At the San Sebastian Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, projects such as Gabriela Amaral Almeida’s “She, Crocodile,” Victoria Galardi’s “The Hedgehogs,” and “Rambler” by Mexico’s Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez are being showcased among 14 market-bound films.
The selection includes works from both seasoned filmmakers like Argentina’s Santiago Loza and Bolivia’s Martin Boulocq, as well as rising talents such as Cuba’s Rosa María Rodríguez, Argentina’s Natalia Meta, Paraguay’s Pablo Lamar, and Mexico’s Natalia López Gallardo.
This year’s forum presents one of its most compelling lineups, driven by the prestige of the leading Latin American co-production event in Europe and the pressing need for co-productions due to rising production costs and Argentina’s struggling film industry.
“She, Crocodile” represents the debut feature from South, a new production company based in New York City and São Paulo, co-founded by Alice Braga of ‘Queen of the South’ fame and ‘3%’ star Bianca Comparato. Directed by Amaral Almeida, known for her acclaimed 2017 film “Friendly Beast,” this project is eagerly anticipated.
Victoria Galardi makes a return with “The Hedgehogs,” marking her first film since “I Thought It Was a Party” a decade ago. Galardi is known for her dynamic and emotional explorations of solitude and family life, as seen in her previous works “Lovely Loneliness” and “Cerro Bayo.”
In “Rambler,” Rondero and Valadez shift from the central Mexico setting of their previous films to depict the “chaos, violence, and vertigo” of Mexico City across three different time periods.
Among the 14 films, four offer brief insights: Rosa María Rodríguez Pupo’s “Her Lightness” is produced by Armando Capó, Cristina Gallego, and Martha Orozco; Hernán Rosselli’s “Hard-Boiled School” has attracted seven international production partners.
12 of the 14 titles come to the Co-Production Forum with international co-producers already involved. The goal remains to secure additional partners to counteract the decline in minimum guarantees offered by foreign sales agents.