Ventana Sur, Agavia Studio Residencia Fantastica launches in Jalisco

To support the fast-growing Latin American genre market, a first Residencia Fantástica for screenwriters will take place from October 17th to 21st in Jalisco, Mexico.

The genre residency is the first of its kind in Latin America and is an initiative of Agavia Studios, Buenos Aires-based industry market Ventana Sur and its genre platform Blood Window, the Marché du Film in Cannes, and the Jalisco State Film Commission, Filma Jalisco.

The program aims to help fantasy/horror content creators improve their projects by providing training, advice and reviews. The aim is to create a meeting space that motivates the exchange of creative, professional and strategic experiences.

The residency is part of the Tinta Oscura competition, in which a total of 262 screenplays from 13 countries were submitted. An international jury composed of prominent members of the film industry, Blood Window and Agavia Studios will select a winner from five completed screenplays selected to participate in the Residencia Fantástica. The winner will be awarded at Ventana Sur, which takes place from November 28th to December 2nd.

Agavia Studios, led by CEO Gustavo Castillón, will award the winning screenwriter $25,000 in exchange for the rights to the work, which is set to be in production by early next year. “It’s a huge boost for a screenwriter who no longer has to search for a producer,” said Bernardo Bergeret, Executive Co-Director of Ventana Sur, of the planned annual event.

The residency tutors are Cuba’s Alejandro Brugués (“Juan of the Dead”, “Nightmare Cinema”), Luiso Berdejo (“[REC]’, ‘The Infinite Trench’), Pablo Guisa Koestinger (Grupo Mórbido) and LA-based Argentinian producer Axel Kuschevatzky (‘Argentina 1985’, ‘The Secret in Their Eyes’).

“The global genre market has experienced exponential growth in recent years and a new generation has emerged in Latin America in search of a place in the powerful world of fantasy,” noted Bergeret.

“Residencia Fantastica is the next step in building the Latino talent community and strengthening our region’s genre industry,” agreed Guisa Koestinger, adding, “It focuses on the fundamental fundamentals of our industry: screenwriting, the spark, which ignites the film-making process.”

“Screenplays are the ‘philosopher’s stone’ of filmmaking,” said Daniel de la Vega of Sofia Films when Tinta Oscura was announced. Mexico-based Sofia Films is one of the drivers of Blood Window and Ventana Sur, supporting awards at genre and art house industry showcases.

The residency will be held at Casa Carlota in the Pueblo Magico of Tapalpa, Jalisco. It includes master classes, individual and group sessions, and pitching sessions with the participation of well-known professionals from the film industry.