‘Chile ‘76’ Trailer: Political Thriller from Kino Lorber Is An Intimate Portrait of Life Under A Brutal Dictatorship

Manuel Betancourt Hundreds of fish lie dead on a riverbed. A lone (lonely?) cow ambles around late at night in a forest. A flock of birds fly in discordant unison up above. The arresting images of nature gone awry in Francisca Alegría’s “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” are but the first clues that this rural-set Chilean feature has a distinct ecological interest. This hypnotic tale about how hard it can be to heal earthly and familial wounds marks a singular feature debut from the director of 2016 short “And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye.” Aptly matching its dizzying and obfuscating title, the film opens with a premise that owes much to Latin America’s most treasured literary genre: magical realism. A young woman, with a motorcycle helmet in tow, emerges from the river where she presumably committed suicide decades ago. She washes ashore only slightly disoriented, caring little for the muddied state she’s in. Audiences, who have been offered an extended view of the verdant landscape around this mystery woman, including of the many fish who will soon be found dead in her wake, have heard a choral song that elucidates (though doesn’t quite clarify) what’s happened: “We’ve lived in agony since she passed away,” the voices sing, “but a drowned woman will come back soaked with life. And like her, we will return one day.” Alegría puts us immediately in a world where spirituality and ecology co-exist, where haunting presences have tangible connections with the physical realm.

Anna Marie de la Fuente CinemaChile’s newly appointed executive director Ximena Baeza makes her Cannes debut as the promotional org presents its annual catalog at the Marché and a sizeable contingent of 27 Chilean production companies present their titles. Baeza, who was selected after a two-month headhunting process in which more than 160 applicants for the position were interviewed, comes armed with nearly 20 years of experience in the marketing and communications field. She was previously director of marketing and content at Imagen de Chile, a country brand agency. Her experience in the entertainment industry runs deep. She worked at Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) for 15 years, where she was assistant manager of marketing and communications. She also held similar posts at Universal Music Chile, Telefónica CTC Chile and MusimundoChile.

Emiliano De Pablos Top Chilean fiction house Parox, producer of “Invisible Heroes,” has kick-started principal photography on international co-production “Los mil días de Allende” (“Allende, the Thousand Days”), a historical drama mini-series about the last three years in the life of Chilean President Salvador Allende. Alfredo Castro – one of Latin America’s most respected actors and a Pablo Larraín regular, star of films such as “Karnawal” and “El Club” – leads the mini-series cast as Allende; Benjamín Vicuña (“Besieged,” “Locked Up”) plays Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The four-episode, 55-minute fiction drama shoot is taking place entirely in Chile, lensing from May 15 for two months, under “Besieged” and “Inés of My Soul” director Nicolás Acuña.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International WestEnd Films and Keshet Studios have unveiled a first look at “Golda” director Guy Nattiv and “Holy Spider” star Zar Amir-Ebrahimi’s political thriller “Judo.” The image, which features Amir-Ebrahimi (left) and Arienne Mandi (right), follows an Iranian female judoka and her coach as they face life-changing decisions during the Judo World Championships. “Judo” (working title) is co-directed by Nattiv and Amir-Ebrahimi. It is co-written by Nattiv and Elham Erfani (“The Case of Sacrifice”). The project is the first feature film to be co-directed by an Iranian and an Israeli filmmaker, during a time when the Iranian government still criminalizes any contact with Israelis, and state violence against women is amplified.

“No one believes in magic anymore:” In the devastating aftermath of World War I, veteran Raphaël (Raphaël Thiéry) returns home and discovers that not only has he been widowed, but he is the father to an infant girl, Juliette (Juliette Jouan). In the years that follow, Juliette is raised by her father in rural Normandy, growing into a lonely young girl who seeks refuge in her passion for singing.

Anna Marie de la Fuente As Chile hosts its third Docs in Progress Showcase at Cannes’ Marché du Film, it brings to the fore one of the richest and most prolific documentary traditions in Latin America, led by such figures as Patricio Guzmán, whose 2019 “The Cordillera of Dreams” won the Cannes Golden Eye, and Maite Alberdi, whose 2020 “The Mole Agent” snagged an Oscar nomination. Spurred by a major jump in co-productions and a modest increase in state funding, more Chilean documentaries are being made — 24 are co-productions to date this year, many driven by women producers, says Paula Ossandon, head of Chiledoc, apublic-private alliance between  the Chilean Documentary Corp. (CCDoc) and ProChile.

Anna Marie de la Fuente The Eternal Memory Chile, U.S. DIRECTOR: Maite Alberdi Alberdi’s follow-up to Oscar- nominated “The Mole Agent” snagged Sundance’s top doc award and a worldwide distribution deal with MTV at Sundance. Co-produced by Fabula, it centers on a loving elderly couple struggling with the man’s fading memory.  The Cardinal (“El Cardenal”) Chile, Argentina, Brazil

Anna Marie de la Fuente Co-productions are increasingly the norm in Chile where state funds remain scant in a market of a mere 19.5 million inhabitants. Its new president’s campaign pledge last year to more than double the state’s contribution to the arts is not quite a reality, with a 16% increase noted so far. On the bright side, there has been an uptick in private funding, with some 50% of a film’s budget covered by private investors. To date, the audiovisual sector has seen a 31.5% increase in state funding this year compared to 2022. Chilean filmmakers are also exploring new genres, straying from traditional dramas. More often than not — as in Maite Alberdi’s Sundance win for 2023’s “The Eternal Memory” — Chilean cinema has triumphed at one major festival or awards event after another.

Siobhan McSweeney’s BAFTA acceptance speech was edited out of the BAFTA TV Awards ceremony broadcast on Sunday. McSweeney won the best female comedy performance BAFTA for playing Sister Michael in Channel 4’s Northern Ireland-set show “Derry Girls.” During her speech McSweeney said: “I am daily impressed with how you encompass the spirit of compromise and resilience despite the indignities, ignorance, and stupidity of your so-called leaders in Dublin, Stormont and Westminster. In the words of my beloved Sister Michael, ‘It’s time they started to wise up.'” These lines were cut from the broadcast.

“I always imagined this moment.” Amidst the bodies of dead fish succumbing to pollution caused by deadly chemicals from a nearby factory rises Magdalena. Magdalena (Mía Maestro), long-deceased, brings with her not only the shock of resurrection, but old wounds and a litany of family secrets, setting the stage for “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future,” the feature-length debut from young Chilean director Francisca Alegría.

“I always imagined this moment.” Amidst the bodies of dead fish succumbing to pollution caused by deadly chemicals from a nearby factory rises Magdalena. Magdalena (Mía Maestro), long-deceased, brings with her not only the shock of resurrection, but old wounds and a litany of family secrets, setting the stage for “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future,” the feature-length debut from young Chilean director Francisca Alegría.

EXCLUSIVE: Kino Lorber has acquired all U.S. rights to documentary Ever Deadly about avant-garde Inuk throat singer-songwriter, novelist, visual artist and activist Tanya Tagaq.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Chile’s preeminent scribe Julio Rojas, whose serial podcast “Case 63” was Spotify’s most popular podcast in Latin America and was adapted into English with Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac starring, is writing his first romcom after the global success of “Case 63.” Titled “Detras de ti” (“I Got Your Back,” working title), the upcoming project is being co-produced by Spain’s EvaFilms and David Naranjo’s Pris & Batty, best known for its hit comedies “8 apellidos vascos,” “8 apellidos catalanes” and “Toc toc.” “Ever since I listened to ‘Case 63,’ I was very keen to work with Julio and bring his work to the big screen,” said Eva Cebrián of EvaFilms, adding: “Julio is an indisputable storyteller who has most understood the audio format, given his deep experience as a screenwriter.”

If you want to watch one of the most unique and stylish directorial debuts of the past five years, definitely check out Andrew Patterson’s “The Vast of Night.” That film is one of the best-underseen films of 2020, and announced Patterson as a filmmaker to keep an eye on. Now, it appears he’s about to level up in a big way with his next film, “The Rivals of Amziah King.” READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2020 You Didn’t See According to Black Bear International, handling sales for the film, Andrew Patterson’s next film is set to be “The Rivals of Amziah King,” which will feature Matthew McConaughey as the lead.

Elizabeth Debicki and director Giuseppe Capotondi teamed up in 2019 for “The Burnt Orange Heresy,” a devilish thriller about the art world, forgery, and the lengths one will go to protect one’s image. Now THR reports that the duo will work together again on a new thriller from producer James Ivory.

EXCLUSIVE: UK sales outfit SC Films International has acquired world rights to the thriller Captive from producer Antony I. Ginnane (Screamers), and to be directed by Louise Alston (Back of the Net).

Victoria Grace, who plays Wendy Shin on Days of Our Lives, is withdrawing her nomination from the Daytime Emmys.

EXCLUSIVE: James McAvoy is set to star in Control, a high-concept action/thriller that will be directed by Red helmer Robert Schwentke and backed by Studiocanal and The Picture Company.  Shooting will begin in Berlin this summer.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2023 has come to an end. It was two epic weekends full of fun as artists from different genres and backgrounds took the stage. 2023 saw historic moments, like Bad Bunny, the first Latin solo artist to ever headline the festival.

Sophia Scorziello editor Pedro Almodóvar’s queer Western short film “Strange Way of Life” has released its first trailer. The short, which stars Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, is somewhat akin to a “Brokeback Mountain” revamp, or moreso, a chance for Almodóvar to do finally do it his way. Almost two decades ago, the Spanish filmmaker was offered the opportunity to direct the Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger film, but gave up the offer in fear he wouldn’t have the creative freedom to make the movie how he wanted it. “This is a queer western in the sense that there are two men, and they love each other, and they behave in that situation in an opposite way,” said Almodóvar on an episode of “Dua Lipa: At Your Service.” “What I can tell you about the film is that it has a lot of the elements of the Western. It has the gunslinger. It has the ranch. It has the sheriff. But what it has that most Westerns don’t have is the kind of dialogue that I don’t think a Western film has ever captured between two men. And now I think I’m telling you too much.”