Six projects selected from 278 submissions compete for the WIP Latam Industry Award, which covers post-production, an English-subtitled DCP and Spanish distribution. The winner also receives the €30,000
EGEDA Platino Industria Award.

Selection committee member Javier Martin told “Variety” the projects span drama, comedy, road movies and hybrid non-fiction. Mexico and Brazil stood out for creative momentum, while Colombia is producing a
new generation of filmmakers. Women directed 30% of submissions. Argentine projects remain strong but increasingly depend on co-production and international partners amid tighter conditions.

WIP Europa features M. Tayfur Aydın (Trace), with his fourth feature film, and three first-feature directors.

WIP Latam

Everywhere Left to Go, ('Todos los lugares donde ir', Tiagx Vélez, Crisalida Cine, Colombia) Tiagx Vélez’s second feature follows Miguel after his boyfriend vanishes during a techno rave, plunging him into grief and fractured reality. Her shorts have screened or won recognition at Dunkel Roda, Ficunam, Cartagena and Rotterdam.

Galerna, (Tatiana Huezo, Pimienta Films, Elastica Films, Mexico, Spain) Huezo follows casting directors Lúa and Noé as they search remote Mexico for natural actors for a sci-fi production, confronting their prejudices and vulnerabilities. The film stars Ilse Salas and Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez, with cinematography by Ernesto Pardo, and is backed by producers behind Roma, Sujo, Alcarràs and Creatura.

Lovers Go Home! (Juan Sebastián Mesa, Rhayuela Films, Potenza Prods., Camera Oscura, Dublin Films, El Sol Ermitaño, Colombia, Spain, Canada, France)

This four-country co-production follows a webcam performer and disabled war veteran whose virtual relationship evolves from sexual requests into an unexpected bond. The project has participated in the Euro-
Latin Co-Production Forum, Carolina Foundation workshop, Chalet Mauriac residency and Toulouse’s Cinéma en Développement.

The Criminal Matter, (Matías Italo Scarvaci, Naso Cine, By LACE Films, Argentina, Chile)

Scarvaci’s fiction-feature debut follows two brothers chasing the American dream as corruption, violence and the Russian mafia threaten their bond. His documentaries earned recognition at Mar del Plata,
Guadalajara and Moscow, building a festival track record ahead of his narrative debut.

The Last Song of the Birds, ('O ultimo canto dos pássaros,' Beatriz Seigner, Cine-Sud, Oportuna Films, Brazil, France)

Seigner follows 14-year-old Hugo as he tracks down his estranged Uruguayan father to secure a passport for his São Paulo orchestra’s European tour. Represented by Pyramide Intl, the film reunites Seigner with cinematographer Inti Briones. Her previous film Los silencios premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and won the Cooperación Española Award in San Sebastián.

Travel & Pleasure, ('Viajes y placeres,' Mariano Luque, Largavista Cine, Cabustra Arts, Animista Cine, Argentina, Uruguay)

Luque’s genre drama follows a fading TV presenter who discovers mysterious alien eggs while filming at Argentina’s Embalse lake. Selected for the 2022 Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum as Inspection
on Earth, it builds on his festival track record spanning San Sebastián, Cannes Cinéfondation, Rotterdam and Cinéma du Réel.

WIP Europe

The Battle of Hedgehogs, (M.Tayfur Aydın, MTA Film Yapim, Turkey)

Following the death of her father, Zerin opposes her brothers’ plan to divide and sell the family property, seeing it as the inheritance she has earned through years of sacrifice. The film is described as “an intimate and emotionally charged family drama about justice, belonging, and the courage to challenge inherited rules.”

In a Manner of Speaking, (Val Jashari, Wavemaker Films, Live Productions, Kosovo, Montenegro)

Zeka, an Albanian-American fugitive running a bar in Prishtina, suddenly sees her hidden life upended by a police raid. Cornered, Zeka leaps onto a balcony and meets Vlora, a woman from a remote village trying
to disappear for reasons of her own. Together, they set off on a journey toward redemption.

The First Week of August, (Filip Mojzes, Wolfgang & Dolly, Black Photon, Croatia, Poland)

While on summer vacation with his wife Ivana and 10-year-old son David, Zoran, a journalist who has experienced psychological trauma, unexpectedly and violently attacks the boy as he slowly begins to lose
control over his behavior. Zoran’s problems eventually extend to interactions with a neighboring family.

Familiar Feelings, (Mónica Lima, Seara Filmes, Maria Zimbro, Portugal)

Lia, once a promising actress, unexpectedly returns to her drought-stricken homeland in rural Portugal. While expecting an empty house, she finds her family gathered to receive her. Startled, she hides and slips away, postponing the confrontation.

ANNA MARIE DE LA FUENTE, ED MEZA