Juan Carlos Tabío Rey

Cuban filmmaker and screenwriter. In 1961 he entered ICAIC and has directed over 30 documentaries since 1963. He made his first feature film, Se permuta, in 1983. Among his most significant films are Dolly Back, Plaff, and Fresa y chocolate, co-directed with Titón. National Film Prize, 2014.

He was born in La Habana in 1943. In 1961, he began working at ICAIC as a production assistant and later as a directing assistant. In 1963, he made his first documentary and from that moment on collaborated on the screenplays of several important films in Cuban cinematography.

Between 1963 and 1980 he made over 30 documentaries and, in 1983, directed his first fiction feature film, Se Permuta. Between 1989 and 1990 he was a professor of screenwriting and film directing at the International School of Film and Television in San Antonio de los Baños. He has also taught workshops on screenwriting, directing and dramaturgy in several countries (Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama) and his films have won national and international awards.

In 2011 he began working on the feature film series project Siete días en La Habana, along with Benicio del Toro, Spanish director Julio Medem, Frenchman Laurent Cantet, Argentine Pablo Trapero, Palestinian Elia Suleiman and Argentine-French Gaspar Noé[1].

Filmography

Peligro (Doc. 13´) 1963
Combo universitario (Doc. 8´) 1963
Las Limas (6') (not exhibited) 1963
Higiene en el ordeño (Doc. 8´) 1968
Proceso industrial de leche (Doc. 8´) 1969
El Habano (Co-direction with Miguel Torres. 10´) 1969
Desarrollo Industrial (Doc. 14´) 1970
Bagazo (Doc. 13´) 1970
Clarificación (Doc. 10´) 1970
Nos veremos ayer noche, Margarita (Fict. 31´) 1972
Ingeniería Mecánica (Doc. 10´) 1972
Los factores de la vocación (Doc. 15´) 1972
Miriam Makeba (Doc.18´) 1973
Primera escuela del proletariado (Doc. 9´) 1973
Soledad Bravo (Doc. 10´) 1974
Chicho Ibáñez (Doc. 11´) 1974
Sonia Silvestre (Doc. 20´) 1975
Amelia Peláez (1897-1968) (Doc. 10´) 1975
Joan Manuel Serrat (Doc. 18´) 1976
El radio (Doc. 10´) 1976
Isla sin nombre (15´) 1976
En nombre de... (26´) 1977
La cadena (Fict. 18´) 1978
Un breve reportaje sobre Siberia (Doc. 11´) 1978
Reportaje sobre una brigada de construcción (Doc. 15´) 1978
Un reportaje con el grupo Moncada (Doc.) 1979
Hasta cierto punto (Co-screenwriter with Titón. Dir. Tomás Gutiérrez Alea) 1982
Se permuta (Screenplay and Direction. Based on the theatrical work La permuta) 1983
Dolly Back (Screenplay and Direction. Fict. 11´) 1986
Marta Jean-Claude en Haití (Doc. 20´) 1987
La entrevista (9´) 1987
Plaff o Demasiado miedo a la vida (Co-screenwriter with Daniel Chavarría and Direction. Feature. Fict. 90´) 1988
Fresa y Chocolate (Co-direction with Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. Feature. Fict. 101´) 1993
El elefante y la bicicleta (Co-screenwriter with Eliseo Alberto Diego and Direction. Feature. Fict. 85´) 1994
Guantanamera (Co-direction with Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. Fict.101´) 1995
Memorias de una isla (chapter of the series Enredando sombras. Doc. 10') 1998
Los viajes de Lorca: Lorca y La Habana (Doc. 26') 1998
Lista de espera (Feature. Fict. 100´) 1999
Aunque estés lejos (Feature. Fict.) 2003
Molinos de viento (Doc. for the 400th Anniversary of El Quijote) 2005
El cuerno de la abundancia (Feature. Fict.) 2009

Awards and Recognition

Bagazos
Selected as outstanding in the production of Cuban films released in 1970, La Habana, Cuba.

Los factores de la vocación
Selected among the best short films exhibited in the year, La Habana, Cuba, 1972.

Miriam Makeba
Selected as a significant film of the year. Annual Selection of Specialized Film Critics, La Habana, Cuba, 1973.
Special Mention; Annual Selection of Critics, 1973.

Soledad Bravo
Selected as a significant film of the year. Annual Selection of Specialized Film Critics, La Habana, Cuba, 1974.

El radio
Selected by Cuban film critics among the most significant documentaries of 1977. La Habana, Cuba.

Se permuta
Award for Best Female Performance (Isabel Santos). Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, Brasil. 1984.
Selected as a significant film of the year. Annual Selection of Specialized Film Critics, La Habana, Cuba, 1984.
Rubén Martínez Villena Award granted by the Union of Young Communists (UJC), La Habana, Cuba, 1984.
Third Coral Award. VI International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, 1984.

Dolly Back
Special Prize of the Jury. VIII International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba. 1986
Selected among the best short films exhibited in the year. Annual Selection of Critics. Cuba, 1986.
Golden Colón (First Prize) Iberoamerican Film Festival of Huelva, España, 1987.

Plaff o Demasiado miedo a la vida
Special Mention from the Jury of the International Federation of Film Societies. XIV Iberoamerican Film Festival, Huelva, España, 1988.
Third Coral Award, FIPRESCI Award and Award for Best Unproduced Screenplay. X International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1988.
El Mégano Award for Best Film. National Film Club Festival, 1988.
Caracol Award for Best Feature Film Direction and Best Screenplay. National Film, Radio and TV Festival (UNEAC), 1988.
Cathedral Award for Best Film (National Office of the Catholic Film Organization of Cuba), 1988.
Award for Best Female Performance (Daysi Granados). International Cinema Festival, Tróia, Portugal, 1989.
Award for Best Film. New York Latin Festival, 1989.
Award for Best Film. II Caribbean Film Festival, Fort de France, Martinica, 1990.
Award for Best Female Performance (Daysi Granados). International Film Festival of Asunción, Paraguay, 1990.

Fresa y Chocolate
Award for Best Unproduced Screenplay. XIV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1992.
El Caimán Barbudo Award. XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
First Coral Award. XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
Coral Award for Male Performance (Jorge Perugorría). XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
FIPRESCI Award. XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
Coral Award for Direction. XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
OCIC Award. XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
Popularity Award. XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
Award from the Union of Arci Nova Film Clubs (UCCA). XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
Radio Habana Cuba Award. XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
Significant film of the year. Annual Selection of Critics, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
Coral Award for Supporting Female Performance (Mirta Ibarra). XV International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 1993.
Caracol Award for Best Screenplay (Senel Paz). Film, Radio and TV Festival of UNEAC, La Habana, 1994.
Award for Best Film Exhibited in Brazil. O'Globo Newspaper Survey, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 1994.
Silver Bear for Best Film, First Audience Award, First Special Mention from the Ecumenical Jury. Berlin Film Festival, 1994.
Panambi Awards for Best Latin American Film, Best Screenplay, Best Acting Performance (Jorge Perugorría and Vladimir Cruz), Best Soundtrack and Audience Award. 5th Festival of Asunción, Paraguay, 1994.
ONDAS Award. Radio Barcelona, España, 1994.
Grand Audience Prize. II Paso del Norte Festival, México, 1994.
First Shared Kikito Award for Acting (Jorge Perugorría and Vladimir Cruz). 1994
Audience Award, Critics Award, Best Film Kikito Award, Female Acting Award (Mirta Ibarra). Gramado Festival, Brasil, 1994.
Caracol Award for Performing Arts to Mirta Ibarra, Jorge Perugorría and Vladimir Cruz. Film, Radio and TV Festival of UNEAC, La Habana, 1994.
Significant film of the year. Annual Selection of Critics, La Habana, Cuba, 1994.
Audience Award and Critics Award. Latin American Film Festival of Paso Norte, Ciudad Juárez, México, 1994.
Award for Best Film, Best Lead Performance (Jorge Perugorría), Best Supporting Performance (Vladimir Cruz) and Best Direction granted by the Association of Film Critics of Los Ángeles, California, Estados Unidos, 1995.
Award for Best Foreign Film by the Association of Film Chroniclers of Nueva York. 1995.
Goya Award for Best Foreign Spanish-Language Film granted by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of España, 1995.
Nominated for the Oscar Award for Best Foreign Film by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Hollywood, Estados Unidos, 1995.

El elefante y la bicicleta
Coral Award for Female Performance (Liliam Vega) and FIPRESCI Mention. XVI International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, 1994.
Nominated for the Goya Award for Best Foreign Film, 1995.
Second Prize. International Film Festival, Damascus, Siria, 1995.
Audience Award. Brussels Film Festival, Bélgica, 1997.

Guantanamera
Second Coral Award. XVII International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, 1995.
Award for Best Lead Actor (Jorge Perugorría). Performing Arts Section of UNEAC. XII National UNEAC Festival of Film, Radio and TV, La Habana, 1995.
Grand Southwest Audience Prize. International Film and Cultures of Latin America Festival, Biarritz, Francia, 1995.
Ondas Award for Best Film, granted by TVE, Madrid, España, 1995.
Best Film Kikito Award, Critics Award, Male Acting Award (Carlos Cruz). XXIV Gramado Festival, Brasil, 1996.
Jury Award. VIII International Film Festival of Viña del mar, Chile. 1996.
Popularity Award. XIII Latin Film Festival, Chicago, Estados Unidos, 1997.
Special Award Catalina de Oro Jury, International Film Festival of Cartagena, Colombia, 1996.

Lista de espera
Award from the French Ministry of Culture. Cannes, 2000.
Audience Award from Cine-Forum. Cannes Film Festival, Francia, 2000.
Award for Best Female Performance (Tahimí Alvariño). Third International Film Festival of Málaga, España, 2000.
Awards for Best Direction and Set Design. Caracol Competition of UNEAC, La Habana, 2000.

El cuerno de la abundancia
Third Coral. XXX International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 2008.
Coral Award Best Screenplay for Arturo Arango and Juan Carlos Tabío. XXX International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, La Habana, Cuba, 2008.
Special Jury Award at the 49th International Film Festival of Cartagena, Colombia, 2008.
Silver Astor Award for Special Jury Award to the ensemble cast. 24th edition of the International Film Festival of Mar del Plata. 2009
Audience Award. 24th edition of the International Film Festival of Mar del Plata. 2009
Audience Award. XIII Lima Festival. Latin American Film Meeting. Perú, 2009.