Mar del Plata continues with the celebration of the seventh art
The 40th edition of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival continues to unfold with an array of fascinating proposals in this celebration of the seventh art.
On Sunday, November 9, the third day began with the International Competition at the Astor Piazzolla Hall, featuring Ungrateful Beings by director Olmo Omerzu.
During the morning, two highly anticipated moments took place at Cine Paseo Aldrey. On one hand, Pensamiento Lateral by Mariano Hueter was screened, with the presence of actresses Itziar Ituño and Agostina Inella, Argentine director Hueter, producer Estela Roberta Sánchez, and actor Mauricio Paniagua. Later, the film had another sold-out screening at the Teatro Colón in Mar del Plata at 7:30 p.m.
When talking about the film, which is part of the Argentine Competition, Ituño stated: “The hardest part of the work was emotional, rather than physical. Fortunately, I’ve never experienced what my character went through. It was a real challenge.”
Meanwhile, in the Latin American Competition, Chilean actor Benjamín Vicuña and producer Max Gandarillas presented Rey del Ring with great enthusiasm. Vicuña said: “We believe this is a film that moves people and that has been very well received since its premiere.”
In the afternoon, the Teatro Auditorium filled up once again for the screening of La casa, a film by Gustavo Triviño, which received a resounding applause and is quickly emerging as one of the favorites for the Astor Piazzolla Audience Award. Triviño’s film competes in the International Competition.
Among the day’s highlights was also Belén, directed by Dolores Fonzi, which will represent Argentina at the 2026 Academy Awards. It was one of the most attended screenings of the day, both in its 4:50 p.m. showing and later that evening at the Victoria Ocampo Cultural Center, with free admission and the presence of actress Liliana Juárez, who said: “It’s very moving for me to be here. I play Belén’s mother, and we believe it’s possible to be an authentic and free woman.”
Special activities also continued at the Rambla Hall of the Casino Central. This time, Hugo Grosso, director of Donde comienza el camino, and Lorena Yenni, director of Birrilata, una vuelta en tren, opened a discussion panel about Fernando Birri. Afterwards, a talk was held on the future of Israeli cinema, with the participation of Aviv Ben Shlush (producer of Oxygen), Jorge Weller (director of Hola! Chau…), Elisa Dor (screenwriter of Hola! Chau…), Michal Giladi (producer of Estate), Yaakov Zada-Daniel (actor in Estate), and Hedva Goldschmidt (producer of A Letter to David).
Spanish filmmaker Carlos Larrazábal, director of Malecón, and producer Jaime Otero Romani held a discussion with the audience, sharing: “It’s a story about friendship and loyalty. We made it with great respect—the entire crew was Cuban.” The film is part of the Latin American Competition.
As for the non-competitive Authors section, at the Ambassador Cinema, the documentary The Passenger Andrzej Munk by Michał Bielawski was screened. Bielawski commented: “For many years, I heard about this Festival. It’s my first time here, and it’s very meaningful because the protagonist of my film participated in it back in 1957.”
Finally, the night closed with the 50th anniversary celebration of the classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the historic theater located at Córdoba 1673. True to Hollywood style, audience members came in costume and were surprised by a group of actors who reenacted the film’s characters.
The celebration of cinema continues in Mar del Plata through November 16, accompanied by the Secretariat of Culture of the Nation, with each day bringing new surprises to this ever-evolving festival.
