Pablo Larraín, Sebastián Lelio, Maite Alberdi Grace Guadalajara Fest
The Chilean star power is in full force at the 41st Guadalajara Film Festival (FICG) where Pablo Larrain, Sebastián Lelio and Maite Alberdi lead a large contingent from Chile as the festival’s host of honor.
“They are our golden generation of filmmakers – many of whom achieved international recognition, including Oscar nominations and wins, while still in their 40s – who helped us along this path,” said CinemaChile director and co-founder Alexandra Galvis. Variety. “The selection of these three is no coincidence: beyond their achievements, they share a common ground in navigating the industry on a global level, collaborating with platforms like Netflix while maintaining a clear, uncompromising artistic voice.”
All three are among the ten winners of this edition, which also includes a retrospective on Alejandro Jodorowsky, a cult filmmaker and key figure in surrealist cinema, whose work has left a lasting impression in Latin America and on the world stage.
One of the festival industry highlights will be a masterclass from Larraín and his brother producer Juan de Dios Larraín with Francisco Ramos, Netflix’s VP Latin American Content, moderating the lecture.
Larraín, whose films have been nominated for several Oscars, has become a leading voice in contemporary cinema, known for his sharp critique of power, memory and political history. His major works include ‘No’, ‘The Club’, ‘Neruda’, ‘Tony Manero’ and his trilogy ‘Jackie’, ‘Spencer’ and ‘Maria’.
Known for his intimate and human explorations of identity, Lelio rose to international fame with ‘Gloria’ and his Oscar-winning ‘A Fantastic Woman’, as well as ‘Disobedience’ and ‘The Wave’, which premiered at Cannes.
Alberdi stands out for her tender, accurate observation of everyday life. Her Oscar-nominated documentaries ‘The Mole Agent’ and ‘The Eternal Memory’ brought her worldwide recognition. She recently directed her first fiction film ‘In Her Place’ and the docudrama ‘A Child of My Own’ premiered at the Berlinale.
“Gloria,” “The Club” and four Alberdi docs, including the Mexican set “A Child of My Own,” will screen alongside a selection of Chilean shorts, features and series showing at the festival, some in competition.
FICG will also screen two episodes of Prime Video’s ambitious series “The House of the Sprits,” led by Chilean showrunners Francisca Alegría, Fernanda Urrejola and Andres Wood. The limited series adaptation of Isabel Allende’s iconic debut novel will premiere worldwide on the giant streamer on April 29.
Also previewed is “Raza Brava,” the football-themed series from international Emmy winner Hernán Caffiero, produced by DeCulto, Atómica’s Wild Sheep Content and Erik Barmack.
Chilean series have grown tremendously since Chile was the festival’s guest of honor in 2019, Galvis noted. “’Raza Brava’ couldn’t be more timely given the upcoming FIFA World Cup this summer,” she said.
“We are a delegation of more than 100 people, and I find it very meaningful that two countries can connect with such a strong cultural dialogue,” said Daniel Laguna, executive secretary of the Chilean Audiovisual Development Fund. “We are very similar, and that similarity becomes a real strength in collaboration. It generates a kind of creative virtuosity when we work together – something that both countries benefit from.”
Top of the agenda is a Mexican-Chilean co-production meeting with Caffiero, Mexican producers Edher Campos (Machete) and Nicolás Celis (Pimienta Films), Chilean actress Paulina Garcia and Mexican director Iria Gómez participating in a panel.
“This is essentially an attempt to reactivate that interest in a co-production deal that was first proposed in 2019,” said Gabriela Sandoval, Storyboard producer and director of producers association APCT.
“The idea is that the co-production agreement will be similar to the newer agreements signed with Spain or the agreement that will be signed with Uruguay. The agreement with Spain is already in force and includes not only feature films, but also series,” Sandoval said.
Chile’s presence also extends to the festival juries, with prominent industry figures including García (Premio Mezcal); producer Beatriz Rosselot (Ibero-American documentary); filmmaker Hugo Covarrubias (animation); directors Patricio Valladares and Jorge Olguín (Genre Cinema) and Agustín Olivera Sepúlveda, from the University of Valparaíso, in the youth jury.
