'The Secret Agent' triumphs at 13th Premios Platino, Netflix’s 'The Eternaut' leads TV awards

For the second consecutive year, a Brazilian film garnered top accolades at the annual Ibero-American awards gala Premios Platino, rechristened as Platinos Xcaret for its venue in Riviera Maya, Mexico this year.

Kleber Mendonça’s "The Secret Agent" secured awards for best feature, director, screenplay, and actor (Wagner Moura), outshining last year’s "I’m Still Here" by Walter Salles, which took home three. 

This crime drama received four Oscar nominations and captured four awards at Cannes, including directing and acting honors.

Spain's San Sebastian Golden Shell recipient "Sundays" ("Los Domingos") clinched the audience prize, awarded during a pre-awards festivity the day before, where accolades in 21 categories, many newly established this year, were handed out.

Enrique Cerezo, head of the Spanish rights group Egeda and the Platino Awards, highlighted the burgeoning production activity in Colombia and other Latin American regions before conferring Argentina’s Guillermo Francello with the Platino Honorary Award. 

Francello is celebrated for his roles in Argentine cinematic gems like the Oscar-winning "The Secret in their Eyes" and Pablo Trapero’s "The Clan."

"This honor acknowledges a lifetime's journey," said Francello, expressing his "profound appreciation for the esteem and significance this Gala represents."

The technical awards saw a rivalry between Spain and Argentina, with Spain’s "Sirât" by Oliver Laxe taking awards in special effects, cinematography, and sound while on TV, Argentina’s "The Eternaut" and Spain’s "Anatomy of a Moment" vied for honors.

"The Eternaut," Netflix's most ambitious series in Argentina, claimed seven awards, including best series and actor for its lead, Ricard Darin.

Dolores Fonzi received a supporting actress award for her crucial role in the Oscar-shortlisted "Belén," which she also directed, in addition to the Film & Education in Values recognition for her poignant story of a woman incarcerated for suffering a miscarriage.

Brazil also triumphed in the series section with "Scars of Beauty," a significant hit locally. 

The accolade further celebrates creator-writer Raphael Montes, celebrated for crime fiction in Brazil, marking HBO Max Latin America’s first original telenovela as global streamers make a significant foray into long-format series.

The event on May 9 was stirred by a political altercation that, for the first instance, intruded on proceedings.

Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum and visiting Madrid regional government president Isabel Díaz Ayuso had been in a heated exchange over politics, ideology, and Spain's colonial history in Latin America. 

Díaz Ayuso, a Spanish conservative figure, has persistently criticized Mexico’s left-leaning government, labeling Mexico a “narco-state” and rejecting requests for Spain to apologise for conquest-era violations, while championing certain aspects of Spain’s role in the Americas.

Tensions mounted during Diaz Ayuso’s visit to Mexico, where she accused the Mexican administration of orchestrating a boycott against her visit and exerting pressure on award coordinators, though these specific claims weren't independently substantiated.

In a precautionary measure, event host Grupo Xcaret released a statement “categorically” refuting any receipt of threats or directives from Sheinbaum or any state official concerning the awards.

“Due to regrettable comments made by the representative of the Community of Madrid in recent months, culminating in a political tour in Mexico ahead of the Platino Xcaret Awards, we requested the organisers rescind their invitation to prevent the event from being misused as a political platform rather than the intended celebration to honor the Ibero-American film sector,” it announced.

The gala, now celebrating its 13th edition, is co-sponsored by the Community of Madrid and the Madrid City Council. 

The Xcaret resort in Cancun alternates hosting duties every other year with Madrid, which is set to host in 2027.