Film by Edesio Alejandro from Cuba receives international awards

June 11, 2020

Cuban composer and audiovisual filmmaker Edesio Alejandro congratulated today the members of the production of his film Mambo Man, recently nominated in two prestigious international competitions.

The Florence Film Awards, from Italy, and the Dumbo Film Festival, from New York, in the United States, announced the inclusion of the film in the Best Film category in both events.

Mambo Man, co-directed by Edesio Alejandro and British-Iranian Mo Fini, had already won in May the awards for Best Direction and Best Fiction Film at the Festigious International Film Festival, an event held in the heart of Los Angeles, California.

The Cuban filmmaker told Prensa Latina that he feels super happy about things that you don't expect.

We put all our effort into making a nice film, but with all the nominations and awards I am very happy and eager to make others, he confessed.

From the time the film was shot, in locations in Bayamo and Santiago de Cuba, until its release, the Cuban spent two years working intensely.

That my first fiction feature film was so recognized fills me with joy, because it was also made so that the whole family could enjoy it, he stated.

The new distinctions were received as an honor by the creator, as he expressed it on his Facebook profile, after congratulating the members of the work that combines music and drama.

The independent film was produced by Tumi Music, an English company that for many years has recorded diverse Cuban traditional music artists.

The main roles are played by actors Héctor Noas, Alejandro Palomino, Idolka de Erbiti, David Pérez, Yudexi de la Torre and young Camila Chile, while musicians Cándido Fabré, María Ochoa, Arturo Jorge, David Álvarez and Julio Montoro have special appearances.

Luis Alberto Gonzales was in charge of cinematography, the production was carried out by Julio Cesar Llamos and Zadoc Nava, editing was done by Edesio Alejandro himself and the music corresponds to several artists from the Tumi Music label.

Edesio Alejandro is an active member of the Hollywood Film Academy and the academies of the Latin Grammy and Grammy Awards, as well as cultural ambassador of the Latino Music Institute (ILM), an institution for which he is making a documentary to celebrate in a big way the institution's centennial in 2021.

As a composer he has scored music for numerous films from his country such as Clandestinos, Hello Hemingway, Madagascar, Caravana, Adorables mentiras, La vida es silbar, Suite Habana, Madrigal, Kleines Tropicana, Hacerse el sueco, Nada and Bailando Chachachá, among many feature films.

Furthermore, he has orchestrated more than 40 theatrical works, a dozen television series and boasts multiple national and international awards, such as the International Batuta Prize granted in Mexico, last year.