After the success of its 2024 edition in Montevideo, Latin America’s most important audiovisual market, Ventana Sur will return to Buenos Aires from December 1 to 5, 2025. This new phase, renamed Ventana Sur – Río de la Plata, marks the beginning of a binational model that will alternate annually between the Uruguayan and Argentine capitals. The chosen venue is the historic Palacio Libertad, located in the heart of Buenos Aires.
The event is organized by the Marché du Film of the Cannes Film Festival, the Argentine National Film and Audiovisual Institute (INCAA), and—starting this year—by the Uruguayan Film and Audiovisual Agency (ACAU). Since its founding in 2009, Ventana Sur has grown exponentially, drawing around 3,000 participants each year, including more than 300 international buyers and sellers.
“Ventana Sur has become a vital bridge between Latin America and the global industry,” said Guillaume Esmiol, Executive Director of the Marché du Film, who highlighted the event’s potential to strengthen partnerships and bring visibility to emerging talents from the region. Meanwhile, ACAU president Gisela Previtali emphasized the value of the shared model to expand opportunities for international co-productions and distribution.
In this context, the statement by INCAA president Carlos Pirovano came as a surprise: he celebrated the event’s return to Argentina as a reaffirmation of the country’s role as a “creative and innovative hub.” The claim is openly contradictory, as his administration is actively dismantling the Argentine audiovisual industry. Budget cuts, the paralysis of support policies, and the dismantling of production infrastructure have led to an unprecedented decline in the sector, particularly affecting independent cinema and audiovisual workers.
The contrast between the institutional support Ventana Sur receives on the international stage and the ongoing struggles of Argentina’s film ecosystem reveals a deeper contradiction: while the arrival of a globally prestigious event is being celebrated, the conditions to sustain and nurture the local talent that Ventana Sur aims to showcase are increasingly under threat within the country itself.
With Ralph Haiek—former INCAA president—now serving as the event’s executive director, the 2025 edition seeks to strengthen regional ties and consolidate Buenos Aires as a strategic node for the global industry. The challenge ahead will be ensuring that this international projection does not become an empty showcase, but rather draws strength from a coherent, sustained, and committed audiovisual policy that supports the development of national cinema.
