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[title]The Mar del Plata International Film Festival celebrates its 40th edition —and 71 years of history— from November 6 to 16, reaffirming its place among the world’s most prestigious Class A festivals. The opening film will be Kiss of the Spider Woman, directed by Bill Condon, who will attend along with lead actor Tonatiuh, co-starring Diego Luna and Jennifer Lopez. Marilina Ross will receive the Silver Astor Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Mar del Plata Film Festival: International Competition
The most anticipated section features films from around the globe. Representing Argentina are La casa by Gustavo Treviño, starring Diego Peretti, and Muña Muña by Paula Morel Kristof. International highlights include The Sea, Israel’s Oscar submission; Calle Málaga from Morocco, starring Carmen Maura; Oca from Mexico; and And Sons by Argentine director Pablo Trapero, shot in the UK with Bill Nighy and Dominic West.
Latin American Competition: Regional Premieres
Argentina will also compete with La muerte de un comediante, Diego Peretti’s directorial debut co-directed with Javier Beltramino, and the documentary 3000 Kilómetros en bicicleta by Iván Vescovo. The lineup includes strong regional names such as Michel Franco with Dreams (Mexico), Rodrigo Sepúlveda with Rey del ring (Chile), and Jayro Bustamante with Cordillera de fuego (Guatemala), along with films from Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Uruguay, and Panama.
Argentine Competition: New Talents and Big Names
Argentine cinema will have a major presence this year. Highlights include Risa y la cabina del viento by Juan Cabral, starring Cazzu and Joaquín Furriel; El hombre de la luna with Rodrigo de la Serna; and The Letter with Harvey Keitel and Britt Robertson. Also featured are Pensamiento lateral, starring Spain’s Itziar Ituño (Money Heist), and documentaries such as Criollos, Recen por mí: la historia de Francisco, and Vlasta, el recuerdo no es eterno, the latter honoring Vlasta Lah, a pioneer of Argentine cinema.
Tribute to Fabián Bielinsky
Twenty-five years after the release of Nine Queens, the festival will pay tribute to director Fabián Bielinsky with the premiere of Nueve auras by Mariano Frigerio and special screenings of Nine Queens and The Aura.
International Panorama: The Most Anticipated Premieres
Among the major premieres are Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, The Last Viking starring Mads Mikkelsen, Nuremberg with Russell Crowe, and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, for which Rose Byrne won the Silver Bear in Berlin. The lineup also includes award-winning films from Cannes, Venice, and Sundance.
Retrospectives and Restored Classics
The festival will honor master filmmaker Miloš Forman with restored screenings of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus, presented by producer Paul Zaentz. The Embassy of Japan will offer a retrospective dedicated to director Yuzo Kawashima, featuring key works such as Suzaki Paradise and Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate.
Series in Mar del Plata: Between Crime and Revenge
Two Argentine series will have special premieres: Yiya, based on the story of Yiya Murano, directed by Mariano Hueter and written by Marcos Carnevale, starring Cristina Banegas and Julieta Zylberberg; and Hija del fuego, a Patagonian drama starring Eugenia “China” Suárez, set to premiere soon on Disney+. From Spain come Leticia Dolera with Pubertat and Eduardo Casanova with Silencio, along with Javier Cámara presenting his new series Yakarta. The U.S. will be represented by two heavy hitters: the second season of Taylor Sheridan’s Landman and the thriller All Her Fault, starring Sarah Snook (Succession).
Closing of the Mar del Plata Film Festival: Cult Classics and Interactive Screenings
The Mar del Plata Classics section will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with interactive screenings and the premiere of the documentary Sane Inside Insanity: The Phenomenon of Rocky Horror.