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Platino Awards 2026: 'O Agente Secreto' Shines as Kleber Mendonça Filho Wins Best Director

Platino Awards 2026: 'O Agente Secreto' Shines as Kleber Mendonça Filho Wins Best Director

From El Universal · (3h ago) Spanish Positive tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho won Best Director for 'O Agente Secreto' at the Platino Awards.
  • The film 'O Agente Secreto' was also named Best Fiction Film, and Wagner Moura won Best Actor.
  • The Platino Awards, celebrating Ibero-American audiovisual professionals, presented 36 categories this year.

The Platino Awards Xcaret 2026, held in the stunning Riviera Maya, once again celebrated the vibrant and diverse talent within the Ibero-American audiovisual industry. This year's ceremony saw Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho emerge as a significant winner, clinching the award for Best Director for his compelling film 'O Agente Secreto' (The Secret Agent).

Filho's film was a major success of the night, also securing the award for Best Ibero-American Fiction Film. Adding to the film's triumph, Wagner Moura was recognized with the award for Best Male Performance for his role in 'O Agente Secreto.' Mendonça Filho expressed his gratitude, dedicating the award to Moura and sharing the joy of the collaborative adventure that brought the film to life.

Este premio es para Wagner Moura, un gran amigo, un gran actor, qué placer trabajar con él. Quería compartir con amigos que están aquí y todas las personas que vieron 'El agente secreto'. Fue una aventura

— Kleber Mendonça FilhoAccepting the Best Director award for 'O Agente Secreto', dedicating it to his lead actor and collaborators.

"The awards are a light, like a spotlight, they trace a type of recognition," stated the filmmaker, reflecting on the importance of such accolades in highlighting the work of Ibero-American creators. The Platino Awards, established by Egeda in collaboration with various industry organizations, aim to honor professionals across the Spanish-speaking world and Portugal.

This edition featured 36 categories, an increase from previous years, showcasing a broader spectrum of talent. Other notable winners included Eva Libertad for Best Debut Film with "Sorda," Manuel Gómez Pereira for Best Ibero-American Comedy with "La cena," and Petra Costa for Best Documentary Film with "Apocalipsis en los trópicos." The continued success and expansion of the Platino Awards underscore the growing global influence and artistic merit of Ibero-American cinema and television.

Los premios son una luz, como un ‘spotlight’, traza un tipo de reconocimiento

— Kleber Mendonça FilhoReflecting on the significance of awards in recognizing the work of Ibero-American filmmakers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.