The 21st Santiago International Film Festival (SANFIC), organized by Fundación CorpArtes, took place from August 17 to 24, 2025. Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or winner It Was Just an Accident served as the opening film for the festival, while the Spanish-Argentine film Queen of Coal, directed by Agustina Macri, closed the festival.
Colombian drama film A Poet, directed by Simón Mesa Soto, received the main prize within the International Competition, while Al Sur del Invierno está la Nieve, directed by Sebastián Vidal Campos won the main award for the Chilean Films section.
Background The complete lineup was announced on July 31. Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival's opening ceremony, while a retrospective section was dedicated to his filmography with screenings of four of his films. The festival's official poster was designed by Chilean illustrator Alberto Montt, inspired in the works of Argentine cartoonist Quino.
The festival was directed by Carlos Núñez. Screenings took place at three venues: Sala Centro Arte Alameda, Sala Parque Arauco and Cinépolis La Reina (La Reina).
Juries International Competition Mariana Rondón, Venezuelan film director, screenwriter, producer and visual artist , Uruguayan curator and founder of Ventana Sur and Blood Window Mariana Di Girolamo, Chilean actress
Chilean Film Competition Paulina Obando, Chilean producer and professor Jana Wolff, Head of Marketing & Advertising at the European Film Market in Berlin Carlos Marqués-Marcet, Spanish film director, screenwriter and film editor
Chilean Short Film Competition Clemente Rodríguez, Chilean actor Maud Amson, Director of Sales & Operations at the Cannes Marché du Film Thea Ehre, Austrian actress
Official selections The following films were selected for the official competitions and other sections:
International Film Competition Highlighted title indicates section's best film winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) They Will Be Dust Polvo serán Carlos Marqués-Marcet Spain, Switzerland, Italy Cuerpo Celeste Nayra Ilic García Chile, Italy Runa Simi Augusto Zegarra Peru That Summer in Paris Le rendez-vous de l'été Valentine Cadic France A Poet Un poeta Simón Mesa Soto Colombia, Germany, Sweden Beloved Tropic Querido trópico Ana Endara Panama, Colombia The Portuguese House Una quinta portuguesa / A Quinta Avelina Prat Spain, Portugal Monstruo de Xibalba Manuele Irene Mexico
Chilean Film Competition Highlighted title indicates section's best film winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Los Renacidos Santiago Esteves Argentina, Chile, Spain Si Vas Para Chile Amilcar Infante, Sebastián González Chile Lo Que No Se Dijo Ricardo Valenzuela Pinilla Chile, Colombia Zafari Mariana Rondón Peru, Mexico, Brazil, France, Chile, Dominican Republic, Venezuela La Quinta Silvina Schnicer Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Spain Kaye Juan Cáceres Chile After the Fog Después de la Niebla Miriam Heard Chile, United Kingdom, France Al Sur del Invierno está la Nieve Sebastián Vidal Campos Chile
Chilean Short Film Competition Highlighted title indicates section's best film winner. English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Laurita Sebastián Soto Salas Chile Proyecto de Verano Rocío Huerta, Paz Ramírez Chile Feliz Cumpleaños Lucía Patricio Alfaro Chile Atardecer en América Matías Rojas Valencia Chile, Brazil Trascender Vicente Bustos Silva Chile Lo Que Fue Nuestro Hogar Angelo Lobos Chile Días de Verano Fiora Salas-Román Chile El Sacrificio de las Luciernagas Giancarlo Bozzi Álvarez Chile En las Estrellas Bailan los Perros Raimundo Bucher, Constanza Barrios, Matías Yunge, Florencia de la Maza Chile Masivo Ignacio Pavez Chile Futura Licenciada Samantha Copano, Florencia Peña Chile No Sy Tuyo Cristina Sitja Rubio Chile, Germany Mamita Linda Juan Bautista Tagle, Joaquín Nercasseau Chile Life Invisible Bettina Perut, Iván Osnovikoff Chile, United Kingdom, Sweden Un Lugar para ver el Fin del Mundo Guille Söhrens Chile Fantasmas de Vidas Futuras Antonia Monserrat, Ricardo Alfonso López Chile Lost Call Sergio Allard Chile, United States Morfología Underground Sidka Saavedra Chile, Argentina Baldías Julieta Acuña Chile Úrsula Edison Cájas Chile Medianoche Diego Ayala Chile
Masters of Cinema The following films were selected for the Masters of Cinema (Maestros del Cine) section, dedicated to films by prestigious filmmakers from around the world: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) The Wave La ola Sebastián Lelio Chile, United States It Was Just an Accident یک تصادف ساده / Un simple accident Jafar Panahi Iran, France, Luxembourg Meet the Barbarians Les barbares Julie Delpy France Alpha Julia Ducournau France, Belgium When Fall Is Coming Quand vient l'automne François Ozon France The Flats Alessandra Celesia Ireland, France, Belgium, United Kingdom The Mastermind Kelly Reichardt United States, United Kingdom Ariel Lois Patiño Spain, Portugal Diamonds Diamanti Ferzan Özpetek Italy The Light Das Licht Tom Tykwer Germany, France
Visions of the World The following films were selected for the Visions of the World (Visiones del Mundo) section, dedicated to feature films and documentaries from around the world: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Die Unbeugsamen 2 - Guten Morgen, Ihr Schönen! Torsten Körner Germany Todas las Fuerzas Luciana Piantanida Argentina, Peru Jano & Dafi Camilo Erazo Chile Frisch Damian John Harper Germany Punku J. D. Fernández Molero Peru, Spain The Last Taboo Manfred Oldenburg Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Czech Republic Lovers in the Sky Amantes en el Cielo Fermín de la Serna Argentina, Germany, United States A Bright Future Un Futuro Brillante Lucía Garibaldi Uruguay, Argentina, Germany Minha Terra Estrangeira Colectivo Lakapoy, João Moreira Salles, Louise Botkay Brazil Before/After Avant/Après Manoël Dupont Belgium
Directors in Focus The following films were selected for the Directors in Focus (Directoras en Foco) section, dedicated to films made by female filmmakers from around the world: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Jone, Sometimes Jone, batzuetan Sara Fantova Spain The Empty Grave Das leere Grab Agnes Lisa Wegner, Cece Mlay Germany, Tanzania La Fábula de la Tortuga y la Flor Carolina Campo Lupo Uruguay Reproduction Reproduktion Katharina Pethke Germany Shahid Narges Kalhor Germany Alicia Bajo la Higuera Manuela Thayer Chile
Special Screenings English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Millonario José Isla, Felipe Isla Chile Lo Que Trajo la Marea Patricio Valladares Chile Velados Transparentes Coti Donoso Chile Poirot, Último Testigo Francesc Relea Chile, Spain Queen of Coal Miss Carbón Agustina Macri Spain, Argentina The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés Antón Álvarez Spain
Retrospective English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) The Day of the Beast (1995) El día de la bestia Álex de la Iglesia Spain, Italy Perdita Durango (1997) Spain, United States, Mexico Common Wealth (2000) La comunidad Spain Crimen Ferpecto (2004) Spain, Italy
Sanfic EDUCA The following films were selected for the SANFIC EDUCA, dedicated to fiction, documentary and animation films with themes related to children, youth and families: English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Gouzou Ousa Ou Lé? Romain Vacher France We, Students! Nous, Etudiants! Rafiki Fariala Central African Republic, France, Democratic Republic of Congo, Saudi Arabia La Cascada Pablo Delgado Mexico The Goose Jan Míka Czech Republic What the Finn?!: Summer of Surprises Kannawoniwasein?! Stefan Westerwell Germany Checker Tobi und die Reise zu den fliegenden Flüssen Germany Montsouris Park Montsouris Guil Sela France A Tiny Voyage Le Tout petit voyage Emily Worms France, Switzerland Cielo Roto Natacha Mora Costa Rica Nostalgia para el Lago Arturo Maciel Paraguay, Peru, Spain Un Pájaro Voló Leinad Pájaro de la Hoz Colombia, Cuba Ana Morphose João Rodrigues Portugal Un Reino para Todos Nosotros Miguel Ángel Uriegas Mexico, Colombia Ángel y Perla Denise Anzarut, Jenni Merla Argentina The Bertrand's Farm La Ferme des Bertrand Gilles Perret France Hormiguilla Fran Granada Spain
Awards The following awards were given: International Competition Best Film: A Poet by Simón Mesa Soto Special Jury Mention for Best Film: Runa Simi by Augusto Zegarra Best Director: Simón Mesa Soto for A Poet & Carlos Marqués-Marcet for They Will Be Dust Best Performance: Angela Molina and Alfredo Castro for They Will Be Dust & Franklin Aro for The Dog Thief (ex aequo)
Chilean Film Competition Best Film: Al Sur del Invierno está la Nieve by Sebastián Vidal Campos Best Director: Silvina Schnicer for La Quinta Best Performance: Daniela Ramírez for Zafari Special Jury Mention for Best Performance: Patricia Cuyul for Lo Que No Se Dijo Special Jury Mention: Zafari by Mariana Rondón
Chilean Short Film Competition Best Short Film: Futura Licenciada by Samantha Copano and Florencia Peña Special Jury Mention: Baldías by Julieta Acuña Special Jury Mention: Morfología Underground by Sidka Saavedra
References
External links