GENERACIÓN J 2025
The novelty of this edition of Generación J is its focus on stimulating the narrative development of Uruguayan films. In this sense, we selected 10 emerging screenwriters and directors under 32 years of age who are writing their first feature-length fiction films. Guided by Emiliano Mazza de Luca and Martha Orozco, they worked in a three-day in-person workshop in which they dedicated themselves to building the stories that will enhance their future films.
While participating in their script workshops, the participants also came into contact with other Working JIIFF guests, strengthening their relationships and networking for the future of their project.
Félix Pérez won the New York Film Academy award and will participate in a 15-week online course on scriptwriting. Azul Vanni Núñez won the Universidad del Cine award, which consists of participating in the 2025 edition of Buenos Aires Talents.
COORDINATORS
Martha Orozco
Mexican film producer, member of the Hollywood Academy since 2019. She founded MartFilms, a boutique production company focused on social issues and international co-productions. Her documentary Allende, mi abuelo Allende (Chile-Mexico) won the L'Oeil d'Or at Cannes 2015. Founder of Kaleidoskopik, she has been teaching since 2005 in various spaces in Latin America and Europe. She directed the production department at EICTV.
Emiliano Mazza de Luca
He lives in Mexico City. He runs PASSAPAROLA, a production company for auteur films based in Montevideo. He recently released the documentary "Pax In Lucem" which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the artist Joaquín Torres-García and is developing the fiction "Las Despenadoras". He is a mentor at Kaleidoskopik, a Training, Development and Impact Agency, using cinema to raise awareness and generate social change.
TUTORS
Anahí Berneri
Screenwriter and director. She wrote and directed six fiction feature films that were internationally recognized. Among them, Alanis (2017 - best director in San Sebastián) and Elena Sabe (2023) produced for Netflix (top ten in the non-English speaking world). She also directed series for Amazon Brazil and HBO MAX. She is a thesis tutor at ENERC and a professor of Audiovisual Narrative at UNA. She has taught classes and tutored at NOKA Mentoring (Spain), EICTV (Cuba), Maryland College Arts (USA), and the Catholic University (Chile), among others.
Santiago López
Master in Design and Management of Audiovisual Production from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. In 2014 he designed and developed a new business unit at Oriental Films, dedicated to the production of film and television projects: Oriental Features. In 2018 he created Cimarrón Cine, a production company where he develops and produces impactful projects for the international market.
MEETINGS
Martín Pittaluga
Uruguay. Co-founder of the Parador La Huella in José Ignacio, the Parador La Caracola, the Santa Teresita Counter, the Restaurant Bajo el Alma, Sucre, the Uruguay Restaurant, Agua e Sal, La Roca, Eufracio, and the Bleu Blanc Rouge Restaurant, among others.
PARTICIPANTS
Azul Vanni Núñez
Emerging fiction screenwriter and director. Interested in LGBT+ representation, of the transvestite/trans community, through autofiction and fantasy genre cinema. "The Revolution of Modern Sirens" is her debut feature film in development (Mdeo Cine Lab, first prize) (Tres Puertos Lab). "Pé", a short fiction film (selected in Detour and Llámale H).
Project: The Revolution of Modern Sirens | LGBT+, fantasy
After drowning in a pool, Sienna, a 22-year-old trans girl, loses her voice and her body begins to erupt in scales.
Chiara Gutiérrez
She considers herself a compulsive filmmaker. In her second year of college, she directed the short film AMYGDALA (2023) and participated in another as a sound engineer. That summer she did art assistance for a short film from the Fantastic Film Workshop, with the BIFFF, ANDROIDES (2023). This year she also participated in the workshop, this time as a director. She directed 'Captora de almas' (2024) and will travel to Brussels for its screening at the BIFFF. This year she directed the short film 'La impermanencia de las cosas'.
Project: Una vez fui | Drama
Ana, a young woman recently diagnosed with HIV, faces the challenge of caring for her mother Elena, who suffers from Alzheimer's. As they both deal with their own illnesses, Ana keeps her secret, silently bearing the weight of the pain and intimacy of their bond.
Diego Acosta
Graduated in cinematography in the direction and scriptwriting branch at the Bande à Part Film School, Barcelona, Spain. He lived there for 4 years, made several essays and short films and specialized in film analysis. In the professional field he works as a script consultant, assistant director, freelance editor / filmmaker and runs a film analysis workshop.
Project: Bicho | Drama
At the end of a strangely increasingly cold winter, the strange Bicho (17) spends his days working in the gardens and filming with his friends, a band of underage children. Meanwhile, he prowls the intimacy of others like a ghost looking to film the images that no one has ever seen.
Federica Sánchez
Federica Sánchez, an independent artist, started out in the graphic field and expanded her career to the audiovisual field. She graduated as an Audiovisual Technician with a specialization in Screenwriting from UTU. She wrote the script for “The Language of Flowers” and directed the short films “Adole(s)cer” and “Áspera y Fea” in 2023. She won the 2024 “Makes Film” Scholarship with “Waste” and there she co-directed “Mamamyermosa”. She is currently developing her first fiction feature film, “The Language of Flowers”, with the support of INCUBA FILMS.
Project: The Language of Flowers | Coming of age
After discovering that she has a vaginal infection, Mikaela (15) tries to get the money for the treatment behind her strict grandmother's back. Together with her older sister, they go through paths of lack of control, sexuality and disconnection with adults, who treat adolescence as if it were a disease.
Félix Pérez
Félix Pérez is a Uruguayan director, editor and screenwriter who graduated from the Uruguay Film School. He wrote and directed the short films "Cuento de Medianoche" (2015); "La Postrera Sombra" (2020); and "Miami" (2023), which were selected and awarded at different national and international festivals. He is currently developing his first feature film: “Adicción”.
Project: Addiction | Dramatic Comedy, Crime
Miguel is addicted to a powerful substance: cinema. He injects it, inhales it, smokes it. This brings him problems: he lives only for the next dose. He decides to quit, but life is unbearable for him. What to do? An idea comes to him: what if he produces?
Gonzalo Daniel Pintado
Teacher, screenwriter, director and producer. Graduated from the Bachelor's Degree in Audiovisual Languages and Media from the National Institute of Fine Arts School (IENBA). In 2023 he premieres the short film Noches de Abril at the JIIFF, in that same year he participates in the DETOUR LAB Series. In January 2024 he participates in the Working JIIFF and in October in the Montevideo cine lab. He is currently developing his first film Al caer la medianoche.
Project: Al caer la medianoche | Fantasy, Drama, Comedy
Daniel (27) decides to commit suicide, that's where he meets Muerte (19) and discovers that they are united by a magical force that they don't know. Both must work together and thus discover the reason for this union. In parallel we will meet Eugenia (90) who tries to save poor Juancito (5) from death.
Lucía Haro
Director and screenwriter of the short films “Azul” (2021), “Otra vez, Francesca” (2022), music video “Cosas importante” (2023) for Ino Guridi, “Migrar” (2024) and music video “Se y deja ser” (2024) for Jose Zeballos. Teaching assistant at ECU for Screenwriting II class with teacher, director and screenwriter Agustín Banchero. She also worked on projects released on Prime Video and Netflix in production and direction. She recently worked in the production of Montecristo Casting and Amas de Caza.
Project: Seamos Fantasmas | Drama
Agustina, a girl who grew up among puppets and theater, believing imagination to be a sufficient refuge, deals with her cousin Julián's last visit and his imminent migration.
Malena Álvarez
In the process of writing her thesis for her degree in Audiovisual Communication. "Las Brisas 624" is her first short fiction film. Her second short film "Diciembre" and her first feature-length script "Territorios" are currently in development.
Project: Territorios | Drama, Coming of Age
AZUL (12) is convinced that she can read minds, and spends her family vacation in a town without a beach, writing what the minds tell her. A few days before leaving, she meets ROMAN (12), a boy who does not speak. They create an intense and particular bond, trying to forget that the end is near.
Manuel Botana Lovesio
Playwright, screenwriter, comedian and actor. Degree in Audiovisual Communication from ORT University. Graduated from the Improvisation for Actors and Writing programs at Second City (USA). He also studied scriptwriting and comedy writing at ImprovOlympic and The Annoyance (USA). Screenwriter of The Kimberley Project directed by Heather Shapiro, premiered on UN3TV (Argentina) and Funny or Die (USA). As a playwright, he premiered the play Mucho. He is currently writing his first opera Primavera en Sayago
Project: Primavera en Sayago | Dramatic comedy
After the divorce of her daughter Susana, Primavera (77) welcomes her, her two grandchildren and the dog into her lifelong home in the Sayago neighborhood. Amidst the Christmas fireworks, the dog runs away, and Primavera must find him before her grandchildren return from vacation.
Marco Valenti
She is part of Ouroboros Films, a production company focused on supporting emerging filmmakers. In addition to having participated in projects in various laboratories, such as GEN J of Working JIIFF and PUENTES EAVE, she coordinates Espacio Ateneo , a platform that promotes alternative ways of making films. Frágil como cristal is her first feature film, and she is currently writing and producing her second feature film, Un lugar de verano .
Project: Un lugar de verano | Drama, Coming of Age
A group of young people spend their last holidays in Piriápolis, where they lived as students, saying goodbye to the faculty that will be demolished. Marina meets Claudio on the bus. Both write: a feature film and a play, respectively, based on the absence of the same person, Juana.
AWARDS
This edition of Generación J featured the following awards that recognize the work done by the directors-screenwriters during the workshop:
- A NYFA Scholarship for a 15-week online screenwriting course.
- Universidad del Cine Award, which consists of participating in the 2025 edition of Talents Buenos Aires, under the same conditions as the other participants.
Once the in-person workshop in José Ignacio has finished, Generación J participants will take part in a follow-up session in April. They will have access to a virtual VISUAL PITCH session.
The visual pitch is an exercise in approximation to the visualization of the story, essential to deepen the writing, and understand what we consider important or accessory. It is a tool to associate with the video pitches and presentations of the project during its future development.
