As a film critic with a penchant for the enigmatic and the profound, I find myself captivated by the vibrant tapestry of stories unfolding across Latin America. The recent news from Cannes’ Critics Week has only served to further pique my interest.
SANTIAGO, Chile — Climaxing Saturday night with an awards, ceremony, where Santiago Maza and Diego Luna passion project “State of Siege” took top honors, Santiago de Chile’s Sanfic and industry arm Sanfic Industria delivered a vibrant edition, confirming the joint event as one of the three key festival-markets in South America.
2024’s twin conference serves as a reflection of significant transformations sweeping across numerous industries within Latin America and beyond. Below you will find seven key insights and notable moments from this year’s event, held between August 18th and 25th in Santiago de Chile:
Sanfic Still Grows
Despite many other important festivals in Latin America experiencing budget cuts from their governments, the Rio de Janeiro Film Festival in October and Mexico’s Guadalajara Festival in June could potentially make a return. On the other hand, Sanfic and Sanfic Industria have persisted and even expanded, reaching ticket sales of 40,000 again by 2023, which is the level they were at before the pandemic.
Submissions for Sanfic Industria’s key sections, for example, were 55% up on 2023, said Gabriela Sandoval, Sanfic Industria head. That reflects the post-pandemic recovery of production in Latin America, plus the ever larger appeal of profile at Sanfic Industria, the key summer film industry event in South America.
According to Sandoval, there was a widespread agreement that this year’s entries in all categories were exceptionally strong, leading us to introduce additional awards. She further stated that this edition stood out as the best one yet, in terms of quality of projects, talented individuals, fresh perspectives, and motivating incentives.
“According to Sanfic Carlos Nuñez, our growth mirrors that of Chile’s film industry. At the Festivals Present and Future panel, he mentioned a resurgence of young audiences, aged 20-30, returning to cinema theaters and Sanfic specifically. Similar to how streaming platforms have sparked interest in non-English language films and series, Sanfic is seeing increased appreciation for a selection that heavily features movies not just from Chile but also from across Latin America.”
Punching Way Above Its Weight: Chile’s Film Industry
Last Sunday evening, Sanfic commenced with a homage to Chilean directors Pablo Larrain, Sebastián Lelio, and Maite Alberdi. Over the years since 2012, their films, starting with Larrain’s “NO,” have garnered five Academy Award nominations, making Chile the South American country with the best Oscar record since 2012. They work in English and collaborate with some of the world’s top female actors to create intriguing portraits of influential figures grappling with controlling their image (“Jackie”) or managing their lives (“Spencer,” “Disobedience,” “The Wonder”). They also blend factual and fictional genres, such as in an espionage mystery (“The Mole Agent”) or a love story (“The Eternal Memory”). Collectively, they are arguably the most accomplished team of filmmakers in Latin America today. It’s no surprise that Fremantle recently renewed its first-look deal with Fabula, the production company behind their latest works.
Consumate Co-Producers
In this contemporary era, we’re witnessing a surge in collaborative filmmaking, primarily to tackle escalating production costs, fulfill creative aspirations of creators, and leverage collective knowledge. Notably, Chile has been a master in co-production practices due to its relatively modest domestic market for two decades. This year at Sanfic Industria, about half the industry news revolved around international co-production agreements, with veterans like Quijote Films, the Chilean team behind “The Settlers,” leading the charge. Additionally, innovative production models are being tested, such as combining Belgian and Spanish tax incentives, as demonstrated by Griselda González Gentile, who unveiled a new co-production project, “Hollow Flowers,” at Sanfic Industria.
Talent in Depth
Chile’s cinematic prowess goes beyond being recognized by just three talented filmmakers. A rich pool of talent emerges, evident at festivals like Sanfic and Sanfic Industria. For instance, Laura Donoso and Alfredo Pourally, both debutant directors, earned accolades for their acclaimed films “Sariri” (winning best performance for Paolo Lattus in the Chilean Film Competition) and “The Fabulous Gold Harvesting Machine” (shared best picture award with “Our Memory,” by Matías Rojas Valencia). Notably, 11 out of the 13 Sanfic festival prize winners were either first or second-time filmmakers, documentaries, or solo features. This underscores Sanfic as a significant launchpad for new cinematic talent.
Female Directors in Focus
At Sanfic Industria, a panel discussion was held focusing on women in filmmaking, with female directors discussing their experiences directing films and series from a gender-inclusive standpoint. This conversation was facilitated by Sandoval, and included the participation of Alberdi, Caro Bloj (“Sincronía”), Rocío García (“Pelokëlan”), and Luz Orlando Brennan (“La estrella que perdí”). The panelists emphasized both the progress being made regarding gender issues and the significant work that still needs to be done. Sandoval pointed out that five of the ten projects in Sanfic Industria’s Ibero-American WIP were directed by women. García mentioned that organizations within Chile, such as APCT, are discussing protocols for preventing gender abuse, encouraging audience involvement in these discussions. Alberdi noted that while there is progress towards parity, it does not yet truly exist, especially when considering that 85% of U.S. films are directed by men. She shared her personal experience of feeling discriminated against in the industry only after becoming a mother and having to defend certain aspects of her life that men do not, such as bringing her son to set. Alberdi also stated that representation of women’s voices is not limited to female protagonists; for example, “The Mole Agent” features male main characters but can be viewed from a feminist, female perspective.
Sanfic Industria Highlight: Bina Daigeler
Based in Madrid, German costume designer Bina Daigeler, winner of the 2024 Sanfic Industry Award, shared insights on the art of costume design during a masterclass. Her expertise spans from “Mulan,” for which she received an Oscar nomination, to “Tar” starring Cate Blanchett under Todd Fields’ direction, and her collaborations with Pedro Almodóvar, such as “All About My Mother,” “Volver,” and the upcoming “The Room Next Door.” Preparation is a crucial element, from meticulous research for movies like “Mulan” to visiting China, to creating detailed budgets that she can justify to producers. Another key aspect is adapting to directors’ and even actors’ visions of their respective films and characters. Daigeler emphasized, “My costumes should reflect the inner world, emotions, and psychology of the actors.” She further added in Chile, “A costume designer must grasp and portray a director’s vision. Every director is their own universe.”
The Deals
12 outstanding selections, either recently unveiled or revealed exclusively by EbMaster, in anticipation or during this year’s Sanfic Industria.
As a movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve joined forces with Paulina Valencia, former executive producer at Ex-Pimienta Films, for Nicolasa Ruiz’s debut feature film titled “The Weird” or “Lo Raro.” This captivating project is under the wing of Cordyceps Content, a renowned Chilean production house led by Matías de Bourguignon, who brought us the critically acclaimed “The Dog Thief.” Ruiz collaborated with Matt Porterfield on the 2024 Cannes’ Critics Week short film “Extinction of the Species,” and I eagerly anticipate what this dynamic duo will create for “The Weird”!
Maite Alberdi, who has been nominated for two Oscars (“The Mole Agent,” “The Eternal Memory”), shared exclusive details about her upcoming fiction film, titled “El Lugar de la Otra” or “In Her Place,” which has been chosen to compete in the main category at San Sebastian, with EbMaster.
Following Stephen King’s description of “The Coffee Table” as “terrible yet terribly amusing, akin to the Coen Brothers’ darkest nightmare,” Sanfic-Mórbido introduced Caye Casas’ subsequent work, titled “The Grand Luciferio’s Show.”
*Isabel Allende’s groundbreaking novel, “The House of the Spirits,” is now in production. Francisca Alegría and Fernanda Urrejola, who previously worked together on “The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future,” are writing and serving as showrunners alongside local director/producer Andrés Wood, known for his work on “News of a Kidnapping.”
*Chile’s Quijote Films has tapped Fabula’s Sergio Karmy to lead new growth plans.
As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that one of my favorite rock bands from Chile, Los Bunkers, has agreed to compose the score for “The Last Witness” (El Ultimo Testigo), an enlightening documentary feature about Luis Poirot. This remarkable individual captured images of Salvador Allende during his campaign, a beaming Victor Jara, and the legendary Pablo Neruda at work, all the way from the 1970s to the recent 2019 social uprising (Estallido), and beyond.
As a movie reviewer, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined forces with Chile’s Juntos Films and esteemed talents from Colombia, Angie Cepeda and Juan Pablo Raba, for the highly anticipated film project, “Domestic Animals.” This noteworthy production is gracing one of the spotlights at Sanfic Fiction Lab Project. Under the guidance of director Rafael Martínez Moreno, this captivating tale is being brought to life by none other than Colombia’s very own Ferviente Films. I can hardly wait to see it unfold on the big screen!
*Santiago Lab Fiction entry “Cupid’s arrow,” the directorial debut of Chile’s Ernesto Melendez, winner of the Guadalajara Co-Production Meeting Award, has signed key cast in Aline Kuppenheim (“1976”), Alejandro Goic (“1976”) and Francisca Gavilán (“Violeta Went to Heaven”). They have also secured the soundtrack rights to the music of iconic 1960s Chilean artist, Cecilia la Incomparable, aka Cecila Pantoja. Story revolves around a foreign actor starring in an erotic gay film who falls for the co-star, his brother-in-law.
In easier-to-understand terms:
The Luminosa Venture Films based in Madrid is preparing to collaborate on the highly anticipated cross-platform animation project titled “Hollow Flowers.”
Germany’s Weltfilm, along with CQ Films from Bolivia, Maravillacine from Argentina, and L’Œil Vif from France, are collaborating to support Martin Boulocq’s “Criminal Body.” This project received a positive response during its showcase at Sanfic Industria’s Ibero-American Work in Progress.
As a movie enthusiast, I’m excited to share my anticipation for the upcoming sci-fi thriller, “La Isla,” set in Southern Chile, gracing our screens from October onwards. This series boasts the talented Daniela Ramirez, who was nominated for an International Emmy for her role in “Isabel: The Intimate Story of Isabel Allende.”
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2024-08-25 23:48