Ventana Sur Lifts Lid on Bloody WIP Sidebar Program, With Loreti, Grieco, Forte, Rugna (EXCLUSIVE)
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Ventana Sur’s Blood Window has just announced the six Latin American titles which will feature in its Work In Progress sidebar offering, in what promises to be another year of spine-tingling genre fare not for the faint-hearted.
Titles cap the most powerful Blood Window lineup in its history, galvanised by new sections Fant.Latina, focusing on Latin American women genre directors, and Spanish Screamings, a selection of projects from Spain, whose genre auteur scene exploded into life around the turn of the century with Jaume Balagueró’s “The Nameless.” This mega offer coms as genre, despite challenges for theatrical distribution in many markets, is proving ever more a go-to choice for young filmmakers and international distributors.
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The section offers producers, sales agents and distributors the chance to feast their eyes on projects close to finished and seeking post-production coin for final studio fix, or just international distribution. This year’s titles:
“The Horned Frog,” (Augusto Sinay, Argentina)
Starring Cristobal Lopez Baena, Lucia Castro and Spanish Goya winner Javier Pereira, this supernatural period piece sees a young wandering gaucho try to save himself from the curse of a horned frog in war-torn 19th century Argentina, which local legend claims once dead must be disposed of in a very special way.
“Maria,” (Nicanor Loreti & Gabriel Grieco, Argentina)
Revenge from beyond the grave, a naked robotic heroin, macho baddies going down to a feminist avenger, and plenty of gore from “Diablo” director Loreti, here teaming up with Blood Window veteran Gabriel Grieco for a genre shattering fetish feast which sees a sound-recordist tricked to work on a film shoot with ex-boyfriends and the retired porn star, Maria Black, who promptly dies.
“Witch Games,” (Fabian Forte, Argentina)
Young rebellious woman inadvertently triggers witchcraft ritual button on computer game leading to arrival of three black arts instructors who try to integrate her in their coven before the appearance of a demon come to spoil the party. From experienced director Fabian Forte who previously hit box-office gold co-directing “Partners By Accident” with Loreti.
“Anima,” (Alejandro G. Alegre, Mexico)
Multitasking independent film-maker Alejandro G. Alegre is no stranger to Blood Window having been here in 2019 with “The Devil Told Me What To Do.” This year, he brings us “Anima,” a yarn about Samuel and his growing suspicions the world around him is run by someone very powerful up above.
“Fish Girl,” (Javier Cutrona, Ecuador)
An amnesia afflicted girl’s mental void is occupied by a giant imaginary, protective fish who really cares, but her quest for the boy she loves reveals the truth of these fishy dreams mixing past and future. Tragic and tender, potentially dazzling and dark, the debut feature of video-clip director Javier Cutrona.
“The Dark,” (Mauricio Chernovetsky, Mexico)
From the director of Stephen Rea starrer “Styria,” a mysterious mountain exerts an irresistible pull from afar on Carlos who runs away from home in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic to attempt to reconnect with childhood there. But the emergence of Joey from the dark woods soon sees things spiralling out of control.
Special Screening:
“When Evil Lurks” (Demián Rugna, Argentina)
The script was a Sitges Pitch-Box runner up back in 2020 and sees a newly born demon unleash madness on a small, isolated town after a man gives birth to evil itself. From established writer-director Demián Rugna, whose “Terrified” saw remake rights picked up by Guillermo del Toro, and produced by new Argentine joint production venture La Puerta Roja.
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