The Process of "Utama"

media release: Please join UW Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program. The events are free and open to the public.

Room 206 Ingraham Hall - 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706. Register for Zoom option.

About the presentation: Through an exploration of the film Utama, director Alejandro Loayza Grisi will explore his methods and processes in the art of filmmaking and delve into the challenges of Latin American narrative.

Presented by filmmaker, Alejandro Loayza Grisi.

About the presenter: Alejandro Loayza Grisi (1985) is a Bolivian filmmaker. His debut feature film “Utama” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2022 where it won the Grand Jury Prize in the world dramatic competition. It also won 4 awards at the Malaga Film Festival including Best Director, 3 awards at the Guadalajara Film Festival, 2 at the Transylvania Film Festival. In addition to these awards, the film won more than forty awards and participated in more than 100 International Film Festivals including, Sydney, Karlovy Vary, Busan, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Toulouse, München among others. It was nominated for Best Ibero-American Film at the Goya Awards 2023 and had 5 nominations for the Platinum Awards 2023 winning best Cinematography and best Score. Utama was the Bolivian entry for the Academy Awards 2023. Alejandro began his artistic career in still photography, making exhibitions, numerous publications and winning 2 national awards in Bolivia. Later he jumped to the moving image as a director of photography. Attracted by the stories that can be told with the creation of images, he ventured into screenwriting and film directing, a field in which he currently works. He studied social communication, advertising and did his a master’s degree in Screenwriting at The MediaPro Studio and the Complutense University of Madrid.

Co-sponsored by Marquette University.

*Film screening information is forthcoming. Check our website for updates.