Patricia Ortega

Patricia Ortega
Ortega in 2017
Born1977 (age 46–47)
Maracaibo, Venezuela
Alma materEscuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión
Occupations
Years active2004–present

Patricia Ortega (Venezuelan Spanish pronunciation: [paˈtɾisia oɾˈteɡa], born 1977) is a Venezuelan film director. She has won multiple accolades, particularly for her 2018 film Being Impossible.

Early life

Ortega says that she has been a movie lover since she was young, and so the decision to become a filmmaker was natural. She has studied journalism at university.[1]

Career

Ortega studied at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión in Cuba, specialising in Film Direction.[2]

After creating some short films, Ortega became president of the independent Venezuelan production company Mandrágora Films in 2009. In the next ten years, she made ten short fiction and documentary films with the company; in 2013 she directed her first feature film, El regreso (English: The Return), which saw a wide commercial release in cinemas across Venezuela.[2]

Her second feature film, Being Impossible (Spanish: Yo, imposible), however, did well internationally and has yet to be released in her home nation.[needs update][3] Ortega has drawn strength from Being Impossible during times of both personal and political upheaval.[4] She found out that Being Impossible would be screening at the US film festival South by Southwest on the same day that Juan Guaidó was declared Acting President of Venezuela; she found the news of the screening "beautiful", but this was overwhelmed by the political situation that "worried" her.[4] Ortega won the Best Director and Best Screenplay awards at the Venezuelan Film Festival in June 2019 for Being Impossible.[5]

In 2019, she began development of her third feature film, Mamacruz.[2]

Personal life

Ortega was raised in a religious Catholic family, and says that she was always the black sheep of the family who did not follow traditional roles. She is divorced,[4] and has lived in Porlamar on the Venezuelan Caribbean island of Margarita since January 2019.[3]

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Year Event Award Work Result Ref.
2013 Festival Entre Largos y Cortos de Oriente (ELCO) Best First Feature The Return Won [7]
2014 Margarita Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival Golden Pelican for Best Fiction Film Won [8]
2018 Havana Film Festival Unete Award Being Impossible Special Recognition [3]
Valladolid International Film Festival Rainbow Spike Award Won [9]
2019 Femme Revolution Film Fest Best Construction of a Female Character Won [3]
Amsterdam LGBTI Film Festival Best Mix Feature Audience Award Won [3]
Reflections of Spanish and Latin American Cinema Festival Audience Award Won [3]
South by Southwest Gamechanger Award Nominated [10]
Venezuelan Film Festival Best Director Won [5]
Best Screenplay (with Enmanuel Chávez) Won
Houston International LGBTQ Film Festival Best Script (with Enmanuel Chávez) Won [11]
2020 Platino Awards Best Director Nominated [12]

References

  1. ^ Stewart, Sophia (7 March 2019). "SXSW 2019 Women Directors: Meet Patricia Ortega – 'Being Impossible'". Women and Hollywood. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Yo Imposible: About the Filmmakers". Indie Pasión. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Gutiérrez, Julio (11 April 2019). "Patricia Ortega: "Mi película 'Yo, imposible' vuela por el mundo"". Panorama (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Aziz, Neha (18 February 2019). "Patricia Ortega Talks About Her Second Feature, Being Impossible – SXSW Filmmaker In Focus". South by Southwest. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  5. ^ a b "CINE / 15° Festival del Cine Venezolano: Premios Para Una Producción Que Resiste". CCNES Noticias. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  6. ^ Holland, Jonathan (21 January 2023). "'Mamacruz': Sundance Review". ScreenDaily.
  7. ^ "El regreso se llevó el galardón a Mejor Largometraje Ópera Prima en ELCO 2013" [The Return Wins Best First Feature at ELCO 2013]. Correo del Orinoco (in Spanish). Caracas. 22 September 2013. p. 33. Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via issuu.
  8. ^ Pulgar, Silanny (19 October 2013). "El Regreso gana premio Pelícano de Oro en Margarita" [The Return Wins Golden Pelican at Margarita]. La Verdad (in Spanish). Maracaibo. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Yo, imposible Awards". MUBI. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Being Impossible". Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  11. ^ "Yo Imposible". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Los VII Premios Platino van en México. RD ha presentado al menos 11 filmes". DiarioDigitalRD (in Spanish). 11 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.