“Day Eight” is shortlisted for the Platino Awards

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican film Día Ocho was shortlisted for the next edition of the Platino Awards, a recognition that marks a new milestone for this production and confirms its formal entry into one of the most prestigious circuits of Ibero-American audiovisuals. The shortlist, announced within the official award process, implies that Día Ocho passed the first technical and artistic filter required by the Platino Awards, which each year evaluate hundreds of productions from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.

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The Dominican film was shortlisted from a total of 1,208 productions from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal that were evaluated by the judges of the Platino Awards. Also, actress Martha González, part of the cast of Día Ocho, was shortlisted in the supporting actress category for her participation in the film Día Ocho, a recognition that highlights the interpretative strength of her character and the relevance of her participation within the cinematographic narrative. Directed by José Gómez and produced by Ángela Medina and Joan Monegro, the film has received recognition at international festivals, including the Jury’s Choice Award at the Chandler International Film Festival in Arizona.
The main cast includes Juan Ángel, who plays Father Emiliano Tardif; Angeline Monegro, as Yira Sandoval, an influencer seeking a miracle for her sick sister; Fahdly Samira Jacobo as Lía, Marta González as Altagracia and Francisco Vásquez as Alberto.
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A story of faith, pain and hope Day Eight is inspired by the life and legacy of the Catholic priest Emiliano Tardif, a figure widely known in the Dominican Republic and other countries in the region for his pastoral work and for the testimonies of healing associated with his ministry. The film intertwines several family stories marked by illness, faith, and the search for answers amidst complex social and personal contexts. The plot incorporates contemporary elements, such as the weight of social media and digital culture, to connect the spiritual message with the dilemmas of the present world, in a proposal that bets on human drama rather than traditional hagiography. This approach has allowed the production to dialogue with both religious audiences and wider audiences interested in stories of personal transformation.

The shortlist is a preliminary step before the final list of nominations. Only the works that reach this phase continue in the race towards the official nominations, which are then submitted to a vote by the members of the academies and specialized juries. The pre-selection places the film within the Ibero-American radar, after having traveled a path of successes and recognitions at several international festivals. Since its creation in 2014, the Platino Awards have established themselves as the main showcase for Ibero-American cinema, and the Dominican presence has been progressive, reflecting the sustained growth of the national audiovisual industry after the enactment of the Film Law. The preselection of Dominican films for the Platinium awards positions the country within a circuit historically dominated by more established cinematographies such as Mexican, Argentinian, Spanish or Brazilian.

The value of acting recognition

Martha González’s pre-selection as a supporting actress adds a significant component to this achievement, as the Platino Awards’ acting categories are usually dominated by performers with extensive experience in larger markets, so the inclusion of a Dominican actress in this phase of the process constitutes a sign of attention towards local talent. The recognition also underlines the importance of the acting work within Día Ocho, a film that relies heavily on the emotional credibility of its characters and the ability of its performers to convey intimate and universal conflicts. Day Eight joins a trend that confirms the maturity of Dominican cinema and its growing ability to tell stories with its own identity, but with an international vocation.