Four genre films arrive at the 41st Festival

Hora Cero is the Festival’s dedicated space for genre cinema. In this Panorama section, horror, suspense, and the most extreme experiences push the limits of imagination — screenings designed for those who seek thrills.

Indonesian director Joko Anwar, known for films such as Orphal and Impetigore, presents Ghost in the Cell, a co-production between Indonesia and South Korea. The story unfolds inside Labuhan Angsana maximum security prison, where gang violence and corrupt guards make survival itself a punishment. After a new inmate arrives, an invisible presence begins killing those with the darkest aura. Anwar is known for combining genre filmmaking with social commentary, and his films have screened at Venice, Toronto, Sundance, and the Berlinale.

No duermas sola is the debut feature of Talo Silveyra, an Argentine director, screenwriter, and producer based in Los Angeles. Set in Buenos Aires, the film follows Sami, played by Agustina Benavides, who returns to the family home after her father’s suicide. There she suffers from sleep paralysis and begins to lose the boundary between reality and nightmares. A presence visits her while she sleeps, seemingly connected to her father’s death — and what she discovers is far more disturbing than she ever imagined.

In Pacífico, by Gonzalo Gutiérrez, a group of young people becomes stranded on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. What begins as an adventure turns into a desperate fight for survival against a malevolent force that has remained hidden for centuries. Gutiérrez is an Argentine filmmaker and visual effects supervisor, a pioneer in technological innovation applied to Latin American cinema. His credits include Underland and Gigantes, a 3D animated film distributed in over 50 countries. Not to be confused with the Pacífico by Riccardo Gabrielli, which is part of New Authors.

French director Alexandre Castagnetti rounds out the section with Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, a new adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s celebrated novel, aimed at younger audiences. It stars Deva Cassel, alongside Romain Duris, Julien de Saint Jean, and Ángela Molina.

Four stories for those who dare to watch what scares them — lights out.