City Buenos Aires Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Miss Universe organization modified its rules to eliminate the age limit in their annual pageant, women worldwide have decided to compete to secure the title of the first Miss Universe over 30 years old. Among these women is Iris Amelia Alioto, Argentina’s first 72-year-old contestant.

Holly Jones A remote and dilapidated lighthouse proves an increasingly sinister backdrop for newly widowed father, Pablo (Hugo Silva) and his adolescent daughter Lidia (Zoe Arnao) in the first international teaser trailer for the upcoming Ángeles Hernández thriller “Restless Waters, Shivering Lights” (“El Faro”). Distribution in Spain is handled by Alfa Pictures with an expected release date of Jan.

Holly Jones Paris-based outfit Luxbox – one of Europe’s biggest sales agents and sometimes producers – of higher-profile Spanish-language art house fare, has swooped on international rights to “Reas,” a prison musical in which female and trans ex-cons process their experiences, which was confirmed last week as one of the first eight films selected for Berlin’s Forum section. The second film by Argentine playwright and writer Lola Arias (“Theater of War”), and winner of the HEAD Pitchings du Réel Award at Visions du Réel in 2020, “Reas” was also selected by San Sebastian Film Festival for its 2023 WIP Latam.

Marc Anthony, who enchanted Peruvians with his Viviendo Tour. Marc was accompanied by his inseparable wife, Nadia Ferreira, as he stopped by the South American country. While Marc finalized the details of his concert, Nadia toured some of the most touristy spots in Lima, such as the Indian Handicraft Market, one of the most beautiful places in the area.The model shared a glimpse of her visit to the market through her Instagram stories.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent In bigger picture terms, the major highlights of Ventana Sur were a masterclass by Cannes head Thierry Frémaux and an impromptu speech by San Sebastián director José Luis Rebordinos, heads of the most important film festivals in the world and Spanish-speaking world, supporting the continued existence of INCAA. There words came after Argentinian President elect Javier Milei had vowed on the campaign trail to shutter Argentina’s state-backed film-TV agency if voted into power. In industry terms, never has Ventana Sur, Latin America’s most important film-TV market, been this big, its final attendance numbers sky-rocketing to 4,300, some 30% up on 2022, beyond even the wildest expectations of organizers, Cannes Marché du Film and the INCAA.

Kaytranada, Jessie Ware and Vince Staples are among the first raft of names announced for next year’s edition of Sónar Barcelona. The music festival, which is known for highlighting dance and electronic music culture, is set to run from Thursday June 13 to Sunday June 15, 2024, and tickets are on sale here. Other names confirmed for the festival include Charlotte de Witte, who will bring her ‘Overdrive’ show to the site, Floating Points, Ben Böhmer live, Casisdead, Marie Davidson and Folamour.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Habanero Film Sales has snapped up documentary “I Trust You” (“En vos confio”) from Juan Pablo Gugliotta and Nathalia Videla Peña’s Magma Cine (“The Distinguished Citizen,” “1976”) in one of the more significant of multiple deals struck at a hectic Ventana Sur (VS) in Buenos Aires. Directed by Agustin Toscano, whose “The Owners” and “The Snatch Thief” participated in Cannes’ Critics Week and Directors’ Fortnight sidebars in 2013 and 2017, respectively, “I Trust You” follows former nuns Susana and Nélida who have been incarcerated at the Tucumán Women’s Prison since 2006, accused of a crime they insist they did not commit.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Mexican Rigoberto Pérezcano’s “Lovers Fare Goodbye,” a poignant, exquisitely shot tale of star-crossed young love dominated prizes at Primer Corte, Ventana Sur’s key arthouse pic competition. The prize and dozens of others were announced Friday at Latin America’s most important film-TV mart-meet.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent BUENOS AIRES — In one of the first deals to close at this week’s Ventana Sur market, Spain’s Latido Films has boarded “Lo Que Quisimos Ser,” written-directed by Alejandro Agresti, produced by Fernando Sokolowicz at Aleph Media, and Gastón Duprat, who have teamed as producer and co-writer-director on “The Distinguished Citizen,” “The Man Next Door,” and “The Artist.” “Lo Que Quisimos Ser” marks the latest film from Agresti, one of Argentina’s most international talents best known for a Hollywood sojourn which saw him directing Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in “The Lake House” and writing Argentina-set, English-language “No somos animales,” with John Cusack. Of his Argentine film, “Valentín” weighs in as a big-hearted coming of age tale of a cross-eyed and very lonely young kid.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Colombian sales and distribution company Doc:Co is venturing into the global sales arena with its first international pick up, Chilean-Colombian co-production “Otra Piel.” The debut feature documentary of Patricia Correa, “Otra Piel” is co-produced by Colombia’s Romeo, 235 Digital and Sonata Films alongside Chile’s Cine Matiz, founded by producer Gabriela Sandoval who co-runs another, more established label, Storyboard Media. The doc revolves around Miguel, who at 38, is not just a taxidermist but also an accomplished hunter.

Holly Jones A chaotic and bittersweet love affair meets a compelling journey toward radical self acceptance in Brazilian writer-director Felipe Sholl’s second feature, “Glória,” which screens as part of Ventana Sur’s Primer Corte strand on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. Produced by Daniel van Hoogstraten at Brazil’s Syndrome Films, the plot follows bereft literature professor Gabriel as he moves to Río in an attempt to escape his close minded family after the death of his grandmother. There, he meets the enigmatic Monica (Diva Menner) who owns the neighborhood bar and becomes fast friends with regulars Mateus (Alan Ribeiro), Roger (Sandro Aliprandini) and Laila (Jade Sassará), who moonlight as sex workers.

Callum McLennan ZDF, one of Germany’s leading broadcasters, has announced its co-production involvement ,via ZDF–Das Kleine Fernsehspiel, in the upcoming feature “Marriage by Abduction” (“Brautraub”). The film is directed by Sophia Mocorrea and builds on her short “The Kidnapping of the Bride” which took accolades at both Berlin and Sundance. It is now one of the high profile projects at Ventana Sur’s Proyecta lineup, its main arthouse project platform.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Madrid-based Sideral, a production-distribution-sales label launched by Spain’s Elamedia Estudios early this year, has boarded Uruguayan Ventana Sur-Blood Window project “Capital Variable,” the feature debut of Uruguayan helmer-scribe Marco Caltieri. Elamedia Studios CEO Roberto Butragueño will produce the thriller/dark comedy with Sideral’s Paola Botrán and Uruguay’s Clara Charlo of To Je To serving as executive producers. Sideral will be handling international sales on the project, which was pitched at genre forum Blood Window at Ventana Sur, the preeminent annual film-TV market in Buenos Aires, co-organized by Cannes Festival and Marché du Film and by Argentina’s INCAA film institute.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent BUENOS AIRES — Delivering a masterclass in Buenos Aires just days after the election victory of far-right libertarian Javier Milei on Nov. 18, Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Frémaux voiced his support for Argentina’s INCAA public sector film-TV agency, which Milei has promised to destroy. Frémaux’s one and brief direct reference to the INCAA – which oversees Argentina’s crucial federal film funding, without which much of Argentine filmmaking would wither – came towards the end of a 90-minute masterclass entitled Cinema (of) Tomorrow.

a few months back. “There’s just tremendous opportunities now as the market’s tightening to find source IP where, you know, there’s an installed audience,” he added.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent BUENOS AIRES — Paris-based sales agency MPM Premium has has closed its second major territory deal on “On the Go,” toplining “Elite” star Omar Ayuso in an Andalusia-set road movie with lashings of sun, sex and sensuality. Directed by Maria Gisèle Royo and Julia de Castro, and one of Spain’s most memorable feature debuts, “On the Go” has been licensed to Outplay Films which plans a theatrical release in Sumer 2024 after the film’s French premiere in premiere in Chéries Chéris.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent BUENOS AIRES — Brazil is beginning to come back as Latin America’s production powerhouse. At Ventana Sur on Monday, representatives of key federal, state and city authorities as well as a leading producer outlined some of the directions the giant would like to take on its return.

Damon Albarn joined Beck in a live cover of Gorillaz’ ‘The Valley Of The Pagans’ during Beck’s Primavera Sound set in Buenos Aires on Sunday (November 26). “This is a song we wrote together during COVID times,” said Beck, as Albarn walked onstageto thunderous applause, which gave way to a spontaneous, prolonged crowd chant.

Anna Marie de la Fuente With Brazil under focus at Ventana Sur’s this year, highlighting the work of Spcine, Cinema do Brazil and Projeto Paradiso, São Paulo film-TV commission Spcine has organized a series of panels and other events to signal Brazil’s return to normal after the devastating tenure of Jair Bolsonaro. With President Lula da Silva back in the saddle since his stunning re-election in October 2022, confidence in Brazil as a partner in film and TV investments is awakening large expectation.

Pulp played a raucous live show in Argentina, and aired ‘Joyriders’ and ‘Bad Cover Version’ for the first time in over a decade – check out footage of the moment below.The performance took place last night (November 23), as part of the latest show on the Sheffield band’s ongoing ‘This Is What We Do For An Encore’ tour.Held at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, the gig saw Jarvis Cocker and co. perform renditions of fan favourites from their discography including ‘Disco 2000’ and ‘Common People’, as well as some rarities.Kicking off with ‘I Spy’, from their 1995 classic album ‘Different Class’, the band went on to surprise the audience by breaking out into a rendition of ‘Joyriders’ – a deeper cut from their 1994 ‘His ‘n’ Hers’ album.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Brazilian talents to track Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias, selected for 2021’s Sundance with short “Unliveable,” are teaming with Janaina Bernardes, a co-producer of Karim Ainouz’s “Nardjes A.” and Argentina’s Frutacine, behind Tribeca player “Initials S.G.,” to produce “Burning Land” (“Terra de Fuego”), Carvalho and Farias’ awaited feature debut. “Unliveable” was voted by Brazil’s Abraccine critics’ assn. as the best short of the year.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent As U.S. and European sales agents and distributors gather in Buenos Aires next week for Ventana Sur, there will be a very large elephant in the room: the stunning victory in Argentina’s presidential election Sunday of far right Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist.” Milei won 55.8% of the vote promising to do away with inflation, running at over 140%, as part of “drastic changes” which include scrapping Argentina’s central bank, dollarizing the economy and slashing public spending by 15% of GDP.

Taylor Swift’s music until after the visit of Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs.The Chiefs are set to play the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL on Monday (November 20), and the local station Q102 has said that no songs by Swift, who is in a relationship with Kelce, will be played until at least Tuesday.“Q102 is punting Taylor Swift from the radio station for the entire weekend because while Q102 loves Taylor Swift, we can’t get enough of her, this weekend it’s really important we show our support for the Birds,” said Nugget, one of the station’s hosts, to CBS News Philadelphia.Swift publicly acknowledged her relationship with Kelce at her gig in Buenos Aires last Saturday (November 11), giving him a shout-out by changing a lyric in her ‘Midnights’ track ‘Karma’. “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me,” she sang.Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, meanwhile, have teamed up for a festive cover of The Pogues’ classic hit ‘Fairytale Of New York’.Swift’s Eras Tour landed in Brazil this week, but it has been touched by tragedy after a fan died before the show on Friday (November 17).The fan has been named as Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Fresh off making history, becoming the first Latin American to win the best picture award at Sitges with highly acclaimed Shudder Original “When Evil Lurks,” Argentina’s Demián Rugna figures among writers of six finalist screenplays at Tinta Oscura 2023, presented by Blood Window and Argentine independent Del Toro Films. Part of Ventana Sur, backed by Cannes Marché du Film and Argentina’s INCAA film-TV agency, Blood Window unspools over Nov. 27-Dec.

It appears “the guy on the screen” is ready to be out in public again!

Taylor Swift “wasn’t too happy” about postponing one of her shows in Buenos Aires recently.The pop star is currently on the Latin American leg of her huge ‘Eras Tour’. Last week (November 10), she was forced to push back her second scheduled date in Argentina by two days due to bad weather.“I love a rain show but I’m never going to endanger my fans or my fellow performers and crew,” Swift wrote in a post on social media to announce the delayed concert.It was previously reported that some ticketholders had been camping outside the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires since June in a bid to get a good spot in the audience at the gigs.Speaking on the latest edition of his New Heights podcast, Kelce – who is currently dating Swift – spoke about how the singer felt after moving the show at the last minute (watch below).“She wasn’t too happy about it, obviously.

Emiliano De Pablos Disney+ has picked up Latin American rights to Diego Yaker’s Argentine-Spanish revenge thriller “Una jirafa en el balcón” and is planning a theatrical release in Argentina and Uruguay. Barcelona-based indie studio Filmax is handling Spanish distribution and international sales rights on the film. Hitting the final straits of its shoot, “Una jirafa en el balcón” is filming in Barcelona over Nov.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema has sold the North American rights for “Adios Buenos Aires” to Outsider Pictures, which plans to release the charming comedy drama in spring 2024 throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Taylor Swift is back in NYC and is already taking to the streets with her besties!

Anna Marie de la Fuente Backed by the Cannes Film Market and Argentina’s INCAA film agency, the 15th Ventana Sur and its much anticipated works in progress sections, Primer Corte and Copia Final, unspool over Nov. 27-Dec.