"En el camino" wins Best Picture and six Ariel Awards
Mexico's film academy split Best Director between David Pablos and Pablo Pérez Lombardini, in one of three ties on the night.
"En el camino" (On the Road), by David Pablos, won Best Picture and was the night's biggest winner at the 68th Ariel Awards with six, according to the list of winners from IMCINE, Mexico's national film institute. The Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences (AMACC) handed out the awards on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City.
Besides the top prize, the film took Best Actor for Osvaldo Sánchez, Best Supporting Actor for Mariano López Sosa, Best Acting Debut for Víctor Miguel Prieto and Best Cinematography for Ximena Amann. Pablos also received one of the two statuettes for Best Director. It had been the most-nominated film, with 13.
Pablo Pérez Lombardini took the other Best Director statuette for "La reserva" (The Reserve), which also won Best First Feature and Best Original Score, for YOM. "Autos, mota y rocanrol" won five technical awards: sound, costume, makeup and art direction, plus a shared win with "Un cuento de pescadores" for visual effects. By this newsroom's count from the IMCINE list, "O último azul" (The Blue Trail) finished with two, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.
The other winners
- Actress: Diana Sedano, for "Juana."
- Documentary: "La libertad de Fierro," by Santiago Estenou.
- Animation: "Soy Frankelda," by Arturo and Roy Ambriz.
- Ibero-American film: "Un poeta," by Colombia's Simón Mesa Soto.
- Adapted screenplay: Jimena Montemayor, for "Mujeres del alba."
- Supporting actress: Ángeles Cruz, for "Las locuras."
The night had three ties: director, visual effects and animated short, where "Desdoblándome" and "Teatro secreto" shared the statuette, according to IMCINE and AM, which cites AP. IMCINE also calculates that ten films with some public funding, from the Culture Ministry, the institute itself or Ibermedia, took 22 of the awards.
The ceremony coincided with the AMACC's 80th anniversary. Its president, Daniel Hidalgo, said in his speech that "it is not enough to make films" and that they have to be seen. He said Mexican cinema "needs no more trenches, it needs more bridges," and the Academy announced that it wants to reach out to schools and universities to build audiences, according to IMCINE.
The Salvador Toscano Medal 2026 went to documentary filmmaker Oscar Menéndez, and the Gold Ariels to Demetrio Bilbatúa and Rosita Arenas. The sources consulted do not give an audience figure for the broadcast.
