The 13th Costa Rica International Film Festival (CRFIC) has opened with a fresh vision under new director Patricia Velásquez Guzmán. Although this is Guzmán’s first time leading the event, she is no stranger to the festival. The filmmaker has been involved since its early days, helping produce the film showcase in the 2010s and returning over the years as both a producer and guest filmmaker.
“I know the festival well and care for it deeply, but I also see where it can improve,” Guzmán told Variety ahead of the festival’s launch. She said one of her main goals is to engage younger audiences without lowering the quality of the films. The team is also working on strengthening communication efforts, making sure promotion aligns with the festival’s themes and helps audiences enjoy the event fully.
A major change this year is the festival’s expanded regional focus. The competitions for best feature and short film, once limited to Costa Rican entries, now include works from across Central America and the Caribbean. “We can only make the festival stronger by forming alliances,” Guzmán said. “Filmmakers from Costa Rica alone can have limited impact, but together, with voices from similar places, we can share stories that resonate. We face different cultural issues, but we share challenges.”
This regional connection is reflected in the festival’s lineup. Many films address topics like rising authoritarianism, the legacy of colonization, and generational dialogue in times of social change. Documentaries dominate the feature competition, with seven out of 11 films in the category. Two Costa Rican documentaries are having their world premieres: Álvaro Torres Crespo’s Ella se detiene a mirar and Juan Manuel Fernández Escoto’s El monaguillo, el cura y el jardinero.
Other notable entries include Olivia and the Clouds, which stood out at Annecy, Dominican Republic dramas La bachata de Biónico and Sugar Island, and Querido Trópico, a film that screened at San Sebastián.
This year’s CRFIC also shines a spotlight on female filmmakers. The festival has reached gender equality in the number of films directed by women. It features a special program, Women Under the Influence, dedicated to female directors from Spain. Costa Rica itself is seeing a new wave of women directors, including Antonella Sudasassi (Memories of a Burning Body), Valentina Maurel (I Have Electric Dreams), Nathalie Álvarez Mesén (Clara Sola), and Guzmán, whose The Skin of the Water premiered at Locarno last year.
“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in creating more equality,” Guzmán said. “We’re seeing the results of years of work.”
Another goal is to broaden the audience beyond traditional cinephiles. “We want films that appeal to young people, children, the elderly, and those who may not usually go to the cinema,” said Guzmán. The festival’s lineup includes All We Imagine as Light by Payal Kapadia, Bird by Andrea Arnold, The Blue Trail by Gabriel Mascaro, and Berlin Teddy Award-winner Lesbian Space Princess. A new section, Generation Alpha, explores what it means to be young today.
Other highlights include the Year 13 strand, with films like Sundance favorite The Things You Kill and Juan Francisco Olea’s modern western Bitter Gold. The festival also celebrates music culture with The Beat Invasion, featuring films like DJ Ahmet and The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés.
Despite a tighter budget, Guzmán says the festival remains ambitious. “Even when funds are limited, we work to ensure audiences don’t feel the difference,” she said. “We partner with other institutions and look for ways to make the festival feel bigger and better. Our goal is to create opportunities for filmmakers and give audiences the best program possible. I think we achieved that this year.”
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