Netflix Joins the New Edition of the SANFIC Industria and FICG Santiago–Guadalajara Queer Incubator

For the second consecutive year, Netflix joins the Santiago–Guadalajara Queer Incubator as a strategic partner. The incubator is a space for professional development and the advancement of fiction feature-film stories led by LGBTIQ+ voices from across Latin America. The initiative is organized by SANFIC Industria, the industry platform of the Santiago International Film Festival (SANFIC), together with the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) and Premio Maguey.

Netflix’s support will enable the teams to work on their projects in two stages and in two countries, during a key phase of screenplay development, while also taking part in a professional immersion experience within both festivals’ industry programs. The projects will participate in a week at SANFIC Industria (Chile), from November 2 to 6, 2026, during SANFIC’s 22nd edition, and a week at the Guadalajara International Film Festival (Mexico), in March 2027, during its 42nd edition.

At both events, the selected projects will receive in-person group mentoring from international professionals, helping them develop and strengthen their proposals. Mentors include Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugás, Alfredo Castro, Emilio Papimija, Michel Salazar, among others. Participants will also attend meetings with industry professionals, market activities and networking opportunities designed to expand their prospects for international circulation, as well as take part in Premio Maguey activities, FICG’s official competitive LGBTQ+ section.

“For us, this second edition represents a very important step in the growth of the Queer Incubator. Together with FICG, Premio Maguey and Netflix, we are building a space that not only supports projects creatively but also enables the people behind them to travel, build networks and access concrete opportunities within the industry. At a time when LGBTQ+ community voices need more opportunities, creating spaces where these stories can be developed, become visible and find their audiences is more necessary than ever,” says Gabriela Sandoval, founder of SANFIC and director of SANFIC Industria.

“We believe it is essential to open up spaces for diverse voices from the region that bring new perspectives and authentic narratives,” comments Pierre Emile Vandoorne, Netflix Vice President of Public Policy for Latin America. “Supporting the Incubator for another year allows us to continue fostering real opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community, in collaboration with those who work consistently to expand opportunities in the audiovisual industry.”

Thanks to Netflix’s support, the six selected projects will receive assistance to participate in both in-person stages, including coverage of their main travel and accommodation expenses. The partnership thus seeks to help overcome the barriers that often limit Latin American LGBTQ+ filmmakers’ access to international training, circulation and professional networking opportunities.

Projects selected for this edition:

Un funeral fantástico / A Fantastic Funeral — Samara Pérez (Puerto Rico)

No culpen a la bestia / Don’t Blame the beast — Luis Diego Pérez (Costa Rica)

Mundo / World — Jimena Román (Paraguay)

Lo que una chica siente / What a Girl Feels — David Pulido (Mexico)

Decoración de interiores / Interior Decoration — Fer Elías Rioseco (Chile)

Pulso / Pulse — Yoksan Sun (Chile)

The Santiago–Guadalajara Queer Incubator is built on a fundamental premise: what is not represented risks remaining invisible. In keeping with this vision, and with the aim of providing more meaningful support to the stories it accompanies, this edition will increase the award for the winning project from USD 5,000 to USD 10,000, helping finance its development stage.

“The Guadalajara International Film Festival and Premio Maguey are filled with pride and happiness to join the Queer Incubator. We could not ask for better partners in this adventure. Thank you to SANFIC Industria for including us. Now more than ever, we must learn and relearn to recognize vulnerability. And from that place, with honesty and joy, we will continue to defend everything beautiful and valuable that it represents.” — Estrella Araiza, General Director of FICG.

This edition coincides with a moment of particular visibility for Latin American LGBTQ+ cinema, with Narciso, by Marcelo Martinessi (Paraguay); Feito Pipa, by Allan Deberton (Brazil); Llueve sobre Babel, by Gala del Sol (Colombia); and En el camino, by David Pablos (Mexico), competing in the race for the 2027 Oscars. The presence of these films confirms the creative strength of these stories and the importance of consolidating spaces that support their development, professionalization and international circulation, even as we face a period of setbacks in the recognition of the LGBTQ+ community’s social rights.

The Santiago–Guadalajara Queer Incubator

The Santiago–Guadalajara Queer Incubator is a Latin American network dedicated to professional development and advancing LGBTQ+ stories. It selects up to six fiction feature-film projects led by LGBTQ+ filmmakers from Latin America and supports them from the earliest stages of writing and development, combining specialized training, industry access, mobility and international networking. Its selection process takes an intersectional approach, with particular attention to trans and nonbinary identities and talent from territories with less access to training, financing and professional networks.

With Netflix’s support, the partnership between SANFIC Industria and the Guadalajara International Film Festival is further consolidated, strengthening a space where Latin America’s LGBTQ+ voices and stories can develop, gain visibility and reach the international industry. The Queer Incubator Santiago–Guadalajara is coordinated by Michel Salazar, a specialist in international co-production and audiovisual cooperation, who oversees the coordination of its training activities, supports the development of the selected projects, and facilitates connections with the international film industry.

The industry platform of the Santiago International Film Festival (SANFIC) will hold its 22nd edition from November 2 to 6, 2026.