Three films by Mexican filmmakers —Diego Luna, Fernando Eimbcke, and Fernanda Tovar (a Mexican of Hispanic descent)—one by a Chilean —Manuela Martelli— and one from Paraguay—Marcelo Martinessi—will compete in the Horizontes Latinos section of the 74th San Sebastián Film Festival, organizers announced on Friday.
Tovar presents his debut feature, *Chicas tristes*, which tells the story of the close friendship between two girls, La Maestra and Paula. The film won the Crystal Bear from the Youth Jury and the Grand Prize from the International Jury for Best Film in the Generation section at the Berlinale.
Also at the Berlinale, in the official competition, Eimbcke’s *Moscas* was screened—a tender black-and-white story about the relationship between a boy and a woman in Mexico City, while the boy’s mother is in the hospital.
Also coming off its screening at the Berlin Film Festival is *Narciso*, Marcelo Martinessi’s second feature film—a portrait of Paraguayan society at the dawn of an authoritarian regime, in which rock & roll and radio become disruptive forces.
“Ceniza en la boca,” Diego Luna’s directorial debut, was screened at a special showing at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of Brenda Navarro’s novel of the same name, which explores themes of family, identity, and migration through the journey of two brothers traveling from Mexico to Spain to reunite with their mother.
And *El deshielo* (The Thaw), with which Martelli competed in the “Un Certain Regard” section at Cannes, is a tense story about the disappearance of a tourist, through which the director allegorically addresses one of her country’s deepest wounds: the disappearances that occurred during Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship.
Five of the films are co-produced with Spain
There are five feature films that are Spanish co-productions, as noted by the festival director, José Luis Rebordinos, and the deputy director and incoming head of the San Sebastián Film Festival, Maialen Beloki, at an event held at the Film Academy’s headquarters.
In addition, Fernando Trueba’s new film *Bajañí* will be screened in the official but out-of-competition section. In this project, Trueba accompanies guitarist Niño Josele on a journey centered around the Spanish guitar, taking viewers to locations in Almería, Madrid, New York, and Brazil.
And the series *Más allá de la sociedad* by Carlos Torres, about the grief of the survivors of the Andes tragedy, which picks up where the film in which Juan Antonio Bayona recounted those events left off.
In addition, among the films to be screened at the Velodrome is *Lejos de los árboles* by Spanish director Meritxell Colell, which tells the story of a woman’s journey through Peru to create a map of sounds—a story that bridges the gap between Europe and the Andes.
As for the official competition section, three Spanish films were announced today: “5 minutos más” by Javier Ruiz Caldera, “El mal padre” by Roberto Bueso, and “Sants” by Mikel Gurrea (“Suro”).
Meanwhile, in the “Perlas” section—dedicated to the best films from other festivals—viewers will be able to see “La bola negra” by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, which won a joint award for Best Director at Cannes, according to Agencia EFE.