The 73rd edition of the San Sebastián International Film Festival opened this Friday with 27 noches, a detective comedy directed by Uruguayan filmmaker Daniel Hendler and produced by Santiago Mitre, who used the presentation to issue a stark warning about the present and future of Argentine cinema under the government of Javier Milei. Mitre denounced the “attacks and disdain” that, in his view, are being directed at culture in general and the film industry in particular, following the closure of the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) in April of last year.

The director of Argentina, 1985 said during the press conference after the screening that the Argentine government “has the film budget held hostage” and is not using it “out of a desire to attack the industry, which they consider corrupt.” Aware of the symbolism of opening the festival with an Argentine production, Mitre stressed that “it is a sign that fills us with joy and shows how important Argentine cinema is to the world,” in contrast with what he sees as a deliberate policy of weakening culture in his country.

The filmmaker’s words came amid a climate of deep concern among Argentine directors and producers. Agustina Llambí Campbell, producer of 27 noches, noted that “literally, in the last year no film has been produced with support from the national government.” She explained that 90% of the Argentine films at this year’s Zinemaldia —including three in the Official Selection— were financed before the change of government or backed by international platforms such as Netflix or Amazon. In her view, the downturn will become more evident in next year’s edition, when the presence of Argentine cinema at international festivals will likely shrink drastically.

Mitre, who besides producing has directed some of the most acclaimed Argentine films of the last decade, insisted that resources do exist but are simply not being allocated to cinema. This, he argued, reveals a “political will to interrupt something that worked well thanks to the articulation between public and private sectors.” His remarks reflect the widespread discontent within an industry that for decades was sustained with INCAA’s support and now faces a scenario of uncertainty, with productions stalled and projects canceled.

The premiere of 27 noches in San Sebastián therefore takes on a significance that goes beyond cinema itself: it becomes both a reaffirmation of the value of Argentine filmmaking on the international cultural map and a platform to denounce what Mitre described as a “symbolic shutdown” of public cultural policy. The ovation with which the team was received at the screening seemed to underline the support of the festival and the global film community for a national cinema that, despite its current hardships, continues to inspire admiration worldwide.