The 9th New Delhi International Film Festival (ndff) recently awarded the prize for Best Cinematography in a Feature-Length Documentary to Julia vive [Julia Lives] a film about Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos directed by Álvaro Calderón, with Melvin Vázquez as Director of Photography. The ndff took place from February 13 to 15, 2026.
The film has gathered accolades and awards since its premiere at the Puerto Rico International Film Festival in 2024, including the 2025 Critics Award Winner in the Documentary Category at the Bangkok Movie Awards, the Best Documentary Film award at the Critics’ Choice International Film Festival, and Best Docu/Drama Feature at the 2025 the Tokyo Film and Screenplay Awards.
Synopsis: “JULIA VIVE” [JULIA LIVES] is a feature-length dramatic documentary. Our film harmonizes the narrative lyricism of fiction with the informative lineament of the documentary genre… a joyous artistic convergence that honors the life, work & legacy of the iconic Puerto Rican poet & patriot JULIA DE BURGOS (1914-1953), combining educational & drama segments, nurtured by the historical & socio-political contexts of her life in Cuba & New York from 1939 until her untimely death in 1953.
Our film’s documentary thread is fueled by elements of Julia de Burgos’ brief -but intense- life and her posthumous fame, validated by well-documented interviews with important international academic & cultural experts on her legacy, supported by abundant archival photos & footage from 1920s – 1950s Puerto Rico, Cuba & NYC. The interviews convey rapport with our diverse scholars, using locations and ambiance that help express each person’s admiration & deep knowledge of Julia’s footprint.
They are enriched by well-crafted 1930-50’s fiction re-enactments of Julia’s life that portray her intense spirit, sensibility, passions and –of course- the splendor of her poetic work, featuring a talented cast, meticulous period styling & production values that proudly honor her legacy. We are very honored and grateful by the generous & enthusiastic support of Julia de Burgos’ family to our film!
Álvaro Calderón Martínez (Puerto Rico): Graduated from New York University (TISCH Institute of Film and TV), Álvaro has more than 40 years of experience as a Producer, Director, Assistant Director, Production Manager and Editor in major film production houses in Puerto Rico and independent film and TV projects. He has written, produced and/or directed 16 documentaries of various lengths and themes, including institutional and corporate projects.
From 2009 to 2019, Álvaro was the Producer of the San Juan International Film Festival, and since 2011, he has presented the renowned Caribbean Traveling Film Showcase in Puerto Rico.
From 2016 to 2020, he collaborated as a Production Professor and Producer of more than 20 fiction short films created in the Jacobo Morales Film Workshops, an innovative educational and artistic project created for public housing projects in Puerto Rico, with great support from those low-income communities. From 2017 to 2020, Álvaro was a member of the Board of Directors at the Association of Documentary Filmmakers of Puerto Rico (AdocPR).
In 2025, Calderón released his 1st feature-length film as a Producer/Director for theatrical Cinema: “JULIA VIVE“, a dramatic documentary which honors the life, work and legacy of the great Puerto Rican writer and patriot Julia De Burgos (1914-1953) with a modern outlook, as a truly universal & iconic woman. [. . .]
For more information, see https://www.juliavive.com/en and https://www.juliavive.com/festivales
Also see https://filmfreeway.com/NEWDELHIFILMFESTIVAL
The 9th New Delhi International Film Festival (ndff) recently awarded the prize for Best Cinematography in a Feature-Length Documentary to Julia vive [Julia Lives] a film about Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos directed by Álvaro Calderón, with Melvin Vázquez as Director of Photography. The ndff took place from February 13 to 15, 2026. The
