BAFICI line up Announced!

by Lauren Pringle, Contributing Blogger

Hold onto your hats, the date is growing ever close to the 14th annual Buenos Aires Festival de Cine Independiente (Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival) to be held from April 11^th to April 19^th, 2012. Boasting an array of local and global talent, this year BAFICI will be opened with this year’s smash hit “El ultimo Elvis” (The last Elvis) which documents the story of an Elvis impersonator.  Directed by Helmer Armando Bo, the film has received raving reviews internationally. Closing the country’s biggest festival will be Ursula Meier’s Berlin-winning “L’Enfant d’en haut,” a sibling tale set in a Swiss ski resort.

The festival will screen 449 films from all over the globe with 15 competing for top prizes. Entries include Berlin-screened holiday drama “Salsipuedes” by Mariano Luque, Nadir Medina’s coming-of-age tale “El Espacio entre los dos” (The Space Between Us) and Luis Ortega’s street tale “Dromomanos” (Roamers). Competing for new cinema, the competition seems tough and we see the world premier of “Crazy and Thief,” a childhood adventure tale by American Cory McAbee.

Argentina will be making an impact screening three world premiers: Gabriel Medina’s father and son drama “La Arana vampiro” (The Vampire Spider), Maximiliano Schonfeld’s farm drama “Germania,” and Alejandro Fadel’s “Los Salvajes” (The Wild Ones), which follows a group of kids in the outback.

Other films that have had our ears turning red are:

Chilean Elisa Eliash’s seducer tale “Aqui estoy, aqui no” (Here I Am, Here I’m Not);

American Zach Weintraub’s “The International Sign for Choking,” about a scriptwriter trying to find himself in Buenos Aires;

“La Casa Emak Bakia” (The Search for Emak Bakia), a documentary by Spaniard Oskar Alegria.

Australian Justin Kurzel’s serial killer tale “Snowtown,”

Chilean Cristian Jimenez’s love story “Bonsai”

U.S.-Canadian co-production “Francine,” directed by Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky, about a woman coming out of prison.

Philippine Marlon N. Rivera’s satirical comedy “The Woman in the Septic Tank,”

Dutch helmer Sacha Polak with father-daughter story “Hemel,”

Israeli Nadav Lapid’s “Policeman,” about a clash between anti-terrorist forces and young rebels,

Serbian Maja Milos’ “Clip,” about a sex-crazed teen.

Valerie Massadian’s childhood story “Nana”

Celine Sciamma’s “Tomboy,” about a girl who changes her identity, both from France.

Watch this space carefully for all the latest news and updates of this year’s BAFICI.

You can pre-order tickets now (most showings sell out) and remember to check out the free concerts, talks and children’s cinema programs.

For more information: http://www.bafici.gov.ar/