Chile boasts a milestone presence in Cannes this year with new or consolidating companies leading the charge. Among them is Fernando Bascuñán’s Planta with three projects — two competing in Directors’ Fortnight: Domingo Sotomayor’s drama about a woman adopting a stray dog, “La Perra,” and Lisandro Alonso’s “Double Freedom” (“La libertad doble”). Picked up by Luxbox ahead of its world premiere in Cannes, it’s the sequel to Alonso’s “La Libertad,” which debuted in Cannes’ 2001 Un Certain Regard.
Planta also brings young boxer drama “For the Opponents” by Federico Luis (“Simon of the Mountain”), to Cannes’ shorts competition. Luis’ latest project, “The Dog Trainer” (“El entrenador de perros”), will be pitched at the festival’s development program La Résidence.
“We’re thrilled about this triple presence at Cannes. It’s unprecedented for a Chilean production company, and we take it as a meaningful recognition of the work we’ve been building. Over the past year, we’ve truly come into our own as a team at Planta and reaching this moment together — after such an intense 2025 — feels especially significant,” says Bascuñán.
He adds, “The collaborations we’ve forged have been essential, both with directors and creative talent and with national and international producers like Augusto Matte and Rodrigo Teixeira. At Planta, we operate from a deeply collaborative ethos that goes beyond co-production, engaging closely in the overall development of each project.”
Ronda, founded in January 2025 by Alejandra García after 20 years at Wood Prods., brings “The Meltdown” (“El deshielo”) by Manuela Martelli (“Chile, ’76″) to Un Certain Regard — the first time a Chilean fiction film directed by a woman has achieved this distinction.
Ronda also has a hot new market package, espionage thriller “Impunity”by Felipe Gálvez (“The Settlers”) at Cannes’ Investors’ Circle. “We are committed to the growth of new voices in Chilean cinema such as Francisca Alegría, Martelli and Gálvez, while also being part of the careers of established talents like Marcela Said, Marialy Rivas and Andrés Wood,” says García.
García announced early Cannes three new projects: political melodrama “Estrella Solitaria” from Manuela Martelli; a real-event inspired thriller “Sacrificio,” from Andrés Wood, a Sundance winner for “Violeta Went to Heaven,” and Rivas’s “The Mail Box of the Impure.”
Notes Alexandra Galvis, director of promotional entity CinemaChile: “This is a historic Cannes for Chile. It comes on the heels of the previous year, when Diego Céspedes won Un Certain Regard, helping to consolidate something that is no longer accidental or sporadic. This year not only celebrates the established producers we know so well, but also surprises with emerging production companies achieving historic milestones.”
Gabriela Sandoval, Storyboard producer and director of producers association APCT, concurs: “Year after year, Chile has been consolidating a meaningful presence at one of the world’s most important festivals, driven by the strength of its creative identity. What sets it apart today is its ability to export distinct perspectives: voices with a clear point of view, rooted in their territories yet resonating universally.”
She points to Chile’s commitment to cinematic language, creative risk and a very particular way of storytelling that has enabled Chilean cinema to build a sustained presence on the most important global stage: “This year’s presence at Cannes is a clear confirmation of that.”
Chile hits this milestone at Cannes just as a right-wing government takes over, stirring some unease in the audiovisual sector. However, the appointment of Daniel Laguna, a screenwriter (“Recycled Lives”), as executive secretary of Chile’s Audiovisual Development Fund, has been reassuring. “Public funds in Chile operate on a stable yearly framework, but some lines need updating to better reflect today’s realities,” he tells Variety.
He also stresses current support for incentives focuses on competitive funds to attract investment. “However, expanding into tax-based incentives is necessary, and this will require clear dialogue to define how to move forward,” he says. “Chile has strong audiovisual talent. The next step is aligning policy with that capacity.”
