Ventana Sur - Fantastic! LAB 2025: meet the winning projects of this edition
The new edition of Ventana Sur – FANTASTIC! LAB, organized by INCAA, ACAU, and the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes, took place in Buenos Aires from December 1 to 5.
Among dozens of submissions from across Ibero-America, the official selection brought together ten projects that stand out for their originality and for offering new perspectives within fantasy, horror, and science fiction cinema.
This year, the lineup also included La Huida, recognized with the Fantastic! LAB Award at the Sitges Festival; Peek a Boo, winner of the Fantastic! Fast Track at Pulsar Santa Fe 2025; and Vautours, from Belgium, awarded at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF).
The selection highlights the emerging talent of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Honduras, and more, reaffirming Fantastic!’s commitment to new voices, diverse perspectives, and imaginative universes that expand the boundaries of genre cinema in the region.
FANTASTIC! reaffirms its commitment to the growth and international reach of Ibero-American genre cinema—strengthening creative and professional connections across the Atlantic and offering a unique platform for the discovery of emerging voices and bold new visions.
EDGAR ALLAN POST – VS–FANTASTIC! LAB AWARD
The Fire Within (El Fuego Interior) – Honduras
Javier Suazo Mejía
Production Countries: Mexico – Spain
Production: Zumo Producciones
FANTASTIKA – FORO DE COPRODUCCIÓN / FANTASTIC PAVILION – MARCHÉ DU FILM AWARDS
Shallow Hell (Inferno Raso) – Brazil
Rafael Toledo
Production: Lockjaw Films
LA MAYOR AWARD
The Healer’s Blood (Las Despenadoras) – Uruguay
Emiliano Mazza De Luca
Production Countries: Mexico – Brazil – France
Production: Passaparola
DISTRITO PACÍFICO – LAB AWARD
The Mukis (Los Mukis) – Peru
Gonzalo Iglesias
Production Countries: Spain – Panama
Production: Desfase Films
FERATUM – PITCH HUB 2026 AWARD
Lugoland (Lugolandia) – Mexico
Alejandra Lipoma
Production Countries: Argentina – Spain
Production: Brincacharcos Films
BIFAN / NAFF – BUCHEON INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL / DISTRITO PACÍFICO – LAB / SANFIC MÓRBIDO LAB AWARDS
Match – Brazil
Tamae Garateguy
Production: Brisa Filmes
SITGES, FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINE FANTÁSTICO DE CATALUÑA / FERATUM – RESIDENCIA 2026 / FANTÁSTICA AUDIOVISUAL AWARDS
I Need to Be Loved (Necesito que me amen) – Argentina
Julia Sofía Vega
Production: Sewati Audiovisual
FANTASOLAB – TALLER IBEROAMERICANO DE GUIONES DE CINE FANTÁSTICO AWARD
Peek a Boo – Argentina
Francisco Pavanetto
Production Countries: Argentina – Uruguay
Production: Pez Cine
Sitges Award – Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia
One Ventana Sur – FANTASTIC! LAB 2025 project will be selected to participate in the FAN PITCH program at the next edition of Sitges.
The award includes an invitation for a project representative (director or producer) to attend, either in person or online, subject to budgetary and health conditions.
BIFAN / NAFF Award – Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Korea)
One project will be selected to take part in the NAFF/B.I.G industry program at the next edition of BIFAN.
The award includes an invitation for a representative to participate in person or online.
FantastiKa Award
A finalist project from Ventana Sur – FANTASTIC! LAB 2025 will receive a special invitation to the FantastiKa 2026 Co-Production Forum.
FantasoLab Award
One selected project will be invited to the 2026 Ibero-American Fantastic Film Script Lab (FantasoLab), a training and development space dedicated to emerging voices in the genre
Feratum Residency Award 2026
A developing project will be invited to join the Feratum Residency 2026, a creative lab and mentorship program in Mexico.
The prize covers tuition and accommodation, offering an immersive environment for creation and collaboration.
Feratum Pitch Hub Award 2026
Awarded to one FANTASTIC! LAB project in development.
The selected project will pitch at Feratum Pitch Hub 2026, with tuition and accommodation included—an opportunity designed to spotlight new talent in fantastic filmmaking on the international stage.
Distrito Pacífico Award
Recognition granted to a development-stage project participating in VS – FANTASTIC! LAB.
The award consists of a preliminary distribution agreement covering exhibition and international distribution windows, along with guidance and support throughout the stages of development, pre-production, production, and post-production.
Additionally, it includes the creation of a distribution plan and supporting documentation for funding applications, fostering the growth and international projection of the awarded project.
Edgar Allan Post Award – VS–Fantastic! LAB
The Edgar Allan Post Award offers a post-production consultancy for one of the projects in VS–Fantastic! LAB.
Fantástica Audiovisual Award
Recognition granted to a project participating in VS – FANTASTIC! LAB.
The award consists of a personalized script consultancy aimed at strengthening the project’s narrative structure and creative development, provided by the Fantástica Audiovisual team.
Fantastic Pavilion Award – Marché du Film
Selection of one VS–Fantastic! LAB project to receive an accreditation for the Fantastic Pavilion at the Cannes Marché du Film. This recognition allows the project to take part in the Fantastic Round Robin, a key industry environment with access to networking opportunities and strategic meetings with professionals, investors and leading producers, helping to foster the project’s growth and international visibility.
SANFIC Mórbido Lab Award
Selection of one VS–Fantastic! LAB project to participate in the prestigious SANFIC Mórbido Lab in Santiago de Chile. The award includes accreditation and accommodation. This prize offers a valuable opportunity to develop and strengthen the project by taking part in an intensive lab alongside experts in genre cinema, and gives the project the chance to receive, among other incentives, 10%, 20% or 30% of its total budget in financing, as well as a theatrical distribution letter for Mexico, Peru–Bolivia–Ecuador and Colombia.
Mórbido Films Co-Production Award
Selection of one VS–Fantastic! LAB project to be developed and co-produced with Grupo Mórbido. The project may become a co-production between its country of origin and Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia or Spain.
This award is exclusively for projects with a total budget of no more than USD 1.2 million and scheduled to be shot in 2027.
VS–FANTASTIC! SCREENINGS 2025
VS–Fantastic! Screenings is the section dedicated to genre feature films in post-production. The program aims to highlight new voices in Latin American fantastic cinema and foster their connection with sales agents, festivals, labs, and post-production companies.
Through exclusive screenings and completion awards, VS–Fantastic! Screenings promotes the international circulation of the selected films, which compete for technical and artistic services, as well as the opportunity to participate in international industry events.
CHEMISTRY AWARD
EL MUGLUR
Duration: 96’
Director: Lucila Las Heras
Country: Mexico / Argentina
Production: BDC Producciones
SITGES, FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINE FANTÁSTICO DE CATALUÑA AWARD
FAMILIA TEME ENFRENTAR UNA NUEVA NOCHE DE TERROR
Duration: 82’
Director: Cristian Ponce
Country: Argentina
Production: Tangram Cine / En el Reino
LAHAYE MEDIA / POMERANEC AWARDS
KALKUTÚN – JUICIO A LOS BRUJOS
Duration: 160’
Director: Jorge Olguín
Country: Chile
Production: Olguín Films
LA SOMBRA
Duration: 82’
Director: Michael Kovich Jr.
Country: Paraguay / Spain
Production: Michael Kovich Jr. Films
LA MAYOR / MÉLIÈS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL FEDERATION (MIFF) / EDGAR ALLAN POST – VS–FANTASTIC! SCREENINGS / DISTRITO PACÍFICO – SCREENINGS AWARDS
LA TRENZA
Duration: 116’
Director: Gonzalo Calzada
Country: Argentina / Spain
Production: Coruya Cine
LAHAYE MEDIA
Use of the color correction room for a 2D feature film and DCP mastering, valid for one year.
CHEMISTRY
Post-production services for one film from the VS–Fantastic! Screenings section, valued at up to USD 15,000.
LA MAYOR
Final check mix 5.1 or 7.0 service for the selected film.
Méliès International Festival Federation (MIFF)
Special recognition from the MIFF to one of the titles selected in VS–Fantastic! Screenings.
POMERANEC
30 hours of sound post-production available for the winning feature film, to be used as the team deems most appropriate within the film’s completion process.
Distrito Pacífico
Offers a theatrical distribution pre-contract in Colombia for one of the selected films.
Edgar Allan Post Award – VS–Fantastic! Screenings
Award: Creation of a DCP (Digital Cinema Package) for one of the films selected in VS–Fantastic! Screenings, ready for theatrical and festival screenings.
+ Info:
fantastic@ventana-sur.com
