Bogotá BAM 2016: Pitching social and “Colombia” for the silver screen

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[dropcap]C[/dropcap]olombian film talent makes waves again this month with the launch of the 7th edition of the industry network and trade event, Bogotá Audiovisual Market, BAM.

Sponsored by the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (CCB) and the country’s film promotion entity, Proimágenes, BAM 2016 kicked-off July 11th and for four full days, industry professionals have descended on Bogotá to see features, documentaries, shorts and animated works.

The screenings allow “bammers” – both established and aspiring – to present works in progress, as well as receive important feedback on editing, post-production and marketing. Over the last seven years, BAM has established itself as a global forum for Colombia’s visual artists, aged 21 to 32, to get their foot in the door and establish production companies with the support of the Chamber of Commerce. This year’s guest nation is Argentina and represented with 22 of its industry’s top professionals.

In total, 110 international guests are in town for this year’s BAM.

With Colombian films getting exposure at international film festivals, buyers are an essential part of BAM, as they help promote films which have been produced at home to an overseas audience. Last year, the event generated US$12,7 million in revenue. This year the aim is to reach US$20 million.

From BAM Talks to BAM Screenings, the gathering of more than 1,000 industry professionals from 21 countries highlights the importance of the cultural industries for the CCB; and as part of its continuing expansion with this cluster, a new commercial venue – the BAM BIG TOP – was established in order for international film companies to promote industry-related services.

Proimagénes and the state’s film development fund, Fondo para el Desarrollo Cinematográfico (FDC), will present 46 film projects and screen 15 features.

With no shortage of talent and good stories to tell, the 7th edition of BAM launches less than a year after Ciro Guerra was nominated for an Academy Award for his epic ‘Embrace of the Serpent’ and César Acevedo snapped up three awards at the Cannes Film Festival for ‘Land and Shadows.’ It will be interesting to see where this story leads, but the premiere next month of Jhonny Hendrix’s second feature, ‘Saudó: Labyrinth of souls’ casts some light on the social, from displacement to racial exclusion. But independently of the genre or theme, this year the “bammers” of the world are united in a common cause: the future of Colombian film and a country that offers incredible locations once a lasting peace is secured.

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