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The documentary Las flores de la familia tells the particular story of a nonagenarian woman, Nivia (the filmmaker’s grandmother), who has to move out of the house she shares with her daughter, Alicia, when the young woman finds a partner. Nivia now worries about…her future. This singular plotline gives way to an interesting counterpoint between Nivia’s inner world and the reality of a family in the traditional landscapes of Montevideo. “I documented the family conflict throughout a year, trying to be a neutral witness, though being inevitably involved,” stated the director, Juan Ignacio Fernández Hoppe, at the film’s premiere.

Orly Antoine, Rey de la Patagonia tells the story of the singular adventurous Frenchman who founded the Kingdom of the Araucania in 1860, in Argentine and Chilean lands, and proclaimed himself king. Aida reflects women’s inner world from a female perspective. Marabunta y Manzanas portrays director Narcisa Hirsch’s public performances as part of the city’s artistic vanguard of the 1970s. The work of German filmmaker Narcisa Hirsch, who has lived in Argentina since very little, offers powerful imagery that brings us closer to existential questions, making us reflect on the female condition, love and sexual gender and identity issues. This year, BAFICI offers a Focus dedicated to her, which groups her films in four programs, featuring notably her documentaries.

This is not about Krueger, but Freddy Frogface, the town bully, and how the little Victor and his friends manage to stand their ground. When a circus arrives in town and Victor is thrilled to participate with his dog Saussage in a talent show, a series of events will ensue in this funny, educational story about the little big problems children often have to face. Freddy Frogface is an award-winning Danish 3D animated movie that displays the talent of director Peter Dodd, who worked with Tim Burton in Corpse Bride and with Sam Fell in The Tale of Desperaux.

Two amazing productions featuring animation throughout will be screened at the Planetarium’s new high-end full-dome theater. They are based on two rock classics: the film Pink Floyd–The Wall and U2’s greatest hits. To make these productions available for larger audiences, new screenings were scheduled for Friday, April 13 and 20; Saturday, April 14 and 21; and Sunday 15 and 22, at the following times: The Wall at 4 p.m. and U2 at 7.45 p.m. Advance tickets to these new screenings are on sale at the Abasto Shopping Mall and Casa de la Cultura, until 8 p.m. They can also be purchased online at this website.

Another distinctive feature of BAFICI is the special screening of films that, given the buzz they create and the quality of their directors, occupy a special place in the program. Such is the case of Escuela Normal, by Celina Murga (Ana y los otros, Una semana solos), a documentary about high-school students of Parana City’s Escuela Normal 5, the first teacher’s school founded by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. This section also features one of the most important and controversial experimental films of all times: Flaming Creatures (trailer), made in 1963 by director Jack Smith. This also bears a direct relationship with the arrival in Buenos Aires of the renowned American critic J. Hoberman, who will present the Spanish edition of his book about American independent cinema.

Would you like to enjoy a new, unique visual experience in a magical place? Come to the Planetarium, one of the novelties of this year’s BAFICI, which is equipped with a full-dome theater that offers a 360-degree viewing surface and a richly varied program for children and adults. For the little ones, as part of Little BAFICI, there will be 11 screenings (see days and times on this website) featuring the Spanish productions Topos – ¿Que hay ahí afuera? (trailer), by Sergio Lopez Borgoñoz, Supernovas Company and Victor y Garu, animated films that combine traditional narration and digital media with the purpose of entertaining children and inspire their curiosity for astronomy and nature.

India (1960), the third film by the duo Armando Bo-Isabel “Coca” Sarli, was intensely sought after by followers and collectors as it was missing. At the beginning of 2009, researchers of the Pablo Ducrós Hicken Film Museum came across a copy lost in the storeroom. And this was the starting point of a restoration process, supported by the Ministry of Culture and the company Cinecolor. The decision to include this film in the program reflects the Festival’s wish to spotlight the figure of a director whose peculiar works drew mixed opinions in his time.

Brazilian cinema will also be featured at this edition of BAFICI, through a selection of works by Carlos Prates, a Minas Gerais-born director who set a style in a very special moment of the history of his country – the 1970s and 1980s. The filmmaker’s output tends towards the unconventional, being different from any aesthetic trend and with very striking characters. Prates has in 2012 a well-deserved spotlight. A way to bring his work closer to the ever-faithful festival-goers.

The screenings of A Trip to the Moon are a highlight of the 2012 program, as the film is thought to be the first science-fiction movie of all times, combining animation, visual effects and pioneering film editing, in addition to the director’s – absolutely groundbreaking – surreal touches. The classic created by the visionary Georges Méliès in 1902, remade in the 21st century with music by the French electronic duo Air, will be screened at the Festival in its original (hand-colored) version, at the movie theaters of the Abasto Shopping Mall on April 13 (11.30 p.m.), 15 (5.45 p.m.) and 18 (11.30 a.m.).

The advance ticket sale, which only after two days registers a 22 % rise over last year’s figures, continues until Wednesday, April 11 inclusive and has a special schedule during the Easter holidays for the Casa de la Cultura (Av. De Mayo 575) ticket outlet: today, Thursday, the box office will be open during regular hours, that is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., but tomorrow, Friday, it will remain closed to the public. On the other hand, ticket sale at the Hoyts movie complex of the Abasto Shopping Mall (Av. Corrientes 3247) will continue during regular hours, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please be reminded that tickets to the screenings of your choice are also available for online purchase at this website.