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Caupolicán Ovalles (filmmaker)

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Caupolicán Ylich Ovalles Sequera
Born (1960-03-03) March 3, 1960 (age 64)
EducationUniversidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez
Occupation(s)Director, screenwriter, producer.
Children2
Parent(s)Caupolicán Ovalles and Ana Teresa Sequera

Caupolicán Ylich Ovalles Sequera, (Caracas, March 3, 1960), is a Venezuelan film director,[1] producer and screenwriter. He was president of the Venezuelan Chamber of Feature Film Producers, being a member of the Board of Directors of the Premios Platino del Cine Iberoamericano, and Venezuela’s representative before the Ibero-American Federation of Film and Audiovisual Producers, between the years 2013 - 2018.

He was the scriptwriter, director and executive producer of the series for television Archivo Criminal (Criminal Archive) broadcast by Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), and winner of two awards "Dos de Oro". He was also the creator and producer of the Archivos del más Allá (Afterlife Archives) series, nominated in the category of Best International Television Series at the 2003 International Emmy Awards.

Within his role as a filmmaker,[2] he was director, screenwriter and producer of the film Memorias de un Soldado [3] (Memoirs of a Soldier), his debut feature film, winner of 12 awards at the mayor film festivals in Venezuela and showcased at the XV Shanghai International Film Festival.

In 2018 [4] he premiered in Venezuela his second feature film, Muerte en Berruecos (Death in Berruecos) [5] a thriller that goes deep into investigations of the murder of the "Grand Marshal of Ayacucho" Antonio José de Sucre,[6][7][8] which occurred in June 1830. Later in 2019, the film was premiered in Ecuador and USA. In 2021, the film was a candidate for Best Ibero-American Film at the 35th edition of the Goya Awards.[9]

Biography

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Early life

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Caupolicán is the second of five siblings, born from the union between the venezuelan author, Rafael Honorio Caupolicán Ovalles Colmenares and founder of the Athenaeum of Barquisimeto and the Venezuelan Federation of Athenaeums, Ana Teresa Sequera.

From an early age, he was raised surrounded by contrasts between political ideals, art, literature and culture in general. Thanks to the social circle in which his parents worked, Ovalles Sequera was always in touch with prominent figures, including directors, actors, writers, plastic artists and novelists, who were a relevant influence for his future career.

Studies

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During his teenage years, he spend his life living between different countries in Europe and Venezuela, studying high school in Spain and then returning to Caracas.

After reaching adulthood, in 1979 he decided to move to Milan (Italy) captivated by the great cultural, artistic and cinematographic movement going on during those times. In this city he began photography studies at the Istituto Europeo di Design, and later enrolled in the Centro di Formazione Professionale per la Técnica Cinetelevisiva, where he studied film and television direction and production, making his first documentaries, one of them about the La Scala Theater and another dedicated to Venice.

When he was 23 years old he completed his training in Italy and returns to Venezuela where he films Los Caminos de Hierro (The Iron Roads), a documentary about the history of the railways in Venezuela. This work was awarded as the Best Cultural Documentary by the National Short Film Festival Manuel Trujillo Durán, in 1985.

While living in his country, he continued his professional training at the Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez, where he earned an Audiovisual Education’s degree and began a career by working in emblematic television documentaries produced by the oil company Lagoven, and working as an independent filmmaker for Radio Caracas Televisión.

In 1993 he traveled to Los Angeles to conduct various workshops at the University of California on scripts writing, programming and budgeting. In 2005 he joined the RCTV Film and Television Academy, where he studied "Effective management skills" and "Project definition, planning and monitoring". Subsequently, in 2009 he joined the Film Media Business School in Rio de Janeiro, in 2012 he completed a Master's Degree as a Digital Cinema Director and Producer at the University of La Laguna de Tenerife (Spain).

Career

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In the early stages of his career,[10] he worked as documentaries director [11] and producer for the television series Cuadernos Lagoven en la pantalla, of which two episodes won awards at national film festivals: Los caminos de hierro (The Iron Roads) at the Manuel Trujillo Durán Festival (1985) and El llanero, at the Festival Nacional de Cine de Mérida (National Film Festival of Mérida) (1995).

In 1990 he joined PRISMAVISION C.A. as executive producer of international feature films, where he produced in Venezuela the following productions:

American ninja V para Cannon Pictures (USA) / International Movie Services (Italy)

Le gorille for Dolly Films y RAI (Italy)

Wins for Cannon Pictures (USA) / International Movie Services (Italy)

From 1995 to 2002, he worked as an independent producer at Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV) and in 2003 he joined the network as production manager. In 2005 he was promoted to Independent & External Productions and Co-productions Manager, being responsible for the compliance of the Law on Social Responsibility on Radio and Television by the network, as well as for the development of the production of different drama series and telefilms, including hits such as La rumba del fin del mundo (2005), María Lionza (2006) and Señor Presidente (2007).[12]

Guild Activity

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Ovalles has been involved in the training and diffusion of productions, and activities related to the national and international cinematographic guild, being a member of the board of directors of the Asociación Nacional de Autores Cinematográficos - ANAC (National Association of Cinematic Authors) and President of the Venezuelan Chamber of Feature Films Producers (CAVEPROL) from 2011 to 2016.

Likewise, he was president and is a member of the Committee responsible for selecting the Venezuelan film nominated for the Oscar Awards. He also is the representative of Venezuela[13] before the Ibero-American Federation of Cinematographic and Audiovisual Producers (Federación Iberoamericana de Productores Cinematográficos y Audiovisuales - FIPCA), was a member of its board of directors, and is currently a Jury of the Platinum Awards of Ibero-American Cinema.[14]

Caupolicán [15] is also one of the founders of the Venezuelan Film Academy (Academia de Cine de Venezuela - ACACV), in which he acts as president. He is a founding member of the Ibero-American Federation of Film Academies (Federación Iberoamericana de Academias de Cine - FIACINE) and President of the Hispanic Independent Producers of America (HIPA)

Filmography

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Short films

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Year Title Role Note
1998-2001 Venezuela temática (shorts: Quirpa, Memorias de un soldado, Boda en el barrio y Valle de Quibor) Director,

producer

90 sec micro-shorts for the CONAC Venezuela temática series. Format: 35mm
2001 Alto esa patria hasta segunda orden Director,

producer

8 min. Short.

Format: 35mm

Feature films

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Year Title Role Nota
1988 La collina del diavolo Assistant Director Director: Vittorio Sindoni. Format: 35mm
1991 Il gorilla in Amazzonia Executive Producer Director: Duccio Tessari. Format: 35mm
1992 American Ninja V Executive Producer Director: Bobby Jean L. Format: 35 mm
1992 Roraima Assistant Director Director: Carlos Oteyza. Format: 35mm
2007 Señor Presidente Executive Producer Director: Rómulo Guardia
2008 Cuidado con lo que sueñas Executive Producer Director: Geyka Urdaneta. Format: S - 16mm
2011 Memorias de un soldado Director, producer Format: HD – 35mm
2018 Muerte en Berruecos Director, screenwriter, producer Format: HD – 35mm

TV films

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Year Title Role Note
2003 El chupacabras Executive producer, director with Luisa de la Ville Format: Betacam digital 90 min.
2004 La Sayona Executive Producer, director with Pablo de la Barra
2005 La rumba de fin de mundo Executive Producer Director: Rómulo Guardia. Format: 16mm
2006 María Lionza Executive Producer Director: Luis Gaitán. Format: Betacam digital

90 min.

Documentaries, shows and TV series

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Year Title Role Note
1985 Los caminos de hierro/El ferrocarril Bolívar Director, producer Best Cultural Documentary at the National Short Film Festival Manuel Trujillo Durán (Maracaibo, 1985). Documentary for Cuadernos Lagoven en la pantalla series.
1990 Gli italiani nel Venezuela Screenwriter, Executive Producer Format: Betacam SP, 30 min. Network: RAI 3 (Italia), TF (France).
1992 Relatos del taita Páez Director, producer Docudrama for Cuadernos Lagoven en la pantalla series.
1992 – 2002 Archivo criminal Screenwriter, general producer, one of several directors Director and wrote 40 episodes and produced other 160 episodes. Awarded as the Best Reality Show by “Dos de Oro” in 1999 and 2001.
1994 Las cuatro repúblicas Produces, assistant director Docudrama of 13 episodes for the Cuadernos Lagoven en la pantalla series.

Director: Sergio Sierra

1995 El llanero Director, producer Awarded as the Best Cultural Documentary at Festival Nacional de Cine de Mérida (1995). Cuadernos Lagoven en la pantalla series.
1995 – 1998 Un Ángel en su cocina General Producer Director and producer of 600 30 minutes shows. RCTV
2000 -2002 Archivos del más allá Executive Producer Short listed as the Best TV series of Latin America, and Best Reality Show at the International Emmy Awards, 2003.
2014 Tribu races Director, producer Reality Show and Web-episodes DeLand, Florida. GOTV (Miami, Florida)
2017 Especial show: IV Premios Platino del Cine Iberoamericano Director Produced in Madrid and broadcast in the US by Galavisión and in Mexico by Televisa.

Awards and nominations

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Year Country Festival / Award Category Show / Film Result
1985 Venezuela Festival Nacional de Cortometrajes Manuel Trujillo Durán (Maracaibo, Venezuela) Best Cultural Documentary Los caminos de hierro Won
1995 Venezuela Festival Nacional de Cine y Vídeo de Mérida Best Cultural and informative Documentary El llanero Won
1999 Venezuela Dos de Oro (Caracas, Venezuela) Best Reality Show Archivo Criminal Won
2001 Venezuela Dos de Oro (Caracas, Venezuela) Best Reality Show Archivo criminal Won
2003 United States Emmy International (USA) Best Latin American TV Series  Best reality show Archivo del más allá Shortlist
2007 IBERMEDIA Support in the development of a Film project Memorias de un soldado Won
2009 Venezuela CNAC Debut Feature Film Memorias de un soldado Won
2011 Venezuela CNAC Script development Muerte en Berruecos Won
2012 China Shanghai International Film Festival (Shanghai, China) Spectrum Memorias de un soldado Official selection
2012 Venezuela Festival Entre Largos y Cortos (Pto. La Cruz, Venezuela) Best script / Best production Memorias de un soldado Awarded
2012 Venezuela Festival de Cine Latinoamericano y Caribeño (Margarita, Venezuela) Official Selection "Debut Feature Film" Memorias de un soldado Official selection
2012 Cuba Festival del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano (La Havana, Cuba) Latin America Panorama Memorias de un soldado Official selection
2013 El universo del espectáculo Best Staging, Best Art Direction, Best general production Memorias de un soldado Awarded
2013 Venezuela CNAC Project development Muerte en Berruecos Awarded
2014 IBERMEDIA Coproduction Muerte en Berruecos Awarded
2018 Ecuador Festival Internacional de Cine de Guayaquil (Guayaquil, Ecuador) Best Art Direction Muerte en Berruecos Awarded
2018 Platino Awards Best Fiction film / Best Direction Muerte en Berruecos Official preselection
2019 Venezuela ACACV Awards Best Art Direction

Best Make up

Best wardrobe

Best Sound

Muerte en Berruecos Awarded
2021 Spain Goya Awards Best Ibero-American Film Muerte en Berruecos Candidate

References

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  1. ^ Marin, Walkiria (2020-03-02). "CineCinco: '2020 es un año de producción de proyectos'". www.prensario.net (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  2. ^ "Venezuela Film Festival". Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation. 2018-08-01. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  3. ^ Saldana, Mark (2014-05-07). "Cine Las Americas 17 Review: MEMORIAS DE UN SOLDADO (A SOLDIER'S MEMORIES)". True View Reviews. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  4. ^ Death in Berruecos (2018). Letterboxd.com, retrieved 2020-02-04
  5. ^ ""Death in Berruecos. Who killed Sucre?" Interview with Gonzalo Ponce Leiva, executive producer of the film - Red Tal: News". www.redtal.tv. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  6. ^ Death in Berruecos, retrieved 2020-03-25
  7. ^ "Muerte en Berruecos: la historia oculta del asesinato del general Sucre". El Nacional (in Spanish). 2018-04-10.
  8. ^ Obelmejías, Yolimer (2018-06-04). ""Muerte en Berruecos", el asesinato de un héroe incómodo". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  9. ^ "Muerte en Berruecos. Crónicas de un Magnicidio. » Premios Goya 2021". www.premiosgoya.com. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  10. ^ "Directores de habla hispana del SIFF conversaron con HOLA CHINA". HolaChina.cn. 2012-07-07.
  11. ^ De la Fuente, Anna Marie (2016-04-14). "Venezuela's Filmmakers Feel the Pinch of Country's Economic Woes". Variety. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  12. ^ Koehler, Robert (2008-10-03). "Mr. President". Variety. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  13. ^ "Cineasta busca alertar sobre la situación en Venezuela con nuevo documental". diariolasamericas.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  14. ^ ""Los Premios Platino son el reconocimiento a todas las personas que hacen posible nuestro cine"". Comunicae.es (in Spanish). 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  15. ^ De la Fuente, Anna Marie (2016-04-14). "Venezuela's Filmmakers Feel the Pinch of Country's Economic Woes". Yahoo! Lifestyle. Retrieved 2020-02-04.