PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO – Inside the Gran Tlachco Theater in Xcaret, the humid heat of the Riviera Maya was reminiscent of the first scene of “Or Secret Agent”in which the character of Wagner Moura Stop to refuel under a scorching sun somewhere between Sao Paulo and Recife. And the Brazilian film Kleber Mendonça Filho made history in XIII Platinum Awards by taking seven statuettes, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actor.
“This award goes to Wagner Moura, a great friend, a great actor. What a pleasure to work with him! I wanted to share with friends who are here and all the people who saw “O Agente Secreto”. It was an adventure”said Mendonça Filho on stage when receiving the award for best director.
The Brazilian filmmaker himself was in charge of focal point on a message from Moura, the great absentee of the night, who is filming in Spain.
“I want to dedicate this award to the spokesperson of this message, that genius director, great friend, great artist, that handsome, sensual man… I love you Kleber”Mendonça Filho read with amusement.
Prominence of Argentina
The gala – which this year returned to the Xcaret park and hotel complex, sponsor of the awards – also recognized the Argentine production ““The Eternaut” with the award for Best Miniseries, Best Actor in a Miniseries – which was won by Ricardo Darín, also absent – and Best Supporting Actor for the Uruguayan César Troncoso.
The one who was present was the Argentine actor Guillermo Francella, recognized with the 2026 Platinum Honor Award for his entire career, which he received from the president of the awards, Enrique Cerezo.
Francella assured that what he maintains as an actor is “passion, even when things don’t work out.”
“That passion is what makes the acting profession regain its meaning every day. The honor that the mission of being an actor represents excites me”he assured.
The 71-year-old actor considered this distinction “a pause to look back” and continue: “Beyond the awards, what remains is what one put from the heart in each step.”
The actresses brought the emotion
The gala, divided into the four elements—water, fire, earth and air—represented by actors like the Colombian Natalia Reyes and Argentina Griselda Sicilianidid not arrive within two hours, thanks to the fact that some prizes had been awarded in a previous session on Thursday.
The musical performances came from the Argentine Maria Becerrawho opened the ceremony with ‘I remember that never existed’, the Spanish Manuel Carrasco with ‘I have the power’, and the Colombian Camilo with ‘A Past Life’.
Of all those who went up to collect awards, those who showed the most emotion were the actresses Blanca Soroa, winner of Best Female Performance for “Los Domingos”, and Paulina Gaitán, Best Female Performance in a Miniseries for “Las Muertas”.
“‘Los Domingos’ is a wonderful trip, but it wouldn’t have been like this if it weren’t for the people who have accompanied me. I had an extremely good time,” said the Spanish actress when accepting the award.
“It was done!”shouted the Mexican Gaitán on stage, who later confessed to us that she had not prepared a speech because she did not expect to win the award.
The shadow of politics
At these Platinum Awards, not everything was red carpet and glamour. Politics was also talked about.
The absence of Isabel Diaz Ayuso —the president of the Community of Madrid, one of the sponsors of the awards— was much commented on.
Xcaret decided to withdraw the invitation to prevent the event from becoming a political battleground after accusations crossed between the Madrid regional government and the administration of the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum.
The Spanish director Manuel Gomez Pereira He was elegant about it in his acceptance speech after winning the award for Best Ibero-American Fiction Comedy with “La Cena”: “I want to celebrate our cinema in Mexico, which is a country that we love and respect very much and where I have spent the best moments of my life.”
Controversial or not, Madrid will be the headquarters in 2027 to close a 5-year contract in which Xcaret and the Spanish capital agreed with the awards organization to alternate as venues. It is not yet known where they will take place in 2028, although Panama – where the first edition was held in 2014 -, Guadalajara and Miami are being considered as options.
Keep reading:
· Guillermo Francella, Platinum Honor Award 2026: “Grace is innate”
· All about the Platinum Awards
