Panah Panahi's Iranian production “Hit the road” became the big winner of the number edition 36 the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, winning the Ástor Piazzolla de Oro award.

The jury of the International Competition, made up of Paz Encina, Mitra Farahani, Aurélie Godet, Haden Guest, and Federico Veiroj, awarded the Silver Astor Piazzolla to Miguel Gómes and Maureen Fazendeiro, as Best Director for his work in "Diarios de Otsoga", to Candela Recio, as Best Actress, for her work on "Who Prevents It" and to Zelda Adams for her work on "Hellbender".

Ramon Zürcher and Silvan Zürcher won the Best Screenplay award, por” The Girl and the spider” ; and the Special Jury Prize went to “What do we see when we look at the sky?”, by Alexandre Koberdize.

The Closing Ceremony and Official Award was held at the Auditorium Theater and was broadcast simultaneously through the official social networks of INCAA and the festival. It had the participation of the Vice President of INCAA, Nicolas Batlle, who highlighted the "happiness of being able to return to the presence in the Festival" and also "the importance of maintaining virtuality so that it is a federal Festival for everyone".

Another emotional moment was when the vice president of INCAA recalled and highlighted the importance of the tributes to David “Coco” Blaustein, Paola Suarez and Jorge Coscia, in whose management at the fore

of the Institute the autarky of INCAA was achieved. And he announced that in the next edition of the Festival there will be a tribute to Leonardo Favio on the tenth anniversary of his death.

Luis Scalella member of the International Federation of Cinematographic Producers Associations (FIAP) affirmed the importance of maintaining and defending the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, the only one in Latin America Competitive Class A, since it is the largest platform for auteur cinema.

The president of the festival, Juan Fernando Lima, thanked all the participants of the Festival for their support and commitment and assured: "We have found a way to take care of ourselves and enjoy ourselves together and to make this city the cultural pole of Latin America."

The artistic director of the Cecilia Barrionuevo Festival, moved, shared his words “We have made the Festival, we have done it together. Thanks to the great community that made possible this edition full of emotions. We have returned to the halls, to see us, talking. The festival has been present throughout the country. Thanks to those who make films with different views of the world and different ways of making films. "

Annamaría Muchnik received the lifetime achievement award. She was recognized for her tireless feminist struggle within the film industry and also for the importance of the "Woman and Cinema" festival that she has been holding for more than 30 years.

In the Latin American Competition, Jesus Lopez, by Argentine director Maximiliano Schonfeld won the Silver Astor Piazzolla for Best Feature Film. While the jury made up of Santiago Fillol, Carlos A. Gutierrez, and Janaína Olveira, gave special mention to the film Of All Things To Know, by Sofía Velazquez Núñez, and a Syndrome of the still, by Elías León Siminiani won the award for Best Short Film.

Competition in Argentina, the Silver Astor Piazzolla for Best Film went to Las cerca, by María Álvarez; the José Martínez Suárez award for Best Direction was won by Agustina Pérez Rial, by Danubio; Gummed, by Toia Bonino and Marcos Joubert, was chosen as Best Short Film. The judge, by Mara Fortes, Simple Ganou, and Andrés Duque, recognized Noh, de Marco Canale, Juan Fernandez Gebauer and Ignacio Ragone with a Special Mention.

Collective monologue, by Jessica Sarah Rinland, won the award for Best Project in the In Transit Competition (Work In Progress). Mientras que A Night of Knowing Nothing, de Payal Kapadia, won Best Film in the Altered States Competition, where Nuclear family, by Travis Wilkerson and Erin Wilkerson, obtained a Special Mention from the jury composed of Daniel Kasman, Malena Szlam, Camilo Restrepo.

Meanwhile, Red Star, by Sofía Bordenave, won as Best Latin American First Film in Competition awarded by the Young Critics Jury (together with the Critics Degree at the Universidad del Cine – FUC).

Organized by the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA), and with 67 years of history, the Mar del Plata International Film Festival is among the fifteen festivals classified by the FIAPF with Class A in the world, category shares, among others, with Cannes, Venice and San Sebastian, besides being the only one of its kind in Latin America.