The festivals that survived the cultural chainsaw

The Mar del Plata International Film Festival sis still threatened with death by new authorities of the Incaa, but luckily the others two great festivals in the country still continue: the Bafici, dependent on the Ministry of Culture of the City, which begins on April 17, and the Internacional de las Alturas, organized by the Provincial Institute of Audiovisual Arts of Jujuy, which begins this Friday.

With a respirator, but they continue. Also continuing, and enjoying good health, is the Funcinema, International Comedy Film Festival, a Mar del Plata meeting organized by the homonymous website, which in September will celebrate its tenth edition, always unrelated to any official subsidy.

The International of the Heights, so called because it brings together the seven Andean countries, was usually held in September. Last year’s pre-electoral climate forced it to run its 9th edition this year. It starts this Friday, April 6, with less expenses, fewer guests, but with the usual modality of free functions throughout the province, in addition to competitions, workshops and the return to online for the rest of the country and surrounding areas (just register at www.cinedelasalturas.com.ar).

inaugural title, “Lipán”, by Gonzalo Calzada, about the musician Tomás Lipán, with a parallel exhibition in the Plaza Mayor of Purmamarca, followed by a concert at the foot of the long-centenary carob tree (it is estimated to be more than 620 years old). In closing, “The runners”new comedy Néstor Montalbano with Diego Capusotto, Carola Reyna and Alejandra Flechner. In between, “Infinite memory”, by Maite Alberdi, Chile, recent Oscar finalist, “Children of the breezes”by Marianela Maldonado, Venezuela-USA, “I laugh at the waves”, Bolivia, “Another damned movie”, “The Tangalanga method”, “Zapla and the children of rust”, “Wild Argentina”, and others

Four workshops attract attention: dodging the chainsawinternational alternatives to compensate for national uncertainty, Audiovisual Training in Artificial Intelligence, Direction of natural actors (that is, non-actors, dictated by the already famous casting director María Laura Berch) and Regulatory aspects of international co-productions, by the trainer Anabel Jessenne, a strong piece of Incaa in its relations with the outside world. With the Provincial Audiovisual Law in operation and a film school in Tilcara (sub-headquarters of Enerc), the expectation of a Jujullywood, as some enthusiasts call it, remains in the area.

Bafici

This Thursday the 25th Bafici will be officially announced, to be held from April 17 to 28. There will be its own website, 13 theaters and some 275 titles, including “Les gens d’à côté”, by André Téchiné, with Isabelle Huppert and Nahuel Pérez Biscayartwhich has just been released in France and “After a good day”, by Néstor Frenkel.

Documentaries about figures of varying importance abound, such as “Fuck You! The Last Show” (José Luis García following Luca Prodan), “Maldita Eva” (Pablo Spatola on Eva Landeck, immediate predecessor of María Luisa Bemberg), “A certain Mario” (Mariana Mactas about her father), “Sleeping with a Tiger” (Anja Salomonowitz about the painter María Lassnig). the teacher George Willhelm Pabst, Jorge Polaco, Godard, Abelardo Castillo, Osvaldo Bayer, Luis Ospina and several others.

To note, the rescue in new copies of “L’amour fou” (Jacques Rivette1969), “The wishing tree” (Tengiz AbuladzeGeorgian classic from 1976), “Paris, Texas” (Wim Wenders, 1984) and “After hours” (Martin Scorsese, 1985), in addition to various titles of Hong Sangsoo, Mike Judge, Lucía Seles, Norberto Ramos del Val, Julio Bressane, Bruce LaBruce, Jonas Mekas, Bruno Dumonand other regulars at the festival, documentaries about Cornelio and La Zona, Mogwai, 107 Faunos, Elkin Ramirez and the band Kraken, Italpark and River’s triumph at the Metropolitano 1975, the drawing “The Sultana’s Dream”, by Isabel Herguera , and several about vampires, such as “Le Vourdalak”, by Adrien Beau. More news is expected.

General admission, $1,500, with a modest discount of just $300 for students and retirees.