Across the board, May was marked by the reactivation of our film industry. While some projects prepared their final details before filming, others finished shooting and entered post-production. Announcements included festival selections in Annecy and Malága, as well as the participation of top directors in international series. Check out all these milestones (and many more) as we say “THAT’S A WRAP!” to the month of May.

With so much going on in virtual platforms and digital news sources, sometimes it’s easy to miss out on key info. Here we quickly bring together some of the month’s landmarks so you never again have to worry about not being on top of your Chilean industry scoop!

We have fresh new content taking over social media! #cinemachileretro on Instagram is a space where nostalgia and memories take us back  on a weekly basis to different time periods throughout our filmic history.  In this edition, we are remembering when Chilean-Spanish director Theo Court dazzled the Venice jury with his third film “White on White”, winning the Silver Lion for Best Director (Orizzonti).

If you still don’t follow us on Spotify, now is the time! Click below to listen to a new episode of CinemaChile Talks, where we chatted with Oscar nominee Marcela Santibáñez (Micromundo Producciones), Rocío Jadue (Fabula), and Alejandra García (Wood). Together we answered key questions about their personal experiences as producers, sharing laughs and exclusive anecdotes along the way. Don’t miss it!

Also, El estallido, the new series by Emmy winner Hernán Caffiero, announced important news; and 4 films with Chilean participation are slated for Málaga.

Valeria Hofmann (director) and Rodrigo Díaz (producer) are the creators behind The Ram’s nap, selected in the Short Documentary Film Competition of Málaga. The striking film creates a visual map of emotional and  familial ties crossed between Chile and Spain, discovering identity through food. With its European premiere slated for June 10th, it weaves together a reflection about the different ways that one can inhabit territories, memory, digital connections, the kitchen, and art.

“This selection is a great honor that will allow us to promote the work of Valeria and the production company Brisa at one of the most renowned festivals in the region, where  such great Chilean titles have been screened in past years. It is without a doubt a very special selection because it’s the first time the film will be seen in a movie theater since its premiere at FIDBA in September 2020,” says Díaz.

Hofmann is a Chilean screenwriter and director who focuses on themes that delve into  topics of the body and technology. She’s a director of the MAFI collective (Spanish acronym for “Filmic Map of a Country”), and was one of the participating directors of Propaganda (2013) and Dios (2019), both of which premiered at Visions Du Réel.

Díaz is the producer behind one of the most successful Chilean short films as of late, Austral Fever (2019), premiering in Venice and screened at TIFF, San Sebastián, and NYFF, among others. In 2020 he founded the production company Parina Films, dedicated to the development and promotion of emerging talents.

This month we honor the life of two great icons of Chilean theater and film, who created transcendental works during times of dictatorship and exile.

Sergio Navarro (1943-2021) was an acclaimed documentary filmmaker with a body of work that includes more than 20 titles, acutely observing Chilean society throughout all of his career. Steward of New Chilean Cinema, he co-directed the feature film Vías paralelas (1975) with Cristián Sánchez. Up until his death he dedicated himself to imparting his experience at a multitude of schools and film workshops around the country.

From an early age, Orietta Escámez (1938-2021) stood out for her acting abilities. With more than 50 years of experience, she participated in dozens of theater productions. Her film debut was in 1957 in Tres miradas a la calle by Naum Kramarenco, that portrayed domestic violence for the first time on screen. Her ascending career brought her to work with Raúl Ruiz on La maleta (1963), one of the most important Chilean short films in our history.

We mourn their loss and know that their memory will live on eternally.