Mexico triumphs over England in cinema at the BAFTAs, with wins for Cuarón, Iñárritu, and Del Toro

As Mexico gears up to face England in a World Cup match, a different kind of victory for Mexicans on British soil is being celebrated: success in cinema at the prestigious BAFTA awards. Since 2002, Mexican talent has garnered 18 awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, an institution often seen as a precursor to the Oscars.

Alfonso Cuarón leads the pack with seven BAFTA wins. His accolades include the Children's Award for "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" in 2004, and six more for his critically acclaimed films "ROMA" (four awards) and "Gravity" (two awards), notably in the Best Director category. Cinematographer Emmanuel “El Chivo” Lubezki follows closely with four awards, recognized for his work on "Children of Men" and consecutively for "Gravity," "Birdman," and "The Revenant" from 2014 to 2016.

Alejandro González Iñárritu has secured three BAFTAs, including Best Foreign Language Film for "Amores Perros" in 2002, and Best Director and Best Film for "The Revenant" in 2016. That same year, Martín Hernández also won for Sound for "The Revenant." Guillermo del Toro boasts three awards as well, for Best Film ("Pan's Labyrinth"), Best Director ("The Shape of Water"), and Best Animated Film for his stop-motion work on "Pinocchio."

More recent triumphs include a triple win in 2021 for sound designers Pablo Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, and Carlos Cortés Navarrete, who received the award for their work on "Sound of Metal." These cinematic achievements underscore a strong presence of Mexican artistry on the international stage, particularly within the British film industry.