Festivals

It was a celebration of cinema that lasted 13 days in which there was room for all genres and styles. The 23rd edition of BAFICI, the Buenos Aires Film International Film Festival concluded on May 1, 2022.

Although Javier Porta Fouz has been the artistic director of the Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente, popularly known as BAFICI) since 2016, his relationship with the festival began much earlier, having programmed 19 of the previous 23 editions. In a rare moment of calm in the days before the festival, which takes place this year from April 20 to May 1, Porta Fouz told us about his expectations regarding what will happen in the coming days and what should not be missed.

At the Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival (BAFICI), which returns to the cinemas for its 23rd edition which runs from April 19 to May 1, 2022, the HFPA will hold several events that will highlight its contributions to film restoration and cultural exchange. This year, the Festival will devote a section to screening restored Argentine classics such as Mario Soffici's Prisoners of the Land (1939) and Manuel Antin's The Odd Number (1962), as well as international gems like L'avventura (1960) and Il desserto rosso (1964) from Michelangelo Antonioni, among many others.

Icelandic filmmakers provide a first look at upcoming Icelandic films at the Stockfish Film Festival in Selfoss, Iceland. Six films are presented in the Work in Progress section of the festival.

There is no doubt that SXSW is one of the most important conferences for innovation and creativity. And while it brings important conversations of new behavior, trends and technology, it is also a great place to spot your favorite celebrity.

South by Southwest isn't just tech and the metaverse.  There are screenings, Q&As, and meet & greets with famous names that make every Silicon geek or Hollywood fan’s heart beat faster: great minds from Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Cuban and Jeffrey Katzenberg to Pussy Riot.

After a COVID-19-imposed hiatus in 2020 and 2021, SXSW’s back! Austin’s biggest festival returns with a vengeance – maybe not in size, as the event has been scaled down and mask-wearing and distancing were encouraged – but with an urgency to address social, political, and environmental issues here and now on Earth, out of space, and as Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality (XR Experience). Founded in 1987 to converge the tech, film/TV, music, and gaming industries as well as an expression of all forms of creative and innovative art, this year’s predominant theme of “South By” (as locals, fans, and SXSW pros like to call the festival which runs from March 11-20, 2022) is crypto-mania – with its hype and skepticism alike.

For the first time in film history, women have dominated the three most famous and the most important international film festivals in the world – Berlin, Cannes, and Venice – by earning their top awards. It’s impossible to predict whether this is the beginning of a new trend (although that is not likely), or a series of coincidences.

Currently a senior programmer and Director of Strategic Initiatives, John Nein has worked at the Sundance Film Festival since 2001. He also curates the festival’s preservation initiative, Los Angeles Library’s “Lost & Found at the Movies” conversation series; and serves as the consultant for American cinema at the Locarno Film Festival.

The 72nd Berlin International Film Festival was held, as a live event, from February 10-20 2022, and despite the fairly subdued mood this year, due to continuing pandemic restrictions, the Festival was considered to be a resounding success. Over 250 films were screened, spread over a total of twelve sections from Panorama to Forum, all the way to Main Competition.