Santiago International Film Festival: A celebration of Latin American cinema
A milestone year for Sanfic
Running from August 18 to 25, the Santiago International Film Festival (Sanfic) marks its 20th edition, alongside its industry section, Sanfic Industria, now in its 13th year. This festival arrives at a time of promising growth for Chile and Latin America’s audiovisual industries.
Sanfic Industria, co-founded by Gabriela Sandoval, has evolved to support Ibero-American filmmakers, keeping pace with the latest advancements in the entertainment world. This year, the festival introduces Sanfic XR, a sidebar dedicated to virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences, allowing attendees to explore cutting-edge extended reality projects from Chile and beyond.
Exploring new realities
Sanfic XR, now in its third year, expands its content and venues, including tech center CRTIC and cultural center Matucana 100. Among the standout projects is Cerati XR, an augmented reality journey through surreal landscapes where songs like “Lisa,” “Corazón Delator,” and “Raíz” come alive in hypnotic visuals, blending music and animation in a singular universe.
Another highlight is Ancestral Secret VR, co-produced by Chile’s Galgo Storytelling and Germany’s NowHere Media. This immersive experience transports viewers into the physical and sacred worlds of Peru’s Indigenous Q’eros community, blending Indigenous knowledge with avant-garde technologies.
A platform for diverse voices
Sanfic Industria’s staples include the Ibero-American Work in Progress, Santiago LAB (fiction and documentary), Series LAB (fiction and documentary), Producers Lab, Sanfic-Morbido Lab, Sanfic Series (series premieres), Sanfic ODS LAB, and Sanfic NET: Business Roundtables.
The Sanfic Series sidebar, launched in 2019, will premiere two documentary series: Versus by Mexican director Raúl Cuesta Jiménez, which centers on the intense effort, sacrifice, and dedication required for a tennis player like Nicolás Jarry to achieve a top world ranking, and The 43 from Ayotzinapa: A State Crime, which explores the decade-long fight of the 43 disappeared students’ parents for justice and accountability from the Mexican State.
Reflections on Latin American cinema
Latin American cinema stands out for its audiovisual power and unique storytelling perspectives. Despite challenges like unstable conditions and limited state support, producers and creators craft diverse narratives that address regional social and political issues, including historical memory, human rights, migration, and diversity. Recent trends emphasize storytelling with dignity and respect while exploring a wider range of genres for global audiences. Co-productions are increasingly vital, particularly for countries with limited funding, and new generations of filmmakers are enriching the industry with fresh narratives and perspectives.
The rise of Chilean cinema
Chilean cinema is experiencing significant growth, with established professionals and emerging talents offering fresh perspectives and production models. This progress is evident in the increasing presence of Chilean content in international festivals and industry spaces. However, a major challenge remains: low local audience engagement, despite international recognition. To address this, Chile needs public policies that not only promote national content but also ensure its presence in theaters, along with a strong public channel to support content distribution. Additionally, more incentives for audiovisual production are necessary to sustain Chilean cinema’s growth and evolution.
International acclaim and collaboration
Chilean cinema is thriving globally, with over 300 international awards in 2023. Chilean productions are gaining widespread distribution and often involve international collaboration. Major platforms like Netflix back these projects, boosting their global reach. Notable examples include El Conde, which earned an Oscar nomination for best cinematography, and La Memoria Infinita, nominated for best documentary. These achievements not only elevate Chilean cinema but also spotlight Spanish-language films on the world stage.
The resurgence of genre films
The horror/fantasy genre of cinema has experienced a surge in productions over the past decade, which we’ve seen at various transversal festivals and platforms, where it has been labeled as the new “Art House Horror.” This resurgence is largely thanks to the emergence of creators and producers with fresh approaches to narrative and aesthetics, moving away from the 1980s style, gore, and psychological sadism. All of this contributes to better circulation and internationalization of horror and fantasy genre films, and Ibero-American cinema is a great example of this. From this context, Sanfic-Morbido was born with the goal of strengthening the genre cinema industry: horror/fantasy in the region.
Celebrating industry leaders
As part of the festival’s anniversary, Sanfic will present the Industria Award to three international guests who have been key to the development and contribution to the Ibero-American audiovisual sector. The honorees are John Hopewell, Elena Vilardell, and Bina Daigeler, each recognized for their significant contributions to the industry.
Looking ahead
For the first time this year, the Conference of Ibero-American Audiovisual and Cinematographic Authorities (CAACI) will hold their advisory councils during Sanfic Industria, featuring public events on topics like “Tax Incentives for Audiovisual Production,” “The Role of the Producer in Current Times,” and ”Gender, Cultural Diversity, and Sexual Identity: How These Are Important for a Project.”
With 14 public events in total, this year’s Sanfic promises to be a rich and engaging celebration of Latin American cinema, offering a platform for diverse voices and innovative storytelling.
For more information on the festival and to explore the trailers of the featured films and series, visit the following links: