Identity Comes Under Focus at IFF Panama’s Primera Mirada Showcase

Now marking its 10th edition, IFF Panama’s First Look fund, Primera Mirada, has selected four finalists out of 13 submissions. These will be screened in invitation-only sessions on April 10-11 where the participants will have the chance to meet with the jury, composed of Carlos Gutierrez, co-founder and executive director of Cinema Tropical, Colombian Indigenous filmmaker-programmer David Hernandez Palmar and Kerry Swanson, executive director of Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office.

Reflecting on this year’s crop, industry coordinator Cat Caballero, who selected the finalists alongside festival executive director Karla Quintero, said: “There’s a strong sense of introspection and identity – there’s even something symbolic, like seeing it through something as simple as a grain of wheat. It feels to me like the common thread is about how far you’re willing to go for different things – like the limits of being human or how far you’ll push it.”

The finalists include a dystopian thriller by Neto Villalobos (“Helmet Heads”) starring Chile’s Berlinale Silver Bear winner Paulina Garcia (“Gloria”), a comedy from Dominican Natalia Cabral (“Miriam Lies”) and two documentaries, both dealing heavily with the theme of identity.

The Panamanian docu “Cuscú” touches on Afro-descendant identity in Panama. “That’s still a very taboo topic here and sometimes you hear people say there’s no racism, when obviously there is,” Caballero noted, adding: “The fact that they’re addressing this issue right now really matters. And “cuscú” refers to curly hair, specifically afro hair. This is especially relevant at the moment in Panama because there are ongoing conflicts involving kids in schools who wear their hair in an afro. So, it feels vital that Panamanian artists and filmmakers are speaking about this.”

The other documentary also deals with identity—indigenous identity and language, specifically a language that’s on the verge of extinction in Venezuela. Titled “The Language of Water,” it follows Jofris, the last speaker of the Añuu language, from the indigenous community of the Sinamaica Lagoon in Venezuela.

“There’s a clear and powerful focus on identity in these documentaries, and it feels especially relevant in times like these, when so many assumptions are being questioned. That’s why I appreciate that artists are using their voices to explore these topics.”

The prize winner of $15,000 will be announced during the festival’s closing ceremony on April 12.

The Finalists:

“Cuscú,” Risseth Yangüez, Panama, U. S.

An intimate, sensory-driven documentary that follows a young woman navigating memory, identity and emotional inheritance within her family. Produced by Panama’s Mente Pública (“Beloved Tropic,” “Kenke”) and U. S.-based Rada Studio, the project reflects a focus on socially engaged, auteur cinema. Currently in the editing phase, it builds a fragmented, poetic narrative exploring belonging. Yangüez describes it as “an immersive experience… where memory and emotion shape the narrative structure,” moving between the intimate and the collective. Said Isaac lead produces alongside co-producers Michele Stephenson and Joe Brewster.

“Love is the Monster” (El amor es el monstruo”), Neto Villalobos, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Chile, Mexico.

A dystopian thriller with an all-female cast that follows a grandmother and her age-defying mission to rescue her kidnapped granddaughter. The film is a Costa Rica–Panama–Peru–Chile co-production that includes Expansiva Cine (Panama), Chile’s Clara Films and with Mexico’s Liminal Estudio recently attached. Featuring Paulina García (“Gloria”), it reflects the producers’ focus on auteur-driven projects for international co-production. Villalobos describes it as “a slow-burning, visceral exploration of love, despair and moral limits.” Lensed by Nicolas Wong whose credits include Jayro Bustamante’s “La Llorona” and Peruvian culinary drama, “Mistura.”

“My Uncle’s Movie” (“La peli de mi tio”), Natalia Cabral, Dominican Republic.

A dark comedy that follows a young cinephile forced to direct her uncle’s chaotic comeback project – a doomed action film starring a faded American actor. Produced by Lantica Studios, Faula Films and Casa Latina Films, it reflects a strong industry collaboration and international positioning. Featuring newcomer Maia Otero alongside Steven Bauer (“Breaking Bad”), it blends satire and coming-of-age storytelling. Producers Jordi Gassó and Gregorio Rodríguez describe it as “a fresh, playful take on Dominican storytelling, mixing humor, heart and social insight in equal measure.”

“The Language of Water” (“La lengua del agua”), Jeissy Trompiz, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Peru, France.

Centered on the last speaker of an Indigenous language who reluctantly returns to his community after a dream visit from his grandmother, the documentary is a four-country co-production between Casa Latina Films, Alamar Films, Nómada S. A. C. and Hutong Productions. Backed by the Doha Film Institute, it reflects a strong international framework and aligns with Casa Latina’s festival-driven slate, including “Pattaki” and “End.” Helmer Trompiz and producer Gregorio Rodríguez note: “We often hear the phrase ‘in danger of extinction’ associated with plants or animals, but languages are also in danger of extinction, as half of the approximately seven thousand languages that exist are at risk of disappearing.”