New Film Fund Elevates Uruguay's Audiovisual Industry

The José Ignacio International Film Festival (JIIFF) occurs over ten days in the summer season in Uruguay and attracts prominent figures from the local and international audiovisual industry. The festival recently took a significant step in stimulating film production in Latin America by launching the Pfeffer del Sur Film Fund.

This private equity fund, the largest of its kind in the region, will provide US$50,000 to finance the development of an Ibero-American fiction feature film. The initiative aims to bolster film production in Uruguay and the Ibero-American region, marking a new milestone in the country’s support for the film industry.

The launch event for the Pfeffer del Sur Fund was attended by the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, the President of the Film and Audiovisual Agency (ACAU), Facundo Ponce de León, and the executive director of Uruguay XXI, Sebastián Risso, among other dignitaries.

This initiative, organized by the JIIFF, represents a significant incentive for the sector and promotes the development of film projects by fostering co-production relationships between Uruguay and the rest of the world.

Ponce de León emphasized the evolution and consolidation of the festival over its 15-year history, highlighting its contribution to Uruguayan cultural identity and its international reach. He also announced that if the fund’s winner is Uruguayan, they will have the opportunity to showcase their work at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

The Pfeffer del Sur Fund is notable for its focus on supporting feature-length fiction projects in the development stage. Projects must have a minimum of 25% financing secured at the time of application, a maximum budget of US$1,500,000, and be the director’s first or second feature film. The call is open to a director-producer duo with experience in the film industry. Additionally, the award will preferably be granted to a local producer, meaning that foreign projects must partner with a Uruguayan producer to manage the awarded amount.

The fund is made possible thanks to the support of the festival’s main benefactors, Maria and John Pfeffer, and pays tribute to their commitment to film.

The José Ignacio International Film Festival, held annually over ten days in the beach resort of José Ignacio, Maldonado, continues to be a key platform for Uruguayan and Latin American cinema. With the launch of the Pfeffer del Sur Fund, Uruguay reinforces its position as a center of excellence in film production, offering a valuable resource for developing and promoting innovative and high-quality projects in the region.