BAFICI, balance de la primera década
Por Cynthia Sabat para Films & Festivals
Por Cynthia Sabat para Films & Festivals
La ciudad de Buenos Aires y el cine argentino ya no son los mismos desde el nacimiento del BAFICI (Buenos Aires International Film Festival). Fue en 1999 cuando se realizó la primera edición: nadie, ni en sus más remotas fantasías, podía intuir la influencia que tendría el festival tanto en el campo cinematográfico nacional, como en la vida cultural de una de las ciudades más modernas y ávidas de cultura de Latinoamérica.
Nació del espíritu rebelde y libre del cine independiente, se convirtió en una muestra de las últimas tendencias del cine mundial, y en un referente para muchos festivales del mismo estilo que surgieron más tarde en la región. Su actual director artístico, el crítico y guionista Sergio Wolf, asumió la responsabilidad de seguir con el destacado trabajo que realizaron sucesivamente el documentalista Andrés Di Tella, el crítico Quintín, y el historiador del cine Fernando Martín Peña. Cada uno de ellos le dio al BAFICI su toque personal, pero no caben dudas de que todos contribuyeron a hacer del festival lo que es hoy.
Parece que han pasado cien años, pero aquella primera edición de 1999 presentaba entre sus eventos destacados una teleconferencia con Lars Von Trier, y una serie de actividades cuyo eje era la revolución digital en el cine. Ese mismo año un joven desconocido llamado Pablo Trapero ganó el premio al Mejor Director por su ópera prima, una película que se convertiría en un hito del flamante Nuevo Cine Argentino: Mundo Grúa (Crane world, 1999). A lo largo de su historia, BAFICI se ha convertido en una cita obligada para directores, productores, críticos y distribuidores de todo el mundo, que lo han visitado principalmente atraídos por el boom argentino, que se consagró en festivales como Berlín y Cannes, de la mano de realizadores como Lucrecia Martel, Lisandro Alonso, Daniel Burman y Rodrigo Moreno, entre otros. Sus primeras ediciones le bastaron para ganarse un prestigio indiscutible, e igualar (e incluso, superar) en importancia al histórico y legendario Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata, el único Clase A en la región, que en noviembre de este año celebrará su 24º edición .
Argentina es un país particularmente afectado por altibajos en su economía. La 11º edición de BAFICI, que se realizó del 25 de marzo al 5 de abril, tuvo que lidiar en un año de elecciones legislativas con la desventaja de una moneda muy devaluada con respecto al dólar y al euro, y con políticas cinematográficas que, aunque bien intencionadas, no se deciden a apuntalarlo económicamente. Aún así, el festival proyectó 417 películas (entre cortos y largometrajes), y tuvo entre sus invitados especiales a James Benning, Kelly Reichardt, Claire Denis, Ron Mann y Prachya Pinkaew. Pero más allá del rico panorama internacional que ofrece cada año, la sección que capta la mayor atención es la competencia argentina, una verdadera vidriera de las producciones independientes que marcarán la tendencia del cine argentino durante todo el año. El premio mayor de la sección fue para Castro de Alejo Moguillansky, una opera prima que se destacó por su sorprendente planteo, su rigurosidad y su timing, y su homenaje al espíritu de un film de culto del cine argentino como Invasión de Hugo Santiago, cuyo guión fue escrito en 1969 nada menos que por Jorge Luis Borges y Adolfo Bioy Casares.
El balance, una vez más, fue positivo. Con cada edición, el BAFICI agita el debate político y estético del cine argentino y, más allá de las cuestiones que pueden mejorar, siembra en todos los que amamos el cine un deseo: que llegue la próxima edición.
ENGLISH VERSION
BAFICI, overview of the first decade
By Cynthia Sabat, for Films & Festivals
The city of Buenos Aires and Argentinian cinema have never been the same since the arrival of BAFICI (Buenos Aires International Film Festival), in 1999. No one, even in their wildest dreams, could have anticipated the influence that this festival would have both in the field of national cinema and in the cultural life of one of the most modern and ardent cities of Latin American culture.
Born of the free and rebellious spirit of independent cinema, it became a showcase for the most recent trends in world cinema, and a reference point for many festivals of similar style that later arose in the region. Its current artistic director, film critic and screenwriter Sergio Wolf, assumed the responsibility of continuing the outstanding work initially carried out by the documentary filmmaker Andres Di Tella, then by film critic Quintin, and latterly by cinema historian Fernando Martin Peña. Each one of them gave BAFICI their personal touch, but there is no doubt that they all contributed to making the festival what it is today.
It feels as though 100 years have passed by since that first edition in 1999, with its many outstanding events, including a conference call with Lars Von Trier, and a series of activities whose climax was the digital revolution in cinema. That same year an unknown young man called Pablo Trapero won the Best Director award for his debut film Mundo Grúa (Crane world, 1999), a film that would become a big hit of the New Argentinean Cinema.
Throughout its history BAFICI has become a vital meeting place for directors, producers, critics and distributors from all over the world, who have attended, primarily attracted by the Argentinean boom, which was consecrated in festivals like Berlin and Cannes, in the hands of Filmmakers such as Lucrecia Martel, Lisandro Alonso, Daniel Burman y Rodrigo Moreno, amongst others. The festival’s first editions were enough to garner undeniable prestige, and to match (and even beat) the historic and legendary Mar del Plata International Film Festival, the only major festival in the region, which will celebrate its 24th edition this November.
Argentina is a country that has been particularly affected by its economic ups and downs. The 11th edition of BAFICI, which took place from 25 March to 5 April, had to compete against legislative elections, a very devalued currency against the Dollar and the Euro, and with film politics that, although well intentioned, themselves do not help economically. Even so, the festival screened 417 movies (both short and feature films), and had among its special guests James Benning, Kelly Reichardt, Claire Denis, Ron Mann and Prachya Pinkaew.
However, beyond the rich international panorama that is offered each year, the section that grabs the greatest attention is the Argentinian showcase, a real reflection of the independent productions that will mark the trends of Argentinian movies during coming the year.
The main prize of the section was for Castro by Alejo Moguillansky, a debut feature that stood out for its striking pose, thoroughness and timing, and its homage to the spirit of a cult film of Argentine cinema, Invasion by Hugo Santiago, whose screenplay was written in 1969 by none other than Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares.
The result, once more, was positive. With each edition, the BAFICI stimulates aesthetic and political debate about Argentinian cinema and, beyond the issues sows a seed of desire in all those that love the movies for the next edition to arrive.
By Cynthia Sabat, for Films & Festivals
The city of Buenos Aires and Argentinian cinema have never been the same since the arrival of BAFICI (Buenos Aires International Film Festival), in 1999. No one, even in their wildest dreams, could have anticipated the influence that this festival would have both in the field of national cinema and in the cultural life of one of the most modern and ardent cities of Latin American culture.
Born of the free and rebellious spirit of independent cinema, it became a showcase for the most recent trends in world cinema, and a reference point for many festivals of similar style that later arose in the region. Its current artistic director, film critic and screenwriter Sergio Wolf, assumed the responsibility of continuing the outstanding work initially carried out by the documentary filmmaker Andres Di Tella, then by film critic Quintin, and latterly by cinema historian Fernando Martin Peña. Each one of them gave BAFICI their personal touch, but there is no doubt that they all contributed to making the festival what it is today.
It feels as though 100 years have passed by since that first edition in 1999, with its many outstanding events, including a conference call with Lars Von Trier, and a series of activities whose climax was the digital revolution in cinema. That same year an unknown young man called Pablo Trapero won the Best Director award for his debut film Mundo Grúa (Crane world, 1999), a film that would become a big hit of the New Argentinean Cinema.
Throughout its history BAFICI has become a vital meeting place for directors, producers, critics and distributors from all over the world, who have attended, primarily attracted by the Argentinean boom, which was consecrated in festivals like Berlin and Cannes, in the hands of Filmmakers such as Lucrecia Martel, Lisandro Alonso, Daniel Burman y Rodrigo Moreno, amongst others. The festival’s first editions were enough to garner undeniable prestige, and to match (and even beat) the historic and legendary Mar del Plata International Film Festival, the only major festival in the region, which will celebrate its 24th edition this November.
Argentina is a country that has been particularly affected by its economic ups and downs. The 11th edition of BAFICI, which took place from 25 March to 5 April, had to compete against legislative elections, a very devalued currency against the Dollar and the Euro, and with film politics that, although well intentioned, themselves do not help economically. Even so, the festival screened 417 movies (both short and feature films), and had among its special guests James Benning, Kelly Reichardt, Claire Denis, Ron Mann and Prachya Pinkaew.
However, beyond the rich international panorama that is offered each year, the section that grabs the greatest attention is the Argentinian showcase, a real reflection of the independent productions that will mark the trends of Argentinian movies during coming the year.
The main prize of the section was for Castro by Alejo Moguillansky, a debut feature that stood out for its striking pose, thoroughness and timing, and its homage to the spirit of a cult film of Argentine cinema, Invasion by Hugo Santiago, whose screenplay was written in 1969 by none other than Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares.
The result, once more, was positive. With each edition, the BAFICI stimulates aesthetic and political debate about Argentinian cinema and, beyond the issues sows a seed of desire in all those that love the movies for the next edition to arrive.
