Mr. Miguel Pereira, President of Mar del Plata International Film Festival announced that the 19th Edition of the Festival will be held between March 11th and March 20th, 2004.

Babenco’s CARANDIRU -powerful drama set in a prison- representing Brazil in the forthcoming Academy Awards, will be opening the Festival at the Opening Gala, and Pupi Avati’s IL CUORE AL TROVE (The heart is everywhere) will be screened for the Closing Gala on the 20th . Both filmmakers will be attending the festival.

Established for the first time in 1954, Mar del Plata International Film Festival is the oldest in America. In his second year in charge, writer and filmmaker Miguel Pereira is looking forward to doubling past year’s experience, that attracted over 150,000 spectators -a total record for the Festival.

Its different sections are: OFFICIAL SECTION (In and Out of Competition);
MOVIES OUT FROM THE PAST & TRIBUTES: Including a look into one of the most prestigious and well-known Argentine filmmakers: Fernando Birri; ROOTS: This year the section will be devoted to a trip around Italian cinema; WOMEN & FILMS: A selection of international films directed by female directors. Competitive, for the first time; LATIN AMERICA XXI: A selection of the very best films from Latin American countries; NEAR DARKNESS: A section devoted to genre films where thrillers, suspense and horror movies will be screened. As closer to darkness as ever… at midnight; ARGENTINE SHOW WINDOW: An exhibition of the latest in Argentine film production; DOCUMENTARY FRAME: a section devoted entirely to documentary material; POINT OF VIEW: A panorama of films by famous and consummate artists and very definite points of view from all over the world; A LOOK INSIDE: Material coming from Argentine provinces; SCENES TO COME: A section devoted to show the very best in the production of short feature films coming from Film Schools from all over the world; THE LAB (Latin American Audiovisual Lab) a space of synergy in the audiovisual sector aiming at the interchanging of information, and becoming the Latin American meeting point for every artist, producer, technician, professional or amateur.

Words by Miguel Pereira:
“From our roots, we are a Latin American Festival, and we wish Mar del Plata to be thought of as a key meeting point for the Latin American filmmaking community and at the same time, to act as the perfect showcase in which the very best of Latin American filmmaking could be watched.
At the same time, we will bring the best international movies and invite the best filmmakers to interchange ideas and celebrate –together- our passion and faith in the power of films.”

Fernando Madedo