As a film enthusiast with a keen interest in Latin American cinema, I find myself utterly captivated by the vibrant and dynamic scene that is unfolding in Huelva, Spain. The festival’s strategic timing, just two weeks before Ventana Sur, underscores its commitment to supporting films and fostering connections within the industry.
Known as one of Europe’s largest film festivals showcasing movies from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal, the Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival marks its 50th anniversary with a grand event. The main Competition is top-notch, while a fresh display focusing on Spanish films has been added. Here are some notable events and emerging trends at this year’s festival, which takes place from November 15 to 23.
Paz Vega: A Director is Born
This year at the opening ceremony in Huelva, Paz Vega will receive the Premio Luz. This recognition comes at an ideal moment. Known previously as a talented actress – she starred in Adam Sandler’s comedy “Spanglish” and Julio Medem’s exploration “Sex and Lucia” – Vega has recently made her directorial debut with “Rita,” which has received positive reviews. Not only the central character, young Rita, played by Vega, has garnered praise, but also Vega’s directing skills. As El Pais newspaper puts it, “Rita” is beautifully filmed with a keen sense of light, composition, and perspective. The film is already generating significant sales in the market, which is no easy feat for a drama. It seems we have a new director on our hands.
A Rising Tide: Latin America’s Production Build
Initially, Huelva struggled to attract a notable lineup for competitions. However, from the early 2000s onwards, the rise of film schools and favorable film legislation in Latin America has led to an escalating volume of movie production from both Latin America and Spain. This growth is evident as the number of features produced by Latin America increased from 179 in 2003 to 746 in 2023, according to Omdia. Consequently, Huelva received over 1,600 submissions this year compared to just over 1,000 in 2016, as stated by Huelva Festival Director Manuel H. Martín to EbMaster. With the increasing number of films being produced, festivals like Huelva have become crucial marketing platforms for these productions. Yet, festival slots are limited, and if Huelva didn’t exist, someone would likely create something similar.
Cannes, Venice, Berlin, SXSW, Tribeca Winners at Huelva
Eight out of the thirteen Huelva Competition titles this year have been chosen for prestigious film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca or SXSW. Notably, five of these films received awards, with “Bionico’s Bachata” winning the Audience Award at SXSW and “Memories of a Burning Body” receiving a silverware at Berlin. Additionally, “Don’t You Let Me Go” was granted the Nora Ephron Award, while “Manas” earned Venice Days’ Best Director commendation. Martin, the representative, comments that the films are being highly rated by audiences.
A Window Onto Latin American Cinema
Huelva’s main Competition also takes the pulse of current Latin American filmmaking. Titles vary in genre, auteurist viewpoints and themes, Martín notes. A few common threads hold the selection together. Five of its 13 titles have a thriller edge, a trend which dates back to “The Secret in Their Eyes,” Juan José Campanella’s influential Oscar winner, Martín suggests. Nearly all are social issue movies, though the issues range from the emotional toll of activism or revenge, class dynamics, escape from patriarchy and sexual abuse, or belated freedom, intolerance and political makeover. Above all, nine movies in the lineup are first or second features. “We’re very happy to be one of the points of departure for many directors with long careers,” says Martín.
Framing Spain
This year, Huelva has introduced a new section called Acento, showcasing some of the most captivating Spanish films of the year, according to EbMaster’s opinion. The selected movies include “Afternoons of Solitude,” Albert Serra’s film that won the Golden Shell at San Sebastián in 2024 and was highly praised by international media. Also featured is “They Will Be Dust,” a thought-provoking euthanasia drama directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet, which took home Toronto’s most prestigious award, the Platform Prize. Lastly, “La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortes,” a film focusing on the rising star in Spain’s flamenco scene, received special recognition at San Sebastian’s New Directors.
Buzz Titles
“EbMaster” deemed “Afternoons of Solitude” as both “extraordinary” and a significant piece from an evolving filmmaker. Meanwhile, “Igualada” was labeled a captivating, backstage documentary, and “Linda” was hailed as an engaging thriller that demands undivided viewer attention. The Spanish debut film, “La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortes,” by Antón Alvarez (also known as the singer-songwriter C. Tangana), left quite an impression during its San Sebastian premiere. It boasts spectacular scenes, but it’s in the intricate storytelling that reveals Cortés’ deepest tragedy that Alvarez truly displays his narrative prowess.
Gender Pivot
In the initial 42 years, just one female director, Beatriz Flores Silva, won Huelva’s highest honor, the Golden Columbus, with her film “This Tricky Life” (“En la puta vida”), which was a major success in Uruguay. However, since 2017, films by female directors or co-directors have claimed six out of seven awards at Huelva. This year, nearly half of the lineup is directed by women, according to Martin. He notes that they’ve been gradually making progress not only in programming but also in hiring staff towards achieving gender parity.
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Huelva’s Strategic Timing
One of Spain’s significant year-end festivals, Huelva, occurs approximately two weeks before Ventana Sur – Latin America’s largest film market. Almost all competitors have sales representatives, and many plan to attend Ventana Sur. Winning a major prize at Huelva won’t secure a sales deal, but it’s an added advantage as sellers compete fiercely to secure purchases in the rapidly changing Latin American distribution market, which is no longer solely controlled by global streamer pan-regional acquisitions. As Martín explains, “Our primary goal is to facilitate these films’ dissemination. If we can help them reach farther destinations, that’s fantastic.
Dominican Republic Focus
As a cinema enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that following the agreement established at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival with the Dominican state agency DGCine, Huelva will showcase three unique projects from its Film Residency Program. Among these, “La Voz Dominicana” – the first fiction feature by acclaimed documentarian Óliver Olivo (“Yaque”) – delves into a gripping tale where revolutionaries force a producer to manipulate historical truth during a coup d’état. “De Qué Hablamos Cuando Hablamos de Lipo…” by Mariú Benzo, a hybrid documentary, offers a humorous exploration of a filmmaker from a family of doctors as they create a playful documentary on plastic surgery. Lastly, “Historias de Autobús,” directed by Luis Ignacio Rodríguez (part of Malaga Talent), weaves together six diverse narratives, spanning genres from thriller to drama to suspense, all unfolding on a single bus.
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2024-11-15 16:17