The Jury of the work in progress section of the Festival de Valdivia, gave the award to “199 Tips to be Happy”. The Film directed by Andrés Waissbluth also won an award given by Chilefilms and Kodak. This award consisted in materials and post-production facilities. In addition, BF Distribution offered as part of the award a distribution deal for the film.

The shooting of the film directed by Cristián Jiménez ended September 16. The film was shot in Valdivia and Antillanca during 28 days in HD format. The cast was formed by Paola Lattus, Eduardo Pacheco, Gregory Cohen, Iván Álvarez de Araya, Álvaro Rudolphy, Valentina Vargas, Carla Chambel, Carla Bolito and Samuel González.

“Ilusiones Ópticas” is a co-production of Retaguardia Films Jirafa, Roos Film and Filmes Fundo (Portugal). The project counts with the support of Ibermedia, Fondo de Fomento Audiovisual, Corfo, CNTV and Fundación Andes. The film also participated in Colón Workshop and in the Mannheim Meetings.

The release of “Ilusiones Ópticas” is programmed for mid 2008.

SANTIAGO.- The film “Ilusiones Ópticas” directed by Cristián Jiménez, has begun its shooting in Valdivia and Antillanca. Valentina Vargas, Álvaro Rudolphy and Gregory Cohen, all national actors, lead the cast.
Vargas is recognized by her roles in international movies such as “The name of the Rose” (“Der Name der Rose”, 1986) and “Big Blue” (Le Grand Bleu”, 1988). Since 2002 that Valentina Vargas didn’t participate in film productions, only in TV. Even though she is part of the cast of the film “All Inclusive”, that will be released in 2008.

Jimenez’s film, that will be his first feature, begun it’s shoot last week in Valdivia and it defines itself as a “intelligent comedy, full of irony and black humor”, throughout three parallel stories that get across.

The film will also be the film debut for the actress Paola Lattus, who has an important role as a secretary. Through her character, the three stories intersect.
The script of the movie was written by its own director, Cristián Jiménez, and Alicia Scherson, the director of the awarded film “Play”.
A guard that falls in love with an elegant thief, a perfect employee that is removed form his work position into an almost nonexistent one, and a blind guy who has an operation to get back his sight, that doesn’t work at all, are the stories and characters that travel throughout the film.

Santiago.- The first feature of the director Cristián Jiménez, “Ilusiones Ópticas” and the documentary of Germán Berger “Vida con Carlos”, that tells the family story of his father, missing during the military government, where the winners of the first annual awards of Fondo Ibermedia.

Jimenez’s film, which will begin it’s shoot in august, will receive 100 thousand dollars, with which the post-production would be completely financed. The film is co-produced by Filmes de Fundo from Portugal. This means that two Portuguese actresses will join the cast.

The story of “Ilusiones Ópticas” divides in three: A guard that falls in love of a woman that steals in the mall he is working in, a perfect employee that is removed form his work position into an almost nonexistent one, and a blind guy who has an operation to get back his sight, that doesn’t work at all. The three stories take place in the cold winter of Valdivia, having its common point in Manuela, the character played by Paola Lattus. The cast is also conformed by Valentina Vargas, Álvaro Rudolphy, Alejandro Trejo and Gegory Cohen, between others.

“Vida con Carlos”, is a family story of Carlos Berger, who disappeared after he was captured in 1973 by the militias and then executed by the so-called Caravana de la Muerte (The Caravan of the Death). Germán Berger his own son narrates the story and who has been in Chile for more than a year producing the film (actually he lives in Spain since 9 years).

The documentary won 60 thousand dollars and is co produced by Spanish and German companies.

The winning projects where announced this morning by the Minister of Culture, Paulina Urrutia, in presence of the two directors in Café Torres of the Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda.

“Ilusiones Ópticas” and “Vida con Carlos” are the two winning projects of the first call of Ibermedia of the year. For the second call of the same year the films “Tony Manero” of Pablo Larraín, and “Lección de Pintura” of Pablo Perelmab are in the waiting list as well as an Argentinean project with the participation of Aplaplac producer.

SNOB
Long live the short
by Andrés Nazarela R.

What are we talking about when we talk about Chilean film? Unfairly, not of shorts like those that make up “SNOB”, the first installment of the project “Encyclopedia of Chilean Short Film”, distributed by Retaguardia Films and Videochile. Here are six works which surpass the national feature films that every so often make it to the theater. They are restless pieces, innovative and exemplary, that starting tomorrow can be purchased on DVD or appreciated at Cine Arte Alameda.

“XX”, by Cristian Jiménez: The filmmaker who made a name for himself with “The Treasure of the Snails” offers a close-up love story in black and white, somewhere between the bedroom postcards of French New Wave (especially the saga of Antoine Doinel, of Truffaut and “Breathless” by Godard) and the first Jim Jarmusch. A sad outing to the zoo, the smell of mothballs found in a classic bar in La Unión neighborhood, and down time in a bedroom form part of this work which pairs an intentionally inexpressive Nicolás Saavedra with the photogenic Ingrid Isensee. “XX” is a very successful exercise in style.

“Llorando debajo del agua”, by Alicia Scherson: The much-applauded director approaches videoart with a short about airports and solitude that she filmed when she lived in the United States. Carried over from “Play” is the absurd humor and sense of experimentation that leads her to, for example, form texts from song fragments. Museum cinema. Cold, but interesting.

“12 Minutes”, by Sebastián Campos: A game of imitations that was born when Sebastián Campos (“Sacred Family”) was asked to make a short film for the launching of a new line of watches. He used the opportunity to laugh at himself and measure out a parody of the snobbish circle from which he disentangles himself. With Pablo Díaz (as Sebastián Campos), Néstor Cantillana, and Katina Huberman. Funny, even though it’s just a joke.

“Obreras saliendo de la fabrica”, by José Luis Torres Leiva: In a recent stay in Chile, the French critic Jean-Pierre Rehm (writer for the prestigious magazine “Cahiers du Cinéma”), praised this notable short that, like Gus Van Sant’s “Elephant” (or its inspiration, the Hungarian Bela Tarr), is dedicated to following its characters in interlacing circuits. In this case, this means the women who work in an enormous factory and leave for the beach. Without dialogues or zeal for discourse, Torres Leiva delivers an excellent sample of contemplative cinema.

“Vernissagge”, by Yael Rosenblut: Another parody, this time of the exhibition and curator’s circles. The artist Yael Rosenblut convinced real protagonists – such as Justo Pastor Mellado, Francisco Brugnoli, Guillermo Machuca and Gaspar Galaz – to submit themselves to this funny fresco on the rivalries, cynicism, and meanness that often surround the visual arts. The only actors – María José Prieto and Felipe Ríos – are found trapped in the network of pretensions. A short autobiography that could annoy critics, curators or artists without a sense of humor.

“Lobos de la feria fluvial”, de Ilan Stehberg: Sensory journey through the beautiful Valdivian geography in which three children meet at the riverside market, territory of amazing sea lions. It’s an ingenious tribute to southern flora and fauna, all to the beat of electronic music.

Ideal for: Those who aren’t afraid of short ideas.
GOOD

DVD.
“Snob”, a collector’s item

Hitherto unheard-of, interesting and indispensable. This is “Snob”, the self-proclaimed first volume of the collection Encyclopedia of Chilean Short Film. It’s a DVD containing six locally produced shorts, never before edited in this format. Sebastián Campos, Alicia Scherson, José Luis Torres, and Cristián Jiménez, among others, form part of this iniciative that on January 18 will premiere in Cine Arte Alameda with a party and a concert by Javiera Mena and Los Muebles. Retaguardia Films produces this DVD which is not satisfied with just playing each of the six works; each short comes with the filmmaker’s comments, a brief biography and interviews with each one.

In this way, for example, one can learn that Campos was motivated by the theme of time in making his film; of the option to unburden cinema of so many elements in the case of José Luis Torres; or that Yael Roseblut, who has an art degree, went very naturally from still photography to moving images.

Nestor Cantillana, María José Prieto, Nicolás Saavedra and Ingrid Isensee, among others, march across the screen in daring films, different and very far from the pressures of the box-office. Worth being seen.

Miguel Ángel Fredes.

VALENTINA VARGAS RETURNS TO CHILEAN CINEMA AS A KLEPTOMANIAC,
La Tercera, Saturday, January 6, 2007

The actress will share the screen with Álvaro Rudolphy in the film “Optical Illusions”. After become well-known for her work in “The Name of the Rose”, the actress will film – mid-year and in Valdivia -- the comedy directed by first-time feature film director Cristián Jiménez.

Cristián Campos M.

She became well-known in Chile for her participation in the film version of “The Name of the Rose”, with Sean Connery and Christian Slater. She later acted in the fourth part of the movie “Hellraiser” and in B-class U.S. and French films and television series (“Bloody Mallory”, “Air America”). Then Valentina Vargas disappeared, made some sporadic visits back to Chile and, after her part in the film “Los Naufragos” (1994, by Miguel Littín), is now about to make her return to local cinema.

The project is called “Optical Illusions”, a film which will be directed by Cristián Jiménez (“The Treasure of the Snails”) and which will begin filming in July or August of this year. The film is co-produced by Retaguardia Films (see inset) and is financed, in part, by the Chilean National Television Board (CNTV) and the Corporation for the Promotion of Production (CORFO).

In this work situated in Valdivia and which will tentatively premiere in the first half of 2008, Vargas will share the screen with actors such as Paola Lattus, Iván Álvarez de Araya, Gregory Cohen, Roberto Farías, Rosa Calderón and Álvaro Rudolphy. In fact, the latter will play the part of the actress’ husband in the film Jiménez describes as “a melancholy comedy about life in a city that’s halfway between provincial and modern”.

Valentina Vargas will play a well-off woman, who leads a sophisticated life, but who has one weakness: she’s a kleptomaniac. It is even her uncontrolled desire to steal which leads her to meet the mall security guard (Farías), who covers up her crimes and falls in love with her. Rudolphy plays the marketing director of a company called Medicorp and is in charge of carrying out an ingenious advertising campaign to sell the company’s services. As a model, he hires a blind skier who gains his sight and finds that the city is suddenly terrifying to him.

But in this tandem narrative film, it is actress Paola Lattus who has one of the central parts. She is a secretary at Medicorp, sister of the aforementioned security guard and accepts a special promotion by the company for breast augmentation surgery. She also develops a relation with one of the company’s most efficient employees, who is sent to an outplacement workshop.

According to the director, all the stories told in this feature aim to show the dreams and frustrations of a group of ordinary people, and how they face the complex process of modernity. He explains also that he wants to use the rainy Valdivian winter to promote the melancholy of the story.

The script for “Optical Illusions” was written by Jiménez and Alicia Scherson (director of “Play”) and talks are being held for Los Tres bandmember Ángel Parra to do the soundtrack.