The 71st edition of the San Sebastian Festival will host the world premiere of El otro hijo (The Other Son) by Juan Sebastián Quebrada in the New Directors section, along with Pirsas by Angélica María Torres Tamayo in the Nest Competition. Colombian director Kathy Mitrani will also be part of this section with the U.S. short film Sombras nada más (Only shadows). Additionally, Colombia will present Mi bestia (My beast) by Camila Beltrán and Selva (Jungle) by Juan Miguel Gelacio and Esteban Hoyos García in the WIP Latam category, and Todo esto eran mangas (This used to be grasslands) by Daniela Abad in the Co-Production Forum. A delegation from Colombia will actively participate in this event, as well. Cristina Gallego will be on the Official Jury of this edition and Juanita Onzaga will be on the Kutxabank-New Directors Award Jury.
The San Sebastian International Film Festival (SSIFF), from September 22 to 30 this year, cements its position as the world's most significant Spanish-language film event. El otro hijo, marking Juan Sebastián Quebrada's debut feature film from Colombia, will compete in the New Directors section—an international competition showcasing first or second feature films by emerging filmmakers, that have not been previously released and were produced in the past year.
El otro hijo is produced by Evidencia Films, led by Franco Lolli, in co-production with Geko Films (France) and Le TiroCine (Argentina). The film has received support from two grants provided by the Fondo para el Desarrollo Cinematográfico - FDC (Production and Writing), with additional backing from Caracol Televisión and Dago García Producciones. In this movie, Federico and his brother Simón live life to the fullest during their adolescence until the tragic day when Simón falls to his death from a balcony at a party. As their family environment crumbles, Federico attempts to continue his school routine during the last weeks of the term. Unable to mourn, he grows closer to Laura, his late brother's girlfriend, who offers him some semblance of solace.
The Nest, a festival section exclusively dedicated to short films from film schools worldwide, represents the festival's commitment to nurturing future talent. This is where the industry showcases emerging global talents, including those who later become internationally recognized filmmakers. The section will also feature the world premiere of the documentary short film Pirsas, a Colombian production written and directed by Angélica María Torres Tamayo.
Offering an intimate perspective, the short film delves into the tragic events involving the Scouts No. 4 Pirsas group on March 18, 2006, in the Nevado del Ruiz region of Colombia. This incident resulted in the loss of 11 young lives, including the director's brother. Fast forward fifteen years, Angélica extends an invitation to her parents, urging them to retrace the very journey her brother took before his untimely passing. This poignant reunion serves as an opportunity to confront lingering questions and grapple with the profound void left by these multiple losses.
The film was brought to life through the collaborative efforts of Jaime E. Manrique and Angélica María Torres Tamayo, in conjunction with Guateque Cine, Black Velvet Laboratories, and Persona Cine. It originally emerged as one of the theses within the Master's Program in Cultural and Audiovisual Management at the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano de Bogotá. In 2021, the project was featured as part of the BFM Incubator at the Bogoshorts Film Market - BFM, a platform dedicated to fostering the co-production of Ibero-American short films within the framework of the Bogotá Short Film Festival.
In the same festival section, Kathy Mitrani, a Colombian filmmaker, will present Sombras nada más. This American short film is the outcome of her Master's in Screenwriting and Film Directing program at Columbia University in New York. The storyline revolves around Marisol, who, during the anniversary of her husband's passing, stumbles upon human remains at the neighbor's construction site. This eerie discovery terrifies Marisol, a superstitious visionary, prompting her to confront her own mortality.
Regarding the festival's Industry sections, two Colombian productions are participating in WIP Latam, a space that seeks to promote Latin American film production and support the completion of films in post-production. The first film featured is Mi bestia by Camila Beltrán, which received funding from the FDC in the 2019 Fiction Feature Film Production category. This project gained recognition at the Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum at San Sebastian in 2020, where it secured the ARTE Kino Award. It has also received support from the Normandy Region Writing Fund and the Brittany International Co-Development Fund in 2019. Additionally, it took part in the Moulin d'Andé Writing Residency (CECI) in 2018, Cannes Focus Copro 2021, and Eave Puentes 2021.
The story unfolds in Bogotá in 1996, amidst frequent power outages, as a rumor spreads that the Devil will arrive during an impending lunar eclipse. Panic grips the town, and Mila, in her adolescence, becomes deeply affected by this prophecy. Overwhelmed by the prevailing fear and influenced by the superstitions of her maid, Mila starts interpreting every life event as a potential omen. The world around her takes on an increasingly surreal quality, and Mila herself feels a profound transformation underway.
In the same section, we find Selva by Juan Miguel Gelacio and Esteban Hoyos García. The film revolves around a flock of flamingos that have recently appeared in the skies over Bogotá. Their origins are unknown, but it's evident they've lost their way. Julián, too, is lost in his own way. After spending five years working in a call center, his life has become a monotonous routine, and he feels utterly disconnected from the world around him.
A strange call at work sets off his sudden disappearance, leaving no trace behind. Selva captures Julian's final day in Bogotá, his encounters with those who matter most to him, and his journey into oblivion. The film was featured in the 17th edition of the International Producers Meeting (EIP), an event aimed at bolstering Latin American feature film projects in their early stages. This took place during the Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (FICCI) in 2022.
The 2023 edition of the Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum will include the Colombian production Todo esto eran mangas (This used to be grasslands) by Daniela Abad. This forum aims to promote audiovisual project development, encourage collaboration among professionals, and enhance their access to new international markets.
The film is produced by La Selva Cine and Mirlanda Torres and is a recipient of the FDC grant in the screenwriting category for fiction feature films. It revolves around the story of Sofía and her mother, Lorena, who appear to be part of Medellín's affluent class in the 1990s. Sofia finds solace in the mall, the car, and her spacious home, cherishing the freedom her vehicle symbolizes. However, beneath this facade, they grapple with a crisis: Carlos, the father, has been absent for months, embarking on a business trip that never ended. His absence leaves them in a precarious situation, and without him, their world begins to crumble.
Lorena must navigate the challenges of managing the family's finances, a responsibility she has never shouldered before. Sofia, on the other hand, faces her repressed homosexuality in a puritanical society, all while bearing the burden of being the daughter of a mobster whose supposed business trip is, in reality, a prison sentence in the United States.
