The ninth and twentieth edition of the Valparaíso International Recovered Film Festival was inaugurated at the Municipal Theater of Valparaíso with an emotional ceremony that brought together cinema, music and history.
Regarding the imprint and essence of the contest, Jaime Córdova, director of the festival, expressed: “This is a festival concerned with history and we cannot close our eyes to what is happening today. And this year’s content is precisely a call to reflection.”
At the event, an honorary recognition was granted to Carlos Flores Delpino, an outstanding filmmaker and teacher, for his invaluable contribution to the history of Chilean documentary cinema and the training of generations of filmmakers. Likewise, the support of Juan Ayala from the Chilean North American Institute was recognized for his contribution and commitment to all versions of the festival, consolidating his role as one of the pillars of this cultural instance.
Credit: Recovered International Film Festival
The day was marked by the 35mm screening of Battleship Potemkin (1925), a centenary film directed by Sergei Eisenstein considered a key work in the history of world cinema. The performance took on a unique character thanks to the live music by pianist Carla Díaz, who composed the score especially for this occasion.
Furthermore, to kick off the Roger Corman retrospective segment, film director Jorge Olguín was in charge of presenting The Terror, highlighting Roger Corman’s formative capacity in terms of universal cinematography, being a mentor to directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Joe Dante, Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, among many more.
On the other hand, regarding the cultural positioning that the festival gives to the port city, Paola Ruz del Canto, Head of the Directorate of Cultural Development of the Municipality of Valparaíso, expressed: “The festival, without a doubt, is an extremely relevant icon for the city, for the commune. It positions it in a fundamental axis that is the rescue of heritage and also memory. This is because it rescues a film archive and exhibits in our Municipal Theater. From that point of view, it invites us all the time to generate a permanent reflection both on the past, but also on the present and the future. It brings up many themes that, without a doubt, as a society we have to reflect on. And that is the importance that recovered cinema offers us today for our community.”
The International Recovered Film Festival will run until Sunday, October 5, with a program that includes centenary films, a Roger Corman retrospective, international exhibitions and an academic symposium dedicated to Carlos Flores, consolidating Valparaíso as a meeting point for the rescue and reflection on heritage cinema.
The festival is financed by the Audiovisual Promotion Fund of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, organized by the María Graham Cultural Corporation, sponsored by the Municipality of Valparaíso, through the FICVAL 2025 Call and has the collaboration of EFE Trenes Valparaíso, La Joya Sánguches and Cantina and more than a dozen international, national and regional socio-cultural institutions and organizations.
Programming for the 29th International Recovered Film Festival
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From Monday, September 29 to Saturday, October 4 – Six programmatic slots held between 12:00 and 9:00 p.m. at the Municipal Theater of Valparaíso.
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From September 29 to October 3 – Symposium dedicated to the filmmaker Carlos Flores Delpino at the Duoc UC, Viña del Mar Headquarters.
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Superman special performance – Sunday, October 5 at 4:00 p.m. at the Valparaíso Cultural Park.
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