Fernando Pérez Valdés

Bachelor's degree in Hispanic Language and Literature from the University of La Habana. Film director and writer.

He has published articles and reviews on cinema and taught Film Appreciation and Film History classes at the University of La Habana and at the International Film School of San Antonio de los Baños.

In 1962, after completing studies in Commerce and Russian Language, he became involved in film activity as a production assistant and translator.

In 1971, he collaborates as an assistant director in several fiction feature films. In 1975, he begins his career as a documentary filmmaker and his filmography in this genre exceeds a dozen titles, to which is added the production of numerous editions of the ICAIC Latin American Newsreel.

In 1987, he directs his first fiction feature film. His cinematographic work has received awards in national and international contests and festivals.

He received in 1982 the Casa de las Américas Prize in the testimonial genre for his book Corresponsales de guerra.

FILMOGRAPHY
1971 Una pelea cubana contra los demonios (Assistant Director. Fiction)
1972 Girón (Assistant Director. Doc.)
1973 Ustedes tienen la palabra (Assistant Director. Fiction)
1974 El otro Francisco (Assistant Director. Fiction)
1975 Puerto Rico (Co-direction with Jesús Díaz. Doc. 85´), Crónica de la victoria (Co-direction with Jesús Díaz. Doc. 36´), Cascos blancos (Doc. 21´)
1976 Angola: Victoria de la Esperanza (Assistant Director), La Batalla de Jigüe (Assistant Director)
1977 Cabinda (Doc. 30´), La sexta parte del mundo (Co-direction. Doc. 90´)
1978 Siembro viento en mi ciudad (Doc. 24´), Sábado Rojo (Doc. 10´)
1979 Monimbó es Nicaragua (ICAIC Newsreel Report No. 933 18´)
1980 4000 niños (Doc. 15´)
1981 Mineros (Doc. 12´), Las armas invisibles (Doc. 14´)
1982 Camilo (Doc. 24´)
1983 Omara (Doc. 26´)
1985 La isla del tesoro (Co-direction with Roger Montañés. Doc. 55´)
1988 Clandestinos (Fiction 103´)
1990 Hello Hemingway (Fiction 90´)
1994 Madagascar (Fiction 52´)
1996 Y si fuera cierto (Series of 8 chapters for Chilean TV jointly with Silvio Caiozzi)
1998 La vida es silbar (Fiction 110´)
2003 Suite Habana (Doc. 80´)
2007 Madrigal
2009 Martí, el ojo del canario (Fiction 120´)

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
4000 niños
Selected among the most significant films exhibited in 1980. Annual Selection of Film Critics. La Habana, Cuba, 1980.
Special mention for documentaries. II Contest of the Film, Radio and Television Section of the National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC). La Habana, Cuba, 1980.

Camilo
First Mention (documentary). IV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema. La Habana, Cuba, 1982.
Selected among the most outstanding films of the year. Annual Selection of Critics. La Habana, Cuba, 1982.
Prize (shared) for special effects to Eusebio Ortiz, Santiago Peñate and Alfredo Rodríguez. IV Contest of the Film, Radio and Television Section of the National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC). La Habana, Cuba, 1982.
Mention (cinema) July 26 Contest of the Union of Cuban Journalists (UPEC). La Habana, Cuba.
Silver Medal (documentary). XIII International Film Festival of Moscow, USSR, 1983.

Clandestinos
Coral Prize for First Feature Film, Coral Prize for Female Performance (Isabel Santos).
El Caimán Barbudo Prize for First Feature Film and El Mégano Prize awarded within the framework of the IX International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1987.
First Feature Film Prize. X Film Festival of Tashkent, USSR, 1988.
Rubén Martínez Villena Prize.
First Catalina de Oro Prize for Best Direction and Best Male Performance (Luis Alberto García). 28 International Film Festival. Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, 1988.
Best Screenplay Prize. I Film and Video Festival of the Caribbean Basin, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1988.
Prize for Direction, Editing and Soundtrack. V National Film Festival of UNEAC, La Habana, Cuba, 1988.
INTI Prize (Golden Sun). II Meeting of Andean Filmmakers of Cusco, Perú, 1991.

Hello Hemingway
First Coral Prize for Best Fiction Feature Film. Coral Prize for Best Female Performance (Laura de la Uz). XII International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1990.
Photography Prize. 31 International Film Festival of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, 1991.
Highest distinction of the Association of Chroniclers of New York. Latin Film Festival, New York, USA, 1991.
Screenplay and Female Performance Prizes. Atlantic Film Festival of Nova Scotia, 1991.
Best Soundtrack Prize. Trieste Film Festival, Italy, 1991.

La vida es silbar
Selected winning Latin American screenplay. Sundance. NHK International Filmmakers Award. USA, 1997.
Coral Prizes for Best Direction, Best Photography (Raúl Pérez Ureta), Female Breakthrough (Claudia Rojas).
FIPRESCI Prize, XX International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1998.
Cuban Cinematographic Press Association Prize, XX International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1998.
Radio Habana Cuba Prize, XX International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1998.
El Mégano Prize of the National Federation of Film Clubs of Cuba, CARITATE Prize to Coralia Veloz, XX International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1998.
Prize of the Circle of Journalists of UPEC. XX International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1998.
Selected as best film of the year by the Cinematographic Press Association, La Habana, 1998.
International Jury Recognition (Prize for Best Latin American Film) Sundance Festival, USA, 1999.
Dutch Critics Prize, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1999.
CICAE Prize (Critics of Art and Essay Cinema). International Forum of New Cinema, Berlin, 1999.
Young Jury Prize and Audience Prize. International Film Festival, Fribourg, Switzerland, 1999. Second Audience Prize. Film Festival, Lima, Perú, 1999.
Special Jury Prize. International Film Festival of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, 1999.
Goya Prize for Best Foreign Film, March, 2000.
Flaiano Prize for Best Foreign Film, Italy, 2000.
First Prize for Best Film. International Film Festival. Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

Madagascar
Special Jury Prize, Special Mention awarded by FIPRESCI, XVI International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1994.
Prize of the Union of Film Circles (ARCINOVA), XVI International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1994.
Cuban Cinematographic Press Association Prize and OCIC Mention. XVI International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1994.
Significant Film of the Year. Annual Selection of Film Critics, La Habana, Cuba, 1994.
Galigar Prize. 45 International Berlin Film Festival, 1995.
Grand Prize. X International Film Festival of Fribourg, Switzerland, 1995.
Grand Golden Dolphin Prize, Best Director Silver Dolphin, Best Photography (Raúl Pérez Ureta) Silver Dolphin. XI International Cinema Festival, Troia, Portugal, 1995.
Golden Sun Prize and Best Female Performance Prize to Zaida Castellanos. International Film Festival of Cinema and Cultures of Latin America, Biarritz, France, 1995.
Caracol Prizes for Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Music and Best Photography. Festival of the Film, Radio and TV Association of UNEAC, La Habana, Cuba, 1995.
OCIC Prize. Special Mention to Laura de la Uz. Performing Arts of UNEAC.

Madrigal
Special Mention. Meeting of Latin American Cinema of Toulouse. France, 2007.
Ángel Prize, Latin American Film Festival of Utrecht, Netherlands. 2007.
Silver Dolphin to Raúl Pérez Ureta for Best Photography. XXIII International Film Festival of Setúbal, Festroia. Portugal, 2007.
Best Screenplay Prize. Latin Film Festival of Los Angeles. 2007.
UNEAC Caracol Prize in Art Direction (Erick Grass), 2007

Mineros
Photography Prize to Raúl Pérez Ureta. III Contest of the Film, Radio and Television Section of the National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC). La Habana, Cuba, 1981.

Newsreel 901
Third Mention (newsreel) Film Section. July 26 Contest of the Union of Cuban Journalists (UPEC). La Habana, Cuba.

Newsreel 933
Special Mention. Annual Selection of Critics. La Habana, Cuba, 1979.
Cinematographic Report Prize. July 26 Contest of the Union of Cuban Journalists (UPEC).

Omara
Selected among the most significant films of the year. Annual Selection of Critics. La Habana, Cuba.
Prize for Best Documentary and Best Screenplay. UNEAC National Festival. Film, Radio and TV Section, La Habana, Cuba, 1983. Gold Columbus Prize at the Ibero-American Film Festival of Huelva, Spain, 1983.

Siembro viento en mi ciudad
Selected among the most significant films of the year. Annual Selection of Film Critics. La Habana, Cuba, 1978.
Special Jury Mention. V Ibero-American Film Week. Huelva, Spain, 1979.

Suite Habana
SIGNIS Prize, San Sebastián Film Festival, 2003.
First Coral Prize, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
Coral Prize for Direction, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
Coral Prize for Music, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
Coral Prize for Soundtrack, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
FIPRESCI Prize, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
UNEAC Caracol Prize, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
Special Recognition of the Accredited Foreign Press, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
Prize awarded by the Culture Circle of UPEC, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
Cuban Cinematographic Press Association Prize, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
El Mégano Prize, National Federation of Film Clubs, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
Caminos Prize, from the Martin Luther King Memorial Center, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
Special Recognition of the Pablo de la Torriente Brau Center, XXV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, 2003.
Selected by the Cuban Cinematographic Press Association as the best film, Cuban and foreign, exhibited in Cuba in 2003.