Directed by Mariana Arriaga & Santiago Arriaga Written by Guillermo Arriaga
UPON OPEN SKY
(A CIELO ABIERTO)
Produced by K&Sfilms
Cinematography by Julián Apezteguia
Julio César Cedillo stars as Lucio Estrada
FOUR ARIEL NOMINATIONS Mexico’s Academy Awards
BEST SCREENPLAY Guillermo Arriaga
BEST FIRST FILM Mariana Arriaga Santiago Arriaga
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Julio César Cedillo
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Ludovico Einaudi
Two teenage brothers take a road trip to the Mexico-US border to track down the man responsible for the car accident that killed their father. Joined by their beautiful stepsister, they embark on a tense journey of revenge and personal growth that will ultimately help them come to terms with their father’s death.
UPON OPEN SKY (A CIELO ABIERTO) : OFFICIAL TRAILER
SELECTED SCENES
The Tree.
Your Boyfriend.
Untie Me.
Lucio (Julio) has been kidnapped by all three teenagers as they carry out their plan to kill him. But first they drive out to the desert and contain him by tying him to a tree.
Paula feeds Lucio (Julio) out of sympathy and during their small exchange he gets a rude awakening in his surreal situation.
Salvador's torture is being tied up and not allowed to take a bowel break.
Fernando.
Lucio (Julio) identifies the name of his kidnapper...Fernando.
Salvador.
Lucio tries to empathize with the death of Salvador's father. The hit and run Lucio is responsible for, further opening up a deep wound in Salvador.
Forgiveness.
Lucio (Julio) is about to feel the wrath of the three teenagers. His only salvation is repenting.
Guillermo Arriaga (Screenwriter & Producer)
“Eres un actor extraordinarío y un ser humano sin par y sobre todo un guerrero del cine.”
“Julio de verdad. Eres un actor de primer nivel.”
“Trajiste una gran presencia a la película.”
“Se hace un nudo en la garganta cada que te veo. Conmueves cabrón.”
“Tantos años buscando el proyecto correcto y nada pudo ser mejor que este.”
His acclaimed and award-winning films – which include Babel, 21 Grams, Amores Perros, and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005 – traverse a dazzling range of subject matters, characters, and moods, yet share a visceral, often luminous, humanity. Penned by renowned screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga — winner of the Cannes Best Screenplay Award for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and nominated for an Academy Award for Babel (TIFF ’06) — Upon Open Sky (A Cielo Abierto) was crafted as the debut feature for his children, Mariana Arriaga and Santiago Arriaga.
"You are an extraordinary actor and an unrivaled human being, and above all, a warrior of cinema."
“Julio, seriously. You're a first rate actor.”
“You brought a great presence to the film.”
“I get a lump in my throat every time I see you. I’m deeply moved, dude.”
"So many years searching for the right project and nothing could have been better than this one."
Mariana Arriaga (Co-Director)
“What you got out of those three teenagers was very special!!”
"The film has been well-received, and they are talking about your performance. It’s spectacular. It never ceases to move us, thank you!!!"
“Fue muy especial lo que sacaste de los tres adolescentes!!”
“La película ha tenido un buen recibimiento, y hablan de tu actuación. Es espectacular. No deja de conmovernos, gracias!!!”
Winner of the Silver Goddess for Best Supporting Actor awarded by PECIME, Mexico’s Cinematic Journalists Association.
Making a big impact around the world.
Upon Open Sky (A Cielo Abierto) has made it’s way around the world beginning at it’s European Premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, then on to it’s North American Premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival in the Official Selection, it’s Mexican Premiere at the 21st Morelia International Film Festival and many more. It’s had multiple award nominations including the Arieles (Mexico’s Academy Awards), and PECIME (Mexico’s Cinematic Journalists Association) where Julio won the Silver Goddess Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Guillermo Arriaga won the Silver Goddess award for Best Screenplay.
At the 21st International Film Festival of Morelia with producers, directors and cast. Presenting the film in the Mexican Feature Film section of the competition.
At the premiere of A Cielo Abierto in Mexico City. Left to Right: Máximo Hollander, Guillermo Arriaga, Eugenia Arriaga, Mariana Arriaga, Santiago Arriaga, Theo Goldin and Julio César Cedillo.
At the 66th Ariel Awards (Mexico’s Academy Awards). Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for A Cielo Abierto. Julio taking interviews from the press.
Official Ariel Nominee Photo for the academy.
Guillermo Arriaga. Screenwriter/Producer of UPON OPEN SKY (A Cielo Abierto). Photo by Julio César Cedillo
Cinematographer Julián Apezteguia in between set ups. Photo by Julio César Cedillo.
Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada) on set in the Coahuila desert. Photo by Julio César Cedillo
Actor Julio César Cedillo on set with co-directors Mariana & Santiago Arriaga. Photo by Julio César Cedillo
A CIELO ABIERTO slate. Photo by Julio César Cedillo
THE FABER BOOK OF MEXICAN CINEMA by Jason Wood
“I had written previous screenplays, Amores Perros was just the first to be filmed. It is really the second film in a trilogy that began with a screenplay called Upon Open Sky..it begins also with a car accident."
— GUILLERMO ARRIAGA
