- Costa Rican film Siempre soy tu animal materno will compete in the Festival's official section "Un Certain Regard".
- National delegation to promote audiovisual services, film projects and the country as a film destination
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From May 12-20, Costa Rica is participating once again in the Cannes Film Festival and the Marché du Film, one of the world's leading audiovisual markets, with a delegation made up of 11 companies from the audiovisual sector and the official premiere of the feature film Siempre soy tu animal materno, by Costa Rican filmmaker Valentina Maurel.
The film was selected in the section Un certain regard - "Una Cierta Mirada" in Spanish - making it the second Costa Rican production to premiere in an official section of the Cannes Film Festival (the film Domingo y la Niebla premiered in 2022).
"Being part of Un Certain Regard is an honor and an extraordinary platform to share this film with an international audience. It is a recognition of the collective work behind the film and the opportunity for a story born in Costa Rica to connect with audiences beyond our borders," said Costa Rican filmmaker, Valentina Maurel.
Led by PROCOMER (Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica), together with the Costa Rican Film Commission, the Costa Rican delegation is made up of companies dedicated to audiovisual development, production, post-production, and distribution, including Café Cinema, Café Televisión, Medina Films Productions, Cymbiola Films, Low Light Films, La Pájara Cine, Incendio Cine, Tres Tigres, and Atomica Films.
"Costa Rica's participation in Cannes is part of the work that the country has been doing to position itself within the international audiovisual industry, both by promoting content and talent, and by attracting investment linked to foreign productions. In 2025 alone, Costa Rica registered more than US$11 million in film investments associated with international audiovisual business support and assistance. Spaces like the Marché du Film enable us to continue expanding opportunities for domestic companies and strengthen the country's presence among key industry players," said Laura Lopez, General Manager of PROCOMER.
During the Festival, which brings together producers, distributors, platforms, studios, and investors from the international audiovisual industry, the companies hold strategic meetings and participate in networking activities aimed at generating co-production, distribution, and investment attraction opportunities for the domestic audiovisual sector.
"The selection of another Costa Rican production for an official section of the Cannes Film Festival and the participation of a national delegation in the Marché du Film help to raise the profile of the work being carried out by the country's audiovisual sector across various areas of the industry. This positioning also strengthens initiatives such as the Costa Rica Media Market, which will once again bring together producers, buyers, and representatives of the international audiovisual industry in Costa Rica in July," added López.
essential COSTA RICAstand to incorporate sound experience
As part of the country's presence in Cannes, Costa Rica has an essential COSTA RICA stand within the Marché du Film, where the country's capabilities in audiovisual services and film production are promoted.
The space incorporates an experience called "Discover the sounds of Costa Rica", designed to show different regions of the country through soundscapes of the Caribbean, the rainforest, cities and volcanic areas, among others. The activation seeks to present the natural and cultural diversity of the country from a perspective linked to the audiovisual narrative and the positioning of Costa Rica as a film destination.
Cannes will also host the announcement of Fantastic Lab
During the festival, the winning projects of Fantastic Lab, an initiative of the Fantastic Pavilion of the Marché du Film de Cannes in alliance with the Costa Rica Media Market, focused on the development of genre film projects (fantasy, horror, and science fiction) in Central America and the Caribbean, will also be announced.
All these projects will have the opportunity to hold meetings and networking sessions with international production companies during the 2026 edition of the Costa Rica Media Market, which returns this July.
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