The International Film Festival of Mar de Plata began its 34th edition and movingly, with tributes to the filmmaker and teacher Jose Martinez Suarez, who was its president for more than a decade, until his death in August last-.

In that context, President of the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA), Ralph them, Astor presented the Gold Award in Memoriam to his relatives and closest partners. "It's a very emotional night when we celebrate a person like Joseph, I scored a lot, "he said, adding the management: "His humility and integrity were the values ​​that led him to be a teacher who taught us that the most important films are the films".

Meanwhile, Maria Fernanda Martinez Suarez, to receiving the prize, thanked on behalf of his entire family: "Joseph was proud to work at our festival, because I wanted much to the public marplatense. Thank Ralph Haiek and the Institute and want to share this recognition with ENERC and all film schools inside, where my father used to say the best scripts coming ".

The artistic director of the Festival, Barrionuevo Cecilia, welcomed, presented juries all competitions this edition, and he highlighted the role of Martinez Suarez as president: "This is the first edition in which we not accompanied José, a pillar of the festival and Argentine cinema. His work and his passion always be with us, and we see reflected in the various tributes to prepare to remember ".

During the opening ceremony, He held in Room Astor Piazzolla of the Auditorium Theater, Graciela Borges Astor received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Leonora Balcarce and actresses Romina Richi and actor Gaston Pauls were responsible for handing.

Graciela Borges said that "tonight is José. For many years I came to this festival where I met him. It had all the love, support and always precious words. His desire was that new generations will not lose scale search. It is essential that there are young filmmakers with new looks, so that the film remained alive ".

The actress made her first film at 14 years with Hugo de Carril, and he worked with directors like Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, Leonardo Favio, Fernando Ayala, Raul de la Torre, Alejandro Doria, Lucas Demare, Luis Ortega, Diego Kaplan, Lucrecia Martel, Mario Sofici, Manuel Antin, Marcos Carnevale, Pablo Trapero and Juan Jose Campanella.

During these years he was awarded at several international festivals. He won three times the Concha de Oro award in San Sebastian and won the award for Best Actress twice at the Festival of Cartagena and one in Havana.

Organized by the INCAA, and with 65 years of history, The Festival is among the fifteen festivals qualified by FIAPF with Class A in the world, category that shares with Cannes, Venice and San Sebastian, among others.

This edition will have seven official competitions, for which they registered over 4000 productions, a record for the Festival. There will be 500 projections, of 300 films from around the world, in 15 rooms and during 10 days.