Ventana Sur is one of the biggest and most important film markets in Latin America, and Marché du Film’s (Cannes Film Festival) biggest initiative outside of France. Organised by Argentina’s National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) and Marché du Film, the event will run from November 30 to December 4 2020.
Each year, Ventana Sur brings together more than 3000 accredited participants, including more than 250 buyers and sellers from across five continents. Taking on a hybrid format this year, the international event will provide prospective buyers with digital screenings of more than 100 Latin American films and 50 selected European films, 35 of which will also be shown in selected cinemas in Latin America and Europe.
Ventana Sur promotes Latin American content of all genres. The Primer Corte and Copia Final categories highlight films in various stages of post-production or those that have only recently been completed. The Blood Window category specialises in fantasy genre while Animation is exclusively for animated projects. The Punto Género space draws attention to productions by Latin American women and non-binary people.
Now in its 12th year, the Ventana Sur line-up reveals a new generation of Latin American filmmakers, with women often at the forefront. Of the twelve directors selected in the Primer Corte and Copia Final category, only three have done more than two features. Here’s a quick look at some of the featured films this year.
My Brothers Dream Awake
The latest feature from Mapuche writer-director, Claudia Huaquimilla, whose debut Bad Influence (Mala Junta) won the Audience Award at the Toulouse Latin American Cinema Festival, will screen in this year’s Copia Final category. Shot during the resurgence of Mapuche opposition to the Chilean government, My Brothers Dream Awake continues to investigate Chile’s deep-rooted inequalities. The film follows two brothers, Ángel and Franco, as they plot their escape from a juvenile detention centre.
The Mother (A mãe)
Also featuring in this year’s edition is The Mother (A mãe) from Brazilian Cristiano Burlan. Part drama, part investigative thriller, Burlan’s latest film tackles one woman’s struggle to recover the body of her son after he is murdered by the police. The film sheds light on Brazil’s police force, one of the deadliest in the world, and the functioning of structural racism in Brazilian society.
Fogaréu
Acclaimed Brazilian production house Bananeira Filmes, which co-produced Lucrecia Martel’s Zama, participates in Ventana Sur 2020 with newcomer Flávia Neves’ Fogaréu. In this thrilling debut, the line between fact and fiction is blurred. Brazil’s colonial past and overwhelming modernity of the present agribusiness come to a head as one young girl investigates her ancestral roots.
La Barbarie
US-born Andrew Sala, who has lived in Argentina his whole life, features in this year’s edition with La Barbarie. Teenage Nacho flees the violence of his home in Buenos Aires and seeks refuge with his estranged father, a ranch owner. At the Santa Inés ranch, where social difference and casual violence prevail, Nacho will have to fight for his place at the top.
Ventana Sur has indisputably become a key event in the film industry calendar and, since its creation in 2009, has played a significant role in bringing Latin American cinema to the rest of the world. This year’s edition is set to unveil a wealth of burgeoning talents and new and exciting audiovisual content. For more information, visit the Ventana Sur website.
