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At the first Tocopilla Soccer Film Festival

Premieres, documentaries with never-before-seen images, and films based on national literature were included in a line-up that delighted attendees and cooled off the northern Chilean summer in one of the country’s top soccer towns: Tocopilla.

The five-day cultural festival was organized and produced by the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC) Cultural Corporation with SQM’s support. It lit up the night in Tocopilla, María Elena, and Quillagua, allowing families to enjoy excellent content under the stars free of charge.

The festival included the premiere of “Cóndores Blancos,” a documentary on Chile’s first appearance in the World Cup, which was recorded and produced in Chile by director Eugenio Figueroa. There were also interesting discussions with Chilean writer and poet Hernán Rivera Letelier, who discussed his novel El fantasista, which is based on the film “El último juego,” a Brazilian production that was also screened as part of the festival. Grace Lazcano and Javiera Court discussed their unforgettable experience directing “Históricas,” the documentary about the first female soccer team to reach the World Cup.

The first Tocopilla Soccer Film Festival, which was held during the traditional Mundialito or mini World Cup that the port city has hosted for 58 years, created many memories and experiences. Mayor Ljubica Kurtovic noted, “This has been an excellent initiative. As mayor, I am very grateful for all of the activities developed for the community.”

SQM’s NY Communities and Public Affairs Manager thanked the community for participating in the various activities, noting that, “We see a huge potential for athletics in Tocopilla, especially soccer. That’s why we developed this activity, which combines film with this beautiful sport, with all of the achievements and stories that are documented, filmed, and shown through the screen. That’s what we wanted to show through this fun summer program, which aligns with our Sustainability Plan and the needs and expectations of our neighboring communities, including efforts to promote athletics and culture.”

 “We are very pleased with the results of this first Tocopilla Soccer Film Festival. Local families enjoyed a fun line-up, and we created spaces for conversation about the topics the films address. That’s the richness of artistic activities; they connect us as people and benefit us as a community,” reflected Matías Awad, the CEO of the CChC Cultural Corporation.

*This project is part of the Cultural Donations Law.