‘Encanto’ Co-Director Shocked by Best Director Win Over Steven Spielberg at 2022 Imagen Awards: ‘That’s Serious Bragging Rights’

variety.com:

Katie Reul editor “Encanto” swept the 37th annual Imagen Awards, which was held Sunday at Downtown Los Angeles’ La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, but the Disney musical movie was closely matched by several wins from Hulu’s “Love, Victor.” Overall, “Encanto” creators took home the most awards of any nominated project and were recognized for Best Feature Film, Best Music Composition for Film or Television, Best Music Supervision for Film or Television and Best Director – Feature Film, which co-director Charise Castro Smith was not expecting. “I’m pretty sure my mom is never going to live down the fact that I won a best director award when nominated against Stephen Spielberg,” Castro Smith, who is also known for producing “The Haunting of Hill House,” joked with the audience during her acceptance speech. “That’s serious bragging rights for her Zumba class.” The film’s magical soundscape was crafted by composers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Germaine Franco and supervised by Tom MacDougall to pay homage to the distinct musical styles of Latin America.

The album has rigidly remained on the Billboard charts since its release, selling over 1 million copies. “With a little luck, we’re going to duke it out with Bad Bunny and win Best Album of the Year,” Tom MacDougall told the audience after winning Best Music Supervision for Film or Television, a recognition he earned for his work on “Encanto.” Each year, the gala serves to recognize exceptional Latino talent in Hollywood both onscreen and behind the scenes, as per the Imagen Foundation’s original intent in 1985.

What began as selecting a singular award recipient evolved into sifting through hundreds of submissions to choose 25 lucky winners — one for each of the ceremony’s eclectic