Belkis Vega Belmonte

Film director and screenwriter with documentary and fiction films made in 35mm and 16mm film, as well as video. Professor of the Documentary Department at the International Film and Television School of San Antonio de los Baños. She is one of the most prominent Cuban documentary filmmakers.

She has also worked as an assistant director in television series.

Belkis has directed more than 50 documentaries in film and video and three fiction films for TV. Her work has been awarded national and international prizes, among which stands out the Coral Prize for Best Documentary Series at the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema.

She is Full Professor at the School of Film and Audiovisuals of Catalonia –ESCAC–, and has been Professor in the Screenplay Master's program of the Fundación Taller de Guionistas with the University of Barcelona and the International Master's in Documentary at the Barcelona Film School –ECIB.

Since 1998 she has taught in the International Workshops department of EICTV and was Full Professor at the Superior Institute of Art of Cuba from 1993 to 2007. She has been a visiting professor in the United States, Brazil, Mexico City and in various educational institutions in Spain.

She completed studies in Informational Design and is a graduate with a degree in Art History.

She was a war correspondent for the Film and Television Studies of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (ECITVFAR). She has distinguished herself fundamentally for her work in documentary cinema; recognized and awarded nationally and internationally. She was a war correspondent in Africa and the Middle East. She has filmed reports and documentaries in Syria, Congo, Lebanon, Angola and Spain.

She has taught courses and lectures at the Film and Television School of San Antonio de los Baños, Spain, the United States and other Latin American countries.

She is Associate Full Professor at the Faculty of Audiovisual Media of the Superior Institute of Art of Havana.

She was decorated with the Distinction for National Culture and the José Martí National Journalism Prize, awarded by the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC).

She is a member of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC) and of the International Documentary Association –IDA.

In recent years she has directed the project titled Living with HIV AIDS, an experience from which she created the documentary Living on the Edge, whose characters are people living with the disease.


Filmography
Ustedes esta Generación (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 18´ 35mm Film Color) 1976.
Canción de ayer y después (Assistant Director. Doc. 90´ 35mm Film Color) 1977.
Seremos como el Che (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 27´ 35mm Film B/W) 1978.
La Política de la Traición (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 60´ 35mm Film B/W) 1979.
El camino de la tierra (Assistant Director. Doc. 57´ 16mm Film Color) 1980.
Cienfuegos en Septiembre (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 18 ´35mm Film Color) 1980.
Victoria (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 10´ 35mm Film Color) 1980.
Mujeres, simplemente (Screenplay and Direction. Report 18´ 35mm Film B/W) 1980.
Celia (Screenplay and Direction. Report 10´ 35mm Film B/W) 1980.
Líbano, la guerra interminable (Assistant Director. Doc. 57´ 16mm Film Color)
Con las milicias (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 27´ 35mm Film Color) 1981.
Recordando (Screenplay and Direction. Report 18´ 35mm Film B/W) 1982.
Mayombe (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 20´ 16mm Film Color) 1983.
Días de julio (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 20´ 16mm Film Color) 1983.
España en el Corazón (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 56´ 35mm Film Color) 1983.
Fidelito (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 10´ 16mm Film Color) 1984.
Huambo, Crónica de un Crimen (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 18´ 16mm Film Color) 1984.
Recuento (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 35´ 16mm Film Color) 1984.
Operación Carlota (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 38´ 16mm Film Color) 1985.
María Luisa (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 10´ 35mm Film Color) 1985.
Corresponsales de Guerra (Screenplay and Direction. Documentary Series in 3 chapters of 27´ each 35mm Film Color) 1986.
Por si muero mañana (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 18´ 35mm Film Color) 1987.
Corresponsales de Guerra (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 26´ 35mm Film Color) 1987.
La botija (Assistant Director. Dramatized Series 21 chapters of 27´ Video Color) 1988.
Corresponsales de Guerra 4th Part (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 27´ 35mm Film Color) 1989.
Dame la Mano (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 26´ Video Color) 1990.
Por la Vida (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 25´ Video Color) 1990
Una gota en el mar (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 8´ 35mm Film Color) 1990.
La hora de la luz (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 15´ Video Color) 1991.
Siempre, la esperanza (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 15´ Video Color) 1991.
Canción de Gesta (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 27 ´ 35mm Film Color) 1991.
Enigma (Screenplay and Direction. Fiction 38´ Video Color) 1992
Quiéreme de este modo (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 18´ Video Color) 1992.
Circo de la muerte (Screenplay and Direction. Fiction 20´ Video Color) 1993.
Del sueño a la poesía (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 20´ Video Color) 1993.
A través de la nostalgia (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 15´ Video Color) 1994.
No hay fotos (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 15´ Video Color) 1995
Recordar - Ernesto Lecuona (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 45´ Video Color) 1995.
Toledo judío (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 25´ Video Color) 1995
Reynaldo Muñoz (Screenplay and Direction. From the series Pensar con el corazón. Doc. 14´. 1996.
Jorge Fuentes (Screenplay and Direction. From the series Pensar con el corazón. Doc. 14´. 1996.
Sergio Corrieri (Screenplay and Direction. From the series Pensar con el corazón. Doc. 14´. 1996.
Arnaldo Tamayo (Screenplay and Direction. From the series Pensar con el corazón. Doc. 14´. 1996.
José Delarra (Screenplay and Direction. From the series Pensar con el corazón. Doc. 14´. 1996.
Harry Villegas (Screenplay and Direction. From the series Pensar con el corazón. Doc. 14' 1996.
Sara González (Screenplay and Direction. From the series Pensar con el corazón. Doc. 14´. 1996.
Liuba María Hevia (Screenplay and Direction. from the series Pensar con el corazón. Doc. 14´. 1996.
Melba Hernández (Screenplay and Direction. From the series Pensar con el corazón. Doc. 12´. Video. Color) 1996.
Simplemente mujer (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 14´ Video Color) 1996.
Quintana, Sinfonía de Compostela (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 24´ Video Color) 1997.
De domésticas a compañeras (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. in Co-direction with Jean Weisman 24´Video Color) 1998.
Para la Vida (Series of 10 public service spots of 2-3´ each Video Color) 1998.
La Casa de Bernarda Alba (Fiction 80´ Video Color) 1999.
El Mensajero (Fiction 60´ Video Color) 2000.
Secretos de la Jungla (Screenplay and Direction. Doc. 52´ Video Color) 2002.
Santa Camila de la Habana Vieja (Fiction 90´ Video Color) 2002.
Marcas bajo la piel (Screenplay and Direction. Doc.) 2002.
Viviendo al límite (Screenplay and Direction. LM. Doc.) 2004.
Donde no habita el olvido (Screenplay and Direction. MM. Doc.) 2005.
El futuro es mi sueño (Screenplay and Direction. MM. Doc.) 2006.
Del lado de la esperanza (Screenplay and Direction. Documentary Series) 2006.

Awards and Recognition
La Política de la Traición
Prize. Contest March 13. University of Havana, 1980.
Corresponsales de Guerra (Doc.)
Documentary Prize. International Documentary Film Festival. Moscow, USSR.
España en el Corazón.
Documentary Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Contest. UNEAC, 1984.
Historical Documentary Prize. National Journalism Contest July 26, 1984.
Special Jury Prize. International Documentary Film Festival Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1984.
Huambo, Crónica de un Crimen
3rd Political Documentary Prize. International Documentary Film Festival. Warsaw, Poland, 1986.
La botija
Coral Prizes for Photography, Art Direction, Original Music, Editing, Soundtrack and Female Acting. International Festival of Latin American Film, TV and Video. Cuba, 1989.
Corresponsales de Guerra (Series)
Documentary Series Prize. International Festival of New Latin American Cinema. Cuba, 1988.
Selected by Critics among the best Cuban documentaries premiered in 1987.
Documentary Prize. National Journalism Contest. UPEC, 1987.
Documentary Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Contest. UNEAC, 1987.
Dame la Mano
Video Documentary Prize and Special Prize of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus. International Documentary Film Festival. Minsk, USSR, 1990.
Por la Vida
Special Prize from the Academy of Sciences. Cuba, 1990.
Una gota en el mar
Prize from the International Catholic Film Organization (OCIC) International Festival of New Latin American Cinema. Cuba, 1990.
OCIC Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival.
Caracol Prize. UNEAC, 1990.
Documentary Prize. National Journalism Contest UPEC, 1991.
Siempre, la esperanza
Video Documentary Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival.
Caracol Prize. Contest of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. Havana, 1991.
Jorge Ricardo Massetti International Journalism Prize. National Journalism Contest. UPEC, 1992.
Quiéreme de este modo
Documentary Prize. National Video Contest, 1992.
De domésticas a compañeras
Recognition Diploma at LASA - Latin American Studies Affairs.
Circo de la muerte
Photography Prize. National Video Contest, 1993.
Del sueño a la poesía
2nd South of the World Prize. Trieste, Italy, 1993.
Special Jury Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival.
Caracol Prize. Contest of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. Havana, 1993.
Fiction Prize. National Video Contest, 1993.
Prize for direction, screenplay and art direction. National Film Plaza Festival, 1993.
Selected by Specialized Critics among the best documentaries premiered in 1993.
Melba Hernández (Pensar con el Corazón)
FMC Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Prize. UNEAC, 1996.
Caracol Prize. Contest of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. Havana, 1996.
Pensar con el Corazón
Special Jury Prize for Documentary Series. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Contest. UNEAC, 1997.
Para la Vida
National Organization of Pioneers Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Contest. UNEAC, 1998.
Special Jury Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Contest. UNEAC, 1998.
FMC Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Contest. UNEAC, 1998.
La Casa de Bernarda Alba
Special Jury Prize, Photography Prize, Scenography Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Contest. UNEAC, 1999.
Prize from the Provincial Culture Directorate. FMC Prize.
Grand Prize and Fiction Prize. Film Plaza Festival, 1999.
El Mensajero
Special Jury Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Contest. UNEAC, 2000.
Líbano, la guerra interminable
Jorge Ricardo Massetti International Journalism Prize. National Journalism Contest.
Marcas bajo la piel
Special Jury Prize. National Film, Radio and TV Festival. Caracol Contest. UNEAC, 2001.
Prize for Best Documentary at the Trieste Festival, 2001.
Special Mention for the Elena Gil Prize, 2002.
María Luisa
Honor Diploma. International Festival of Documentaries and Short Films. Leipzig, Germany (GDR).
Recordar - Ernesto Lecuona
Special Jury Prize. International Festival of Film, Radio and TV.
Secretos de la Jungla
Selected by Specialized Critics among the best documentaries premiered in 2002.
Santa Camila de la Habana Vieja
Sara Gómez Prize. Awarded by the Federation of Cuban Women at the Film Plaza Festival. Havana, 2002.
Special Jury Prize at the Caracol Festival. Contest of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. Havana, 2002.
Viviendo al límite
Grand Documentary Prize. Film Plaza Festival, 2004.
Prize from the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC). Caracol Festival, 2004.
Educational Cinematography Prize (CINED) at the XXVI International Festival of New Latin American Cinema. Havana, 2004.
Prize from the Provincial Board of Performing Arts. VI International Festival of Documentaries Santiago Álvarez In Memoriam, 2005.
Prize from the Center for Art and Culture Advancement. VI International Festival of Documentaries Santiago Álvarez In Memoriam, 2005.
Special Jury Prize. III International Festival of Poor Cinema. Gibara. Cuba, 2005.