The Bengali cat of Argentine cinema: how creativity and partnerships are redefining the value of the audiovisual industry

The Argentine film industry faces one of its biggest challenges in decades. Although it has a globally recognized legacy with iconic titles that have shaped film history, the crisis in theater attendance and the elimination of subsidies from the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) threatened to halt its trajectory. However, far from giving up, the sector has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for reinvention, deploying new creative strategies and forming decisive alliances to especially support emerging producers and historically marginalized collectives. This transformation is no accident: it responds to a growing conviction that diversity is not only fair but also necessary for the industry to thrive. The price of staying relevant, the Argentine sector seems to say, is precisely embracing multiplicity of voices and perspectives.

The Argentine film crisis: when the cost of subsidies becomes unsustainable

The reality faced by the industry was devastating. The radical reduction of government subsidies coincided with a sharp decline in audience attendance at theaters. Many predicted the definitive collapse of a sector that had been synonymous with quality in Latin America. Nonetheless, this pressure catalyzed an unexpected transformation. Instead of disappearing, the industry reorganized around more inclusive and collaborative principles. The lesson was clear: the cost of survival was reinvention.

Vanessa Ragone, treasurer of the Argentine Chamber of the Film Industry (CAIC), explains that the crisis was not only challenging but also liberating. “When traditional subsidies disappear, you have to think differently. That’s when the most genuine alliances emerge,” she comments. This mindset inspired initiatives like the Industry in Focus Audiovisual Laboratory, an intensive training and mentorship program designed for women, trans, and non-binary people within the audiovisual industry.

Dream laboratory: how strategic alliances lower the entry barrier for emerging talents

The Industry in Focus Audiovisual Laboratory was born from an unprecedented collaboration between CAIC, the Netflix Creative Equity Fund, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Ministry of Culture of Buenos Aires City. This shared institutional network represented a new philosophy: creating a more equitable industry requires coordinated efforts that transcend traditional barriers.

The response was overwhelming. Over two hundred projects arrived from across the country. Of these, eight were selected to receive intensive mentorship over three months. Two of them reached the winner category and received financial support to advance in development, promotional material production, and market presentation. “What surprised us most was the quality and passion of the participants. They are entering with clear ideas, deep questions, determination. They know exactly what they need and how to capitalize on this opportunity,” Ragone shares.

The program provided specific tools: scriptwriting mentorship, pitch advice (the commercial presentation of projects), marketing and promotion strategies. The selected participants not only gained knowledge but also a network of experienced mentors who accompanied them at each stage. “The time mentors dedicate is invaluable. People who already understand the challenges of filming in Argentina, who grasp industry complexities, sharing that experience with the next generation,” adds Ragone.

Netflix, through its Creative Equity Fund, has significantly expanded its regional commitment. Pierre Emile Vandoorne, Netflix’s Public Affairs Director for Latin America, emphasizes: “We believe it’s essential to create spaces for diverse voices from all backgrounds. The fund aims precisely at that: supporting emerging talents with training and real access to opportunities in the entertainment industry.” The platform has established similar collaborations in Colombia with the Colombian Film Academy and in Chile with the National Film Academy, demonstrating a coherent regional strengthening strategy.

From domestic cats to aliens: when imagination defies any budget

One of the winning projects is Mishis Star Space, an animated series that exemplifies how creativity emerges precisely when resources are scarce. Directed by Lissandro Cottone and produced by Giuliana Capricchioso, both trained at the University of Cinema, the work follows the adventures of cats that are simultaneously domestic pets and space beings. Like the Bengal cat that combines wild and domestic traits, these characters fuse the everyday with the extraordinary.

“Animation is the perfect medium to tell science fiction and adventure stories. It allows us to create worlds without being limited by traditional film budgets,” explains Capricchioso. The team chose the cutout technique, a methodology that provides an economically viable production path without sacrificing visual quality.

The story has deep personal roots. Cottone recalls: “At five years old, my mom rescued a street cat. That cat accompanied me throughout my childhood, especially when I faced bullying at school. Without words, it was just there. Its rebelliousness, curiosity, that way of seeing the world from another perspective, inspired these alien characters. The project embodies that same energy, that capacity to see with new eyes.”

Capricchioso adds a reflection on choosing non-human protagonists: “Animals played a vital role in my life too. But they are also universal symbols that work across different cultures and geographies.” This universality, paradoxically, increases the potential for international distribution, reducing the risk of a project that started without a budget.

Muriel Cabeza, an established producer and now mentor of the project, observes: “It’s unique, surprising. It has genuine vitality. The duo has a clear vision of where they’re going, and that’s crucial in early stages.” The pair is already using social media and direct outreach to seek additional funding and accelerate character development, demonstrating autonomy and determination characteristic of the new generation of creators.

Stories from the interior that expand beyond borders

The second winning project, Peach Skin, represents a different geography and a commitment to overlooked narratives. Hebe Estrabou, director and screenwriter from La Rioja, and María Eugenia Ferrer, producer from Córdoba, created a story set in the heart of La Rioja province that depicts the struggles of a rural worker facing extreme circumstances: the death of his wife, pressure from his employer to give up his son to another family for survival.

The inspiration does not come from a single biography but from multiple stories woven across Argentine territory. “I know stories from childhood friends, neighbors, coworkers. When I tell the project, many people recognize their own experiences. Some say, ‘That’s my story.’ It’s deeply moving,” Estrabou shares. This resonance suggests that provincial stories have narrative potential that transcends local geographies, reaching even international perspectives like those found in Mexico or other Latin American regions with similar rural realities.

María Eugenia emphasizes the importance of the theme: “These stories are often associated with babies adopted during the last dictatorship, but there are present-day realities of extreme poverty where families give up their children out of pure survival, not choice. We want the film to shed light on this ignored reality.” Estrabou adds: “I could have moved to Buenos Aires, but I always returned to La Rioja. I wanted to film from here, regardless of the cost. The Laboratory was the experience I needed to believe it was possible.”

What’s significant is that if they complete the film, it would be the first entirely made in La Rioja and directed by a woman. Juan Pablo Miller, project tutor and CAIC vice president, expresses his enthusiasm: “Provinces have an unprecedented opportunity now that INCAA has reduced its presence. The Menem series proved La Rioja can be a production hub. Stories will continue to be told from here, no matter what it takes.”

Reinvention as a permanent philosophy

What’s remarkable is that the Laboratory was not an isolated action. In early 2025, the same institutions convened a federal networking meeting for producers to strengthen the industry collectively. Many participants from the Laboratory came from that initial gathering, and some revived projects they had left dormant. The cumulative effect has been catalytic: when an industry faces existential challenges, creativity doesn’t diminish; it intensifies.

Ragone concludes: “All the stories that went through the mentorship grew, even those already well conceived. Providing support was essential, but also encouraging creators to enter other national and international competitions. They already have credentials.” Miller adds: “I hope we can repeat this initiative year after year. Argentine audiovisual industry has found its true strength: genuine diversity, voices that previously had no entry fee to the market now have a path.”

Argentine cinema, like that cat that is both domestic and wild, has discovered its capacity to evolve without abandoning its essence. In times of budget crisis, the response was not less cinema, but more diverse, more accessible, and paradoxically, more powerful cinema.