12/29/2023

Conecta 2023 awards 14 prizes in a successful closing ceremony

Conecta took place from December 12 to 15, 2023, in Santiago, Chile. Among guests from the documentary community, filmmakers, and workshop participants, 27 countries from the Americas, Europe, and Asia were represented.

• The Brazilian-Japanese project Green Kids, directed by Pedro Nishi and produced by João Pedro Bim and Lucas Silva Campos, received the 3,000 pounds sterling award from The Whickers, a British organization that funds first feature films.

• In total, 14 awards were given to projects from Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Ecuador, and Chile.

• Paseo Bulnes transformed into a cinema under the stars featuring a public and free screening of the acclaimed documentary The Eternal Memory.

Conecta has established itself in the region as a breeding ground for new talents and projects in development. As an industry meeting, one of its main objectives is to be a space dedicated to promoting the commercialization and distribution of Latin American projects and connecting them with the world. This year, 27 countries from America, Europe, and Asia, 46 participating projects, 38 international guests, and 21 national guests were present.

Diego Pino, Executive Director of CCDoc, points out that «This year, we want to express our gratitude, particularly to the representatives of the Latin American projects that participated in Conecta because, through their different perspectives and diversity of languages, they attended the meeting not only to connect with the industry but also intending to build networks that strengthen the documentary community, It is also a search for identity and belonging, which, nowadays is reflective of the problems afflicting the continent. We hope the connections made during Conecta foster a sustainable relationship over time.

On the other hand, we would like to thank our international guests, who, through their diverse market insights and extensive industry experience, came not only to connect with projects but also to engage in filmmakers’ reflections and discussions, contributing to the creation of bonds ranging from the professional to the most human. »

Also noteworthy are the numerous alliances and collaborators that made this outstanding version of Conecta possible. Among them, Diego Portales University played a key role by opening its doors as the venue for the most crucial industry activities. «From Diego Portales University, the Nicanor Parra Library, American Corner, and the School of Film and Audiovisual Production, we appreciate Conecta’s trust in us by choosing us as its main venue for the 2023 edition. In the first year of our school, it is very significant to be able to make alliances like the one we formed with Conecta. A shared spirit unites us, centered around building trusting relationships, a love for documentary projects, and the certainty that creativity flourishes in collaboration.

«We appreciate the opportunity our students had to participate as volunteers in the organization and as attendees of the workshops, allowing them to experience an industry event from the inside in a way that differs greatly from what the classroom can offer. We are also delighted to have had the chance to host The Whickers’ pitch in our Faculty’s TV studio. We hope this partnership continues for many more years, » says Alvaro Ceppi, Director of the School of Film and Audiovisual Production. Diego Portales University.

In its seven previous years, Conecta has received a total of 2,500 applications, from which 460 projects and finished works were selected. Latin American producers and directors have connected with 318 representatives from the global documentary audiovisual industry.

In its 2023 edition, Conecta selected 16 projects for its three workshops out of a total of 223 submissions, with more than half directed by women. The representatives of these projects come from Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico, and Chile.

In addition, for the second consecutive year, The Whickers Pitch was publicly held, featuring Jane Mote, Editorial Consultant of this British fund that aims to promote debut films in Latin America. On this occasion, seven projects presented their pitches to an international jury to compete for the grand prize of 3,000 pounds sterling. The award went to Green Kids, a Brazilian-Japanese project.

And, for the third consecutive year, Conecta and the Santiago International Documentary Film Festival FIDOCS joined forces to carry out the DOCS IN PROGRESS FIDOCS + CONECTA section. For this WIP, seven feature films in the editing stage were selected from five Latin American countries: Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, and Chile.

🎬 The awarded projects are 🎬

🏆 Special Jury Award of the FIDOCS First Cut Award
(For projects selected in the Docs in Progress Fidocs + Conecta)

✨ Mailin
Argentina
Dir. María Silvia Esteve
Prod. María Silvia Esteve and Alejandra López
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🏆 FIDOCS First Cut Award Winner
(For projects selected in the Docs in Progress Fidocs + Conecta)

✨ La búsqueda del otro
✨ Searching for the Other
Chile
Dir. Cons Gallardo
Prod. Esteban Sandoval
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🏆 THE WHICKERS AWARD
✨ Green Kids
Brazil, Japan
Dir. Pedri Nishi
Prod. João Pedro Bim and Lucas Silva Campos
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🏆CANNES DOCS AWARD
✨ La búsqueda del otro
✨ Searching for the Other
Chile
Dir. Cons Gallardo
Prod. Esteban Sandoval
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🏆 MEDIOCIELO AWARD
✨ Donde hablan las montañas
✨ Thus Spoke the Mountains
Peru, Chile
Dir. Álvaro Sarmiento
Prod. Diego Sarmiento and Juan Francisco González
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🏆 CINETECA NACIONAL DE CHILE AWARD
✨ Buenos días, Wiraqocha
✨ Good Morning, Wiraqocha
Peru
Dir. Mauricio Godoy
Prod. Illari Orccottoma, Paula Chávez López and Mauricio Godoy
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🏆 DOCMONTEVIDEO AWARD
✨ Green Kids
Brazil, Japan
Dir. Pedri Nishi
Prod. João Pedro Bim and Lucas Silva Campos
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🏆 R2MEDIA AWARD
✨ Walacha
Peru
Dir. Guadalupe Cuba
Prod. Marco Panatonic
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🏆 SHEFFIELD DOC/FEST AWARD
✨ La última cuadra
✨ The Last Block
Peru
Dir. Karoline Pelikan
Prod. Karito De Negri and Karoline Pelikan
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🏆 BOLIVIA LAB AWARD
✨ En el camino a casa
✨ On the Way Home
Chile
Dir. Paola Campos
Prod. Vicente Barros
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🏆 DOCSMX AWARD
✨ ¡Apaguen la radio! ¡Radiota Apagay!
✨ Turn Off the Radio!
Ecuador
Dir. Jaqueline Aimacaña
Prod. Jaqueline Aimacaña and David Lasso
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🏆 DOCSP AWARD
✨ Brücher. Crónica Botánica Inaudita
✨ Brücher. Unaudited Botanical Chronicle
Argentina
Dir. Mariana Elena Guzzante and Camila Menéndez
Prod. Silvana Díaz Coppoletta
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🏆 ADOC AWARD
✨¡Apaguen la radio! – ¡Radiota apagay!
✨ Turn off the Radio!
Ecuador
Dir. Jacqueline Aimacaña
Prod. Jacqueline Aimacaña and David Lasso
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