• Three production companies and a dozen projects, many looking to generate a co-production, are participating in the 13th edition of the Bogota Audiovisual Market BAM. Chile hopes to promote agreements in this market and strengthen its country’s image.
• «We have established alliances from the private world to governmental entities,» notes Diego Rojas, executive producer of Cábala Producciones.
• The outstanding Colombian audiovisual industry meeting takes place from July 11 to 16 in a hybrid format.
Check the complete Catalogue BAM.
Once again, Colombian streets make way for the Bogotá Audiovisual Market BAM, Colombia’s most significant film market and one of the most highlighted Latin American markets. This event has distinguished guests and various activities connecting the Colombian audiovisual sector through specialized spaces such as workshops, one-on-one meetings, round tables, and conferences. El mundo es de los que insisten is the slogan with which, this year, the market gives life to this enriching encounter where people breathe and connect with cinema.
In this new version, Chiledoc, the Chilean documentary promotion agency, seeks to develop connections with the Colombian market and therefore encourages the development of co-productions that benefit both countries.
«It is important that Chilean documentaries are present in markets such as Colombia, an excellent platform to promote the national industry, share experiences, and develop contact networks to benefit Chilean-Colombian co-production. Furthermore, the Creative Industries contribute to the diversification of our offer in Colombia, adding value and recognition. Thus, we believe that this public-private alliance, in this case through Chiledoc, will encourage national documentary filmmakers to have new commercial opportunities and internationalize their production,» said Marcela Aravena, commercial director of ProChile in Colombia.
Fatuous Fires
In 2022 Chiledoc will be organizing a Forum with the support of the Chilean Embassy in Colombia and ProChile, which will provide an overview of the central funds that finance film distribution in Chile, informing about the opportunities for Colombian co-productions to be exhibited in the country. The space named Film distribution in Chile and opportunities for the Colombian co-productions will have the participation of Paula Ossandón, director of Chiledoc, and Gabriela Sandoval, executive producer of Storyboard Media.
«BAM is a market that focuses on understanding the sector’s needs and works as an important bridge between Colombian and Chilean filmmakers. One of the objectives of our participation there is to promote co-productions between the two countries,» says Paula Ossandón, director of Chiledoc.
This year marks the bicentennial of diplomatic relations between Chile and Colombia, and today more than ever, this link is reflected in film production. From 2019 to today, at least a dozen projects and productions have been developed with Colombia, mostly documentary series, some financed by the sister country. In some cases, from RTVC (Señal Colombia) or funds from government entities in Colombia, such as the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications MINTIC.
Some outstanding Chilean production companies have developed important productions with their Latin American counterparts. Examples are, on the one hand, La Ventana Cine, with the series Ancestral Secret in its first season – and a second season already confirmed – and Cábala Producciones, with the documentary series Children of the Stars which is already in its third season. On the other hand, other production companies include Tres Tercios and its animated children’s series Zander, and Raki Films with the documentary series Children of Water In addition, there are other cases in which Colombian production companies have shown interest in co-producing with Chile, as was the case with Casatarántula, which, together with Pantalla Cines and defilm, co-produced the feature documentary Alis, winner of awards in the recent editions of Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico and Sheffield Doc/Fest in England.
CHILEAN PRODUCTIONS AT BAM
More than a dozen Chilean projects will attend to this important market, mainly to boost their networks and the co-production possibilities with the Colombian industry and strengthen the joint work that both countries have been carrying out for over a decade.
A particular case is that of Cábala Producciones, a Chilean company that has a commercial office in Colombia since 2015. The production company, led by Gonzalo Argandoña and Diego Rojas, and its producer in Colombia, Andrea Feuillet, has made several co-productions, including: the documentary series Saving Paradise, the feature documentary El Oso de Los Andes; the children’s fiction series Dinoexploradores; the documentary series Experimenta; the documentary series Violet Science and the documentary series Children of the Stars. «Our relationship with key actors of Colombia’s audiovisual market has been excellent. For example, we have established alliances between the private world and governmental entities; we have been awarded competitive funds for the production of audiovisual projects; and we have developed co-productions with public TV channels with a high level of production, as is in the case of Señal Colombia,» comments Diego Rojas, executive producer of Cábala.
Chiribiquete, the Lost Civilization of the Amazon
This year, the production company attends with four projects to the Colombian market. Chiribiquete, the Lost Civilization of the Amazon directed by Paul-Aurélien Combré and Gonzalo Argandoña and produced by Diego Rojas and Eric Ellena; the third season of Children of the Stars, directed by Gonzalo Argandoña and produced by Diego Rojas; Saving Paradise project directed by Eric Ellena and produced by Diego Rojas; and Violet Science, directed by Gonzalo Argandoña and produced by Diego Rojas and Andrea Feuillet. “Cábala specializes in nature, science and environmental content. To arrive at one of the three most biodiverse countries in the world meant a unique opportunity to record places with an incredible natural richness and real hotspots for the science,» adds Rojas.
On the other hand, the production company Neurofilms attends BAM with two projects: The Plan and Finally your Footprints, both directed by Pablo Stephens and produced by Cristián Hidalgo. «One of our objectives is to move forward in distribution agreements for our completed productions and films in the final stages of shooting. For this, we will meet with Preciosa Media and Briosa Films,» comments Hidalgo, who also values the possibility of developing a link with the country. «The Colombian audiovisual industry is one of the most prolific in the region, and despite the pandemic, 30 national feature films premiered in 2021. Likewise, audience attendance that year reached almost 30 million people, a market that shows to be healthy despite recent difficulties. On the other hand, distributors in Colombia have become strong in the region and other territories, so distributing from there for Chilean companies is very attractive», says the producer Cristián Hidalgo.
Finally Your Footprints
Para Amanda Films is another company house attending this critical event. However, it will participate online with the feature film project Umut means Hope, directed by Berta Hernández and Daniel López and produced by Ignacio Hernández. They are looking for sales agents and exhibition spaces. «Colombia is a country that culturally is very similar to Chile, with similar territorial challenges, but with a sounding board four times bigger than ours. Colombia is also an example in Latin America for its policies of promoting and strengthening its industry. It attracts agents from all over the world who see here a fertile ground where it is possible to develop and strengthen business,» says Ignacio Hernández, executive producer of Para Amanda Films.
Umut means Hope
SouthBorder Distribution will also participate in their short film distribution project, representing the short films My Blue Dad, directed by Catalina Etcheverry and produced by Elisa Reyes, and Fatuous Fires directed by Hurtachi (Felipe Hurtado) and produced by Laura Zamora. «We are interested in Colombia’s attractiveness today, which brings industry agents from all over the world,» adds Hernández.
It is also important to highlight that this year Proimágenes Colombia invited the distributor’s team, represented by Ignacio Hernández, to be part of the Refresh IV short film catalog’s jury. Such honor will help to promote the distribution of new national short films.
Chiledoc, the Chilean documentary sector brand, organizes Chile’s participation in the Bogota Audiovisual Market, while ProChile provides the funding.
internacional@chiledoc.cl
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