The Tecpetrol Latin American Film Festival, organized in tandem with the PROA Foundation, has just wrapped up a highly successful edition. In a film theater packed to the full, we applauded alongside the audience. Here’s what it was all about.

With plenty of space for everything to come together, the setting was perfect: the Tecpetrol Latin American Film Festival, featuring an eclectic and vibrant mix as diverse as the customs found across our continent. Thanks to the PROA Foundation, which has been organizing this highly successful event for over 20 years, the latest edition of the festival has just wrapped up in Neuquén.

Held over three days (Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 September) at the MNBA (National Museum of Fine Arts) cinema in Neuquén capital, the festival attracted crowded auditoriums, which reached bursting point on Saturday night. The more than 500 people who attended saw four films as different in their approach as they were similar in their motivations: El Castigo, by acclaimed Chilean filmmaker Matías Bize; the documentary Mavita, llena eres de gracia, the first film by Candela Vetrano; the Mexican comedy Amores Incompletos, by Gilberto González Penilla; and the highly-acclaimed Argentine comedy Puan, by the duo María Alché and Benjamín Naishtat.

A signal success, the program was curated by Lucía Tebaldi, professor of Image and Sound at the University of Buenos Aires, and Guillermo Goldschmidt, Project Manager of Fundación PROA. After each screening, the lights went up and a debate was held to discuss the main ideas of the film just shown with input from the general public.

Andrea Fernández, CORE Manager for the Neuquén Basin Region, was delighted with the turnout and enthusiastic participation, saying: “It’s an absolute joy to bring this Latin American cinema series to this corner of the world—and even better, to see such a fantastic turnout!”

Meanwhile, Guillermo adds that, “The audience response has been incredible! We’ve had packed rooms and nearly full houses throughout. It’s clear that the city’s growth is fueling a real appetite for cultural events like this. Honestly, seeing such a great turnout feels like a huge win.” He concludes: “We're really excited and have high hopes as we continue working with the MNBA. They’ve got an amazing screening room, a brand-new projector, and a new screen—it’s truly a luxurious experience watching films there. We can’t wait to make the most of this opportunity and bring even more ideas to the table.”

Generating knowledge and pushing the conversation forward—that was another key goal of the series, explained Andrea, emphasizing how the events led to meaningful exchanges with the audience. “Hosting these kinds of cultural events connects us to the community, revealing, in its own way, the unique identity of each place.”

And now? “We’re proud to present these proposals and are eager to return next year because the space the museum has provided is incredibly valuable to us,” Andrea says, as the last spectators file out. “We’re truly grateful for the opportunity,” she adds with a smile.