Sanfic Announces Nine Chilean Films for Competition, Highlighting Late Director Antonio Caro’s Final Work

The 22nd Santiago Film Festival (Sanfic) has unveiled its Chile Film Competition lineup, showcasing nine national productions vying for cash prizes in the categories of best film, director, and actor. The selection is notable for including four debut features and honoring the late documentary filmmaker Antonio Caro with his final film, “Monguen”.

Sanfic artistic director Carlos Núñez emphasized the significance of Caro’s inclusion. “We present his film with special affection, as a way of honoring his work and keeping his perspective present within this selection,” Núñez stated, noting that Caro passed away unexpectedly a few weeks prior to the announcement.

Núñez described the current landscape of Chilean cinema as “particularly diverse,” characterized by varying narrative languages, territorial perspectives, and generational voices. He highlighted that the competition features works that blur the lines between fiction and documentary, alongside a strong presence of filmmakers emerging from outside traditional production hubs. “We want Sanfic to be precisely that kind of space: a place where Chilean cinema can connect with its audiences while, at the same time, reaching an international stage,” he added.

The announcement comes amid a period of growth and financial uncertainty for the local industry. According to the 2026-2027 industry catalog, unveiled at the San Sebastián Film Festival, Chile’s film output has surged by 20.5% compared to the previous season. Eight Chilean titles screened across seven sections at San Sebastián. However, the sector is preparing for potential budget reductions under the administration of President Jose Antonio Kast, who took office in March. While the Ministry of Culture has characterized upcoming changes as a 9% overall decrease, the Audiovisual Investment Support Fund faces a sharp decline from approximately $586,000 in 2026 to $208,000 in 2027, representing a 64% cut.

Alejandra Garcia, producer of “The Meltdown”—Chile’s submission for the Oscars—expressed frustration regarding the fiscal changes. “The recent budget cuts to culture in Chile are deeply frustrating. It’s difficult to understand why a country’s support for culture is still seen as an expense to be reduced, rather than an investment that should be strengthened,” she told Variety.

The full competition lineup includes:

• “Animals” by Andrés Waissbluth Weinstein: A speculative fiction piece set in a future where animals hold civil rights, disrupting the lives of privileged couples.
• “Beat” (“Latir”) by Patricio Loutit Azócar: A feature debut about a retired professor who joins a body-percussion workshop during Chile’s 2022 constitutional plebiscite while grappling with his wife’s terminal illness.
• “Black Corp” (“Cuadro Negro”) by Carolina Adriazola and José Luis Sepúlveda: A drama following a young journalist documenting the army who reconnects with her grandmother and a woman with differing views on military legacy. It previously won the Grand Prize at Punto de Vista.
• “Death Brought You Back” (“La muerte te vio volver”) by Sebastián Cuevas Barria: A debut thriller in which a woman returns to Chiloé to claim her dying mother’s inheritance and confront family secrets.
• “Erratics” (“Bloques Erráticos”) by Thomas Woodroffe: A sci-fi debut starring Denis Lavant, selected for the San Sebastián New Directors sidebar, about a filmmaker’s ghost released from a glacier into futuristic Patagonia.
• “Floating Population” (“Población Flotante”) by Carlos Araya Díaz: A docu-fiction hybrid exploring memories of a childhood friend through the voice of an actor.
• “Inner Rebellion” (“Rebelión Interior”) by Sofía Paloma Gómez Vergara: A documentary examining Chile’s social uprising through the lens of a health brigade treating protesters.
• “Monguen” by Antonio Caro: A documentary following Fresia, a young Mapuche woman navigating motherhood while traveling between her community and the city.
• “The Tiger of the East” (“El Tigre del Este”) by Jorge Acevedo: A debut about a Chilean muleteer and musician who travels to Mexico to perform for the band Los Tigres del Norte.

Sanfic will run from November 2 to 6 in Santiago de Chile. Details regarding the other nine festival sections will be revealed on October 20.