Chile at the Cannes Film Festival
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Chile has maintained a regular presence at the Cannes Film Festival since the 1950s, with films appearing in both competitive and non-competitive sections. The country's participation was particularly active in the early 1970s. The military dictatorship from 1973 to 1990 stifled artistic expression, leading to a more sporadic presence in the 1980s and 1990s. Since the early 2000s, Chilean involvement in the festival has become increasingly consistent, reflecting a resurgence in the country's filmmaking scene and its growing participation in international cinema.
Chilean productions have received recognition at the festival, including No (2012), directed by Pablo Larraín, which won in the Directors' Fortnight (as a Chile–United States co-production), and Simon of the Mountain (2024), directed by Federico Luis, which won in the Critics' Week (as an Argentina–Chile–Uruguay co-production).
Chilean cinema featured at Cannes is often characterized by political themes, a strong documentary tradition, and frequent international co-productions. Established filmmakers such as Patricio Guzmán, Pablo Larraín, Raúl Ruiz, and Miguel Littín have represented Chile on multiple occasions. In recent years, directors including Marcela Said and Felipe Gálvez have continued this presence, contributing to the country's ongoing visibility at the festival.
Juries
[edit]Main competition
[edit]- 1956: María Romero, journalist and film critic
- 2002: Raúl Ruiz, film director
Official selection
[edit]In Competition
[edit]Chilean productions in the prestigious main competition:
- 1958: La caleta olvidada (Bruno Gebel)
- 2004: The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta) (Walter Salles, Argentina/Brazil/US/Chile/Peru)
Un Certain Regard
[edit]Un Certain Regard highlights innovative storytelling:
- 1994: The Shipwrecked (Los náufragos) (Miguel Littín)
- 2000: Tierra del Fuego (Miguel Littín)
- 2002: El bonaerense (Pablo Trapero, Argentina/France/Chile/Netherlands)
- 2007: Calle Santa Fe (Carmen Castillo)
- 2010: Carancho (Pablo Trapero, Argentina/Chile/Spain/France/South Korea)
- 2011: Bonsai (Cristián Jiménez)
- 2017: The Desert Bride (La novia del desierto) (Cecilia Atán & Valeria Pivato, Argentina/Chile)
- 2023:
- The Delinquents (Los delincuentes) (Rodrigo Moreno, Argentina/Brazil/Chile/Luxembourg)
- The Settlers (Los colonos) (Felipe Gálvez, Chile/Argentina/France/Denmark/UK/Taiwan/Sweden/Germany) [FIPRESCI]
Out of Competition
[edit]- 2004: Salvador Allende (Patricio Guzmán)
Special Screenings
[edit]- 2010: Nostalgia for the Light (Nostalgia de la luz) (Patricio Guzmán)
- 2019: The Cordillera of Dreams (La cordillera de los sueños) (Patricio Guzmán) [L'Œil d'or]
- 2021: The Year of the Everlasting Storm (Anthology; various directors including Dominga Sotomayor, International)
- 2022: My Imaginary Country (Mi país imaginario) (Patricio Guzmán)
Short Films Competition
[edit]- 2010: Blocks (Blokes) (Marialy Rivas)
Cinéfondation
[edit]The Cinéfondation section, dedicated to student films, has featured Chilean entries from universities:
- 2013: Asunción (Camila Luna Toledo, Pontifical Catholic University)
- 2015: Lost Queens (Locas perdidas) (Ignacio Juricic Merillán, University of Chile)
Parallel sections
[edit]Critics' Week
[edit]Chilean films and co-productions have frequently appeared in Critics' Week (Semaine de la critique), a parallel section highlighting emerging talent:
In Competition
[edit]- 1973: Enough Praying (Ya no basta con rezar) (Aldo Francia)
- 1974: The Promised Land (La tierra prometida) (Miguel Littín)
- 1992: Archipiélago (Pablo Perelman)
- 1996: Mi último hombre (Tatiana Gaviola)
- 2009: Huacho (Alejandro Fernández Almendras, Chile/France/Germany)
- 2015: Land and Shade (La tierra y la sombra) (César Augusto Acevedo, Colombia/France/Netherlands/Chile/Brazil)
- 2017:
- The Family (La familia) (Gustavo Rondón Córdova, Venezuela/Chile/Norway)
- Los perros (Marcela Said, Chile/France)
- 2019: Land of Ashes (Ceniza negra) (Sofía Quirós Ubeda, Costa Rica/Argentina/Chile/France)
- 2024: Simon of the Mountain (Simón de la montaña) (Federico Luis, Argentina/Chile/Uruguay) [Grand Prize]
Short Films
[edit]- 2017: Selva (Sofía Quirós Ubeda, Costa Rica/Argentina/Chile)
- 2018: Raptor / Rapace (Rapaz) (Felipe Gálvez)
Directors' Fortnight
[edit]The Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des cinéastes) showcases innovative films often reflecting political and social issues, with Chilean cinema featured since the 1970s.
In Competition
[edit]- 1970:
- Caliche sangriento (Helvio Soto)
- Valparaíso, mi amor (Aldo Francia)
- 1971:
- Los testigos (Charles Elsesser)
- Voto más fusil (Helvio Soto)
- 1972: ¡Qué hacer! (Raúl Ruiz, Chile/US)
- 1973: Metamorfosis del jefe de la policía política (Helvio Soto)
- 1974:
- The Expropriation (La expropiación) (Raúl Ruiz)
- ¡Hay que matar al general! (Enrique Urteaga)
- 1975: The Battle of Chile (Part 1) (Patricio Guzmán, Chile/Cuba)
- 1976: The Battle of Chile (Part 2) (Patricio Guzmán, Chile/Cuba)
- 2004: Machuca (Andrés Wood, France/Spain/Chile)
- 2012:
- Night Across the Street (La noche de enfrente) (Raúl Ruiz, France/Chile)
- No (Pablo Larraín, Chile/US) [Art Cinema Award]
- 2013: The Summer of Flying Fish (El verano de los peces voladores) (Marcela Said, France/Chile)
- 2015: Beyond My Grandfather Allende (Marcia Tambutti Allende, Chile/Mexico)
- 2016:
- Endless Poetry (Poesía sin fin) (Alejandro Jodorowsky, Chile/Japan/France)
- Neruda (Pablo Larraín, Chile/Argentina/France/Spain)
- 2022: 1976 (Manuela Martelli, Chile/Argentina)
- 2024: The Hyperboreans (Los hiperbóreos) (Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña)
Short Films
[edit]- 1971: Venceremos (Pedro Chaskel)
- 2011: Nuven (Basil da Cunha)