Mexican filmmaker Nicolás Pereda and Guatemalan filmmaker Julio Hernández Cordón will have the world premiere of their newest films at the International Competition of the upcoming 65th edition of the Locarno Film Festival to take place between August 1-11 at the lakeside Swiss city. Both Pereda (b. 1982) and Hernández Cordón (b. 1975) are great examples of two young Latin American directors who have been able to build a robust and important film career in just few years.
Pereda wil be presenting Los mejores temas / Greatest Hits, his fifth feature film which provides a conclusion for the saga of several mother and son characters the director has created, with interfamily conflict. The story tells of Gabino, a 27 year-old who sells pirate music in the subway of Mexico city and lives with his mother Teresa. One day, after 15 years of no contact, his estranged father Emilio returns, planning to stay an indefinite period of time. Eventually his presence causes a rift in the family’s set dynamics, causing Teresa to decide to throw him out of the house. In making this choice, her relationship with Gabino will change their lives forever.
Hernández Cordón, who just premiered another film just last week at FID Marseille winning two prizes at the French Festival, will premiere Polvo, Ignacio and Alejandro decide to produce a documentary about Comalapa. There they meet Juan, a man who’s father was kidnapped and has lost all hope of recovery. Juan knows who was responsible, for whom he harbors feelings of intense vengeance which Ignacio and Alejandra bear witness to.
Both Los mejores temas and Polvo will be competing along with other 17 film for the Golden Leopard, the festival's main prize, which last year, was awarded to the Argentine film Abrir puertas y ventanas / Back to Stay by Milagros Mumenthaler.
The Swiss festival announced its complete lineup today, which will also include the Chilean film No by Pablo Larraín and a showcase of Latin American short films including Boa Sorte, Meu Amor / Good Luck, Sweetheart by Daniel Aragao (Brazil); Feliz / Happy by Achille Milone (Argentina); Ismael by Sebastián Hofmann (Mexico); Los Retratos / Portraits by Iván D. Gaona (Colombia); Dizem que os cães veem coisas / Dogs Are Said to See Things by Guto Parente (Brazil); Insight by Sebastián Díaz Morales (Netherlands/Argentina); Monumento by Gregorio Graziosi (Brazil); and Enjoy Yourself by Gastón Solnicki (Argentina).
The Locarno Film Festival's Carte Blanche will be dedicated to Mexico. Started in 2011 with Colombia, this now annual initiative aims to offer a showcase for a number of films in post-production, from a different country each year, in Asia, Africa, Latin America or South-East Europe. Carte Blanche will show seven Mexican films in postproduction, each introduced by its producer, to the various international sales agents and festival programmers who will participate in Industry Days. At the end of the program, a jury composed of three professionals will offer the best film a cash prize, to be used to complete the film.
