Karnawal
Life is not easy in the frontier region of Jujuy (Argentina). Cabra is a teenager with a dream: he wants to become a professional dancer of Malambo. During the Carnival the most important competition of his life will take place, and he will be ready for it no matter what. However, his father, an unbridled ex-convict, seems to have another plan.
Debutant Juan Pablo Félix shows his depurate skills. With an interesting framing carefully studying the movements and a steady hand for drawing a rather tense atmosphere, he builds up a story that catches you since the first sequence, jumping from a social drama to an unexpected thriller.
Embodied in a savage landscape, between town and pampas, this appealing and intriguing plot is carried by two main actors, the charismatic father, the great Chilean actor Alfredo Castro, and the young Martin López, whose magnetic presence will lead you along the story. Both represent two faces of eternal fight of ‘good and evil’ forces while you get trapped by rhythmic and hypnotic movements of malambo dancers.
Javier Garcia Puerto
Juan Pablo Félix (b. 1983) graduated from Argentina National Film School (ENERC). After graduating, Juan Pablo Félix worked for seven years as General Producer and 1st A.D. at FX Stunt Team, the largest Ibero-American special effects and action design company. In particular, he worked on the movies "The Secret in Their Eyes" (dir: Juan José Campanella, 2009), "The Headless Woman" (dir: Lucrecia Martel, 2008), and "Carancho" (dir: Pablo Trapero, 2010). As a director he has worked on feature documentaries, TV series, short films, and commercials in Argentina and Spain. "Karnawal" is his first fiction feature film.
Award for the best film, grant of 5000€ by
