21st Santiago International Film Festival

21st Santiago International Film Festival
Official poster.
Opening filmIt Was Just an Accident
LocationSantiago, Chile
DirectorsCarlos Núñez[1]
Festival dateAugust 17–24, 2025

The 21st Santiago International Film Festival (SANFIC), organized by Fundación CorpArtes, is scheduled to take place from August 17 to 24, 2025. Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or winner It Was Just an Accident will serve as the opening film for the festival, while the Spanish-Argentine film Queen of Coal, directed by Agustina Macri, will close the festival.[2]

Background

The complete lineup was announced on July 31.[1] Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival's opening ceremony, while a retrospective section will be dedicated to his filmography with screenings of four of his films. The festival's official poster was designed by Chilean illustrator Alberto Montt, inspired in the works of Argentine cartoonist Quino.[3]

The festival was directed by Carlos Núñez.[1] Screenings took place at three venues: Sala Centro Arte Alameda, Sala Parque Arauco and Cinépolis La Reina (La Reina).[3]

Juries

International Competition

  • Mariana Rondón, Venezuelan film director, screenwriter, producer and visual artist[4]
  • Bernardo Bergeret, Uruguayan curator and founder of Ventana Sur and Blood Window
  • Mariana Di Girolamo, Chilean actress

Chilean Film Competition

  • Paulina Obando, Chilean producer and professor
  • Jana Wolff, Head of Marketing & Advertising at the European Film Market in Berlin
  • Carlos Marqués-Marcet, Spanish film director, screenwriter and film editor

Chilean Short Film Competition

  • Clemente Rodríguez, Chilean actor
  • Maud Amson, Director of Sales & Operations at the Cannes Marché du Film
  • Thea Ehre, Austrian actress

Official selections

The following films were selected for the official competitions and other sections:[5][6]

International Film Competition

Highlighted title indicates section's best film winner.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
They Will Be Dust Polvo serán Carlos Marqués-Marcet Spain, Switzerland, Italy
Cuerpo Celeste Nayra Ilic García Chile, Italy
Runa Simi Augusto Zegarra Peru
That Summer in Paris Le rendez-vous de l'été Valentine Cadic France
A Poet Un poeta Simón Mesa Soto Colombia, Germany, Sweden
Beloved Tropic Querido trópico Ana Endara Panama, Colombia
The Portuguese House Una quinta portuguesa / A Quinta Avelina Prat Spain, Portugal
Monstruo de Xibalba Manuele Irene Mexico

Chilean Film Competition

Highlighted title indicates section's best film winner.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Los Renacidos Santiago Esteves Argentina, Chile, Spain
Si Vas Para Chile Amilcar Infante, Sebastián González Chile
Lo Que No Se Dijo Ricardo Valenzuela Pinilla Chile, Colombia
Zafari Mariana Rondón Peru, Mexico, Brazil, France, Chile, Dominican Republic, Venezuela
La Quinta Silvina Schnicer Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Spain
Kaye Juan Cáceres Chile
After the Fog Después de la Niebla Miriam Heard Chile, United Kingdom, France
Al Sur del Invierno está la Nieve Sebastián Vidal Campos Chile

Chilean Short Film Competition

Highlighted title indicates section's best film winner.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Laurita Sebastián Soto Salas Chile
Proyecto de Verano Rocío Huerta, Paz Ramírez Chile
Feliz Cumpleaños Lucía Patricio Alfaro Chile
Atardecer en América Matías Rojas Valencia Chile, Brazil
Trascender Vicente Bustos Silva Chile
Lo Que Fue Nuestro Hogar Angelo Lobos Chile
Días de Verano Fiora Salas-Román Chile
El Sacrificio de las Luciernagas Giancarlo Bozzi Álvarez Chile
En las Estrellas Bailan los Perros Raimundo Bucher, Constanza Barrios, Matías Yunge, Florencia de la Maza Chile
Masivo Ignacio Pavez Chile
Futura Licenciada Samantha Copano, Florencia Peña Chile
No Sy Tuyo Cristina Sitja Rubio Chile, Germany
Mamita Linda Juan Bautista Tagle, Joaquín Nercasseau Chile
Life Invisible Bettina Perut, Iván Osnovikoff Chile, United Kingdom, Sweden
Un Lugar para ver el Fin del Mundo Guille Söhrens Chile
Fantasmas de Vidas Futuras Antonia Monserrat, Ricardo Alfonso López Chile
Lost Call Sergio Allard Chile, United States
Morfología Underground Sidka Saavedra Chile, Argentina
Baldías Julieta Acuña Chile
Úrsula Edison Cájas Chile
Medianoche Diego Ayala Chile

Masters of Cinema

The following films were selected for the Masters of Cinema (Maestros del Cine) section, dedicated to films by prestigious filmmakers from around the world:

English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
The Wave La ola Sebastián Lelio Chile, United States
It Was Just an Accident (opening film) یک تصادف ساده / Un simple accident Jafar Panahi Iran, France, Luxembourg
Meet the Barbarians Les barbares Julie Delpy France
Alpha Julia Ducournau France, Belgium
When Fall Is Coming Quand vient l'automne François Ozon France
The Flats Alessandra Celesia Ireland, France, Belgium, United Kingdom
The Mastermind Kelly Reichardt United States, United Kingdom
Ariel Lois Patiño Spain, Portugal
Diamonds Diamanti Ferzan Özpetek Italy
The Light Das Licht Tom Tykwer Germany, France

Visions of the World

The following films were selected for the Visions of the World (Visiones del Mundo) section, dedicated to feature films and documentaries from around the world:

English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Die Unbeugsamen 2 - Guten Morgen, Ihr Schönen! Torsten Körner Germany
Todas las Fuerzas Luciana Piantanida Argentina, Peru
Jano & Dafi Camilo Erazo Chile
Frisch Damian John Harper Germany
Punku J. D. Fernández Peru, Spain
The Last Taboo Manfred Oldenburg Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Czech Republic
Lovers in the Sky Amantes en el Cielo Fermín de la Serna Argentina, Germany, United States
A Bright Future Un Futuro Brillante Lucía Garibaldi Uuruguay, Argentina, Germany
Minha Terra Estrangeira Colectivo Lakapoy, João Moreira Salles, Louise Botkay Brazil
Before/After Avant/Après Manoël Dupont Belgium

Directors in Focus

The following films were selected for the Directors in Focus (Directoras en Foco) section, dedicated to films made by female filmmakers from around the world:

English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Jone, Sometimes Jone, batzuetan Sara Fantova Spain
The Empty Grave Das leere Grab Agnes Lisa Wegner, Cece Mlay Germany, Tanzania
La Fábula de la Tortuga y la Flor Carolina Campo Lupo Uruguay
Reproduction Reproduktion Katharina Pethke Germany
Shahid Narges Kalhor Germany
Alicia Bajo la Higuera Manuela Thayer Chile

Special Screenings

English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Millonario José Isla, Felipe Isla Chile
Lo Que Trajo la Marea Patricio Valladares Chile
Velados Transparentes Coti Donoso Chile
Poirot, Último Testigo Francesc Relea Chile, Spain
Queen of Coal (closing film) Miss Carbón Agustina Macri Spain, Argentina
The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés Antón Álvarez Spain

Retrospective

English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
The Day of the Beast (1995) El día de la bestia Álex de la Iglesia Spain, Italy
Perdita Durango (1997) Spain, United States, Mexico
Common Wealth (2000) La comunidad Spain
Crimen Ferpecto (2004) Spain, Italy

Sanfic EDUCA

The following films were selected for the SANFIC EDUCA, dedicated to fiction, documentary and animation films with themes related to children, youth and families:

English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)
Gouzou Ousa Ou Lé? Romain Vacher France
We, Students! Nous, Etudiants! Rafiki Fariala Central African Republic, France, Democratic Republic of Congo, Saudi Arabia
La Cascada Pablo Delgado Mexico
The Goose Jan Míka Czech Republic
What the Finn?!: Summer of Surprises Kannawoniwasein?! Stefan Westerwell Germany
Checker Tobi and the Journey to the Flying Rivers Checker Tobi und die Reise zu den fliegenden Flüssen Johannes Honsell Germany
Montsouris Park Montsouris Guil Sela France
A Tiny Voyage Le Tout petit voyage Emily Worms France, Switzerland
Cielo Roto Natacha Mora Costa Rica
Nostalgia para el Lago Arturo Maciel Paraguay, Peru, Spain
Un Pájaro Voló Leinad Pájaro de la Hoz Colombia, Cuba
Ana Morphose João Rodrigues Portugal
Un Reino para Todos Nosotros Miguel Ángel Uriegas Mexico, Colombia
Ángel y Perla Denise Anzarut, Jenni Merla Argentina
The Bertrand's Farm La Ferme des Bertrand Gilles Perret France
Hormiguilla Fran Granada Spain

References

  1. ^ a b c "SANFIC21 da a conocer programación oficial que se exhibirá en salas de cine de la Región Metropolitana". Santiago International Film Festival (in Spanish). July 29, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  2. ^ "La ganadora de la reciente Palma de Oro en Cannes, "It Was Just an Accident", de Jafar Panahi, será la película de apertura de SANFIC21". Santiago International Film Festival (in Spanish). Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Monsalve, Andrés (July 30, 2025). "SANFIC 21: Alex de la Iglesia, estrenos de alto calibre y 89 razones para ir al cine este agosto". Mundo Películas (in Spanish). Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  4. ^ "SANFIC anuncia al jurado oficial de su 21° edición". Mundo Películas (in Spanish). July 29, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  5. ^ Valdivia, Gonzalo (July 29, 2025). "Sanfic 2025 traerá a Álex de la Iglesia y concluirá con película de Lux Pascal". La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  6. ^ "SANFIC21 da a conocer programación oficial que se exhibirá en salas de cine de la Región Metropolitana". El Ciudadano (in Spanish). July 30, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.