Notícias

In Her Place is a Chilean Netflix original that is a historical crime drama that circles around an author and the murder she committed in full public view. Based on a real-life incident that took place in the year 1955, the film has many characters in the form of witnesses and family members who offer a statement to the judge as the case goes to trial. One of the characters is fascinated by the alleged culprit, and she’s practically a voyeur as the case unfolds bit by bit.

Spoilers Ahead

Mercedes

Elisa Zulueta, the Chilean actress, is Mercedes, the court clerk, who is having a hard time with work and running her home at the same time. She is married and has two sons, and all of them live together inside a tiny apartment, and she is tired of the lack of personal space as the place is also being...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2, 2024.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

Entries for the 2025 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.

The 97th Academy Awards is set to take place on March 3, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (over 40 minutes) produced outside the US with a predominantly (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.

Submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between November 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The deadline for submissions to the Academy is October 2.

A shortlist of 15 finalists is scheduled to...

At long last, we now have at least one festival premiere set for one of our most-anticipated films of the year. Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Serpent’s Path, a remake of his superb, bad-vibes 1998 thriller that stars Damien Bonnard, Mathieu Amalric, Ko Shibasaki, and Drive My Car‘s Hidetoshi Nishijima, is now set for a premiere as part of San Sebastián Film Festival’s Official Selection.

Taking place September 20-28, the lineup also features the latest from Edward Berger, Gia Coppola, Costa-Gavras, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Mike Leigh, Diego Lerman, Joshua Oppenheimer, and François Ozon. While we could see Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Serpent’s Path pop up at other fall fests, it’s exciting to know it’s finally seeing the light of day.

Check out the full lineup below.

Bound In Heaven

Xin Huo (China)

Country(ies) of production: China

Cast: Ni Ni, You Zhou

This film narrates the poignant tale of a...

For Chile’s most celebrated documentarian Maite Alberdi, whose debut fiction pic “El lugar de la otra” vies for the Golden Shell at the 72nd San Sebastian Film Festival (Ssif), venturing into fiction filmmaking posed a number of challenges. But it also had its perks: it took her only a month to shoot the drama while it has taken her an average of five years each time to complete a documentary, two of which, “The Eternal Memory” and “The Mole Agent,” have garnered Oscar nominations.

Recreating ‘50s Santiago for her period film was no mean feat for her art department, led by Pamela Chamorro, given the paucity of buildings dating back from that era. “Earthquakes and the lack of government policies to preserve our architectural heritage, has seen few buildings of past eras still standing in Santiago,” Alberdi told Variety.

Working with a host of actors, numbering around 50, was also a new experience.

The San Sebastián Film Festival has revealed a bumper Official Selection for its latest edition, which will unfold from September 20 — 28.

The festival, which is celebrating its 72nd edition, will screen new films from established filmmakers such as Edward Berger, Gia Coppola, Costa-Gavras, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Mike Leigh, Diego Lerman, Joshua Oppenheimer, and François Ozon alongside works from new filmmakers including Laura Carreira and Xin Huo.

Coppola’s The Last Showgirl heads to San Sebastián following a debut in Toronto. The film stars Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Dave Bautista. The film’s plot follows a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show closes after a 30-year run. Also heading to Spain from The Six is Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin. The British-Spanish production is said to portray the everyday life of a London family, addressing such issues as family relations,...

Pablo Larraín’s primary mode is deconstruction, of everything from genre to myth to ideology. But given its intensely subjective point of view, El Conde shares more in common with Spencer and Jackie than the filmmaker’s earlier investigations into Chile’s tumultuous past, Post Mortem and No. The film seeks to dispense with the historical record and imagine what happens behind closed doors. Of course, there’s one important difference here: El Conde is certainly no stickler for verisimilitude, as the Augusto Pinochet (Jaime Vadell) of this film is a morose vampire fasting from blood in order to ease himself into death.

That premise might suggest that Larraín has sympathy for the devil, but El Conde is no hagiography. The film renders Pinochet as an aging, ever-prattling child of sorts, who no longer wants to live in a Chile that has no appreciation for all his “great work,” nor...

Putting the blackened, flash-frozen heart of Chile’s undead past into a blender, blitzing it to a lumpen pulp and guzzling down the result with grimly comic relish, Pablo Larraín, after his Hollywood forays with “Spencer” and “Jackie,” returns to his home turf and finds it bleeding out from a mysterious two-hole puncture on its neck. “El Conde” — the Chilean director’s uncategorizably bizarre riff on vampire mythos, cronyist corruption and the more mundane horror that is a squabbling family divvying up their patriarchal inheritance while the patriarch is still around — coils itself around an inventively nasty literalization of the idea that the evil that men does lives after them. Those words, spoken over Caesar’s body in “Julius Caesar,” sparked a war that ended a republic. With his iteration, Larraín aims to do his part in delivering a republic instead, bringing his elegantly foul exercise in gallows humor to bear,...

Netflix has debuted the trailer for Pablo Larraín’s horror satire ‘El Conde.’

The movie is a dark comedy/horror that imagines a parallel universe inspired by the recent history of Chile. The film portrays Augusto Pinochet, a symbol of world fascism, as a vampire who lives hidden in a ruined mansion in the cold southern tip of the continent. Feeding his appetite for evil to sustain his existence.

After two hundred and fifty years of life, Pinochet has decided to stop drinking blood and abandon the privilege of eternal life. He can no longer bear that the world remembers him as a thief. Despite the disappointing and opportunistic nature of his family, he finds new inspiration to continue living a life of vital and counterrevolutionary passion through an unexpected relationship.

Directed by Larrain, Chilean actors Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro and Paula Luchsinger star. They are joined by Catalina Guerra,...

As you may recall, a mysterious Netflix movie titled The Count had been rated “R” earlier this year for “strong violence and gore” and “graphic nudity,” and we now know the project is from director Pablo Larraín (Spencer), officially titled El Conde and coming soon to Netflix.

El Conde will premiere on Netflix on September 15, 2023. Watch the trailer below for a taste of the black & white vampire movie, which looks like a highly unique new take on the genre.

“El Conde is a dark comedy/horror that imagines a parallel universe inspired by the recent history of Chile. The film portrays Augusto Pinochet, a symbol of world fascism, as a vampire who lives hidden in a ruined mansion in the cold southern tip of the continent.

“Feeding his appetite for evil to sustain his existence. After two hundred and fifty years of life, Pinochet has decided to stop drinking blood...

As he bounces back and forth between English-language projects and Chilean features, Pablo Larraín is following Spencer with El Conde, which imagines Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet (Jaime Vadell) as an aged vampire who, after 250 years in this world, has decided to die once and for all, due to ailments brought about by his dishonor and family conflicts. Ahead of a Venice Film Festival premiere, followed by a September 15 release on Netflix and theatrical release the same month, the first trailer has now arrived. Meanwhile, Larraín is also prepping to kick off production on his Maria Callas biopic starring Angelina Jolie.

“I understand that there may be things linked to my family and life that could affect the way I see all this,” Larraín told IndieWire. “In Chile, many, many families have seen both sides of the story and different perceptions of it. Maybe mine is more known because there are known politicians in it,...

Hundreds of fish lie dead on a riverbed. A lone (lonely?) cow ambles around late at night in a forest. A flock of birds fly in discordant unison up above. The arresting images of nature gone awry in Francisca Alegría’s “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” are but the first clues that this rural-set Chilean feature has a distinct ecological interest. This hypnotic tale about how hard it can be to heal earthly and familial wounds marks a singular feature debut from the director of 2016 short “And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye.”

Aptly matching its dizzying and obfuscating title, the film opens with a premise that owes much to Latin America’s most treasured literary genre: magical realism. A young woman, with a motorcycle helmet in tow, emerges from the river where she presumably committed suicide decades ago. She washes ashore only slightly disoriented,...

Francisca Alegría’s The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future is an object lesson in what can result when a work of art subordinates itself to a message. And in this case, that the message of ecological redemption feels too little too late makes the film’s failure to give it resonance all the more frustrating. Between its half-realized characters, unresolved plotlines, and perfunctory stab at magical realism, it’s hard to take this story as seriously as it takes itself.

Set in present-day rural Chile, the film opens with Magdalena (Mía Maestro) washing up on the banks of a river alongside the bodies of countless fish. The woman, it turns out, drowned decades earlier after driving her motorcycle into the water. Having aged not a day since the accident—or was it suicide?—she wanders into the village where she used to live. And it’s there that Magdalena’s former husband,...

Leonor Varela with Anne-Katrin Titze on The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future: “For me the stories that came to mind to build my character had to do with familiar echoes in the disconnect …”

Francisca Alegría’s The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future (La Vaca Que Cantó Una Canción Hacia El Futuro), co-written with Fernanda Urrejola, Manuela Infante and shot by Inti Briones, stars Leonor Varela with Mia Maestro, Alfredo Castro, Marcial Tagle, Enzo Ferrada Rosati, Laura Del Rio Rios, María Velasquez, and 2222, the cow.

Leonor Varela as Cecilia with a calf: “it’s so sad, they’re separated from their mother very early on, but their instinct is to suck.” Photo: Inti Briones

In recent years, a number of outstanding films brought to the forefront an issue society at large is all too willing to ignore, namely the treatment of farm animals and...

"I'm not a common criminal." "What are you then?" Kino Lorber has debuted their official trailer for Chile '76, an acclaimed Chilean drama based on a true story, from actress turned director Manuela Martelli. This premiered in the Quinzaine des Cinéastes sidebar at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival last year, and is also playing at New Directors/New Films in NYC on April 7th. Set in Chile, 1976. Carmen heads off to her beach house. When the family priest asks her to take care of a young man he is sheltering in secret, Carmen steps onto unexplored territories, away from the quiet life she is used to. Aline Kuppenheim stars as Carmen, as she is "inadvertently drawn into the world of the Chilean political opposition and must face real-world threats she is unprepared to handle, with potentially disastrous consequences for her and her entire family." The cast also includes Alejandro Goic, Hugo Medina,...

Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Kino Lorber releases the film in theaters on Friday, May 19.

“The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future” uses magical realism to blend the story of a family deeply scarred by a suicide decades ago, and a fable of Mother Nature crying out for help. Thankfully, Francisca Alegría’s feature debut manages to be hauntingly moving and hopeful instead of angry and pessimistic, like Adam McKay’s recent doomsday satire “Don’t Look Up.”

The fish are dying from pollution, the bees are disappearing, and the milking cows are not far behind, not unlike the beginning of Douglas Adam’s “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” And like the 2005 adaptation of the book, the lamentations of the animals is presented in song form, with the fish and cows singing woes of death and despair, begging for their...

Title: Gloria Director: Sebastián Lelio Starring: Paulina García, Sergio Hernández, Diego Fontecilla, Fabiola Zamora, Alejandro Goic, Coca Guazzini, Hugo Moraga, Luz Jiménez, Cristián Carvajal, Liliana García, Antonia Santa María, Eyal Meyer, Marcial Tagle, Marcela Said. ‘Gloria’ is a Chilean-Spanish drama directed by Sebastián Lelio, that premiered in competition at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, where Paulina García won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. Gloria (Paulina García) is a 58 year old divorcée. Her children have all left home but she has no desire to spend her days and nights alone. Determined to defy old age and loneliness, she rushes headlong into a whirl of singles’ parties on the [ Read More ]

The post Gloria Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Chicago – The controversy swirling around Pablo Larraín’s Oscar-nominee “No” is typical of the outrage garnered by many a historical drama. Since the film focuses solely on one crucial segment of the activism that ousted Chilean dictator Pinochet during the 1988 plebiscite, some viewers will complain that not every hero in the tale is represented. Of course, that’s what encyclopedias are for.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Just as Spielberg’s “Lincoln” brilliantly explored the complicated, occasionally deceptive efforts that were vital in achieving slavery’s abolishment with the passage of the 13th Amendment, Larraín’s “No” focuses on the marketing campaign that built support for the anti-Pinochet movement. Both films are invaluable portraits of tenacious trailblazers who were able to win over the hearts and minds of timid voters. Yet whereas “Lincoln” was shot in widescreen, painterly compositions, “No” adopts the exact style of the game-changing ads its film celebrates.

Read Matt Fagerholm...

No | Hitchcock | Warm Bodies | I Give It A Year | Wreck-It Ralph | I Wish | A Liar's Autobiography – The Untrue Story Of Monty Python's Graham Chapman | The Fall Of The Essex Boys

No (15)

(Pablo Larraín, 2012, Chi/Fra/Us) Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle. 118 mins

Advertising and revolution form an unlikely but powerful allegiance in this factually based Chilean movie, in which archive TV footage blends seamlessly with a bold, retro-video aesthetic. It's 1988 and, bowing to international pressure, General Pinochet has ceded 15 minutes of state airtime to the campaign to vote against him. Enter Bernal as a smart ad exec charged with "selling" democracy, though his Coke-commercial strategy exposes political divisions, media ironies and personal vulnerabilities.

Hitchcock (12A)

(Sacha Gervasi, 2012, Us) Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson. 98 mins

Disappointingly, the real making of Psycho is a mere backdrop for this fanciful tale of Hitch's (fictional) marriage anxieties,...

Director: Pablo Larraín; Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano; Starring: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle; Running time: 118 mins; Certificate: 15

Advertising becomes a force for good in the absorbing Chilean drama No. Gael García Bernal stars as René, a Don Draperish ad exec who helps shape the 1988 campaign to unseat dictator Augusto Pinochet, but the retro cool look and fashionable cynicism that invites comparison to Mad Men is merely an undercurrent, threatening to pull René down while he strives for higher ideals.

Early scenes inside the boardroom also evoke the AMC series, but with a wry nod to today's more sophisticated audience. René presents a typically '80s cola commercial, filled with young, beautiful people randomly prancing about, flicking their hair and grinning ecstatically. A cut to a mime makes the client squirm, begging the question: is this the American dream, or a nightmare?

René is nonetheless successful.

Title: No Sony Pictures Classics Director: Pablo Larraín Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano, from Antonio Skarmeta’s play “Referendum” Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Luis Gnecco, Antonia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, Nestor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell Screened at: Sony, NYC, 1/25/13 Opens: February 15, 2013 When I interviewed Salvador Allende in 1967 as part of a group operating under a Fulbright fellowship, I considered him to be the most charismatic guy I’d ever met. But then, somehow, people of radical political persuasions do seem bolder than most politicians with a more moderate bent. He arrived in a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket, and could have passed for a young, hip dude despite his being [ Read More ]

The post No Movie Review 2 appeared first on Shockya.com.

Title: No Director: Pablo Larraín Starring: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana One of this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Film is among the Spotlight features presented at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. A short title – No – refers to the ad campaign launched by the opposition to General Augusto Pinochet’s quest to remain in power in Chile in 1988. In an effort to encourage democracy, the government approved fifteen minutes of ad time for “Yes” and fifteen minutes of ad time for “No.” As the film’s opening titles explain, this is the story of the “No” side, led by the [ Read More ]

The post No Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Debuting at Cannes last year to immaculate early reviews, Pablo Larraín’s No recently became the first Oscar-nominated film from Chile, making itself felt in the Best Foreign Language Film category last week.

Gael García Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries) takes the lead here, and Network Releasing have put out an altered UK trailer in recognition of the film’s Oscar nomination.

“In 1988, Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, due to international pressure, is forced to call a plebiscite on his presidency. The country will vote Yes or No to Pinochet extending his rule for another eight years. Opposition leaders for the No persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. Against all odds, with scant resources and under scrutiny by the despot’s minions, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and set Chile free.”

Starring alongside García Bernal is Alfredo Castro,...

Sony Pictures Classics has unveiled the trailer for Gael Garcia Bernal's Spanish-language "No" film, co-starring Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, Nestor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell and Pascal Montero. Check it out below. Plot: When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, facing international pressure, calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. With scant resources and constant scrutiny by the despot's watchmen, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and free their country from oppression. The new movie is written and directed by Pablo Larrain and is set to hit theaters on February 15th, 2013, in limited release. Trailer:...

Pablo Larrain‘s latest project No, which won the top prize at Cannes 44th Directors’ Fortnight, finally opens this February, and today we’re here to share the latest trailer for the whole thing. In other words – make sure you check out Gael Garcia Bernal who stars as a young advertising executive aka the man who encouraged the Chilean public to vote no to Pinochet leading the nation for another eight years.

Larrain directed the movie from a script written by Pedro Peirano which is based on Antonio Skarmeta‘s play El Plebiscito.

Based on true events, film centers on an ad man named Rene Saavedra who, when Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet staged a referendum in 1988 to gain a further eight-year term in office, launched a brilliantly upbeat ad campaign which, against all odds, ousted Pinochet from power.

Beside Garcia Bernal, No also stars Alfredo Castro, Antónia Zegers, Marcial Tagle,...

Sony Pictures Classics has released, via Yahoo! Movies , the trailer for Pablo Larraín's No , set to hit theaters in a limited release on February 15, 2013. Written by Pedro Peirano, No stars Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antónia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell and Pascal Montero. When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, facing international pressure, calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. With scant resources and constant scrutiny by the despot.s watchmen, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and free their country from oppression.

Glad you asked. Now that the entire programming slate has been announced for the 2013 edition of the Sundance Film Festival, let’s take a look at the representation of Latinos in the broadest, most diverse sense, because that is what that ill-defined lump category encompasses. {Full disclosure: I work as a Programming Associate for the Festival. These are not reviews but an insider breaking-it-down preview}

At first glance the Latino representation may not seem obvious. Nor may it seem as strong as the films and filmmakers from the African-American and Lgbt community representing, or the record breaking number of female directors’ – each group highly visible by their nature. We may not have a Mosquita y Mari or Filly Brown, two fiction films, which broke out of the festival this past year, but we do have two hugely relevant and urgent documentaries, Narco Cultura which explores the phenomenal music and social culture being shaped and perpetuated by the influence of Mexico’s violent drug cartels, and Who Is Dayani Cristal? an innovative doc-fiction hybrid produced by Gael Garcia Bernal that will hopefully re-divert much needed attention back to the Us/Mexico border. By the way, Who is Dayani Cristal? screens in the high profile Day One slot.

What’s Latino anyway?

I personally embrace the responsibility of changing the conversation as to what constitutes representing American Latinos. First, by focusing on both the above-the- line-talent (filmmaker or actor) And storyline/subject. The second part is highlighting the second, third, fourth and so-on generations of filmmakers. What about the filmmakers in the festival like Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G), Liz W. Garcia (The Lifeguard) and Eduardo Sanchez (S-vhs horror anthology and co-director of the infamous Blair Witch Project)? I don’t know these filmmakers personally so I can’t speak to how they might view their cultural identities and how it informs their work, if at all. But I do believe it is worth pointing out and feeling good about these last names being out there as part of the mainstream fabric. It is similar to how Robert Rodriguez does not identify himself as a Mexican-American yet his last name has been key to driving the younger Latino generation in feeling a proud connection as an American and not just “dash” American.

Chile is still hot

There are three films from Chilean filmmakers. In unprecedented fashion – because that’s how Sundance likes to roll- there is a repeat of last year with two in competition, El Futuro by Alicia Scherson (mostly taking place in Italy) and Magic Fairy by Sebastian Silva, an alumnus who broke out in 2009 with La Nana. In the section Spotlight aka “Movies we love and don’t care if they’ve traveled the festival circuit”, is Pablo Larrain’s No starring Gael Garcia Bernal. Chilean cinema is hot and king of engrossing character-driven fare. What we are seeing is a boom on two fronts; an invigorating new generation of provocateurs (Marialy Rivas’s Young & Wild comes to mind) and a slightly older generation of equally exciting filmmakers who continue to sustain their careers with their distinct voice (like Pablo Larrain along with Andres Wood).

So now lets dive in and look at the list. Loglines copied from official press release – Bold Italics are my comments.

Us Dramatic Competition

Fruitvale / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.

Puerto-Rican Diaz delivers a fiercely moving performance embodying the girlfriend of Oscar Grant who was with him that fateful day. Diaz is no stranger to the festival. She’s previously been at the festival with four films including seminal indie American Latino story, Raising Victor Vargas 2002 and comedies like Hamlet 2 20008. Why homegirl hasn’t gotten more props for her mad acting skills I don’t know, but this girl is wildly talented and Fruitvale showcases her dramatic chops.

Us Documentary Competition

Narco Cultura / U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by an La narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s Drug War.

Absolutely arresting photography that works in giving weight to the violent images the public has become numb from seeing. I predict some of my hard core brown and proud friends might focus and hence diminish this film based on the fact that this bi-cultural, Mexican-American subject is made by non-Latino filmmakers. It could be argued as a valid point. When it comes to documentaries a legit question to make when evaluating is “What makes This person the right one to tackle This subject? What is their connection?” Let’s watch it to find out, then give consideration to what other docs are currently out there on this same timely topic made by Latinos, and without bias regard their depth and artistic merit.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Crystal Fairy / Chile (Director and screenwriter: Sebastián Silva) — Jamie invites a stranger to join a road trip to Chile. The woman’s free and esoteric nature clashes with Jamie’s acidic, self-absorbed personality as they head into the desert for a Mescaline-fueled psychedelic trip. Cast: Michael Cera, Gabby Hoffmann, Juan Andrés Silva, José Miguel Silva, Agustín Silva. World Premiere. Day One Film

This marks Sebastian’s third appearance at the festival following La Nana and Gatos Viejos. Remember what I said about character driven? Silva excels at getting at spilling out the insides of his protagonists.

The Future / Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Alicia Scherson) — When their parents die, Bianca starts to smoke and Tomas is still a virgin. The orphans explore the dangerous streets of adulthood until Bianca finds Maciste, a retired Mr. Universe, and enters his dark mansion in search of a future. Cast: Manuela Martelli, Rutger Hauer, Luigi Ciardo, Nicolas Vaporidis, Alessandro Giallocosta. World Premiere

Scherson’s last film, Turistas screened at various film festivals including the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2009. Shot in another country and in a different language, The Future continues the filmmaker’s incisive capturing of the strong female led journey.

World Cinema Documentary Competition

Who is Dayani Cristal? / United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. Day One Film

An extraordinary cinematic and symbolic approach to the border crossing genre, this meta reflexive journey retraced by none other than Gael Garcia Bernal imagines the grueling experience of a migrant and who he might have been. Bernal has been lending his star power to the social justice causes that move him and you can tell its genuine.

New Frontier

Halley / Mexico (Director: Sebastian Hofmann, Screenwriters: Sebastian Hofmann, Julio Chavezmontes) — Alberto is dead and can no longer hide it. Before surrendering to his living death, he forms an unusual friendship with Luly, the manager of the 24-hour gym where he works as a night guard. Cast: Alberto Trujillo, Lourdes Trueba, Hugo Albores

As unsettling it is watch, its as deep to ponder, this incredibly-shot first feature had its world premiere at the Morelia Film Festival and its inclusion in the most daring section of the festival speaks to the highly diverse and radical new cinema coming from Mexico.

Spotlight

No / Chile, U.S.A. (Director: Pablo Larraín, Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano) — When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum to decide his permanence in power, the opposition persuades a young advertising executive to head its campaign. With limited resources and under scrutiny, he conceives a plan to win the election. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana.

There have been many films about the Pinochet regime and its wide-reaching after effects. But none have had as unique an entry point as No. Trust.

Midnight

We Are What We Are / U.S.A. (Director: Jim Mickle, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Jim Mickle) — A devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer and closer to the cannibalistic Parker family. Cast: Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell, Kelly McGillis.

Okay, I only include this because this is based on the Mexican cult hit, Somos Lo que Hay by Jorge Michel Grau. Jim Mickle of Stakeland has promised to “Not Fuck it Up per Twitch interview

To cap off the features; Stalwart Spanish actor Alfred Molina is in Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes by Francesca Gregorini in Us Dramatic Competition, and we have a strong acting splash by Marcus DeAnda, a co-lead in Pit Stop directed by Yen Tan and co-written by David Lowery. The film about two gay working class lovers in small town Texas is in the Next section.

And lets not forget about shorts!

Short Film Competition

Broken Night / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Guillermo Arriaga) — A young woman and her four-year-old daughter drive across desolated hills. Everything looks fine and they seem to enjoy the ride, until an accident sends them into the nightmare of darkness.

Ever since writing and directing team Arriga and Innaritu broke up (Amores Perros, Babel) Arriaga has been trying to make his stamp directing his own material.

The Companion / Peru (Director and screenwriter: Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio) — On the outskirts of Lima, a young prostitute tends to his father, a fallen-from-grace artisan. However, the young man feels that his efforts are never enough. He tries to break free, but his father’s dependence is stronger than his son’s will.

Intriguing and highly atmospheric gem from Peru!

Chicago? Check. Mexicans check! No, but really this intimate glimpse is poetic and moving.

A Story for the Modlins / Spain (Director: Sergio Oksman, Screenwriter: Sergio Oksman) —The tale of Elmer Modlin, who, after appearing in Rosemary’s Baby, fled with his family to a far-off country and shut himself away in a dark apartment for 30 years.

Must see. Fascinating and inventive ‘Found family photos’ yarn.

#PostModem / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva) — A comedic, satirical, sci-fi pop musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists, #PostModem is the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.

My favorite locos from Miami. After making the rounds with Life & Freaky Times of Uncle Luke, which played last year, these rump-shakers have been busy with their work in and out of their funky audiovisual collective Borscht Corp.

If you are heading to Park City I highly recommend you register to purchase Advance tickets here. See you on the mountain!

One of my favorite parts of the Sundance Film Festival is the Park City at Midnight movie line-up. This is where they put on a lot of the horror, sci-fi, comedy and other genre type films. They've also announced the movies that will be a part of the Spotlight and New Frontier sections.

Once again it looks like we've got a lot of solid films to look forward to. Of course there's going to be a few duds in the mix, but for the most part this looks like it's going to be an exciting year at Sundance. I can't wait to watch these movies!

Look over the list, read about the films, and let us know which movies sound interesting to you that you'd like to more know about!

Sundance Institute announced today the films selected to screen in the 2013 Sundance Film Festival out-of-competition sections Spotlight, Park City at Midnight and New Frontier,...

Sundance announced it’s Spotlight program selections today, which consists of plum titles that have enjoyed prestigious premieres at other festivals from the year before. Last year, Sundance nabbed Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights, Phillippe Falardeau’s Monsieur Lazhar, and Lynn Shelton’s Your Sister’s Sister, to name a few. This year, Sundance has amassed a well chosen selection for Spotlight, rolling out Israel’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film, the New York Film Fest premiered Fill the Void (which was just nominated for Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Film and Best First Screenplay), followed by several high profile Cannes titles, like Pablo Larrain’s No, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, Anurag Kashrap’s five hour plus epic Gangs of Wasseypur, and Jeff Nichols’ latest, Mud (which avoided screening at the heavyweight Fall festivals, like Toronto and Venice – and which we accurately predicted). Then, from Tiff and Venice...

Sundance Film Festival 2013 announced its initial line-up last night, with a very promising slew of films competing in the Us and World Dramatic and Documentary categories, as always.

Tonight, we have more news from Park City, Ut, with the announcement of the films that will be screening in the Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, and New Frontier categories.

Rising young star, Alice Englert (Ginger & Rosa, Beautiful Creatures), will be heading to the festival in the Park City at Midnight category with Jeremy Lovering’s horror, In Fear, which has a very tense and promising synopsis.

Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers will be getting its long-awaited Us premiere, having debuted at Cannes earlier this year, and been earning critics’ praise ever since. Steve Oram and Alice Lowe co-wrote the film and star in the leads, and with the ever-brilliant Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), there’s...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all North American rights to Pablo Larra&#237n's Cannes Directors' Fortnight sensation, No from financier Participant Media in association with Funny Balloons and Fabula. No stars Gael Garc&#237a Bernal (Babel, The Motorcycle Diaries), Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, N&#233stor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell and Pascal Montero. The film is one of the best received films in Cannes with raves from critics following the first screening in Director's Fortnight.

Directed by Pablo Larra&#237n (Post Mortem, Tony Manero) from a screenplay by Pedro Peirano (The Maid), No is produced by Juan de Dios Larra&#237n and Daniel Dreifuss and executive produced by Participant's Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King.

Based on a true story, when Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, facing international pressure, calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael Garc&#237a Bernal), to spearhead their campaign.

Sony Pictures Classics announced that the distributor has acquired North American rights to Pablo Larraín's No , which stars Gael García Bernal. Here's the full press release: Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all North American rights to Pablo Larraín.s Cannes Directors. Fortnight sensation, No from financier Participant Media in association with Funny Balloons and Fabula. No stars Gael García Bernal (Babel, The Motorcycle Diaries), Alfredo Castro, Antónia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell and Pascal Montero. The film is one of the best received films in Cannes with raves from critics following the first screening in Director's Fortnight. Directed by Pablo Larraín (Post Mortem, Tony Manero) from a screenplay by Pedro Peirano (TheMaid), No is produced by...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all North American rights to Pablo Larraín.s Cannes Directors. Fortnight sensation, No from financier Participant Media in association with Funny Balloons and Fabula. No stars Gael García Bernal (Babel, The Motorcycle Diaries), Alfredo Castro, Antónia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell and Pascal Montero. The film is one of the best-received films in Cannes with raves from critics following the first screening in Director’s Fortnight.

Directed by Pablo Larraín (Post Mortem, Tony Manero) from a screenplay by Pedro Peirano (TheMaid), No is produced by Juan de Diós Larraín and Daniel Dreifuss and executive produced by Participant.s Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King.

Based on a true story, when Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, facing international pressure, calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. With...