Tatiana Huezo’s “Galerna” has taken the top prize at Impulso Morelia, winning the José María Riba Award at the works-in-progress industry section of the Morelia Film Festival, which wraps on October 25.
Galerna (Credits: Variety)
The award, presented by Cinépolis Distribution and Profest 2026, bestows $14,740 (250,000 pesos) toward outstanding post-production needs and promotional activities. For a film still in post-production, that support can be decisive, helping a project cross the finish line and reach the festival programmers, distributors and sales agents who decide its future.
Impulso Morelia is the festival’s pix-in-post section, a space where unfinished films present their credentials to the industry. Winning its top prize, the section’s Works in Progress competition, positions “Galerna” strongly for major festival selection in 2027, according to the festival’s framing of the win.
Tatiana Huezo’s Galerna Follows Prayers for the Stolen
“Galerna” is only Huezo’s second fiction outing, following “Prayers for the Stolen,” known in Spanish as “Noche de Fuego,” which premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes. Before moving into fiction, the Mexican filmmaker first received critical acclaim for her documentaries, led by “Tempestad” and “The Tiniest Place,” both produced by Pimienta Films, the company behind Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma.”
“Galerna” itself comes from Pimienta Films and Spain’s Elastica Films, a Mexican-Spanish pairing that reflects the film’s international ambitions. It is not the project’s first industry honour either: “Galerna” recently won the coveted Egeda Platino Industria Award at the San Sebastian Festival, where it took part in the festival’s WIP Latin America competition showcase.
That double recognition, first at San Sebastian and now at Morelia, suggests a film gathering momentum at exactly the right moment. Works-in-progress prizes are often read by the industry as a signal of confidence, a sign that professionals who have seen a rough cut believe the finished film is worth watching.
Homeboys Also a Key Winner at Impulso Morelia
Alongside “Galerna,” “Homeboys” emerged as another key winner from Impulso Morelia, underlining a strong year for the section as the 10-day Morelia Film Festival draws to a close.
For Huezo, the top prize adds another chapter to a career that has moved from acclaimed documentary to Cannes-recognised fiction without losing the observational eye that made her name. If “Galerna” lives up to the promise its two works-in-progress wins suggest, it could become one of the most talked-about Mexican films of the 2027 festival season.
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Source: Variety — read the full story there.
