Jury statement: "Through the intimate story of one Mexican family's ordeal, 'Heli' powerfully humanizes the plight of an entire country caught in the middle of a devastating drug war that has claimed by some estimates 100,000 lives in the past few years. 'Heli' is an unforgettable portrait of the struggle for dignity in the face of a human catastrophe. Not only does the film touch us through it's simple, restrainted depiction of this tragic subject matter, but 'Amit Escalante' demonstrates the writing and directing sureness of a master filmmaker."
