Ventana Sur: Primer Corte, Copia Final Take in New Titles From Rigoberto Perezcano, José María Cabral, Antonella Sudasassi

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent In bigger picture terms, the major highlights of Ventana Sur were a masterclass by Cannes head Thierry Frémaux and an impromptu speech by San Sebastián director José Luis Rebordinos, heads of the most important film festivals in the world and Spanish-speaking world, supporting the continued existence of INCAA. There words came after Argentinian President elect Javier Milei had vowed on the campaign trail to shutter Argentina’s state-backed film-TV agency if voted into power. In industry terms, never has Ventana Sur, Latin America’s most important film-TV market, been this big, its final attendance numbers sky-rocketing to 4,300, some 30% up on 2022, beyond even the wildest expectations of organizers, Cannes Marché du Film and the INCAA.

Ventana Sur’s coveted Paradiso WIP Award, made up of a $10,000 cash prize, went to Brazil’s “The Cuban Doctor.” Its director, Bernard Lessa, reflected on the significance of the award: “It’s a very important initiative and a partner in the cause of Brazilian cinema,” he said, as he expressed his joy at receiving the accolade. Lessa’s story turns on Akin, a Cuban doctor working in Brazil during former President Jair Bolsonaro’s controversial tenure, who faces political headwinds while he’s simply trying to do his job with the respect and kindness his patients deserve.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Habanero Film Sales has snapped up documentary “I Trust You” (“En vos confio”) from Juan Pablo Gugliotta and Nathalia Videla Peña’s Magma Cine (“The Distinguished Citizen,” “1976”) in one of the more significant of multiple deals struck at a hectic Ventana Sur (VS) in Buenos Aires. Directed by Agustin Toscano, whose “The Owners” and “The Snatch Thief” participated in Cannes’ Critics Week and Directors’ Fortnight sidebars in 2013 and 2017, respectively, “I Trust You” follows former nuns Susana and Nélida who have been incarcerated at the Tucumán Women’s Prison since 2006, accused of a crime they insist they did not commit.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Mexican Rigoberto Pérezcano’s “Lovers Fare Goodbye,” a poignant, exquisitely shot tale of star-crossed young love dominated prizes at Primer Corte, Ventana Sur’s key arthouse pic competition. The prize and dozens of others were announced Friday at Latin America’s most important film-TV mart-meet.

Every Friday, The FADER's writers dive into the most exciting new projects released that week. Today, read our thoughts on DJ Haram's Handplay, Clark's Cave Dog, BigXThaPlug's The Biggest, and more.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent BUENOS AIRES — In one of the first deals to close at this week’s Ventana Sur market, Spain’s Latido Films has boarded “Lo Que Quisimos Ser,” written-directed by Alejandro Agresti, produced by Fernando Sokolowicz at Aleph Media, and Gastón Duprat, who have teamed as producer and co-writer-director on “The Distinguished Citizen,” “The Man Next Door,” and “The Artist.” “Lo Que Quisimos Ser” marks the latest film from Agresti, one of Argentina’s most international talents best known for a Hollywood sojourn which saw him directing Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in “The Lake House” and writing Argentina-set, English-language “No somos animales,” with John Cusack. Of his Argentine film, “Valentín” weighs in as a big-hearted coming of age tale of a cross-eyed and very lonely young kid.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Colombian sales and distribution company Doc:Co is venturing into the global sales arena with its first international pick up, Chilean-Colombian co-production “Otra Piel.” The debut feature documentary of Patricia Correa, “Otra Piel” is co-produced by Colombia’s Romeo, 235 Digital and Sonata Films alongside Chile’s Cine Matiz, founded by producer Gabriela Sandoval who co-runs another, more established label, Storyboard Media. The doc revolves around Miguel, who at 38, is not just a taxidermist but also an accomplished hunter.

Addie Morfoot Contributor In the last two years the documentary landscape has shifted from the golden age of docus to the corporate age of docus, making it increasingly difficult for nonfiction filmmakers with projects that aren’t about celebrities or true crimes to find distribution. But HBO Documentary Films is proving that despite being part of a corporate conglomerate, it still wants content that doesn’t necessarily pertain to bold faced names, salacious murders or cults. Proof is Irene Taylor‘s “Trees and Other Entanglements,” a feature doc that uses trees as the main throughline to tell various subject’s personal stories.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent It’s proving a huge and busy Ventana Sur in terms of deal announcements, both sales deals and most especially co-pro pacts across the several hundreds of titles now platformed at Ventana Sur. If you haven’t been able as yet to read the first two Variety Dailies, or haven’t seen them in your inbox, just click on the photos to access Variety’s Ventana Sur Daily One and Two: Variety Ventana Sur Daily One, Monday Nov. 27, 2023 Variety Ventana Sur Daily Two, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023 Enjoy!

Holly Jones “Lonely Hearts,” the highly-anticipated third feature from Brazil’s Berlinale-winner Caru Alves de Souza (“My Name Is Baghdad”), named among 10 Next Gen Talents to Track from the country by Variety in February, and a pair of additional homecoming narratives from burgeoning creatives, Uruguayan director Paula Botana’s“The Burned Women” and Dora Gomez’s “Blanca” out of Paraguay, are among the titles selected for Ventana Sur’s 2023 Punto Genero pitching sessions. Histories unearthed and intimate interpersonal relationships are dominant themes in the remaining selections with films like Argentina-Spain co-production “Brücher.

Callum McLennan Milena Times’ debut feature “November” joins two further titles from Brazil as part of Primer Corte and Copia Final, Ventana Sur‘s pix-in-post industry showdown. It participated in various development guises including BrLab – Audiovisual Project Development Laboratory in 2017, and as a finalist for the Cabíria Screenplay Award, also participating in Cabiria Lab 2020. Fully funded at both state and national levels in Brazil, “November” is a testament to the burgeoning film industry in the country.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Madrid-based Sideral, a production-distribution-sales label launched by Spain’s Elamedia Estudios early this year, has boarded Uruguayan Ventana Sur-Blood Window project “Capital Variable,” the feature debut of Uruguayan helmer-scribe Marco Caltieri. Elamedia Studios CEO Roberto Butragueño will produce the thriller/dark comedy with Sideral’s Paola Botrán and Uruguay’s Clara Charlo of To Je To serving as executive producers. Sideral will be handling international sales on the project, which was pitched at genre forum Blood Window at Ventana Sur, the preeminent annual film-TV market in Buenos Aires, co-organized by Cannes Festival and Marché du Film and by Argentina’s INCAA film institute.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Among the Copia Final titles in Ventana Sur, the Dominican Republic’s “Tiger” (“Tiguere”) by lauded filmmaker José María Cabral (“Woodpeckers”) casts a harsh light on the machismo culture of the Caribbean nation and by extension, Latin America. Shot in a lush mountain retreat, “Tiger” is set in a boot camp where families drop off their teenage sons with the hope that they learn to become “real men.” It is led by boot camp head Alberto, who decides that his son Pablo, an aspiring artist, is ready to join the camp.

a few months back. “There’s just tremendous opportunities now as the market’s tightening to find source IP where, you know, there’s an installed audience,” he added.

Ventana Sur has added this year a big spread from Chile’s TV agency Consejo National de Televisión, which could be a reaction to global platforms pulling out of Chile. In terms of original titles there’s good word on Colombia’s Laura Otálora (“Impermanence”) and Argentina’s Carlos Lascano (“Lina”).

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Jointly organized by Cannes’ Marché du Film with a Thierry Fremaux Cannes Film Week adding star auteur glamor, Ventana Sur turns 15 this week unspooling Nov. 27-Dec.1 at its usual venue of the Universidad Católica Argentina in Buenos Aires’ Puerto Madero, its most modern and most chic of districts.

Anna Marie de la Fuente With Brazil under focus at Ventana Sur’s this year, highlighting the work of Spcine, Cinema do Brazil and Projeto Paradiso, São Paulo film-TV commission Spcine has organized a series of panels and other events to signal Brazil’s return to normal after the devastating tenure of Jair Bolsonaro. With President Lula da Silva back in the saddle since his stunning re-election in October 2022, confidence in Brazil as a partner in film and TV investments is awakening large expectation.

“Hyperballad,” Sophia Mocorrea’s “Marriage by Abduction” and Theo Court’s “Three Dark Nights” feature in a 15-title lineup of Ventana Sur’s Proyecta project lineup which is emerging as Ventana’s industry centerpiece as international co-production becomes vital to more ambitious arthouse filmmaking. Organised by Cannes Marché du Film and the San Sebastian Film Festival, Proyecta received 200 submissions this year, up from 170 in 2022.

Just days after Dana Carvey’s eldest son, Dex, died from a reported drug overdose, the comedian took to social media to thank friends, fans and those who knew Dex for “so many beautiful messages.”

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Co-organized by the Cannes Film Festival and Market and Argentina’s INCAA film-TV agency, late November’s Ventana Sur market looks set to have at least one star: Cannes head Thierry Fremaux himself. Presenting the Cannes Film Week, a extraordinary showcase of 2023 winners led this year by Justine Triet’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” and bowing on Nov.