Between the visible and the invisible: the new edition of the Villa del Cine Festival kicks off.

From September 24th to 27th, Villa de Leyva (Boyacá) turns on its projectors to welcome the eleventh edition of the Villa del Cine Festival. More than 500 films were nominated this year, in a curatorship that values ​​not only the technical aspects but also the emotional connection with the audience, based on the concept of "The Visible and the Invisible."

The event, which for the first time includes a category dedicated to artificial intelligence, also seeks to spark discussions about the future of audiovisual art and its impact on society. We spoke with Julián Díaz Velosa, the festival's director, about the evolution of this space and its contributions to transforming this Boyacá municipality into a cultural and cinematic hub.

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What inspires this year's festival concept, the invisible and the visible?

This year, we wanted to build a concept that would generate a dialogue about what is often seen on screen and what is left out of the frame. So, from a curatorial perspective, we created this concept so that the films included in this year's official selections and presented at the festival would allow us to delve deeper into those things that continue to contribute to the stories and are part of their narrative fabric, but which filmmakers sometimes fail to bring to the forefront.

A new category will be added this year. What is it and what prompted its inclusion?

This is the category of artificial intelligence, and it's a dilemma because, as filmmakers, we understand that it generates the fear that it can replace artistic processes. However, we see it as a tool that opens up new narrative possibilities, especially in stories that would otherwise be unfeasible due to costs or resources. In that sense, we believe it's important to include it to generate a dialogue about its uses, limitations, and copyright protection.

This year's guest country is Cuba. What prompted its selection?

Cuba is very important to us as Colombians. Cuba was involved in this entire transition to strengthen television in Colombia, and now we want to turn our gaze once again, but this time through film. We want to keep in mind both perspectives (Cuban and Colombian) to understand how independent cinema is evolving in Latin America, what the challenges are, and the new ways that are being developed to tell the stories that define us. From there, we formed this alliance with the ICAIC, the Cuban Film Institute, to bring two filmmakers—a director, in this case, Michel Lobaina, and producer Reymel Delgado—who will be presenting two of their films at the festival.

How has the festival evolved over these 11 editions?

I think as a festival, we continually seek to innovate by questioning what we're doing and where we should be heading in the next 10 or 20 years. We also understand that today's steps are the foundations for tomorrow, and that as a festival, while we are a process of education and entertainment around culture, that culture is very important, and we must be curious to make better decisions every day.

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With the arrival of streaming, how do you encourage people to continue going to see movies in theaters?

Streaming has changed the way audiences consume films, but we believe festivals are key to maintaining the collective experience. We bring films to communities without movie theaters and offer spaces for dialogue between filmmakers and viewers. We believe this is very important both for artists and for developing audiences' cinematic literacy. And I think the festival has created a very interesting process in that it offers a hybrid of traditional cinema and new formats.

What economic impact does the festival generate?

Between 4,500 and 5,000 people visit Villa de Leyva over the four days of the festival. This represents a boost for the local economy, especially on non-holiday weekends, when it tends to be slower. Festivals contribute to the municipality's recognition as a cultural and tourist center, benefiting sectors such as hotels, restaurants, and tourism services.

What is the estimated investment for the event?

It varies each year depending on how much we manage to raise. We rely on public funding through calls for proposals and private contributions through partnerships or sponsorships. Roughly speaking, the annual investment for the festival is between 60 and 120 million pesos. But if we add in-kind contributions, prizes, and support from the tourism and audiovisual sectors, the figure can reach 300 million pesos.

Is access to the movies free or do I have to pay a ticket?

We are a festival organized by a non-profit organization called Corporación Darte+. It was founded in 2015 in Boyacá with the goal of providing entertainment and education through cinematic tools for the public. All the projects we undertake in Villa de Leyva, including the film festival and training events, are free to the public, because it's important to democratize these tools in a society where audiovisual media is a fundamental part of our lives.

Which sponsors do you have this year?

This year, we have the support of the Boyacá Department of Culture, DASC (the Colombian directors' association), Egeda (the Colombian producers' association), ANAFE (the National Association of Film and Audiovisual Festivals, Showcases, and Events of Colombia), Patrimonio Fílmico (Film Heritage), and the rental services producer EFD.

Also present in Villa de Leyva are the Antonio Nariño House Museum, the Pérez Gallery, the Salón de los Guardias, the Colectivo Tierra society, the Villa de Leyva Council, and several restaurants and hotels that provide experiences for guests.

What are the expectations for this edition?

This year, we have more than 96 activities planned for the festival. We're aiming for between 5,000 and 6,000 people to attend. We also expect around 30 participants to participate in specific development workshops for their upcoming projects within the Audiovisual Lab, El Claquetazo, and the audiovisual and rural memory rescue route.

In addition, there will be nearly 65 screenings of official selections and more than 15 films from non-competitive selections.

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JESSIKA RODRIGUEZ M.Portfolio Journalist