Literature and cinema converge in a new Shoot the Book at Ventana Sur 2024

Ventana Sur 2024, one of the most outstanding film industry meetings in Latin America, once again presented the Shoot the Book initiative, which shone as a space for connecting literature and film. This program brought together Uruguayan publishers with agents from the audiovisual industry to explore the potential of these works as future film projects.

A bridge between the publishing and audiovisual worlds

Shoot the Book focused in this edition on collaboration with Uruguayan publishers, who presented publications with high potential to be adapted for film or television. The jury in charge of the selection was made up of Uruguay XXI's Creative Industries specialist, Omaira Rodríguez, Uruguayan writer and screenwriter Inés Bortagaray and Argentine producer Rosa Martínez Rivero.

Rodríguez explained that work was carried out with Uruguayan publishers in a call for entries to which more than 30 works were submitted and which resulted in the selection of five. These publishers presented their publications in pitching sessions in which they demonstrated their ability to resonate on the big screen.

“We recently saw La sociedad de la nieve, an adaptation of a screenplay that was a notable international success. Further back in time, we remember Mario Benedetti's The Truce, a work that, thanks to a Rioplatense alliance, resulted in an outstanding film based on this emblematic Uruguayan novel. We hope that, from this Ventana Sur and the Shoot the Book program, the next films that we will see at international festivals will emerge,” he said at the opening of this space.

Among the selected publications were Las esclavas del Rincón by Susana Cabrera (Editorial Fin de Siglo), Ana contra la muerte by Gabriel Calderón (Criatura Editora), El resto del mundo rima by Carolina Bello (Random House), Un viaje a Salto by Circe Maia (Rebeca Linke Editoras) and the graphic novel El Tijera by Diego Vázquez (La Modernidad). These works also participated in rounds with international producers, who evaluated their potential for adaptation.

The French Embassy also played an important role in strengthening ties between the publishing and audiovisual worlds. The regional audiovisual attaché for the French Embassy, Antoine Sebire, said: “Shoot the Book is an initiative that was born in Cannes, has a presence in Los Angeles and now arrives in Montevideo. This project, which connects the world of publishing with the audiovisual world, fits perfectly with the essence of Ventana Sur, a week-long event that brings together film, animation, video games, audiovisual and now also literary and publishing professionals. It is a beautiful and very valuable proposal, which also highlights the fundamental work of authors, who are the heart of this industry”.

The training process

To strengthen the presentations, the editors participated in intensive training led by Uruguayan writer Inés Bortagaray, who has adapted works for film and advises those who want to turn their work into a screenplay. Mauricio Leiva-Cock, a screenwriter who works at Amazon, also participated and guided the participants in identifying the cinematic potential of their works. Facundo Ponce de León, president of the Uruguayan Film and Audiovisual Agency (ACAU), explained that when they thought about how to reestablish Shoot the Book and how to continue working on this idea, they immediately thought of Inés Bortagaray as a reference for her experience and vision.

Among the editors who participated and made the pitching sessions were Julia Ortíz from Criatura, Julián Ubiría from Random House, Estefanía Canalda from Fin de Siglo, Diego Vázquez from La Modernidad and María del Carmen González from Rebeka Linke. These professionals were key in showing the potential of the selected works.

Entre Guiones, the hotbed of stories for Latin American cinema

Shoot the Book was part of the Entre Guiones section, which this year also presented other initiatives such as “Historias que Viajan” from Brazil and Mafiz Málaga, in addition to the official selection of scripts from countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Panama. About this, Inés Bortagaray commented: “The diversity and quality of the proposals showcase the region's talent, and this space is fundamental to connect creators with the industry”.

Ventana Sur and Shoot the Book 2024 consolidate the bridge between literature and film, opening new doors for authors and filmmakers from Uruguay and the entire region. This meeting is a reminder of the transformative power of stories and the alliances that can emerge when creativity and industry come together.