The Costa Rican Film Production Center officially announced the dates for the Costa Rica International Film Festival (CRFIC). Already in its eleventh edition, the festival will be held from October 24 to 31, 2023 at various venues in San José and will feature a Central American and Caribbean Feature Film Competition, as well as the National Short Film Competition.

The General Director of the Costa Rican Film Production Center, Raciel del Toro, emphasized that the festival will produce its eleventh edition with an emphasis on national and regional cinema, providing audiences with a unique and diverse offering.

The Central American and Caribbean Feature Film Competition will present the following movies
  • Baladi Aldaia, 2022. Costa Rica, Iraq, Chile, Egypt. Directed by: Ishtar Yasin.
  • Sunday and the fog, 2022. Costa Rica, Qatar. Directed by: Ariel Escalante.
  • The Padilla Case, 2022. Spain, Cuba. Directed by: Pavel Giroud.
  • Guián, 2023. United States, Costa Rica. Directed by: Nicole Chi.
  • La hembrita, 2023. Dominican Republic. Directed by: Laura Amelia Guzmán.
  • The daughter of all rages, 2022. Nicaragua, Mexico, Netherlands, Germany, France, Norway, Spain. Directed by: Laura Baumeister.
  • The Fishbowl, 2023. United States, Spain, Puerto Rico. Directed by: Glorimar Marrero.
  • The Daughters, 2023. Panama, Chile. Directed by: Kattia G. Zúñiga.
  • Calls from Moscow, 2023. Cuba, Germany, Norway. Directed by: Luis Alejandro Yero.
  • Órbita, 2023. Costa Rica, Chile. Directed by: Clea Eppelin.
  • I have electric dreams, 2022. Belgium, France, Costa Rica. Directed by: Valentina Maurel.
  • Vicenta B, 2022. Cuba, France, USA, Colombia, Norway. Directed by: Carlos Lechuga.
On its part, the National Short Film Competition will showcase the following local works
  • Love is the monster, 2022. Costa Rica. Directed by: Neto Villalobos.
  • Ana Horse, 2022. Costa Rica. Directed by: Alejandra Ramírez.
  • Comadre, 2022. United States (CR) Directed by: Nicole Chi.
  • Hedgehog, 2023. Costa Rica. Directed by: David Loynaz.
  • Heiresses, 2022. Costa Rica. Directed by: Silenny Calderón.
  • Irma, 2023. Costa Rica. Directed by: Michele Ferris.
  • La Panadella, 2023. Spain (CR) Directed by: Joel Jiménez.
  • The corners and other things that go away, 2023. Costa Rica. Directed by: Luis Diego Pérez.
  • The pages I daydreamed about, 2022. Costa Rica. Directed by: Sebastián Blanco.
  • Night light, 2022. Costa Rica. Directed by: Kim Torres.
  • Tomorrow it gets dark again, 2022. Costa Rica. Directed by: Sergio Saravia.
  • Solastalgia, 2022. Cuba (CR) Directed by: Violeta Mora.

Demonstrating with these films the artistic excellence of Costa Rican creators both at home and abroad.

Fernando Chaves Espinach, Artistic Director of the festival, highlighted the robust participation in this edition, with almost 40 feature films from all over the region and more than 70 short films from Costa Rica. The selection covers a wide range of topics, from family stories, migration and Latin American politics, to issues of inequality and precariousness in Central America.

The Costa Rica International Film Festival is presented as a platform to access Costa Rican and Central American cinema of the highest quality, which often does not reach commercial theaters. Through independent and artistically and commercially attractive films, the festival is distinguished by encouraging cultural and cinematographic curiosity, offering a window to other realities and problems.

Cinema: our top three recommendations

I Have Electric Dreams

Valentina Maurel’s directorial debut breaks through with an uncomfortable and moving film that stands out for its authenticity. Rooted in Costa Rica, this work captivates with its narrative that evokes a plot rich in nuances and genuine characters. Eva, a teenager, is fascinated by her bohemian father, and through captivating acting, the film explores their complex relationship without judgment. This story defies stereotypes, presenting a bold and raw vision of the middle class, balancing implied violence with visual beauty.

Sunday and the fog
cinema 2023

The second feature film by Costa Rican director Ariel Escalante, is a harrowing portrait that fuses magical realism and Latin American drama. It follows Domingo, a stubborn man who refuses to sell his house for a highway. It is a film that stands out for its visual beauty and dramatic strength. They present the clash between home and corporations, as Domingo stubbornly faces the pressure. There is depth to the magical realism, as well as his relationship with his daughter and neighbors. While the literal connection to the fog may divide opinion, the film offers a powerful visual environment that evokes hidden secrets in a captivating setting.

Calls from Moscow

This is Luis Alejandro Yero’s first feature-length documentary. It captures the harrowing experience of young Cubans stranded in Moscow. The film, acclaimed for its unique visual and emotional approach, was also presented at festivals such as Berlin and Guadalajara, addressing the marginalization, uprooting and uncertainty they face in the face of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Through a narrative that unfolds in the static space of an apartment, Yero transforms loneliness into metaphor and captures the raw reality of lives affected by emigration. It gives voice to despair and resilience, while adding to a whole branch of filmmaking that documents the Cuban exodus of the 21st century.

From October 24 to 31, the International Film Festival will take place in San José, consolidating itself as an important platform for national and international cinema. This edition promises innovations that ensure access to cinema in different parts of the country, connecting the public with the collective cinematic experience and recovering the charm of going to the movies.

Sensorial Sunsets in collaboration with Omar Rodriguez