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The South

1939. Juan, a city-bred librarian, decides to help his uncle with the family ranch in the countryside, heading south in search of redemption and to honor his creole lineage.

  • Martín Falco
    Director
  • Martín Falco
    Writer
  • Manuel Indij
    Producer
  • Andrés Quiñones
    Key Cast
    "Juan"
  • Victor Labra Santos
    Key Cast
    "Antonio"
  • Aldo Onofri
    Key Cast
    "Mocking Man"
  • Emmanuel Riegler
    Key Cast
    "Singer"
  • Daniel Ibarra
    Key Cast
    "Bar Owner"
  • Daniel Quintana
    Key Cast
    "Grandfather"
  • Jorge Luis Borges
    Based on the homonymous short story by
  • Iván Bys
    Cinematographer
  • Daniela Siladic
    Production Designer
  • Camila Dorsi
    Production Designer
  • Daiana Luna
    Production Designer
  • Pablo Ayerza
    Film Editor
  • Aimé Perea
    Sound Designer
  • Emiliano Ogrizovic
    Film Composer
  • Florencia Pereyra Villaroel
    Director Assistant
  • Belén Janko
    Costume Designer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    El Sur
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Western, Drama
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    8,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Argentina
  • Country of Filming:
    Argentina
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - FADU (University of Buenos Aires)
  • 1º SoBIFF · South of Brazil International Film Festival
    Florianópolis
    Brazil
    November 20, 2025
    World Premiere
    Nominated for Best Cinematography (Iván Bys)
  • 4º Facom Fest
    Santiago de Compostela, Coruña
    Spain
    November 27, 2025
    Official Selection
  • 9º IFFF · International Folklore Film Festival
    Kerala
    India
    January 15, 2026
    Asian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 1º Festival Internacional de Cine de Zacatlán
    Zacatlán, Puebla
    Mexico
    February 19, 2026
    Mexican Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 1º ARUCAD Cinematic Seeds Festival
    Kyrenia
    February 23, 2026
    Asian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 1º Certamen de Cortos de la Escuela de Cine The Core (Sección No Oficial del 29º Festival de Málaga)
    Málaga
    Spain
    March 6, 2026
    Finalist
  • 1º Indie Film Spotlight Film Festival
    Annapolis, Maryland
    United States
    March 21, 2026
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 2º Waterloo Film Festival
    Waterloo, Verulam, KwaZulu Natal
    South Africa
    August 28, 2026
    African Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 6º Enerc se Proyecta
    Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    May 2, 2026
    National Premiere
    3 Special Mentions, including Best Short Film and Best Cinematography
  • Premios ADF
    Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    May 16, 2026
    Nominated for Best Cinematography (Student Short Film Category)
  • 6º IHSSC · International Student Film & Screenwriting Festival
    New York
    United States
    May 5, 2026
    Official Selection
  • 8º La Noche del Corto
    Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    May 16, 2026
    Official Selection
  • 6º Enerc se Proyecta Cuyo
    CABA
    Argentina
    May 11, 2026
    Official Selection
  • 5º Festival Regional de Cine ¨Arbolito¨
    Mar Chiquita, Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    May 30, 2026
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • El Delirio Cine
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Martín Falco

Martín Falco is an Argentine filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. An Audiovisual Design student, he co-created FF Studios and VistaMatic, two production companies specialized in making music videos. In 2024 he wrote a screenplay based on “El Sur”, a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, which was approved by the writer's heirs and allowed him to gain the rights to make an official adaptation. Shot by the end of 2024, the short film is the director's opera prima and will be released in 2025.

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Director Statement

The first thing that came up was the idea of adapting a short story for our thesis. Borges was the first option from the beginning, and I revisited over 20 of his short stories. Why “The South”? I saw the opportunity of working on themes like the lineage, legacy, identity, the countryside-city dichotomy, destiny, death and redemption. It's a story about the tension resulting from the clash of Creole culture with European immigration, reflected on his main character. All this linked with one of the most important figures in our national tradition: the gaucho. Aesthetically, we wanted to underline two of these elements: the country/urban contrast, and the mythification of the gaucho. I wanted to be as faithful as possible to the story and its essence, but leaving room for appropriation.