Argentina at the Cannes Film Festival

Argentina has had a steady presence at the Cannes Film Festival since the 1950s, with its cinema often noted for social themes, distinctive storytelling, and international collaborations. Directors like Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, Fernando Solanas, Lucrecia Martel, and Pablo Trapero have contributed to its visibility at the festival. Argentine cinema frequently explores political issues, questions of identity, and innovative narrative styles.

The Official Story (1985) is the only Argentine film to win an official prize: Best Actress for Norma Aleandro. Wild Tales (2014) was the last Argentine film to be selected for the main competition.

Juries

Main competition

• 1960: Ulyses Petit de Murat
• 1988: Héctor Olivera
• 1989: Héctor Babenco
• 1994: Lalo Schifrin
• 2006: Lucrecia Martel
• 2011: Martina Gusmán
• 2023: Damián Szifrón

Un Certain Regard

• 2005: Eduardo Antin (Quintín)
• 2014: Pablo Trapero (Jury President)
• 2019: Lisandro Alonso
• 2021: Daniel Burman

Cinéfondation & Short Films

• 2004: Pablo Trapero

Critics' Week (Semaine de lacritique)

• 2011: Sergio Wolf
• 2016: Santiago Mitre
• 2018: Nahuel Pérez Biscayart

Official selection

In Competition

Argentine films competing for the Palme d'Or:

• 1956:
  • Elúltimo perro by Lucas Demare
• 1957:
  • The House of the Angel (La casa del ángel) by Leopoldo Torre Nilsson
• 1958:
  • Rosaura at 10 O'Clock (Rosaura a las diez) by Mario Soffici
• 1959:
  • Sugar Harvest (Zafra) by Lucas Demare
• 1960:
  • La procesión by Francis Lauric
• 1961:
  • The Hand in the Trap (La mano en la trampa) by Leopoldo Torre Nilsson
  • That Forward Center Died at Dawn (El centroforward murió al amanecer) by René Mugica
• 1962:
  • The Female: Seventy Times Seven (Setenta veces siete) by Leopoldo Torre Nilsson
• 1963:
  • The Venerable Ones (Los venerables todos) by Manuel Antín
• 1964:
  • Me First (Primero yo) by Fernando Ayala
• 1965:
  • The Amphitheatre (El reñidero) by René Mugica
• 1967:
  • Monday's Child (La chica del lunes) by Leopoldo Torre Nilsson
• 1970:
  • Don Segundo Sombra by Manuel Antín
• 1985:
  • The Official Story (La historia oficial) by Luis Puenzo [ Best Actress / Prize of the Ecumenical Jury]
• 1986:
  • Poor Butterfly (Pobre mariposa) by Raúl de la Torre
• 1988:
  • South (Sur) by Fernando Solanas
• 1992:
  • The Journey (El viaje) by Fernando Solanas
• 1998:
  • Foolish Heart (Corazón iluminado) by Héctor Babenco, co-production
• 2004:
  • The Holy Girl (La niña santa) by Lucrecia Martel
  • The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta) by Walter Salles, co-production
• 2008:
  • The Headless Woman (La mujer sin cabeza) by Lucrecia Martel
  • Lion's Den (Leonera) by Pablo Trapero
• 2014:
  • Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes) by Damián Szifrón

Un Certain Regard

Entries in this section for innovative storytelling:

• 1987: Sofia (Alejandro Doria)
• 1992:
  • Memory of Water (La memoria del agua) (Héctor Fáver, Spain/Argentina)
  • Modern Crimes (Alejandro Agresti, Netherlands/Argentina)
• 1993: The Act in Question (El acto en cuestión) (Alejandro Agresti)
• 1996: Buenos Aires Vice Versa (Alejandro Agresti)
• 1997: La cruz (Alejandro Agresti)
• 1999: Olympic Garage (Garage Olimpo) (Marco Bechis, co-production)
• 2001: Freedom (La libertad) (Lisandro Alonso)
• 2002: El bonaerense (Pablo Trapero, co-production)
• 2003:
  • The Southern Cross (La cruz del sur) (Pablo Reyero)
  • Today and Tomorrow (Hoy y mañana) (Alejandro Chomski)
• 2007: A Stray Girlfriend (Una novia errante) (Ana Katz)
• 2010:
  • Carancho (Pablo Trapero, co-production)
  • The Lips (Los labios) (Iván Fund, Santiago Loza)
• 2012: White Elephant (Elefante blanco) (Pablo Trapero, co-production)
• 2013: The German Doctor (Wakolda) (Lucía Puenzo, co-production)
• 2014: Jauja (Lisandro Alonso, co-production)
• 2015: Alias Maria (José Luis Rugeles Gracia, co-production)
• 2016: The Long Night of Francisco Sanctis (La larga noche de Francisco Sanctis) (Francisco Márquez, Andrea Testa)
• 2017: The Summit (La cordillera) (Santiago Mitre, co-production)
• 2018:
  • ElÁngel (Luis Ortega, co-production)
  • Murder Me, Monster (Muere, monstruo, muere) (Alejandro Fadel)
• 2023: The Delinquents (Los delincuentes) (Rodrigo Moreno, co-production)

Special Screenings

• 1998: Tango (Carlos Saura, co-production)
• 2012: Villegas (Gonzalo Tobal, co-production)
• 2014: The Ardor (Elardor) (Pablo Fendrik, co-production)
• 2019: Que sea ley (Juan Solanas)

Short Films Competition

• 1961: Argentina paraíso de la pesca (Antonio Ber Ciani)
• 2010: Rosa (Mónica Lairana)
• 2011: Soy tan feliz (Vladimir Durán)
• 2015: Present Imperfect (Presente imperfecto) (Iair Said)
• 2019:
  • Monster God (Monstruo dios) (Agustina San Martín)
  • The Nap (La Siesta) (Federico Luis Tachella)
• 2020: Son of Sodom (Theo Montoya, co-production)
• 2023: None of That (Nada detodo esto) (Patricio Martínez, Francisco Canton, co-production)

Cinéfondation

Student films from Argentine universities:

• 2005: En la oscuridad (Juan Manuel Rampoldi, Marcelo Charras)
• 2009: The Boxer (El boxeador) (Juan Ignacio Pollio, Universidad del Cine)
• 2011:
  • Salsipuedes (Mariano Luque, National University of Córdoba)
  • The Wedding Party (La fiesta de casamiento) (Gastón Margolin & Martín Morgenfeld, Universidad del Cine)
• 2012: Could See a Puma (Pude ver un puma) (Eduardo Williams, UCINE)
• 2015: The Magnetic Nature (El ser mágnetico) (Mateo Bendesky, Universidad del Cine)
• 2016: Business (Malena Vain) (Universidad del Cine)
• 2017: Little Manifesto Against Solemn Cinema (Pequeño manifiesto en contra del cine solemne) (Roberto Porta, Universidad del Cine)
• 2020: Chinese Wall (Muralla China) (Santiago Barzi)
• 2021: Billy Boy (Sacha Amaral, National University of the Arts)

Immersive Competition

In Competition

• 2024: Gloomy Eyes (Fernando Maldonado & Jorge Tereso, co-production)

Cinéma de la Plage

• 2024:
  • Nine Queens (2000) (Nueve reinas) (Fabián Bielinsky)
  • Transmitzvah (Daniel Burman)

Cannes Premiere

• 2021: Vortex (Gaspar Noé, co-production)
• 2023:
  • Close Your Eyes (Cerrar los ojos) (Víctor Erice, co-production)
  • Eureka (Lisandro Alonso, co-production)

Cannes Classics

Restored Argentine classics:

• 2004: Bye Bye Brazil (1979, Carlos Diegues)
• 2015:
  • The Official Story (1985)
  • Sur (1988)
• 2017: Native Son (1951, Pierre Chenal, co-production)
• 2018: The Hour of the Furnaces (1968, Fernando Solanas)
• 2023: Man on Pink Corner (1962, René Mugica)
• 2024:
  • Bye Bye Brazil (1979)
  • Rosaura at 10 O'Clock (1958)

Parallel sections

Critics' Week

Highlighting emerging talent and short films:

In Competition

• 1962:
  • Alias Big Shot (Alias Gardelito) (Lautaro Murúa)
  • Tres veces Ana (David José Kohon)
• 1964: La herencia (Ricardo Alventosa)
• 1969: The Hour of the Furnaces (La hora de los hornos) (Fernando Solanas)
• 1984: Argie (Jorge Blanco)
• 2001: Bolivia (Adrián Caetano)
• 2007:
  • El asaltante (Pablo Fendrik)
  • XXY (Lucía Puenzo, co-production)
• 2008: Blood Appears (La Sangre brota) (Pablo Fendrik, co-production)
• 2011: Las Acacias (Pablo Giorgelli) [ Caméra d'Or / ACID/CCAS Prize / Very Young Critics Prize]
• 2012: The Wild Ones (Los salvajes) (Alejandro Fadel)
• 2013: The Owners (Los dueños) (Agustín Toscano, Ezequiel Radusky)
• 2015: Paulina (La patota) (Santiago Mitre, co-production) [ FIPRESCI / Nespresso Grand Prize]
• 2024: Simon of the Mountain (Simón de la montaña) (Federico Luis, co-production) [Grand Prize]

Short Films

• 2009: Noche adentro (Pablo Lamar, co-production)
• 2011: The Inviolability of the Domicile Is Based On the Man Who Appears Wielding an Axe at the Door of His House (La inviolabilidad del domicilio se basa en el hombre que aparece empuñando un hacha) (Álex Piperno, co-production)
• 2017: Selva (Sofía Quirós Ubeda, co-production)

Short and Medium Length Films

• 2012: Yeguas y cotorras (Natalia Garagiola)

Special Screening

Short and medium length

• 2010: Cynthia todavía tienes las llaves (Gonzalo Tobal)

Directors' Fortnight

A key platform for Argentine auteurs and political works:

In Competition

• 1969: Invasión (Hugo Santiago)
• 1971:
  • Mexico: The Frozen Revolution (México, la revolución congelada) (Raymundo Gleyzer)
  • Ni vainqueurs, ni vaincus (¿Ni vencedores ni vencidos?) (Alberto Cabado & Naum Spoliansky)
• 1972: Alianza para el progreso (Julio César Ludueña)
• 1977: La muerte de Sebastián Arache y su pobre entierro (Nicolas Sarquis)
• 2004: Los muertos (Lisandro Alonso, co-production)
• 2005: Géminis (Albertina Carri, co-production)
• 2010: The Invisible Eye (La mirada invisible) (Diego Lerman, co-production)
• 2012: Clandestine Childhood (Infancia clandestina) (Benjamin Ávila, co-production)
• 2012: 3 (Pablo Stoll, co-production)
• 2014: Refugiado (Diego Lerman, co-production)
• 2015: Embrace of the Serpent (El abrazo de la serpiente) (Ciro Guerra, co-production) [Art Cinema Award]
• 2019: For the Money (Por el dinero) (Alejo Moguillansky)
• 2021: The Tale of King Crab (Re Granchio) (Alessio Rigo de Righi, Matteo Zoppis, co-production)
• 2024: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed (Algo viejo, algo nuevo, algo prestado) (Hernán Rosselli)

Short Films

• 1973: El hombre que va a misa (Bernardo Borenholtz)
• 2015: The Broken Past (El pasado roto) (Martín Morgenfeld & Sebastián Schjaer)

Short and medium-length films

• 2021: The Sidereal Space(El espacio sideral) (Sebastián Schjaer)

ACID

Feature Films

• 2019: Solo (Artemio Benki, co-production)

ACID Trip #3 - Argentina

• 2019:
  • Brief Story from the Green Planet (Breve historia del planeta verde) (Santiago Loza, co-production)
  • Las Vegas (Juan Villegas)
  • Sangre blanca (Bárbara Sarasola-Day)

Cannes Écrans Juniors

• 2024: The Other Son (El otro hijo) (Juan Sebastián Quebrada, co-production)

Sources

• Festival de Cannes official website
• Cannes Film Festival Awards - IMDb