Blood Window Lab, Latin America’s Biggest Genre Project Forum, Underscores the Rise of Latino Smart Genre (EXCLUSIVE)
27.10.2023 - 19:55
/ variety.com
John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent “No Me Sigas,” the directorial debut of “Anything’s Possible” writer Ximena García Lecuona, and “Malamuerte,” from Caye Casas, a rising star of pitch black Spanish comedy, both feature in a rich and far-ranging 2023 Blood Window Lab, the project platform of Ventana Sur’s genre forum, which unspools Nov. 27-Dec. 1.
The projects are joined by other buzz titles such as “Into the Spiral,” from Facundo Escudero Salinas, whose thriller, “Broken,” ranks as one of the top 10 most watched Argentine films of 2023. Also anticipated is “Planet, billed as “a vast depiction of unprecedented worldwide alien contact, exploring different cultures and societal classes through their experiences with the phenomenon,” and directed by Fredrik S. Hana, a 2022 Meliès d’Or Award for “From.Beyond.” The projects form part of 22 titles as submissions are up 20% this year on last, notes Javier Fernández, head of the Blood Window Program.
That rise comes as little surprise. As big company lineups at the American Film Market next week underscore, smart genre, in its multiple variations, remains one of the securest market plays in an uncertain world, backed by an appetite from global streamers. Latin American sales companies such as FilmSharks, Black Mandala and Mantícora are also moving into genre pic sales, Fernández notes.
For Latin America, other factors are at work, however. “The program is very diverse and explores many different narratives and mythologies,” says Fernández. Yet there may be trends.