What’s New on SANFIC 6

The sixth edition of SANFIC –the Santiago International Film Festival, presented by CorpArtes– will take place between August 17th and August 23rd and will show over 100 movies, including prominent productions of the world’s film industry as well as anticipated local premieres. Also, there will be important members in the jury and international guests, and the effort to extend the festival and seek for new audiences will continue through broadcasting activities targeting the most diverse audiences.
Feature films from 30 countries programmed in 300 showings and over 50 international guests will be a part of this year’s attractive film selection, which besides the International Competition and the Chilean Cinema Competition, incorporates the Local Talent Competition, thought for local filmmaker’s short films. And among the main events in 2010, the impressive presence of world-renowned members of the jury is one reason to tune in. After all, the jury has, at its head, the names that are in charge of defining the winners for the International Competition: applauded filmmakers Isabel Coixet and Abel Ferrara, and the respected Variety film critic Robert Koehler. Making the most out of their presence, our program includes movies that allow us to present a panoramic view of both Coixet’s filmography, and in Abel Ferrara’s case, he will introduce us to his new movie Napoli Napoli Napoli.
Other important members of SANFIC 6’s jury will be: Rodrigo Bellott, one of the main representatives of bolivian’s cinema; Mike Maggiore, from New York’s Film Forum; Nuno Sena, founder and co-director for the IndieLisboa festival; U.S. filmmaker Jim Finn, whom we will also feature in a special event with some of his best works; and Chilean actor and cultural promoter Felipe Braun. As is customary in SANFIC, the films that compete will be presented by one representative of each film. Also, we continue to support Chilean movies that are in progress, specifically the ones that are already filmed and awaiting the post-production: this year we will once again have the Work In Progress section, which also has a jury in charge of important foreign experts.
Our festival will officially open the night of Tuesday, August 17th, with the South American premiere of Abel, the successful second movie of renowned Mexican actor Diego Luna as a filmmaker. He will come especially to Santiago to introduce the movie to our audience personally, alongside his co-producer in Canana Films, Pablo Cruz. Co-produced by American actor John Malkovich, premiered this year at the Sundance Festival and later shown in Cannes, this film is beating box-office records in Mexico, and Luna’s visit to Chile fills the festival -which in 2008 showed his directorial debut, JC Chávez- with pride.
Luna’s aspect as a filmmaker will be doubly present: taking advantage of his visit and Cruz’s, and in the context of the Bicentennial that both Chile and Mexico are celebrating, in the What´s New in Latin America section we will show another Canana production that has stood out this year in the international circuit: Revolución, a collective film that puts together ten short films in charge of some of the most important Mexican filmmakers of recent years, and includes one filmed by the actor, as well as another one by his friend and associate Gael García Bernal. Shown at the last Berlin Festival, the film arrives during the year Mexico celebrates not only its Bicentennial, but also 100 years since the Mexican Revolution. It is precisely the reflection on the nation’s current state what constitutes the main goal for the select group of summoned filmmakers, among which names such as Carlos Reygadas (Batalla en el cielo), Fernando Eimbcke (Duck Season), Gerardo Naranjo (Drama/mex), Rodrigo García (son of Gabriel García Márquez and director of films such as Things you Can Tell Just by Looking at Her) stand out.
Also, as is customary, during SANFIC 6 we will have a series of educational activities for specialized and non-specialized audiences, with the goal of creating audiences. Among these initiatives, we highlight SANFIC va a tu Comuna (SANFIC goes to your Neighborhood), destined to show some of the Festival’s movies in a Moving-Cinema which will visit seven of the capital’s Comunas. It is a real movie theater, with 132 seats, restrooms and air conditioning.
With the same goal of showing the Festival’s films, we are working on bringing back a well-remembered cinema custom: the drive-in cinema -AUTOSANFIC- with a giant screen and a capacity for more than 60 cars. Also, Sanfic en la Nieve (Sanfic at the Snow), which will show films up in the mountains, at Valle Nevado.
Conjointly, between the showings at theaters and the free and special activities at different points of the Metropolitan Area, we trust we will widely surpass the 85,000 viewers SANFIC had in its fifth version. We, the ones who organize this festival, know that each edition represents a greater challenge and are aware of the importance SANFIC has for the country and the film industry; particularly this year, when Chile has had to go through difficult circumstances, culture becomes even more indispensable. For the same reason, our goal is still giving the city and its inhabitants a space for integration, meeting and entertainment through film, so as to continue to open diverse points of expression committed with quality, diversity and plurality.
See you at SANFIC 6!