Gabriel Ripstein
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Gabriel Ripstein (born 1972) is a Mexican film producer, director, editor and screenwriter. A producer since 1999, Ripstein has been involved in nine feature films (including two directed by his father, Mexican film director
Arturo Ripstein Arturo Ripstein y Rosen (born December 13, 1943) is a Mexican film director and screenwriter. Considered the "Godfather of independent Mexican cinema", Ripstein's work is generally characterized by "somber, slow-paced, macabre melodramas tackling ...
). Two of his productions competed for the
Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
: '' El Coronel No Tiene Quien le Escriba'' and '' Chronic''. Ripstein also wrote screenplays for '' Amor a Primera Visa'', '' Compadres'', and '' Busco novio para mi mujer''. He made his directorial debut in 2015 with '' 600 Millas'', starring British actor
Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (; born 14 May 1961) is an English actor. He was among a group of prominent British actors known as the " Brit Pack". After garnering attention in television productions '' Made in Britain'' (1982) and '' Meantime'' (1983), ...
and Mexican actor Kristyan Ferrer, for which he received the Best First Feature Film Award at the
65th Berlin International Film Festival The 65th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 5 to 15 February 2015, with American film director Darren Aronofsky as the president of the jury. German film director Wim Wenders was presented with the Honorary Golden Bear. The ...
. The film received good reviews, and was selected to represent Mexico at the
88th Academy Awards The 88th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2015 and took place on February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, 5:30 p.m. PST. D ...
for Best Foreign Language Film. For his work on ''600 Millas'' Ripstein received five nominations for the
58th Ariel Awards The 58th Ariel Awards ceremony, organized by the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences (AMACC) took take place on May 28, 2016, at the National Auditorium in Mexico City. During the ceremony, AMACC presented the Ariel Award in 26 categories ...
, including
Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
, and Best Original Screenplay. He won the Best First Feature Film award.


Early life and background

Ripstein was born in 1972 to Mexican film director
Arturo Ripstein Arturo Ripstein y Rosen (born December 13, 1943) is a Mexican film director and screenwriter. Considered the "Godfather of independent Mexican cinema", Ripstein's work is generally characterized by "somber, slow-paced, macabre melodramas tackling ...
; his grandfather was film producer Alfredo Ripstein. He has a degree in economics, and an MBA in Media Management from Columbia Business School. Later, he ran the Mexico local language film production unit for Sony Pictures Entertainment and he was then named Senior Vice President of the International Motion Picture Production Group at Sony Pictures Entertainment.


Film career


Producing ''El Coronel No Tiene Quien le Escriba'' and ''La Perdición de los Hombres''

Ripstein debuted as a producer in 1999 with the film adaptation of '' El Coronel No Tiene Quien le Escriba'' by Colombian novelist
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...
, about a retired colonel waiting 27 years for his
pension A pension (; ) is a fund into which amounts are paid regularly during an individual's working career, and from which periodic payments are made to support the person's retirement from work. A pension may be either a " defined benefit plan", wh ...
. The
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
, directed by his father from a screenplay by his mother, starred Mexican actors Fernando Luján and
Salma Hayek Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault ( , ; ; born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa (1989 TV series), Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well a ...
and Spanish actress Marisa Paredes. It represented Mexico at the
72nd Academy Awards The 72nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored 1999 in film, films released in 1999 and took place on March 26, 2000, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, beginning at 5:30&nb ...
for Best Foreign Language Film, and competed for the
Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
at the
1999 Cannes Film Festival The 52nd Cannes Film Festival took place from 12 to 23 May 1999. Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg served as jury president for the main competition. Kristin Scott Thomas was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies. Belgian filmmakers ...
. With a $3-million budget, ''El Coronel No Tiene Quien le Escriba'' was a
critical Critical or Critically may refer to: *Critical, or critical but stable, medical states **Critical, or intensive care medicine * Critical juncture, a discontinuous change studied in the social sciences. *Critical Software, a company specializing i ...
and box-office success. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reviewer Leonardo Garcia Tsao called the film a "deeply moving adaptation", confirming "Ripstein's standing as Mexico's foremost auteur". It grossed $83 million internationally, at the time the highest-grossing Latin film ever. In 2000 Ripstein produced ''La Perdición de los Hombres'', another film directed by his father and written by Paz Alicia Garciadiego. According to Matías Meyer of '' Nexos'', it was released during a dry period for Mexican films and was an international box-office and critical success. Meyer cited the film, along with '' Amores Perros'', ''
Y Tu Mamá También ''Y tu mamá también'' (Spanish for ''And Your Mother Too'') is a 2001 Mexican Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age comedy drama Road movie, road film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who co-wrote the script with his brother Carlos Cuarón, Carlos. I ...
'', ''
El Crimen del Padre Amaro ''The Crime of Padre Amaro'' (, known by its literal translation ''The Crime of Father Amaro'' in Australia) is a 2002 Mexican- Spanish drama film directed by Carlos Carrera. It is very loosely based on the novel '' O Crime do Padre Amaro'' (18 ...
'', '' Japón'' and '' Nicotina'', as examples of the "huge visual and thematic richness in the country". David Rooney of ''Variety'' called it "a uniquely entertaining experience".


Writing ''Amor a Primera Visa'' and producing ''El Crimen del Cácaro Gumaro''

In 2013 Ripstein, Georgina Riedel, Issa López and Oscar Orlando Torres wrote the screenplay for '' Amor a Primera Visa'', starring Mexican actors
Jaime Camil Jaime Federico Said Camil de Saldanha da Gama (born 22 July 1973) is a Mexican actor, singer and television personality. He is best known for his roles as Fernando Mendiola in '' La Fea Más Bella'' and Rogelio de la Vega in '' Jane the Virgin' ...
and
Omar Chaparro Omar Rafael Chaparro Alvidrez (born November 26, 1974) is a Mexican actor, comedian, television host and singer. Filmography Film Television References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chaparro, Omar 1974 births Living people 20th- ...
. In the film, Camil is a
mariachi Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two ...
player eager to get an American visa for him and his daughter and falls in love with an embassy officer ( Laura Ramsey). The screenplay was described by Mexican film magazine ''Cine Premiere'' reviewer Fran Hevia as having a "lack of substance", in an overly long film with "the classic formula of 'he deceives her, they fall in love, she discovers the deceit, he tries to win her back. ''Amor a Primera Visa'' earned $7 million in Mexico and $5 million in the United States. Produced by Ripstein, ''El Crimen del Cácaro Gumaro'' was released in 2014 and earned $4 million in Mexico. Receiving mixed reviews, it was the year's eighth-most-popular Mexican film in that country.


Directorial debut with ''600 Millas''

Ripstein made his directorial debut in 2015 with '' 600 Millas'', producing the film with Mexican director
Michel Franco Michel Franco (born 28 August 1979) is a Mexican filmmaker. He gained recognition for his film ''After Lucia'' that won the Un Certain Regard, Prize Un Certain Regard at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. He has since directed several independent fi ...
. The screenplay, by Ripstein and Issa López, was inspired by the
ATF gunwalking scandal Gunwalking, or "letting guns walk", was a tactic used by the Arizona U.S. Attorney's Office and the Arizona Field Office of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which ran a series of sting operations betw ...
. In the film, weapons smuggler Arnulfo Rubio ( Kristyan Ferrer) works for a Mexican
cartel A cartel is a group of independent market participants who collaborate with each other as well as agreeing not to compete with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the market. A cartel is an organization formed by producers ...
.
ATF The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention ...
agent Hank Harris (
Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (; born 14 May 1961) is an English actor. He was among a group of prominent British actors known as the " Brit Pack". After garnering attention in television productions '' Made in Britain'' (1982) and '' Meantime'' (1983), ...
), who tries to arrest him, is kidnapped by Rubio to bring to his bosses; during the drive, they became friends. Ripstein wanted to focus the story on the two characters, rather than expanding it to include the cartel leaders. He attempted to express his view of guns "objectively, almost like a documentarian", since he has been exposed to guns from an early age; his grandfather took him and his brother shooting on weekends, and "my brother became an exceptional shot; they hunted ducks and my grandmother cooked them". ''600 Millas'' premiered in the Panorama Section of the
65th Berlin International Film Festival The 65th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 5 to 15 February 2015, with American film director Darren Aronofsky as the president of the jury. German film director Wim Wenders was presented with the Honorary Golden Bear. The ...
, where it won the Best First Feature Film award (the second consecutive award for a Mexican film;
Alonso Ruizpalacios Alonso Ruizpalacios (; born 1978) is a Mexican film director. Best known for directing the feature films '' Güeros'' (2014), ''Museum'' (2018), '' A Cop Movie'' (2021) and '' La cocina'' (2024). Biography Ruizpalacios was born and raised in M ...
' '' Güeros'' won the previous year). Ripstein dedicated the award to his son, "who will surely be the fourth generation of our family to make films because he loves it". ''600 Millas'' opened on 150 screens in Mexico on December 4, 2015, and was selected to represent the country at the
88th Academy Awards The 88th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2015 and took place on February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, 5:30 p.m. PST. D ...
in the Best Foreign Language Film category. About the process of receiving an Academy Award nomination, Ripstein said: "Much lobbying is required; unfortunately, film quality is not always decisive". The nominees that year represented Colombia, France, Jordan, Denmark, and Hungary (the eventual winner).
Review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
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reported a 92-percent approval rating based on 24 reviews, with a rating average of 7.7 out of 10. According to Peter Debruge of ''Variety'', "Ripstein allows long stretches to go by in near-silence, gradually letting the tension build as the SUV travels farther south, deeper into potentially dangerous territory". Andrew Pulver of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' gave ''600 Millas'' three stars out of five, praising Roth's performance and calling the film a "pretty enterprising movie, subtly constructing its power relationship while not losing its grip on the basic sense of tension". In 2016, ''600 Miles'' received 13 nominations for the
58th Ariel Awards The 58th Ariel Awards ceremony, organized by the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences (AMACC) took take place on May 28, 2016, at the National Auditorium in Mexico City. During the ceremony, AMACC presented the Ariel Award in 26 categories ...
. Ripstein received five, including
Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
, Best Original Screenplay (with López), Best Editing (with Santiago Pérez Rocha), and won the Best First Feature Film award. He also won the Best First Feature Film award and was nominated for Best Director at the 2016
Diosas de Plata The Silver Goddesses () is a film award granted annually by the Mexican Film Journalists Association (PECIME) in recognition of professionals and excellence in the Mexican film industry as assessed by the association's voting membership. The firs ...
Awards in Mexico.


Producing ''Chronic'', ''From Afar'', and writing films directed by Enrique Begne

Ripstein, Moisés Zonana, and Michel Franco produced Franco's '' Chronic'' (2015). The film competed for the Palme d'Or and received the Best Screenplay Award at the
2015 Cannes Film Festival The 68th Cannes Film Festival took place from 13 to 24 May 2015. Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel Coen were the Co-Presidents of the Jury for the main competition, marking the first time that two people co-chaired the jury. Since the Coen brothers ...
, was screened out of competition at the
San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; , ) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spain, Spanish city of Donostia, Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Countr ...
and was nominated for Best Film at the 2016
Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...
. ''Chronic'' premiered in Mexican theaters on April 8, 2016; at the end of its first week, it was among the top ten most-watched films in the country. Ripstein, Franco,
Lorenzo Vigas Lorenzo Vigas Castes (born 1967) is a Venezuelan director, screenwriter and film producer. Biography Education Born in Mérida, the son of the painter Oswaldo Vigas, Vigas graduated in molecular biology at the University of Tampa. In 199 ...
,
Guillermo Arriaga Guillermo Arriaga Jordán (; born 13 March 1958) is a Mexican novelist, screenwriter, director and producer. Self-defined as "a hunter who works as a writer," he is best known for his Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and BAFTA Award ...
, Rodolfo Cova, and
Édgar Ramírez Édgar Filiberto Ramírez Arellano (, born 25 March 1977) is a Venezuelan actor. After studying communications at the Andrés Bello Catholic University, Ramírez worked in media and considered becoming a diplomat. When filmmaker Guillermo ...
produced '' From Afar'', a film directed by Vigas which won the
Golden Lion The Golden Lion () is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguished prizes. In 1970, a ...
at the
72nd Venice International Film Festival The 72nd annual Venice Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, was held from 2 to 12 September 2015, at Venice Lido in Italy. Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón was the jury president for the main competition. French-Italian actress ...
and was screened at the 13th
Morelia International Film Festival The Morelia International Film Festival (''Spanish'': ''Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia''; FICM) was founded in 2003 in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, México. It is an annual event that takes place during the second week of October. ...
. In 2016, two films written by Ripstein and directed by Enrique Begne were released. '' Compadres'', starring Omar Chaparro and
Erick Elías Erick Elías Rabinovitz (born June 23, 1980) is a Mexican actor. Elías began acting with a screen debut in '' DKDA: Sueños de juventud'' (2000), followed by roles in '' Amigos x siempre'' (2000). He became known in the reality show '' Protagon ...
and co-written by Ted Perkins, received generally negative reviews; Rotten Tomatoes reported a 33-percent approval rating based on 15 reviews, with a rating average of 4.4 out of 10.
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which assigns a weighted average to critical reviews, gave the film a score of 28 out of 100 based on five reviews. The second film, '' Busco novio para mi mujer'', was adapted by Risptein and Pablo Solariz from the Argentine film ''
Un novio para mi mujer ''A Boyfriend for My Wife'' () is a 2008 Argentine romantic comedy film directed by Juan Taratuto and starring Adrián Suar, Valeria Bertuccelli, and Gabriel Goity. It was the highest grossing Argentine film in 2008. In 2009, Warner Bros. bo ...
'' (2008) and starred
Sandra Echeverría Sandra Echeverría Gamboa (born December 11, 1984) is a Mexicans, Mexican actress. Life and career In 2002, Echeverría starred in TV Azteca's ''Súbete A Mi Moto'', alongside Bárbara Mori and Michel Brown. In 2004, she led the second season ...
,
Arath de la Torre Arath De La Torre Balmaceda (born 20 March 1975) is a Mexican actor and comedian, best known for his roles in the telenovelas '' Soñadoras'', '' Amigas y rivales'', and ''Una familia con suerte''. Career At the age of 17 he moved from Cancún t ...
, and Jesús Ochoa. Ripstein was praised by Claudia Blix of the ''Ruiz-Healy Times'' for his versatility in writing drama and comedy. Arturo Magaña of ''Cine Premiere'' was surprised by Ripstein's involvement in a romantic comedy after ''600 Millas'' and ''Chronic'' and wrote about the film, "It is a good romantic comedy that follows the rules of the genre, it is entertaining and has well-structured characters".


Filmography


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ripstein, Gabriel 1973 births Ariel Award winners Mexican film directors Mexican film producers Mexican screenwriters Spanish-language film directors Living people