We are pleased to see such a considerable presence of Chile in the 70th edition of the San Sebastián Film Festival. The different productions and projects present in both official and market sections have been very successful and also stand out as they begin their tour with their debut films in San Sebastian, as well as others for their extensive previous journey in festivals and markets internationally. This certainly opens the way and is a motivation for the emergence of new creative voices.

We had the opportunity to interview the director Diego Céspedes, who will participate in the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section with his new short film The melting creatures, also director Alba Gaviraghi presents in the industry her debut film The Only Children and director Felipe Carmona, who will participate in Wip Latam section with his feature film Penal Cordillera.

Through this practical guide divided into 3 great steps, you can learn exclusively about the different stages in which they are and the process to promote and premiere their projects in international meetings.

We invite you to immerse yourself in the creative and distribution course through this new exclusive interview that we have prepared for you!

The first instances of industry, in international meeting events, are one of the most important factors in order to begin to learn of potential international investors and co-producers.

Alba Gaviraghi’s The Only Children will begin its journey in San Sebastian.

The feature is her debut film and previously she had the opportunity to participate in the laboratory Catapulta of FICUNAM (Mexico) and then in the CinemaChile Market Lab, where she won the award for best film project to attend the Industry Club of San Sebastián. The feature will continue its journey during the EGEDA Next Gen Fin Film Lab and in October at the Valdivia International Film Festival in the Encuentros Australes section.

	“In those overwhelming instances like markets and places full of people from all over the world, the only thing that can be a refuge and a tool is to be honest and intuitive with the film and with ourselves.”

How do you live the experience of participating in San Sebastian with your film?

I’m happy and expectant that the first market in which The Only Children is promoted is San Sebastian. I think that the Spanish-speaking and Latin American industry that meets there has an ideal profile to be the partners of the film, so we hope to add a Spanish and Mexican partner in those days, while new collaborations with other latitudes arise.

What do you feel they brought to the project, and to you as a filmmaker, these industry instances and laboratories like CinemaChile Market Lab?

They brought a lot of clarity on the theme of the project. I could feel that national colleagues were interested and empathetic.

In turn, the same happened with people from other countries such as France and Mexico, who could connect and be interested in a world as apparently local and particular as the penguin and pokemon phenomenon that occurred in Chile. That was amazing and very motivating.

What have been the challenges during the development of The Only Children?

One of the biggest challenges has been to start setting up a crew. Once a solid team is assembled, both in production and in the fundamental artistic roles and the cast, there is undoubtedly another big challenge: making the film. Something that in itself is both difficult and enormously rewarding.

What could you recommend to other directors who start their career in the industry with their debut films?

There are two things that are said a lot about the national debut and that I would like to problematize. First, that first films often want to talk about many themes, feelings and emotions as if it were the only chance to make a film in life. I consider that this drive is good but there is always a call to measure and focus artistically understanding the piece beyond our own authorial view.

It is also said that it costs a lot to raise funding with debut operas and I confirm that it is a huge challenge, but there is no auteur film that is not difficult to finance so it is a point that should not discourage us.

One of the steps it also requires with a great preparation process is post-production and the search for festivals to make the long-awaited world premiere. Penal cordillera is the feature debut of Chilean director Felipe Carmona, who has already had an extensive tour in 5 markets since 2017, participating and being awarded in: Bafici Bal in Buenos Aires, FidLab Marseille in France, Sanfic Industria in Chile and in the FICG market in Guadalajara.

In addition, in 2019 it was the only project selected by the Carolina Foundation, obtaining a residency in Madrid to complete the screenwriting process together with expert advisers. After this, Penal Cordillera won the co-production fund with Brazil and finally Ibermedia.

	“For a first film, it is essential to design the journey, to know which market to attend. It is not the same to apply to one or the other, so we must study the options and journeys that other films took so we have an affinity with ours. Studying it and at the same time understanding that markets change year after year”

What has been your main challenge in Penal Cordillera at a scriptwriting and directing level? 

I proposed to the actors to approach the characters without mannerisms or stereotypes, giving place to the humane touch of those monsters. In the first script readings we talked a lot, we were creating in a very thin line, and many times before filming some complex scene, we took longer than necessary because the cast questioned certain things. This somewhat uncertain creative process finally helped achieve performances that are truly remarkable.

But as a director and writer I had to be prepared to respond at any time and for that it helped me a lot to fully know my script, because although all dialogues or scenes can be modified in the same set, there’s a skeleton so solid that it allows you to deal with that, be open to the changes that an actor proposes or to defend your idea.

What do you feel have brought to the project previous industry instances?

It has brought so much to our projects. I think we could not have shot the film without the strong and intelligent development we did with Omar Zúñiga, Coto Naranjo and Dominga Sotomayor of Cinestación. Since we decided to present the project at Bal Bafici in 2017, we had a fortunate journey where the proposal of the script and the aesthetic attracted a lot of attention, especially abroad.

There we met new partners who joined us along the way as our co-producers in Brazil, at FidLab Marseille we were able to meet our sales agent who resides in France and we are very happy to collaborate with all of them. We felt that the film was gaining more core as it took a step further in the industry and became more solid for the filming stage.

Could you summarize in 3 milestones the process of creating a first film?

	Find a story that needs to be told. There’s nothing more wonderful when that day comes and there is an image you’ve had for years in your head, and you see it through the viewfinder of the camera while on set with your crew and cast.

	Be able to bring that story to a solid script. When you find that, regardless of how the script is written, if it’s more or less conventional, there’s a day when the script talks to you in some way and tells you, okay, I’m ready, let’s shoot.

	Find the right producers who really want to shoot your film, be able to discover them, rest in them, go a step ahead and give you absolute freedom in the creative process. In that sense Omar and Dominga for me have been like two angels.

What could you recommend to other directors who start their career in industry with their first films?

It’s a lot of things. First, they develop a good storyline, a better treatment and a letter of intent that when reading it is undeniable that you have to film that story.

Second, that they devour everything they find about the processes of other films that they have liked or that they feel have similarities with theirs.  Study their development, read the credits and look for the market and industry instances and laboratories logo to check out where these films were before, look for interviews of their directors and producers.

And third and most important: patience and perseverance. I have seen beautiful films in development that fall for one reason or another that is discouraging, but at the same time I do not know anyone who has not continued fighting to shoot their film and who has not succeeded.

Undoubtedly one of the final stages for all projects is the participation and selection in different festivals at international level. In this line, Diego Céspedes gives us several clues.

His second short film The melting creatures, without a doubt, has had a great journey and international recognition during this year, premiering at the Festival de Cannes and a few weeks ago at TIFF. In addition, the director has had the recent experience of this step with his first filmThe Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo at the Venice Film Festival.

	“There is no need to prepare a speech or know exactly what you will say to a producer, let the conversation be fluid, but knowing the rules of the game, know what the other person is looking for and know how to listen“

What were your challenges in Venice with your first film?

We went looking for the last part of the financing and the last details that needed to be ready for pre-production, so we arrived at Venice quite safely. The feature has had a successful run at other festivals, with many laboratories and residences, which have given us an interesting experience to know how this works.

What was the hardest part of the process?

The experience has been very fluid, because you get used to timing, to meetings. So, you know what you’re going for and the people who are at the market or festival already know what to ask you. It is a sincere experience with what one needs and above all practical, where one does not have much to think.

One of the key points is the experience of the producers, they have helped me and guided me along the way. I am asked what the film is about and why. I answer those two questions and move on to explain the artistic part of the project, but it is my producers who are there to explain the hardest part

How have you lived the previous experience and during this year the run through 3 festivals? 

My two short films have had the opportunity to be in festivals such as Cannes and San Sebastian. All these big festivals have their respective market, so it’s really good to get into these markets and festivals when you have a project, they are waiting to support you. In that sense they support the author from the beginning, and even help you develop the next one, all the festivals are in the same line.

It is very likely that if you go to Cannes with a short film, you can participate in other development instances in Cannes and the same with San Sebastian. We have been having that continuity with these two festivals and it has been very fruitful, they have helped me to acquire enough experience in a period of four years, where now everything becomes more fluid and we no longer waste time.

What could you recommend to other directors who start their festival career with their first or second production?

I think the main thing is not to be prepared so much. A common mistake is to prepare a lot, you have to know your film, while you know everything else will be fluid.

Everyone is looking for something in particular, a producer does not come without knowing what he wants to find in a market, so one as a director must also know what he is looking for, if you open that spectrum, everything is easier. Us in Venice with my feature were looking for a distributor, so the first thing we brought up at the meetings was the status of the project and what it needs, and so we don’t take huge turns, the meetings become shorter, and we can feel more relaxed.