– CANNES 2026: The Latin American market has presented five works in progress, spanning coming-of-age fantasy, social drama, mythological adventure, queer documentary and bureaucratic tragicomedy
The Mantises by Didac Gimeno (© Adam Schwartz)
Ventana Sur has showcased five works in progress at this year’s Marché du Film, as part of the Goes to Cannes strand. The event, Ventana Sur Goes to Cannes, unspooled on 18 May, from 10:00-11:50, at Palais K in the Palais des Festivals, and was open to Marché du Film badge holders.
Ventana Sur is considered the most important market for audiovisual content in Latin America, and a key appointment for distributors, buyers and other international industry professionals. Launched in 2009, the event is organised by the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes and Argentina’s National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts. More recently, the Uruguayan Film and Audiovisual Agency joined the organisational team as the market moved to Uruguay for the first time.
The five projects, all set for completion by 2026, reflect Ventana Sur’s regional and international scope, bringing together co-productions involving Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico and Spain.
The Mantises – Didac Gimeno (Spain/Argentina)
Produced by MGC, El Médano, DarkStudios, Motoneta Cine and Wild Lemon, this 102-minute, Spanish-language coming-of-age film follows Aitana, who spends the summer at her uncle’s farmhouse after her mother’s death, where she meets her cousin Lope, a strange boy obsessed with ghosts. One night, a sudden encounter with her spirit guide leads her to discover a fantastical world that helps her understand her loss. The project appears to blend grief drama, supernatural elements and adolescent discovery.
The Grass – Ivana Galdeano (Argentina/Uruguay)
Staged by Mónica Amarilla for Inimaginaria Producciones, Eliana Campos, Mercedes Córdova and Valeria Forster for Brava Cine, as well as Clara Charlo and Maria Zanocchi for Los Besos Contenidos, this 90-minute, Spanish-language drama centres on Karina, aged 36, who lives with her children on an occupied plot of land in Córdoba, declared a red zone because of scorpions. After her brushcutter breaks, she has three days to find money and cut the grass. Her search exposes family tensions and the precariousness of her life, pointing to a grounded portrait of economic fragility and everyday survival.
The Mark of the Jaguar – The Awakening of Fire – Victor Mayorga (Brazil/Mexico)
Produced by Origem Content, in co-production with Ocelotl Company, this 93-minute, Spanish-language action-adventure animated drama with fantasy elements zooms in on Xilacatzin, a young Mexica warrior bearing the cursed mark of the jaguar, who is accused by the goddess Itzpapalotl of stealing sacred bones. He crosses Mictlan with his allies, recovers the bones and, after a sacrifice by fire, is reborn with divine power, defeats the goddess and becomes a hero. The project suggests an ambitious mythological genre piece rooted in pre-Hispanic legend and heroic transformation.
The Way You See Me – M Sin Titulo (Mexico/Argentina)
Produced by Abril López Carrillo for Barlovente Cine, this 80-minute, Spanish-language documentary-drama with LGBTQ+ themes offers an intimate story about the construction of identity, and the implications and insights that arise from challenging gender norms in a complex, conservative and macho society such as upper-middle-class Mexico. The film looks set to combine personal testimony with a broader reflection on gender, social expectations and class.
When I Existed – Alejandro Damiani, Martin Avdolov (Uruguay/Spain)
Produced by Federico Cetta for El Cielo Cine, David Matamoros for Doce Entertainment, Andrés Rosenblatt for Metropolis Films and Matías Burgos for Moon Ideas, this 97-minute, Spanish-language comedy-drama tells the story of Silvio Bertolini, a man who is unable to collect his retirement payment because he has been declared dead. Trapped in the bureaucratic system, he does everything possible to prove that he is alive. Along the way, he reconnects with old friends, the life he left behind and the one he could have had, eventually rediscovering his wife, his daughter and his present. The project promises a humanistic tragicomedy about ageing, endless paperwork and the need to feel alive beyond official recognition.
