The 2010 Hola Mexico Film Festival and Cinelatino Announce Audience Choice Award Winner

NEW YORK, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Cinelatino, the leading Spanish-language movie channel in the United States, proudly announces the winner of the Cinelatino Audience Choice Award following the conclusion of the Hola Mexico Film Festival, the largest tribute to Mexican film in the world that showcased the best in Mexican cinema in six of the country's most influential cities: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington DC.

The winner of the 2009 Cinelatino Audience Choice Award—the only recognized award at the 2010 Hola Mexico Film Festival—is the documentary Los Que Se Quedan (Those Who Remain), directed by Juan Carlos Rulfo and Carlos Hagerman.

Touching on the timely topic of immigration, Los Que Se Quedan is a film about the families of those who have crossed the border to the United States in search of better opportunities.  The film explores the melancholy, memories and identity of the families of those who have crossed the border.

"We are proud to be a part of the Hola Mexico Film Festival and to honor the creativity, talent and richness of the Mexican film industry," said James M. McNamara, Chairman of Cinelatino.  "Mexico has made significant contributions to Latino film we're thrilled to honor the talented Mexican filmmakers by presenting the Audience Choice Award at HMFF."

HMFF was founded by Samuel Douek in Sydney, Australia in 2006.  Since the Festival launched in the U.S. in 2008, it has grown to be the largest Mexican Film Festival outside of Mexico and expanded from one city in 2008 to six cities in 2010.  

HMFF 2010 was made up of a diverse selection of 14 feature films from Mexico, including award-winning films and documentaries, such as "Los Que se Quedan" (Those Who Remain), which touches on the timely topic of Mexican immigrants looking for a better life in the United States, to audience favorites, such as "El Estudiante," (The Student), winner of the Cinelatino Audience Choice Award at the 2010 San Diego Latino Film Festival, as well as a tribute to "Sexy Comedias" with films like "Sexo, Pudor y Lagrimas" (Sex, Shame and Tears), which revolutionized the Mexican film industry when it was released in 1999 and still remains one of the biggest box office hits to date.

"Cinelatino is a great partner for Hola Mexico," said Samuel Douek, Director of the Hola Mexico Film Festival.  "Having an audience award not only gives us a great platform from which to invite films, but also a much better understanding of what our audiences want to see."

As the winner of the Cinelatino Audience Choice Award, Directors Juan Carlos Rulfo and Carlos Hagerman will receive $3,000 on behalf of Cinelatino.

For more information on Cinelatino, visit www.Cinelatino.com.

About Cinelatino:

Cinelatino is the leading Spanish-language premium film channel in the United States, with more than 3.6 million cable and satellite subscribers on major cable, satellite and telephony providers throughout North America.  Cinelatino offers the most current Spanish-language blockbusters and critically-acclaimed titles from Mexico, Latin America, Spain and the U.S.  Cinelatino is jointly-owned by Grupo MVS, InterMedia Partners and Panamax Films.

About Hola Mexico:

Hola Mexico Film Festival is organized by Samuel Douek, with the intention of bringing Mexican cinema to screens outside of Mexico, attracting new audiences and augmenting the demand for Mexican films. The HMFF prides itself for screening the best and broadest selection of films that come out of Mexico in recent years with the help of its sponsors.

Synopsis: MOVIE:

Those Who Remain is a film about the families of those who have crossed the border to the United States in search of better opportunities. A film that explores the melancholy, memories and identity of the families of those who have crossed the border. A film about absence, about the families whose lives are defined by the voids emigration has created.

SOURCE Cinelatino