Chile boasts a milestone presence in Cannes this yr with new or consolidating firms main the cost. Amongst them is Fernando Bascuñán’s Planta with three initiatives — two competing in Administrators’ Fortnight: Domingo Sotomayor’s drama a couple of girl adopting a stray canine, “La Perra,” and Lisandro Alonso’s “Double Freedom” (“La libertad doble”). Picked up by Luxbox forward of its world premiere in Cannes, it’s the sequel to Alonso’s “La Libertad,” which debuted in Cannes’ 2001 Un Sure Regard.
Planta additionally brings younger boxer drama “For the Opponents” by Federico Luis (“Simon of the Mountain”), to Cannes’ shorts competitors. Luis’ newest challenge, “The Dog Trainer” (“El entrenador de perros”), will likely be pitched on the competition’s improvement program La Résidence.
“We’re thrilled about this triple presence at Cannes. It’s unprecedented for a Chilean production company, and we take it as a meaningful recognition of the work we’ve been building. Over the past year, we’ve truly come into our own as a team at Planta and reaching this moment together — after such an intense 2025 — feels especially significant,” says Bascuñán.
He provides, “The collaborations we’ve forged have been essential, both with directors and creative talent and with national and international producers like Augusto Matte and Rodrigo Teixeira. At Planta, we operate from a deeply collaborative ethos that goes beyond co-production, engaging closely in the overall development of each project.”
Ronda, based in January 2025 by Alejandra García after 20 years at Wooden Prods., brings “The Meltdown” (“El deshielo”) by Manuela Martelli (“Chile, ’76″) to Un Sure Regard — the primary time a Chilean fiction movie directed by a girl has achieved this distinction.
Ronda additionally has a hot new market package, espionage thriller “Impunity”by Felipe Gálvez (“The Settlers”) at Cannes’ Buyers’ Circle. “We are committed to the growth of new voices in Chilean cinema such as Francisca Alegría, Martelli and Gálvez, while also being part of the careers of established talents like Marcela Said, Marialy Rivas and Andrés Wood,” says García.
García announced early Cannes three new initiatives: political melodrama “Estrella Solitaria” from Manuela Martelli; a real-event impressed thriller “Sacrificio,” from Andrés Wooden, a Sundance winner for “Violeta Went to Heaven,” and Rivas’s “The Mail Box of the Impure.”
Notes Alexandra Galvis, director of promotional entity CinemaChile: “This is a historic Cannes for Chile. It comes on the heels of the previous year, when Diego Céspedes won Un Certain Regard, helping to consolidate something that is no longer accidental or sporadic. This year not only celebrates the established producers we know so well, but also surprises with emerging production companies achieving historic milestones.”
Gabriela Sandoval, Storyboard producer and director of producers affiliation APCT, concurs: “Year after year, Chile has been consolidating a meaningful presence at one of the world’s most important festivals, driven by the strength of its creative identity. What sets it apart today is its ability to export distinct perspectives: voices with a clear point of view, rooted in their territories yet resonating universally.”
She factors to Chile’s dedication to cinematic language, artistic danger and a really specific method of storytelling that has enabled Chilean cinema to construct a sustained presence on a very powerful international stage: “This year’s presence at Cannes is a clear confirmation of that.”
Chile hits this milestone at Cannes simply as a right-wing authorities takes over, stirring some unease within the audiovisual sector. Nonetheless, the appointment of Daniel Laguna, a screenwriter (“Recycled Lives”), as govt secretary of Chile’s Audiovisual Growth Fund, has been reassuring. “Public funds in Chile operate on a stable yearly framework, but some lines need updating to better reflect today’s realities,” he tells Selection.
He additionally stresses present assist for incentives focuses on aggressive funds to draw funding. “However, expanding into tax-based incentives is necessary, and this will require clear dialogue to define how to move forward,” he says. “Chile has strong audiovisual talent. The next step is aligning policy with that capacity.”
