Ulises Porra - Juan Naharro

Source: Juan Naharro

Ulises Porra

New projects from Ulises Porra and Beatriz Seigner are among the 14 taking part in this year’s San Sebastian Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum, now in its 11th edition.

Spanish filmmaker Porra returns to San Sebastian after Carajita, co-written and co-directed with Silvina Schnicer, received a special mention from last year’s New Directors jury. Porra’s new project Bajo El Mismo Sol is produced by Dominican Republic’s Wooden Boat Productions, a company founded by Ulla Prida, who also produced Carajita.

The feature is set in 1820, and tells the story of the son of a deceased businessman who must bring to fruition his father’s last endeavour: a silk factory in the middle of the island of Santo Domingo. The project is aiming to shoot in October 2023 in the Dominican Republic. A co-production agreement with Argentina’s Pucará Cine is already in place.

Brazilian writer-director Beatriz Seigner’s previous credits include Cannes Directors’ Fortnight title Los Silencios, which later played at San Sebastian and won the Impact Award at Stockholm Film Festival in 2018. Seigner’s new project, The Blue Flamingo (Voo Do Flamingo), is produced by Brazil’s Abrolhos Filmes, and co-produced by Globo Filmes, Cinésud Promotion, Telecine and Canal Brasil.

The Blue Flamingo is a coming-of-age roadtrip drama, that follows a mother’s attempt to track down her young son’s absent father, which involves a journey back to her hometown in Brazil – a crumbling seaside town. The feature is set to film in 2023 with a budget of €1.15, and half of the financing already raised. 

Scroll down for the full co-production forum line-up

The forum aims to foster collaboration and create openings for new international markets and is open to fiction and non-fiction works in development.

Projects will be presented to industry members at pitching sessions and one-to-one meetings with potential partners. Prizes awarded are the best project award, with a prize of €10,000, the DALE! Award (Development Latin America-Europe), for a €20,000 award, and the ArteKino International Prize, at €6,000.

Across the 10 previous editions, 162 projects have been selected, 72 films have been completed and 42 have been selected for major festivals. Last year, Argentinian director Francisco Marise’s Camionero won the best project award. Where The River Begins, a Colombia-Canada-France co-production from Colombian-Canadian filmmaker Juan Andrés Arango received the DALE! Award, and went on to take part in the 2022 Cannes L’Atelier co-production forum.

Further previous successes include Maite Alberdi’s Chilean documentary feature The Mole Agent, that was nominated for best documentary at the 2021 Oscars, and Sundance 2022 premiere Dos Estaciones, from Mexican filmmaker Juan Pablo González, which earned a special jury award for lead actor Teresa Sánchez’s performance.

San Sebastian Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum

Bajo El Mismo Sol (Dom Rep)
Dir. Ulises Porra (Sp)
Prod. Wooden Boat Productions

Inspection On Earth (Inspección En La Tierra) (Arg)
Dir. Mariano Luque (Arg)
Prod. El Carro

The General´s Daughter (La Hija Del General) (Mex)
Dir. Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson (Mex)
Prod. La Corriente Del Golfo México

The Fire Doll (La Muñeca De Fuego) (Chile-Fr)
Dir. Niles Atallah (US)
Prod. Globo Rojo Films

Condensed Milk (Leche Condensada) (Arg)
Dir. Anahí Berneri (Arg)
Prod. Dukkah Producciones

Lovers Go Home! (Col-Fr)
Dir. Juan Sebastián Mesa (Col)
Prod. Rhayuela Films

Madre Pájaro (Costa Rica-Arg)
Dir. Sofía Quirós Ubeda
Prod. Sputnik Films

To Die On Your Feet (Morir De Pie) (Chile-Arg)
Dir. María Paz González (Ch)
Prod. Audiovisual Don Quijote Films

Us (Nosotros) (Sp)
Dir. Helena Taberna (Sp)
Prod. Lamia Producciones Audiovisuales

Rona (Arg-It)
Dir. Emiliano Torres (Arg)
Prod. Gaman Cine

They Burn In The Same Way (Se Queman De La Misma Forma) (Arg)
Dir. Clarisa Navas (Arg)
Prod. Gentil Cine

Six Months In The Pink And Blue Building (Seis Meses En El Edificio Rosa Con Azul) (Mex)
Dir. Bruno Santamaría Razo (Mex)
Prod. Ojo De Vaca

Todo El Mundo (Arg)
Dir. Agustina San Martín (Arg)
Prod. Vega Cine

The Blue Flamingo (Voo Do Flamingo) (Bra)
Dir. Beatriz Seigner (Bra)
Prod. Abrolhos Filmes