2022 was a great year for Chilean cinema. Our country’s films broke historic records at international award ceremonies, winning 219 awards at festivals around the world, an unprecedented figure for the national film industry. What is expected for early 2023? We invite you to learn about Chile’s participation in the year’s first four international events, where the country will be represented by 14 films by talented Chilean artists.
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL:
“The Eternal Memory”, by Chilean documentary filmmaker Maite Alberdi, and “Sorcery”, directed by Christopher Murray, had their world premieres during the Sundance International Film Festival, which took place between January 20 and 30 in Park City, United States. In addition to being acclaimed by the public, Alberdi’s film was the winner in the World Cinema Documentary category.
Four other Chilean productions joined these two films: “Rotting in the Sun”, by Sebastián Silva, had its international premiere at Sundance; “AliEN0089”, a techno-thriller by Valeria Hofmann, made its world premiere in the festival’s Midnight section, where Valeria also received Best Director in the Short Film Special Jury Award, International category; and “Quiltro”, by the Chilean-Serbian filmmaker Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, had its premiere in the Dramatic Competition section. There was also a screening of “White Ant”, the first feature film by Shalini Adnani, a screenwriter and director from India who grew up in Chile.
“The Eternal Memory”
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM:
The 52nd edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam took place between January 25 and February 5. It is one of the great events in world cinema, alongside Cannes, Venice and Berlin. On this occasion, the festival received four prominent Chilean directors. The event hosted the world premiere of “El puño del condor” (The fist of the condor), by Ernesto Díaz, and “Las demás” (The others), by Alexandra Hyland. It also hosted the international premiere of “Geranios”, by director Lou Marino, and the European premiere of “AliEN0089”, by Valeria Hoffman. Both of these Chilean films were also selected in the Short and Mid-Length Program.
IBERO-AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL MIAMI:
For the first time, Chile was invited to participate in the Ibero-American Film Festival Miami (IAFFM), the successful Miami festival that promotes the artistic talent of Ibero-American filmmakers and their works. Chile’s debut this January 24 was intended to be its gateway into the US market. Among its selection of works were “Allanamiento” (Trespassing), by Tomás González, which received the festival’s Special Jury Prize, as well as the successful “Estrellas del Desierto” (Desert Stars), directed by Katherine Harder, which received the prize for Best Short Film.
Also shown were “Deshabitada” (Uninhabited), by Camila Donoso, and “Teo”, directed by Eduardo Bunster and Belén Abarza, as well as “María Ojos Negros” (Maria Black Eyes), by Benjamín Brunet, which inaugurated the first edition of the festival’s Work in Progress section.
EFM BERLINALE:
Between February 16 and 22, the European Film Market 2023 will take place in Berlin. The platform focuses on the business and promotion of cinema. This year, outstanding audio-visual pieces will be participating, such as “The Eternal Memory” by Maite Alberdi in Panorama; “Mutt” by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz in Generation 14Plus; and “Los ángeles” (The angels) by Joaquín Cociña and Cristóbal León in World Cinema Market Projects. The production company “Quijote Films” will also be participating n the Company Matching Programme.
Imagen de Chile will also screen the documentary “I am the Earth: stories from the southern edge of the world”, produced by the Oscar-winning Fábula production company and directed by award-winning Chilean director Maite Alberdi. It tells the story of eight Chilean men and women who are contributing to the fight against the climate crisis in different ways, while in turn revealing the global leadership that Chile has taken on in the matter.
“I am the Earth: stories from the southern edge of the world”
2022, a historic year for Chilean cinema
Last year’s agenda for the Chilean film industry was marked by extensive participation in important events around the world. This milestone brought a total of 219 awards in international festivals and events, an unprecedented figure for the country’s industry.
We invite you to go to CinemaChile and relive each and every recognition that outstanding Chilean talent received during 2022.
