Señorita Extraviada

• Special Prize of the Jury, Festival de Derechos Humanos de Vitoria, 2004, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
• Prix Documentaire Signis Prize of the Press, 2004, Toulouse, France
• Golden Gandhi: for Best Film, Festival Internacional De Cinema Drets Humans, 2003, Barcelona, Spain
• Amnesty International First Award to an Artist, 2003, Los Angeles, California
• Ariel Award, From the Mexican Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences, Best Mexican Documentary, 2003, Mexico City, Mexico
• Distinguished Documentary Award, I.D.A., International Documentary Association, 2002, Los Angeles, California
• Ms. Magazine, "Women of the Year!" 2002
• Special Jury Prize Sundance Film Festival, 2002, Park City, Utah
• FIPRESCI Award to Best Foreign Film 2002, Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, 2002, Thessaloniki, Greece
• Audience Award for Best Documentary, Cinequest, 2002, San Jose, California
• Prix Tempete Radio-Canada Award for Best Feature Film 2002, Images Du Nouveau Monde, 2002, Quebec, Canada
• Audience Award for Best Documentary, 24th Festival International de Films De Femmes, 2002, Creteil, France
• The Nestor Almendros Human Rights Prize, Human Rights Watch New York Film Festival, 2002, New York City
• Best Documentary, Malaga Film Festival, 2002, Malaga, Spain
• International Premier Award at One World Media Awards, 2002, London, England
• Distinguished Documentary Award, International Documentary Association, 2002, Los Angeles, California
• Grand Prize "Coral" for Best Documentary, Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, 2002, La Habana, Cuba

Corpus; a Home Movie for Selena

• Golden Spire, San Francisco International Film Festival 1999, San Francisco, California

The Devil Never Sleeps/EI Diablo Nunca Duerme

• One of five Best Documentary Awards, International Documentary Association, 1996, Los Angeles, California
• Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival, 1995, San Francisco, California

Mirrors of the Heart

• Silver Hugo, Chicago Film Festival, 1994, Chicago, Illinois
• Silver Apple, National Educational Film and Video Festival, 1994, Oakland, California

Vida

• CINE Golden Eagle, 1990
• Special Mention, San Antonio CineFestival, 1990, San Antonio, Texas

La Ofrenda: The Days of the Dead

• Best Feature Documentary, The Athens Film Festival, 1989, Athens, Ohio
• Honors, International Documentary Association, 1989, Los Angeles, California

Las Madres: The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo

• Emmy Nomination, News and Documentary, 1986, The National Academy of Televison Arts and Sciences
• Academy Award Nomination, Best Documentary, 1986, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,
• Special Jury Prize, Documentary, 1986, United States Film Festival, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Grand Prix Ex-Aquo, Certamen Internacional de Cine Documental y Corto Metrage, 1986, Bilbao, Spain,
• Coral Prize, Feature Documentary, Festival Internacional de Cine Latinoamericano, 1986, Havana, Cuba,
• Second Place for Documentary, Sydney Film Festival,1986, Sydney, Australia,
• Prix du Public and Prix du Presse, Women's Film Festival, 1986, Creteil, France

After the Earthquake/Despues del Terremoto

• Diploma of Honor, Short Film Festival, 1979, Crackow, Poland