CinemaChile: 2026-2027 Catalog Grows 20.5% to 188 Titles

CinemaChile, the sector brand project representing Chilean cinema, unveiled its 2026-2027 catalog at the San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 21. According to a report by Variety, the new catalog comprises 188 titles, marking a 20.5% increase compared to the previous season’s 156 entries.

The announcement highlights significant growth in the national film industry. Gabriela Sandoval, a CinemaChile board member, stated that the industry has “gone from 156 to 188 titles,” citing this as evidence of Chilean cinema’s continued strength over the past five years. Variety notes that the country’s population is approximately 20 million, a factor that often influences its production models.

A substantial portion of this growth is driven by international collaboration. As reported by Variety, more than 80% of the titles in the new catalog are international co-productions. These projects link Chile with 23 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Qatar. Juan de Dios Larraín, a producing partner of director Pablo Larraín, explained to Variety that the small size of the domestic market makes co-production essential. He noted that financing films purely through the Chilean market is rarely feasible, making international funding a fundamental part of the system.

The catalog also reflects shifting dynamics in creative leadership. According to the report, 66 of the 188 titles are directed or co-directed by women. Sandoval told Variety that the work of female directors and producers is not only growing but also gaining international visibility. She added that 100 of the productions feature leading industry professionals as producers or co-producers.

The headline title of the collection is My Sad Dead, a four-part series directed by Pablo Larraín that has been combined into a roughly three-hour feature film. Variety reports that the project competes for the Golden Shell at San Sebastián. Eight Chilean titles are screening across seven sections of the festival, underscoring the country’s presence in this year’s programming.

Prior data cited in the article indicates that Chile reported 139 titles in 2021, suggesting a consistent upward trajectory in production volume over the last five years. The 2026-2027 catalog positions Chilean cinema as an increasingly diverse and internationalized participant in the global film industry.