The lineup of projects for the genre program in the massive production market Ventana Sur, the re-named Fantastic! Lab, has announced.
Thirteen projects have been invited to meet with potential partners and peers, hoping to score the right connections that will help get their films made. A lot of them are from the host country, Argentina, with the rest of them coming from around Ibero-America, and two other market winners from Sitges in Spain, and BIFF in Belgium. Both festivals have had a long standing relationship with the genre program.
Names that we have come across before include: Julia Sofía Vega, the fabulous Tamae Garateguy, Rafael Toledo, who presented their project Shallow Hell at Frontieres this Summer, and Paul Urkijo.
All the projects can be found in the gallery below. Short synopsis or loglines were not provided.
Ventana Sur - Fantastic! LAB 2025: Meet the projects ready to take the genre cinema further!The new edition of Ventana Sur – FANTASTIC! LAB, organized by INCAA, ACAU, and the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes, will take place in Buenos Aires from December 1 to 5, as part of the 17th edition of Ventana Sur, and announces the projects selected to compete this year.Out of dozens of submissions from across Ibero-America, the official selection includes ten projects that stand out for their originality and for offering fresh perspectives within fantasy, horror, and science fiction cinema.This year’s selection also features La Huida, awarded the Fantastic! LAB prize at the Sitges Festival; Peek a Boo, winner of the Fantastic! Fast Track at Pulsar Santa Fe 2025; and Vautours, from Belgium, recognized at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF).The selection highlights the emerging talent of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Honduras, and more, reaffirming Fantastic!’s commitment to new voices, diverse perspectives, and imaginative universes that expand the boundaries of genre cinema in the region.AwardsSitges Award – Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of CataloniaOne Ventana Sur – FANTASTIC! LAB 2025 project will be selected to participate in the FAN PITCH program at the next edition of Sitges.The award includes an invitation for a project representative (director or producer) to attend, either in person or online, subject to budgetary and health conditions.BIFAN / NAFF Award – Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Korea)One project will be selected to take part in the NAFF/B.I.G industry program at the next edition of BIFAN.The award includes an invitation for a representative to participate in person or online.FantastiKa AwardA finalist project from Ventana Sur – FANTASTIC! LAB 2025 will receive a special invitation to the FantastiKa 2026 Co-Production Forum.FantasoLab AwardOne selected project will be invited to the 2026 Ibero-American Fantastic Film Script Lab (FantasoLab), a training and development space dedicated to emerging voices in the genreFeratum Residency Award 2026A developing project will be invited to join the Feratum Residency 2026, a creative lab and mentorship program in Mexico.The prize covers tuition and accommodation, offering an immersive environment for creation and collaboration.Feratum Pitch Hub Award 2026Awarded to one FANTASTIC! LAB project in development.The selected project will pitch at Feratum Pitch Hub 2026, with tuition and accommodation included—an opportunity designed to spotlight new talent in fantastic filmmaking on the international stage.Distrito Pacífico AwardRecognition granted to a development-stage project participating in VS – FANTASTIC! LAB.The award consists of a preliminary distribution agreement covering exhibition and international distribution windows, along with guidance and support throughout the stages of development, pre-production, production, and post-production.Additionally, it includes the creation of a distribution plan and supporting documentation for funding applications, fostering the growth and international projection of the awarded project.Fantástica Audiovisual AwardRecognition granted to a project participating in VS – FANTASTIC! LAB.The award consists of a personalized script consultancy aimed at strengthening the project’s narrative structure and creative development, provided by the Fantástica Audiovisual team.