IFF Panama: Motherhood's Unconventional Gaze

IFF Panama's "Su Mirada - Her Gaze" program is exploring motherhood through varied lenses, including non-traditional viewpoints. Industry coordinator Cat Caballero noted that themes ranged from a child's bond with their mother to the experiences of women who opt out of motherhood or face its challenges.

This thematic focus emerged organically among submissions, highlighting a spectrum of experiences related to motherhood. The "Development" section has 15 contenders vying for a $5,000 prize, while the "Work-in-Progress" (WIP) section features three finalists out of ten submissions, competing for $10,000.

Winners for both sections were decided virtually before the festival and will be announced at the closing ceremony on April 12. An alliance with Colombia's Cartagena Film Festival (FICCI) offers the WIP winner a chance to develop their project further in Cartagena, which runs from April 14-19. IFF Panama itself takes place from April 9-12.

The WIP jury includes Diana Cadavid, Itzel Martínez, and Mariana Núñez. Films in contention include "Silent Birds" from Costa Rica and Argentina, "The Fool and the Moon" from the Dominican Republic and Argentina, and "To the Future" from Costa Rica, Uruguay, and Spain. These films delve into themes of grief, loss, and personal identity within familial contexts.

Among the "Films in Development" are "Diaries of Silence," an essay documentary exploring hearing loss and motherhood; "Do Not Leave Your Homeland," examining the legacy of migration programs; and "Hotel Fung," a docu-fiction hybrid about identity and heritage. Other projects include "Love in the Time of Bacanería," "Nana, the Songs of Our Grandmothers," "Paper Tower," "Quemada," "Routine Procedure," "Sirens," "Suggunya: Between Seas, Molas and Memories," "The Son of the Congo," "The Whisper of the River," "The Woman from the Heat," "Under My Bed a Giraffe Sleeps," and "Yara's Light."

These diverse projects explore a wide array of themes, including memory, migration, identity, justice, sexuality, and generational legacies, often blending documentary and fiction elements. Many are positioned as multi-country co-productions, reflecting a growing regional and international collaborative filmmaking model.