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PRENSA
8º festival de cine bizarro, fantástico y
terrorífico
Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre
BARS horrifies Argentina
by Charles Newbery (from Variety.com) The 9th Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre (BARS) festival of indie bizarre, horror and fantasy films kicks off Thursday, Oct. 30 in Argentina, a country that is seeing a rise in output and sales in these genres – and growth challenges.
“There is a movement of genre cinema in Argentina. It’s not massive but it is growing,” said fest programmer Pablo Sapere. “The industry in Argentina is reaching a point where directors can finance horror films and make a living, something that used to be a utopia.” BARS will screen more than 100 shorts in the genres by Argentine directors alone, he said.
While better known for arthouse pics, Argentina is getting more industry attention for genre productions thanks to the runway success of Juan Taratuto’s romantic comedy “Un novio para mi mujer” (A Boyfriend for My Wife). It drew more than 1.38 million admissions, the hottest homespun posting so far this year – and second overall after “Kung Fu Panda.”
Spanish producers are looking to Argentina and Latin America for projects with the hope to repeat the international success of two of their own horror films, Juan Antonio Bayona’s “The Orphanage” (pictured), and Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza’s “REC,” said Betina Goldman of One-Eyed Films.
Her London-based production and sales outfit has sold rights to the tongue-in-cheek five blonde girls slasher “36 Steps,” directed by Argentina’s Adrian Garcia Bogliano, to Tiberius for Germany, Condor Media in the U.S. and Spain’s Factoria de Canales.
Goldman, who is attending BARS, is now looking at development projects out of Argentina like Garcia Bogliano’s rape revenge thriller “No morire sola” (I Will Never Die Alone), Daniel de la Vega’s “Eye of the Abyss” and the sci-fi action pic “Filmatron” directed by Pablo Pares.
HURDLES
There are limitations. It is expensive to meet production standards for local exhibition of horror and sci-fi pics because of tight union regulations. This leaves the pics with only the option for direct-to-video and international sales.
Yet the state-run National Film Institute (Incaa), the biggest source of production coin in the country, is getting involved.
This year for the first time in 20 years it financially backed the production of horror film “Visitante de invierno” (Winter Visitor), making it possible for a theatrical release. A second – Sergio Mazurek’s “Lo Siniestro” (The Sinister) – is in production and others like Javier Diment and Luis Ziembrowski’s psychological thriller “El Propietario,” which will screen at BARS, may get state help.
“This is a significant change,” Sapere said.
Incaa “is trying to get more people to go see Argentine cinema and genre films are a way,” said Fabian Forte, director of “Carnal,” a vampire flick that was picked up for vid sales in the U.S. by Timeless Media Group.
Disney-backed Patagonik Film Group has boarded “Ataud Blanco” (White Coffin), a $400,000-plus horror film to be directed by De la Vega. K&S Films, another top producer, is working with Israel Adrian Caetano of 2006 Cannes-nommed “Cronica de una fuga” (Buenos Aires 1977) on the horror film “Cimarron.”
FESTIVAL
The seven-day fest is showing on two screens, with a dozen titles in competition including U.S. films like Jeremy Saulnier’s hip slasher pic “Murder Party,” Bill Plympton’s animated feature “Idiots and Angels” (pictured) and Andrew Wiest’s western “Dead Noon,” as well as Richard Schenkman’s sci-fi “The Man from Earth” and Zach Passero’s “Wicked Lake.” They will go against “Tokyo Gore Police,” directed by Japan’s Yoshihiro Nishimura, and the supernatural horror pic “Altar” by Rico Maria Ilarde of The Philippines.
Latin American entries include vampire flick “Nocturnos,” directed by the Argentines Ariel Medina, Maximiliano Ricciardi and Leandro Vitullo, and “Mud Zombies” by Brazil’s Rodrigo Aragao and Uruguayan Maximiliano Contenti’s killer-doll pic “Muneco Viviente.”
The fest this year has a focus on Latin American cinema, with screenings of films from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Uruguay.
Fest is organized by QuintaDimension.com, a digital magazine on fantasy, horror and sci fi, with backing from the city of Buenos Aires and Incaa.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
“Altar,” Rico Maria Ilarde, The Philippines “Dead Noon,” Andrew Wiest, USA “Dr. Infierno,” Paco Limón, Spain “Idiots & Angels,” Bill Plympton, USA “Machine Girl,” Noboru Iguchi, Japan-USA “Mud Zombies,” Rodrigo Aragão, Brazil “Muñeco Viviente,” Maximiliano Contenti, Uruguay “Murder Party,” Jeremy Saulnier, USA “Nocturnos,” Ariel Medina, Maximiliano Ricciardi and Leandro Vitullo, Argentina “The Man from Earth,” Richard Schenkman, USA “Tokyo Gore Police,” Yoshihiro Nishimura, Japan-USA “Wicked Lake,” Zach Passero, USA
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Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre - Festival Internacional de cine ultraindependiente de terror, fantástico y bizarro 
