Even better, in the hall of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), adjacent to the Chaplin Cinema, one can enter and see the immense room covered on three walls and the entire ceiling with some of the most emblematic posters, such as those for the multi-award-winning and Oscar-nominated film, Fresa y Chocolate (Dirs. Juan Carlos Tabío, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea), or Lucia (Dir. Humberto Solás), one of the masterpieces of Cuban cinema.

It was Alfredo Guevara—the legendary cultural promoter and founder of the Cuban Film Institute—who championed the promotional graphics of Cuban cinema, initially created by artists such as Alfredo Rostgaard, Eduardo Muñoz Bachs, and Rafael Morante in the 1950s. The posters contributed excellent designs using an entirely artisanal technique: screen printing, with which they achieved a great richness in textures.

In Cuba, film posters experienced a boom in the 1960s—the golden age of Cuban cinema—and revolutionized the visual arts. 

In 2023, UNESCO inscribed the Cuban Cinema Poster Collection, housed at the Cuban Film Institute, into the Memory of the World Register. This includes 2,230 pieces intended for the promotion of both Cuban and foreign films and film-related activities as well as 150 sketches from designers to indicate to the technicians the image to be reproduced.

This photo shows the interior of the ICAIC.

The Cuban Cinema Poster is a visual and cinematic record of a country that has contributed significantly to Latin American cinema. It draws inspiration from American pop art and op art, and was featured at VLAFF in 2017. To celebrate the festival’s 15th edition, a Quinceañera designed in this style by Havana artist Fabian Muñoz was used as the festival’s image.

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER (De Cierta Manera, 1974)

Sara Gómez died very young, but in her short life she created a powerful body of documentary work in the 1960s including titles such as ON OVERTIME (Sobre horas extras), VOLUNTARY WORK (Trabajo voluntario),and THE OTHER ISLAND (En la otra isla). Her films examined the social transformations following the 1959 Cuban Revolution, exploring its influence on people’s day-to-day lives, and revealing complex realities. She used the camera as a tool for transformation and to fight against oppression in all forms.

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER is a docu-fiction feature film that follows middle-class teacher Yolanda, who is assigned to work in a newly constructed housing development built on the site of a demolished slum, in order to transform reality and mentality. Yolanda falls in love with factory worker Mario but their relationship is challenged by their different views, values and prejudices.

“Habrá que hacer un cine sin concesiones, que toque la raíz de los intereses de todos, un cine capaz de expresarlos en sus contradicciones y que tenga como objetivo ayudar a hacer a todos nosotros, hombre y mujeres capaces de plantearse la vida como eterno conflicto con el medio en el que solo podemos vencer. Ese debe ser el propósito. ¿Será demasiado ambicioso? ¿Podemos lograrlo?”

“We must make uncompromising cinema, one that touches the root of everyone’s interests, a cinema capable of expressing them in their contradictions, and whose objective is to help all of us, men and women, to see life as an eternal conflict with the environment in which we can only prevail. That must be the purpose. Is it too ambitious? Can we achieve it?”

Sara Gómez

In 2023, VLAFF presented a showcase of Sara Gómez’s films at The Cinematheque. The screenings were introduced by Canadian Dr. Susan Lord (Queen’s University), who has taken a special interest in Gómez’s work and wrote the book The Cinema of Sara Gómez: Reframing Revolution. Lord describes Gómez as “a very brave woman, very ahead of her time in terms of the possibilities of changing the relationships between different social groups.”

Before Guillermo del Toro there was Rigo Mora, with whom del Toro had a friendship and worked together on several projects in Guadalajara, and we especially remember del Toro’s first film, CRONOS, in 1992. Rigo Mora was a renowned animation and stop-motion artist, and since 2010 the Guadalajara Film Festival has named the award for best animated short film RIGO MORA.

The Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) is a very important film event, especially for animated films. Guillermo del Toro frequently visits the festival, and the main auditorium of the Guadalajara film archive is named after him. And although Guillermo del Toro no longer lives in Guadalajara (and fortunately for Canadians, he has had a home in Toronto for a long time), he works a lot with animators from Guadalajara; the renowned director and stop-motion artist Rita Basulto worked on PINOCCHIO, and several sequences of that film were made at El Taller del Chucho.

EL TALLER DEL CHUCHO was founded in 2019 by Guillermo del Toro and the University of Guadalajara, and is described on its website as an animation studio that encourages local talent, fostering a space for production, innovation, dissemination, and promotion of the film industry.

El Taller del Chucho occupies seven abandoned industrial buildings on the outskirts of Guadalajara. With Guillermo del Toro’s vision, these spaces were rehabilitated, transforming them into a centre for creativity and production. Today, these buildings house one of the most advanced stop-motion studios in the world.

I AM FRANKELDA, the first stop-motion feature film made in Mexico, is also from Guadalajara.

Another reason why Guadalajara is the animation capital of Latin America is the recent release of I AM FRANKELDA, the first stop-motion feature film made in Mexico. It had to be a Guadalajara-based production, of course, with the support of Guillermo del Toro. The production, which took years to complete, premiered in 2025 and was a true exercise in craftsmanship and a technical challenge. The directors—brothers Roy and Arturo Ambriz—and a big team used more than 200 puppets and 50 sets, all handcrafted without the use of green screens in Mexico.

At VLAFF, several animated short films from Guadalajara have been screened, showcasing some of the best artists in this genre not only from Mexico but from across Latin America. Rita Basulto, a seven-time winner of the Mexican Academy Award for short films such as HUMO and LLUVIA EN LOS OJOS; Sofía Carrillo, specializing in stop motion, another Academy Award-winning artist whose work has been exhibited at more than 50 festivals; and other award-winning directors include Juan Medina (JAULAS, ZIMBO) and Karla Castañeda (JACINTA, LA NORIA).

We share with you the stop-motion short film EL OCTAVO DIA, LA CREACIÓN, a beautiful work co-directed by Rita Basulto and Juan Medina. This film won the Academy Award in Mexico and the Havana Film Festival Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2001.

VLAFF, which will celebrate its 24th anniversary in 2026, is a festival that has been a contemporary of directors who have been making films for two decades. One of them is Óscar Ruiz Navia (Cali, Colombia, 1982), one of the most prolific Colombian filmmakers with a solid filmography as both director and producer, with films premiered at festivals such as Berlin, Cannes, and Toronto. We have presented almost all of his films as a director, starting with his ópera prima, EL VUELCO DEL CANGREJO (premiered and awarded in Berlin, 2009), and many others from his work as a producer. The list is extensive and represents some of the best Colombian—and Latin American—films of recent times.

Fortunately for us, Oscar emigrated to Canada, to beautiful Montreal, just two years ago. He recently finished his first work as a Canadian filmmaker, TIGERS CAN BE SEEN IN THE RAIN, which had its world premiere at the prestigious New York Film Festival a few months ago. A beautiful short film shot on 16mm and Super 8 during the Quebec winter. 

Óscar has a previous film with Canadian participation while he was still living in Cali; FAIT VIVIR (2020), is a film about the unique music and dancers group Orquesta GKO. The group is based in Montreal and Oscar’s sister Anina is part of it. 

Programming Director Christian Sida chatted with Oscar Ruíz last week, while Óscar was moderating Q&As at the Montreal RIDM Documentary Festival.

How has life as an immigrant been for you, and what are your plans?

It’s been a very long process since the pandemic, a very complex process, and although I love my country and Cali very much, I felt a huge need to take a leap, a significant change in my career and personal life. The idea is to put down roots here. Obviously, I’m very interested in staying connected to Colombia. I still have my company in Colombia, but the idea is to stay here and be able to collaborate between both countries.

Besides working on your projects, what else do you do in Montreal? 

I came in 2023 and enrolled at Concordia University to do a master’s degree in Film Studies. I finished, and I’m about to submit my thesis so I can graduate. 

What project are you working on now? 

Right now, I’m in post-production on a new short film called DUERMEVELA, duermevela is one single word, (Sleep, Wake, Sleep), which is like a state between sleep and wakefulness that happens to everyone, to all human beings. It’s a fiction short film that continues to explore the themes of grief and migration. I’m also developing a feature film called POPULAR which I’m making with Diana Bustamante. She’s the producer of the film, and it’s a co-production with Mexico, France, and Canada. We’re currently in the financing stage. We’re going to shoot most of it in Montreal and some in Cali.

What was your experience like with TIGERS CAN BE SEEN IN THE RAIN? 

It was a very personal experience; everything was done in a very hands-on way, with the support of several Colombian and Canadian friends. Pablo Alvarez-Mesa and Charles Duquet (both based in Quebec) were the cinematographers. The support of Concordia University was also vital. Then I secured a Colombian co-production from Triángulo (Simón Vélez) and special support from Burning (Diana Bustamante), both Colombian companies. I worked on the sound design with the talented Mercedes Gaviria.

VLAFF wishes Óscar Ruiz the best of luck in Canada and many films to come!
Selected filmography as a director: EL VUELCO DEL CANGREJO (2009, Berlin FF), SOLECITO (2013, Cannes, Directors’ Fortnight), LOS HONGOS (2014, Locarno, Rotterdam FF).  

THE SECRET AGENT (Brazil), starring Wagner Moura (Narcos, Civil War), Udo Kier, and Gabriel Leone, is a politically charged thriller that blends Mendonça Filho’s signature formal rigor with themes of surveillance, disinformation, and the erosion of democratic norms. Set in 1977, during the final years of Brazil’s military dictatorship, the film follows Marcelo, a 40-year-old teacher who returns to Recife in search of peace, only to find that the city is far from the refuge he hoped for.

The Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz will premiere his historical drama MAGELLAN starring Mexican actor Gael García Bernal. The film, set in the 16th century, follows Magellan, a young and ambitious Portuguese navigator. He rebels against the power of the King of Portugal, who doesn’t support his dream of discovering the world, and persuades the Spanish monarchy to fund his bold expedition to the fabled lands of the East.

Academy Award-winning Chilean director Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman) returns to Cannes after a long hiatus with his Spanish-language musical THE WAVE / LA OLA, screening in the Cannes Premieres out-of-competition section. Inspired by the feminist protests that erupted across Chile in 2018, the film follows a university student who becomes an unexpected central figure in the movement.

The Colombian drama A POET the second feature by director Simón Mesa Soto, in the Un Certain Regard section. This marks the first time that Colombia has a film in this competition since José Luis Rugeles’ Alias Maria in 2015. Starring Ubeimar Rios, Rebeca Andrade, Guillermo Cardona, Allison Correa, Margarita Soto, and Humberto Restrepo, the film follows Óscar Restrepo, whose obsession with poetry has brought him no glory. The Colombian director is a regular at Cannes: his graduation film, LEIDI, won the Palme d’Or for short film at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, while his first feature, AMPARO, was awarded the Prix Fondation Louis Roederer de la Révélation en 2021.

Diego Céspedes (Chile) will debut with MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO / LA MISTERIOSA MIRADA DEL FLAMENCO will compete in the Un Certain Regard section. Set in 1983, in a remote Chilean mining town haunted by a mythic disease said to spread when men fall in love—through a mere glance—eight-year-old Lidia watches as her two brothers are quarantined following a raid on a clandestine gay speakeasy.

The Marché du Film is proud to welcome Brazil is the Country of Honour at the The Marché du Film 2025

The Cannes Film Festival hosts every year the largest film market in the world, Le Marche Du Film, and this year in coincidence of the Brazil-France Season — celebrating 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries — Brazil will work together with the Marché du Film this year to shine a spotlight on their country’s vibrant audiovisual industry, its exceptional creative talents, and its enduring commitment to international collaboration.

Albertina Carri is one of the most innovative and transgressive voices in contemporary Argentine cinema. Born in Buenos Aires in 1973, she has established herself as a filmmaker, screenwriter, and artist whose work explores themes of memory, identity, sexuality, and the limits of representation. Her films blend fiction, documentary, and experimental techniques, challenging conventional storytelling and cinematic norms.

One of Carri’s most acclaimed works is LOS RUBIOS (2003), a hybrid film that defies traditional documentary structure. The film investigates the disappearance of her parents during Argentina’s military dictatorship, yet it resists offering a singular truth. Through reenactments, interviews, and meta-cinematic elements, Carri questions the reliability of memory and historical narratives. By using an actress to play herself and incorporating animated sequences, she highlights the constructed nature of both personal and collective history. Carri has also delved into genres like film noir and erotic cinema, as seen in GÉMINIS (2005), which tells the story of incestuous love within an upper-class Argentine family. The film’s cold, controlled aesthetic and its refusal to pass moral judgment make it a bold and unsettling work that critiques bourgeois hypocrisy and repression.

Her later films continue to push boundaries. LA RABIA (2008) is a raw and visceral exploration of sexuality, violence, and communication, set in the Argentine countryside. Employing minimal dialogue and striking visual storytelling, the film portrays the emotional turbulence of its characters in an almost primal way. Meanwhile, CUATREROS (2016) revisits themes from LOS RUBIOS, but expands its focus to political violence and the ways in which revolutionary movements are remembered and represented in contemporary Argentina.

Beyond filmmaking, Carri has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality in the arts. As a co-founder of Asterisco, Buenos Aires’ LGBTQ+ film festival, she has worked to create spaces for diverse and underrepresented voices in cinema.

Through her fearless and unconventional approach, Albertina Carri continues to redefine Argentine cinema. Her work is a powerful interrogation of history, identity, and the ways in which we construct and deconstruct reality through film.

Her latest film ¡CAIGAN LAS ROSAS BLANCAS! (featured image) premiered at Rotterdam Film Festival this year.

Anna Muylaert is one of Brazil’s most influential contemporary filmmakers, known for her insightful explorations of social dynamics, gender roles, and class divides. Born in São Paulo in 1964, Muylaert has built a career as a director, screenwriter, and producer, gaining international recognition for her sharp storytelling and deeply human characters.

Muylaert’s breakout film, THE SECOND MOTHER (Que Horas Ela Volta?, 2015), brought her global acclaim. Starring Regina Casé, the film examines the fraught relationship between a live-in housemaid and the wealthy family she serves. It delves into Brazil’s rigid class structure and the emotional sacrifices made by domestic workers, particularly those who leave their own children behind to care for others. The film won awards at Sundance and the Berlinale, cementing Muylaert’s reputation as a masterful storyteller.

In 2016, VLAFF held a complete retrospective and hosted Anna Muylaert. Her film DON’T CALL ME SON (Mãe Só Há Uma) was the closing film that year. The film tackles themes of identity and belonging, following a teenager who discovers he was stolen from his biological family as a baby and is forced to confront a new reality. Through this intimate and deeply personal story, Muylaert explores gender fluidity and societal expectations, challenging traditional notions of family and identity.

Muylaert’s earlier works, including DURVAL DISCOS (2002) and É PROIBIDO FUMAR (2009), also display her signature style—blending humor with social critique. DURVAL DISCOS, her directorial debut, tells the story of a record store owner whose quiet life is disrupted by an unexpected turn of events. É PROIBIDO FUMAR follows a woman whose obsessive tendencies complicate her relationships, highlighting themes of solitude and self-delusion.

Beyond directing, Muylaert has contributed to Brazilian cinema as a screenwriter, collaborating on films like THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION (2006). Her work consistently gives voice to marginalized perspectives, particularly focusing on women’s experiences in Brazilian society.

With her keen eye for human relationships and social critique, Anna Muylaert continues to shape contemporary Brazilian cinema, bringing its complexities to a global audience. Her newest film A MELHOR MÃE DO MUNDO (The Best mother in the world) premiered this year at the Berlin Film Festival.