Actor Francesc Orella Gave an Open Talk and the Final Competition Screenings Took Place

Friday, November 14 featured major talents from both the international and the national cinema scene, as well as the final screenings from each competition, and the recognition of the Festival’s Artistic Co-Directors, Jorge Stamadianos and Gabriel Lerman, who were named Tourism Ambassadors of Mar del Plata.

The film 18 Holes to Paradise closed the International Competition with the presence of its producer, Andreia Feliciano Nunes: “I’m very happy—it’s the first time I’ll be presenting the film with an audience. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do,” she said.

Meanwhile, director Guadalupe Yepes and actress Carla Pandolfi presented Unchained Woman as part of the Argentine Competition. The fiction feature follows Gina, a woman who, in Argentina in 1977, fights to become a mother while her husband Carlos, a powerful businessman tied to the Navy, hides dark secrets. A passionate affair and the disappearance of her best friend drag her into a perverse game in which Carlos also plays a part. Torn between desire, betrayal, and danger, Gina must risk everything to reclaim her freedom.

At the headquarters of the Municipal Tourism and Culture Agency of Mar del Plata (EMTURyC), the Festival’s Artistic Co-Directors received certificates naming them Tourism Ambassadors for their outstanding work in promoting the cultural and touristic value of the seaside city.

In response, Lerman said: “Mar del Plata plays a role in the lives of all Argentinians who have any connection to the city. I had mine as a child—my family used to come here for summer vacations.” Stamadianos added: “At every international festival, as representatives, we’re promoting Mar del Plata. For us, Mar del Plata have become the words we use the most in our daily lives.”

As for the En Tránsito Competition, the Cine Paseo Aldrey screened Fan by Mariela Di Naro, Drumskin by Joaquín Cambre, Bagman by Esteban Trivisonno, Poor Daniel by Santiago Gobernori and Lucía Valdemoros, Olivera & Corman: Hollywood in Argentina by José Tripodero and Martín Cataldi, and Huemul by Milton Ekman.

Life Is by Lorena Villarreal also had a prominent moment at the theater on Alberti 2115, drawing an eager audience to the story of Nora, a woman about to turn 40 who cannot stop asking herself: What is the meaning of all this? What should have been a celebration turns into a series of unfortunate missteps that push her toward self-discovery. With open wounds, unspoken desires, and pasts that still burn, Nora faces her family history, death, unemployment, the collapse of her polyamorous relationship, and the urgent need to redefine love, her sexuality, and what she truly wants from life.

At 4:00 p.m., Catalan actor Francesc Orella gave an open, free talk at the Rambla Room of the Casino Central, where he warmly remarked: “I’ve loved being here—they treat me very well, as one would expect from Argentina. I really wanted to come to the Festival and get to know Mar del Plata. I hope the film is well received and that audiences approach it with an open mind.” He also emphasized that he remembers “the character of Merlí with great affection” and that “it was a real privilege to do the series.”

Later that evening, the acclaimed actor introduced Emergency Exit by Lluís Miñarro. The film follows an actress reflecting on her career, a disoriented anthropologist, and two legendary divas traveling with other strangers across surreal landscapes in a mysterious vehicle they cannot seem to escape.

The night concluded with the arrival of Peter Lanzani at the Teatro Colón in Mar del Plata, where Heads or Tails?—part of the Italian Screens section—was screened.