Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre (BARS) is an international film festival devoted to the genres of science fiction, horror and fantasy. Is the oldest fantastic film festival in Latin America.
It began in 2000 with a focus on independent films in those genres, and since 2004 in the form of a competitive festival, Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre is well attended with over 200 films shown and 12.000 public and industry admissions each year. BARS is sponsored by the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) and declared of cultural interest by the legislature of the autonomous city of Buenos Aires.
PRESS REVIEWS
DREAD CENTRAL: The Best Horror Festivals in the World 2021
The oldest genre film festival in Latin America, Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre “has earned the respect of every other festival because of its endurance,” says a panelist. “It’s extremely well-curated and its fans love everything, from bizarre B-films to highbrow horror fare.”
“It’s also important to highlight this festival’s stubbornness,” jokes a panelist, and another panelist agrees, pointing out that it insists on “keeping its main idea of a festival made for horror fans by horror fans.”
https://www.dreadcentral.com/top-10-lists/364442/the-best-horror-festivals-in-the-world-2021/3/
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The Bubble: Blood, Guts, & Cinema: The BARS Horror Film Festival Hits Buenos Aires by Jorge Farah
"The Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre festival has been delivering these thrills to porteño audiences for nearly two decades now, screening films that are decidedly “off the beaten path” and would have a tough time finding a more conventional commercial distribution in this side of the world. And though it’s focused mainly on horror, the festival actually offers a pretty diverse slate of films, featuring everything from comedic, tongue-in-cheek midnight movies to films that incorporate elements of fantasy along with the more relentlessly bleak horror fare. There’s something for everybody."
https://www.thebubble.com/buenos-aires-rojo-sangre-film-festival
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VARIETY: Gardner, Yamaguchi, Urrutia Win at BARS by John Hopewell
"Launching in 2000, BARS, one of Latin America’s biggest genre fests, has proved a driving force in the build of Argentine genre production scene, highlighting and prizing early works of directors such as Adrian Garcia Bogliano, who won 2004’s audience award for first feature, “Habitacion para turistas.”"
https://variety.com/2013/film/global/gardner-yamaguchi-urrutia-win-at-bars-1200808359/
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PAGINA/12: Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre, un clásico del cine fantástico por
"El BARS alcanza su vigésima edición plantando bandera por el cine de género: bizarro, terror, suspenso, fantástico. En estas dos décadas, no sólo se convirtió en el más longevo de Latinoamérica, también fue un espacio de encuentro y resistencia para los realizadores muchas veces marginados del circuito prestigioso del cine local. Fue refugio para los espectadores cuando ni siquiera la pantalla chica saciaba las ansias de zombies (que hoy parecen omnipresentes) y gritos espeluznantes.
El BARS fue fundamental para el desarrollo de este tipo de películas y ofició tanto de semillero de directores como de plataforma para mostrar e impulsar la aceptación de su propuesta dentro del circuito comercial y los canales institucionales."
https://www.pagina12.com.ar/232087-buenos-aires-rojo-sangre-un-clasico-del-cine-fantastico
The festival delivers diplomas and statuettes to the winners.