February 10, 2020
-Chile is returning this year to the European Film Market (EFM) with more than 20 producers participating in the virtual event and with The Land of Savages (Fernando Guzzoni, Fábula) in the Official Selection of the Co-Production Market
In 2020, Chile had the great honor of being the Focus Country of the Berlinale EFM, an unprecedented milestone for our industry, reaffirming that our country is a creative powerhouse with global impact. More than 70 producers and directors brought their projects in development to the market and set the tone for the future of Chilean cinema in areas such as the Producers Hub, the Berlinale Series Market, and Doc Salon, among many others.
Amid the bustling activity of the Martin Gropius, no one would have imagined that it would be the last time during the year that a Chilean delegation would travel abroad. Now, we are enthusiastically preparing to return to the virtual EFM to be held from March 1-5, recapturing and continuing the same energy we felt during Chile Country in Focus.
The Coproduction Market has brought us some exciting news: the selection of The Land of the Savages by Fernando Guzzoni, the director’s upcoming fourth fiction feature produced by Rocío Jadue (Fabula). The co-production market also includes the participation of 35 films, and it will be interesting to see how Guzzoni approaches a new narrative with the characteristics of his particular author-driven gaze, acclaimed in his debut feature Carne de perro (San Sebastián, 2012) and JESÚS (Toronto and San Sebastián, 2016).
This new film also sees Guzzoni join creative forces with Rocío Jadue, Head of Latin American Film for Fábula. More recently, Jadue worked on Nadie sabe que estoy aquí (Nobody Knows I’m Here), by Gaspar Antillo (Tribeca, 2020) and Una Mujer Fantastica (A Fantastic Woman) (Berlin, 2018), directed by Sebastián Lelio, winner of Chile’s first Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Rocío’s career in Fábula dates back to 2012 when she was executive producer of No, Chile’s first Oscar-nominated film, by Pablo Larraín. She has worked on a total of 15 productions, which have premiered at festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance and Tribeca, among others.
Currently, Guzzoni is also developing Blanquita , produced by Giancarlo Nasi (Quijote) based on one of Chile’s most gruesome political sex scandals of the last decade: the “Spiniak affair”. Both this work and La tierra de los Salvajes highlight the director’s interest in scandals that captivate the general public, as part of a constant search to establish a dialogue with real life.
This year, the online market offers a wide networking platform for producers, sales agents, and international institutions, offering online film screenings and meeting spaces. With the support of ProChile and the Ministry of Cultures, Chile will participate via a virtual stand and a delegation that includes more than 20 producers.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING NEWS STORY! We will be updating this article soon with the latest news about Chile’s participation in EFM 2021!