza Fatal”) Raphael Montes (Brazil)
Best Limited Series
“The Eternaut,” Bruno Stagnaro (Argentina)
Creator/Showrunner
Bruno Stagnaro, “The Eternaut” (Argentina)
Actor
Ricardo Darín, “The Eternaut” (Argentina)
Actress
Paulina Gaitán, “Las Muertas” (Mexico)
Supporting Actor
César Troncoso, “The Eternaut” (Argentina)
Supporting Actress
Andrea Pietra, “The Eternaut” (Argentina)
Original Music
Federica Jusid, “The Eternaut” (Argentina)
Editing
Alejandro Brodershon, Alejandro Parysow, “The Eternaut” (Argentina)
Art Direction
Pepe Dominguez del Olmo, “The Anatomy of a Moment” (Spain)
Cinematography
Alex Catalán, “The Anatomy of a Moment” (Spain)
Sound
Daniel de Zayas, “The Anatomy of a Moment” (Spain)
Costume Design
Fernando García, “The Anatomy of a Moment” (Spain)
Special VFX
Ezequiel Rossi, Pablo Accame, Ignacio Pol, “The Eternaut” (Argentina)
Makeup & Hair
Marcos Cáceres, Dolores Giménez, “Menem” (Argentina)
