The Ariel Award for Best Picture (Ariel de Mejor Película in Spanish) is the highest award given in Mexico to a single film and is part of the Mexican Academy of Film's Ariel Award program.
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 (2nd) | |||
| Roberto Gavaldón | |||
| Julio Bracho | |||
| Emilio Fernández | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 (3rd) | |||
| Emilio Fernández | |||
| Alejandro Galindo | |||
| Roberto Gavaldón | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 (4th) | |||
| Emilio Fernández | |||
| Gilberto Martínez Solares | |||
| Antonio Momplet | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 (5th) | |||
| Emilio Fernández | |||
| Tito Davison | |||
| Julio Bracho | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 (6th) | |||
| Alejandro Galindo | |||
| Miguel Zacarías | |||
| Emilio Fernández | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 (7th) | |||
| Roberto Gavaldón | |||
| Roberto Gavaldón | |||
| Alejandro Galindo | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 (8th) | |||
| Roberto Gavaldón | |||
| Alfredo B. Crevenna | |||
| Luis Buñuel | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 (9th) | |||
| Roberto Gavaldón | |||
| Roberto Gavaldón | |||
| Emilio Gómez Muriel | |||
1953 - Not awarded
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 (10th) | |||
| Alejandro Galindo | |||
| Alfredo B. Crevenna | |||
| Roberto Gabaldón | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 (11th) | |||
| Luis Buñuel | |||
| Luis Buñuel | |||
| Alfredo B. Crevenna | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 (12th) | |||
| Alfonso Corona Blake | |||
| Roberto Gavaldón | |||
| Alfredo B. Crevenna | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 (13th) | |||
| Ismael Rodríguez | |||
| Tulio Demicheli | |||
| Rogelio A. González | |||
1959 to 1971 - Awards suspended
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 (14th) | |||
| Arturo Ripstein | |||
| Luis Alcoriza | |||
| Paul Leduc | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 (15th) | |||
| Gonzalo Martínez Ortega | |||
| Alfredo Joskowicz | |||
| Luis Alcoriza, Alberto Bojórquez and Jorge Fons | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 (16th) | |||
| Emilio "Indio" Fernández | |||
| Juan Manuel Torres | |||
| Luis Alcoriza | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 (17th) | |||
| Miguel Littín | |||
| Felipe Cazals | |||
| Marcela Fernández Violante | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 (18th) | |||
| Jaime Humberto Hermosillo | |||
| Alberto Isaac | |||
| Gonzalo Martínez Ortega | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 (19th) | |||
| Arturo Ripstein | |||
| Jaime Humberto Hermosillo | |||
| Julián Pastor | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 (20th) | |||
| Arturo Ripstein | |||
| Ariel Zúñiga | |||
| Miguel Littín | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 (21st) | |||
| Felipe Cazals | |||
| Sergio Olhovich | |||
| Raúl Araiza | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 (22nd) | |||
| Servando González | |||
| Marcela Fernández Violante | |||
| Julián Pastor | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 (23rd) | |||
| Raúl Kamffer | |||
| Alfredo Gurrola | |||
| Mario Hernández | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 (24th) | |||
| José Estrada | |||
| Alfredo Gurrola | |||
| Alberto Isaac | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 (25th) | |||
| Felipe Cazals | |||
| Arturo Ripstein | |||
| José Luis García Agraz | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 (26th) | |||
| Paul Leduc | |||
| Gerardo Pardo | |||
| Juan Antonio de la Riva | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 (27th) | |||
| Carlos Enrique Taboada | |||
| Felipe Cazals | |||
| Raúl Busteros | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 (28th) | |||
| Arturo Ripstein | |||
| Alberto Cortés | |||
| Diego López Rivera | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 (29th) | |||
| Alberto Isaac | |||
| Luis Alcoriza | |||
| Alejandro Pelayo | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 (30th) | |||
| Sergio Olhovich | |||
| Juan Fernando Pérez Gavilán | |||
| Busi Cortés | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 (31st) | |||
| Diego López Rivera | |||
| Alfonso Rosas Priego | |||
| Alejandro Pelayo | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 (32nd) | |||
| Jorge Fons | |||
| Juan Antonio de la Riva | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 (33rd) | |||
| Alfonso Arau | |||
| María Novaro | |||
| Carlos Carrera | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 (34th) | |||
| Guillermo del Toro | |||
| Dana Rotberg | |||
| Rúben Gámez | |||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 (35th) | |||
| Arturo Ripstein | |||
| José Luis García Agraz | |||
| Lolo | Francisco Athié | ||
| La vida conyugal | Carlos Carrera | ||
| Novia que te vea | Guita Schyfter |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 (36th) | |||
| Jorge Fons | |||
| Gabriel Retes | |||
| Dos crímenes | Roberto Sneider | ||
| El jardín del edén | María Novaro | ||
| Hasta morir | Fernando Sariñana |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 (37th) | |||
| Carlos Carrera | |||
| Oscar Blancarte | |||
| Entre Pancho Villa y una mujer desnuda | Sabina Berman, Isabelle Tardán | ||
| Mujeres insumisas | Alberto Isaac | ||
| La reina de la noche | Arturo Ripstein |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 (38th) | |||
| Sender Unknown | Sin remitente | Carlos Carrera | |
| The Queen of the Night | La reina de la noche | Arturo Ripstein | |
| Entre Pancho Villa y una mujer desnuda | Sabina Berman, Isabelle Tardán | ||
| Dulces compañías | Óscar Blancarte | ||
| Mujeres insumisas | Alberto Isaac |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 (39th) | |||
| Cilantro and Parsley | Cilantro y Perejil | Rafael Montero | |
| Deep Crimson | Profundo carmesí | Arturo Ripstein | |
| Santo Luzbel | Miguel Sabido | ||
| Reclusorio | Ismael Rodríguez | ||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 (40th) | |||
| Por si no te vuelvo a ver | Juan Pablo Villaseñor | ||
| Esmeralda Comes by Night | De noche vienes, Esmeralda | Jaime Humberto Hermosillo | |
| Elisa Before the End of the World | Elisa antes del fin del mundo | Juan Antonio de la Riva |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 (41st) | |||
| Bajo California: El límite del tiempo | Carlos Bolado | ||
| Divine | El evangelio de las maravillas | Óscar Urrutia Lazo | |
| Un embrujo | Carlos Carrera | ||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 (42nd) | |||
| Herod's Law | La ley de Herodes | Luis Estrada | |
| Terminal Rite | Rito terminal | Óscar Urrutia Lazo | |
| Juan, I Forgot I Don't Remember | Del olvido al no me acuerdo | Juan Carlos Rulfo |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 (43rd) | |||
| Amores perros | Alejandro G. Iñárritu | ||
| Violet Perfume: No One Is Listening | Nadie te oye: Perfume de violetas | Marisa Sistach | |
| His Most Serene Highness | Su alteza serenísima | Felipe Cazals | |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 (44th) | |||
| Bedtime Fairy Tales for Crocodiles | Cuentos de hadas para dormir cocodrilos | Ignacio Ortiz | |
| The Mountain Hawk | Ciudades oscuras | Juan Antonio de la Riva | |
| Streeters | De la calle | Gerardo Tort |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 (45th) | |||
| The Crime of Padre Amaro | El crimen del Padre Amaro | Carlos Carrera | |
| Dark City | Ciudades oscuras | Fernando Sariñana | |
| Aro Tolbukhin in the Mind of a Killer | Aro Tolbukhin - En la mente del asesino | Isaac-Pierre Racine, Agustí Villaronga, Lydia Zimmermann |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 (46th) | |||
| El misterio del Trinidad | José Luis García Agraz | ||
| A Thousand Clouds of Peace | Mil nubes de paz cercan el cielo, amor, jamás acabarás de ser amor | Julián Hernández | |
| Japón | Carlos Reygadas | ||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 (47th) | |||
| Duck Season | Temporada de patos | Fernando Eimbcke | |
| Innocent Voices | Voces Spanish; Castilian: inocentes | Luis Mandoki | |
| Manos libres | José Buil | ||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 (48th) | |||
| Mezcal | Ignacio Ortiz | ||
| News from Afar | Noticias lejanas | Ricardo Benet | |
| Las vueltas del citrillo | Felipe Cazals | ||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 (49th) | |||
| Pan's Labyrinth | El laberinto del fauno | Guillermo del Toro | |
| Cronicas | Crónicas | Sebastián Cordero | |
| The Violin | El violín | Francisco Vargas |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 (50th) | |||
| Silent Light | Stellet Licht | Carlos Reygadas | |
| El cobrador: In God We Trust | Cobrador: In God We Trust | Paul Leduc | |
| Old Thieves: The Legend of Artegio | Los ladrones viejos. Las leyendas del artegio | Everardo González |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 (51st) | |||
| Lake Tahoe | Fernando Eimbcke | ||
| I'm Gonna Explode | Voy a explotar | Gerardo Naranjo | |
| Shakespeare and Victor Hugo's Intimacies | Intimidades de Shakespeare y Víctor Hugo | Yulene Olaizola | |
| Los herederos | Jorge Hernández Aldana | ||
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 (52nd) | |||
| Nora's Will | Cinco días sin Nora | Mariana Chenillo | |
| Corazón del Tiempo | Alberto Cortés | ||
| Northless | Norteado | Rigoberto Pérezcano | |
| 2011 (53rd) | |||
| Hell | El infierno | Luis Estrada | |
| Abel | Diego Luna | ||
| Chico Grande | Felipe Cazals | ||
| 2012 (54th) | |||
| Pastorela | Emilio Portes | ||
| Miss Bala | Gerardo Naranjo | ||
| Días de gracia | Everardo Gout | ||
| 2013 (55th) | |||
| The Prize | El premio | Paula Markovitch | |
| The Delay | La demora | Rodrigo Plá | |
| The Last Christeros | Los Últimos Cristeros | Matías Meyer | |
| 2014 (56th) | |||
| The Golden Dream | La jaula de oro | Diego Quemada-Díez | |
| Club Sandwich | Club Sándwich | Fernando Eimbcke | |
| Heli | Amat Escalante | ||
| The Amazing Catfish | Los insólitos peces gato | Claudia Sainte-Luce | |
| She Doesn't Want to Sleep Alone | No quiero dormir sola | Natalia Beristáin | |
| 2015 (57th) | |||
| Güeros | Alonso Ruizpalacios | ||
| Carmin Tropical | Rigoberto Pérezcano | ||
| The Perfect Dictatorship | La dictadura perfecta | Luis Estrada | |
| Guten Tag, Ramón | Jorge Ramírez-Suárez | ||
| The Obscure Spring | Las oscuras primaveras | Ernesto Contreras | |
| 2016 (58th) | |||
| The Chosen Ones | Las elegidas | David Pablos | |
| 600 Miles | 600 Millas | Gabriel Ripstein | |
| Gloria | Christian Keller | ||
| The Thin Yellow Line | La delgada línea amarilla | Celso R. García | |
| A Monster with a Thousand Heads | Un Monstruo de Mil Cabezas | Rodrigo Plá | |
| 2017 (59th) | |||
| The 4th Company | La 4ª Compañía | Mitzi Vanessa Arreola and Amir Galván Cervera | |
| Beauties of the Night | Bellas de noche | Maria Jose Cuevas | |
| From Afar | Desde allá | Lorenzo Vigas | |
| Desierto | Jonás Cuarón | ||
| Mara'akame's Dream | El Sueño del Mara'akame | Federico Cecchetti | |
| You're Killing Me Susana | Me estás matando, Susana | Roberto Sneider | |
| Tempestad | Tatiana Huezo | ||
| 2018 (60th) | |||
| I Dream in Another Language | Sueño en otro idioma | Ernesto Contreras | |
| Intimate Battles | Batallas íntimas | Lucía Gajá | |
| Devil's Freedom | La libertad del diablo | Everardo González | |
| The Untamed | La región salvaje | Amat Escalante | |
| Time Share | Tiempo compartido | Sebastián Hofmann | |
| 2019 (61st) | |||
| Roma | Alfonso Cuarón | ||
| The Chambermaid | La camarista | Lila Avilés | |
| The Good Girls | Las niñas bien | Alejandra Márquez Abella | |
| Our Time | Nuestro tiempo | Carlos Reygadas | |
| Museum | Museo | Alonso Ruizpalacios | |
| Year | English title | Original title | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (62nd) | |||
| I'm No Longer Here | Ya no estoy aquí | Fernando Frías de la Parra | |
| This Is Not Berlin | Esto no es Berlín | Hari Sama | |
| Suffocation | Asfixia | Kenya Marquez | |
| Buy Me a Gun | Cómprame un revólver | Julio Hernández Cordón | |
| Powder | Polvo | José María Yazpik | |
| 2021 (63rd) | |||
| Identifying Features | Sin señas particulares | Fernanda Valadez | |
| Dance of the 41 | El baile de los 41 | David Pablos | |
| The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo | Las tres muertes de Marisela Escobedo | Carlos Pérez Osorio | |
| Los lobos | Los lobos | Samuel Kishi | |
| Tragic Jungle | Selva trágica | Yulene Olaizola | |
| 2022 (64th) | |||
| Prayers for the Stolen | Noche de fuego | Tatiana Huezo | |
| Impossible Things | Cosas imposibles | Ernesto Contreras | |
| Nudo Mixteco | Angeles Cruz | ||
| The Other Tom | The Other Tom | Rodrigo Pla, Laura Santullo | |
| A Cop Movie | Una película de policías | Alonso Ruizpalacios | |