Three Colombian films are to be screened at the Miami Film Festival, while four were presented at the Fribourg Festival. Felipe Holguín's La suprema (The Supreme), a film supported by the Film Development Fund - FDC and featured at the Bogotá Audiovisual Market - BAM 2022, is included in both events and already received The Ecumenical Jury Award in Fribourg.
The Fribourg Festival held its 38th edition from March 15 to 24, an annual platform to showcase a selection of international cinema. Founded in 1980 in the Swiss city of Fribourg, the Festival aims to promote independent and auteur cinema. In addition to screenings, the festival provides opportunities for discussion and reflection on various aspects of the film industry.
In the International Feature Competition was La suprema, a movie set in a forgotten town where electricity is scarce and a teenager aspires to be a boxer. When she learns that her uncle will be boxing for the world title and that the fight will be televised live, she and her community go to great lengths to witness the event while fighting for their dignity and against being overlooked. The film premiered in the Discovery section of the Toronto International Film Festival and has been screened at the 49th edition of the Huelva Film Festival and the Havana 2022 International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, where it received the Coral Award for Post-Production, among others. Now it has received The Ecumenical Jury Award in Fribourg.
Anderson Ascanio's El rastro del agua (The Trail of Water) made its European debut in the International Short Film Competition. The film portrays a woman who clings to her past amid her daily routine, struggling to balance work and tradition, trying not to let go without the certainty of recovering what's been lost. After screenings at the 62nd Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (FICCI), the International Competition of the 12th Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, the 8th Lúdico Latin American Short Film Festival (Costa Rica) and the 3rd Cinemancia Metropolitan Film Festival, among others, the short film arrived in Fribourg.
Also in this category, Luthier by Carlos González Penagos, an animated short produced by the stop-motion studio Puna, celebrated its world premiere. The story follows a solitary violin maker who toils away in his forest workshop until a chance event leads him to create a magical instrument. The film was previously featured in the National Competition of the 21st Bogotá Short Film Festival / Festival de Cortos de Bogotá - Bogoshorts.
In the Cinema de Genre section, we had Henry Rincón's La ciudad de las fieras (The City of Beasts), which tells the story of Tato, an aimless orphan and young rap music enthusiast. Along with his friends Pitu and La Crespa, Tato tries to resist the temptations of crime and death by immersing himself in the world of hip-hop and improvisation rap battles. Forced to leave his neighborhood, Tato has no choice but to move to the countryside and live with Octavio, his grandfather, a flower farmer he has never met and who wants to pass on his rural traditions. The clash of two generations and lifestyles, coupled with a pervasive sense of loss, death, and loneliness, shapes Tato's quest for survival and self-discovery. On the festival circuit, the film has won awards such as the Best Ibero-American Film Award at the UrbanWorld Film Festival (USA) and the Warner Media Award for Best Ibero-American Film at the Miami Film Festival in 2021.
Three films in Miami
Founded in 1984, the Miami Film Festival (MFF) is held annually in this Florida city. It has become a leading platform for presenting international and Latin American cinema. In addition to screenings, the festival offers panel discussions, special events, and networking opportunities for industry professionals and cinephiles alike. The 41st edition will take place from April 5 to 14.
Representing Colombia this year is Felipe Holguín's La suprema in the Silverspot Cinema section and the Jordan Ressler First Feature Film Award. Also in these sections is Agua salá (Salt Water), a feature film written and directed by Steven Morales Pineda. The film centers on Roberto, who struggles with conflicting emotions of disgust, lust, and affection when he reunites with the priest who abused him as a child.
In Spotlight on Cuba is Patricia Juárez's co-production Antihéroe (Antihero; USA, Mexico, Colombia), a documentary that explores the life and work of José Manuel Domínguez and the world of people with disabilities. Domínguez, a blind Cuban writer, actor, and director, creates plays through his organization, Proyecto Antihéroes. His artistic endeavors go beyond raising awareness about disability to include its challenges, achievements, and the quest for inclusion.
