Chile has been selected as the guest country of honor at the 41st Film Festival of Guadalajara (FICG), which will be held from April 17th to 25th this year. “The last time Chile was honored at the FICG was in 2019, and since then the Chilean film industry has grown by leaps and bounds,” said producer Gabriela Sandoval, advisory board member of Cinema Chile and board member of the Chilean Producers Association APCT.
Proof of this is three pictures and three series at the Berlinale, as well as a strong presence in various film and television projects participating in the European Film Market (EFM). The honor comes shortly after Chile launched a new film commission in Ventana Sur in December. The next Goyas, Spain’s equivalent of the Oscars, on Feb. 28 includes a record number of Chilean nominees, led by Diego Cespedes’ feature debut, “The Mysterious Gaze of Flamingos,” and Antonia Zegers, who will compete for Best Actress for “Los Tortugas.”
“Chile’s role as guest of honor at the Guadalajara International Film Festival will highlight the strength of Chile’s domestic audiovisual production and content, positioning the country as a key creative partner in the region and increasing its international profile,” Sandoval said.
Chile’s participation in FICG began in 2003 with the installation of a showcase of classic and new films. The program featured works by such luminaries as Ibero-American Film Award winners Raúl Ruiz, Miguel Littin, Aldo Francia, Ricardo Larrain, Silvio Caiozzi and Patricio Guzman, as well as retrospectives of his films.
Since then, the cinema has maintained a consistent presence at Mexico’s largest film festival organized by the University of Guadalajara, participating in major competitions, special screenings and industry programs. These include Co-Production Meetings, the TV-centric Episodic Cero, DocuLab, the local talent-centric Pitch Guadalajara and Talent Guadalajara, the Works in Progress program, and the video game-centric FICGames.
Chile’s participation in the FICG also served as a driver for international activities and co-productions, promoting projects created in partnership with countries such as Mexico, Portugal, Brazil, Spain and Germany. For these efforts, the annual event, led by Festival Director Estrela Arraiza and Industry Section Manager Ximena Urrutia, has become an important platform for creative exchange and industry collaboration.
“We have to learn from a film industry that has done well. Chile has succeeded in breaking through the noise for the benefit of cinema. It has succeeded in making its film industry democratic, inclusive and pluralistic,” Araiza told Variety.
According to ProChile, which forms part of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Chile’s presence at this Ibero-American festival reaffirms its cultural, creative and production ties with the Mexican and global film industry, ending 2025 with historic exports of more than $106 million, of which $82 million came from the audiovisual sector.”
Originally founded by Guillermo del Toro in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city, FICG has grown into a huge festival that probably ranks among the largest cities in Latin America.
Araiza said the final tally of last year’s participants, including all activities, was 289,777.
“Chile’s participation as guest of honor at the 2026 Guadalajara International Film Festival is good news for the sector and for the country as a whole. The cultural and creative industries not only represent our identity and who we are, but are also important sectors for moving towards a more inclusive and sustainable economic, social and cultural development,” said Carolina Arredondo Marzan, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage.
