The contest brought together different participants over the months, culminating in the awards ceremony held last Friday, September 1st, at the Concordia Convention Center. In a very significant day for those present, including the actors who created their materials, teachers, and municipal authorities, the 2023 edition of “Videominuto" was brought to a close.
It is worth mentioning that this activity is part of the development of cultural policies promoted by the administration of Mayor Enrique Cresto and, in this case, was under the scope of the Casa del Bicentenario, directed by Mariana de León.
Representing the Mayor, Mariana Chiarello (Secretary of Culture, Tourism and Innovation), María Paz Bonelli (Director of Events), and Verónica Kinderknecht (Coordinator of Popular Festivals) were present.
“We have worked a lot this year. We have been receiving registrations since April, and from then on, we were watching the entire evolution and how the participants were connecting, asking questions, and training through the various talks. In the last one, we received a masterclass from the contest's patron and film director Néstor Montalbano. It is truly a source of pride and happiness for us that he joined us and, of course, presented some of the awards,” began Mariana de León (Director of the Casa del Bicentenario).
Subsequently, the official highlighted that this year “we had more than double the number of short films compared to last year. In 2023, we had over 100 works submitted, plus fifteen scripts. That is why we say we are very happy because the contest continues to grow. From the very first moment, it has been federal, meaning we know they are from all over Argentina. Furthermore, what we also seek is for our participants with their winning short films to be able to reach more screens,” remarked De León.
For his part, the film director and patron of the contest gave his assessment of it, stating that “I was lucky enough to see the growth of this because in 2020 I was a juror, and from then on I followed it to see how VideoMinuto evolved. It moves me to be here. If I compare the material from this year with respect to others, it is impressive how it has evolved; young people get involved and tell what they want to tell very well, they act well, and they position the camera well. You are going to have good filmmakers, Concordia will have its own Campanella,” emphasized the filmmaker.
In that sense, he complemented his comment by saying that “this motivation to be able to make short films and play with image and sound is entertaining. It moves me because I see that they are doing it well and that evolution is noticeable. The learning that the kids take away from VideoMinuto is very significant,” he reasoned.
Finally, Montalbano reflected: “Argentine cinema is very special. Before, there was more variety because there was independent cinema; today you have platforms on one side, and otherwise you have to resolve it independently, which is the sector where you can really see the growth or the variety, while on the platforms we already know they are formatted and so on. In terms of creativity, good things are being done; Argentine cinema is very good and it is for everyone,” determined the professional.