Starting its first edition in 2008, the International Festival of Cinematic Experimentation CineToro was born with the firm intention of promoting and fostering experimentation in film in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, and the world. An alternative festival held in the green municipality of Toro, in the northern Valle del Cauca, quickly caught the attention of the national scene, winning various awards such as the National Audiovisual Plan and later the National Concertation Program of the Ministry of Culture, the Mixed Fund of the Government of Valle del Cauca, and aligning public and private budgets from entities such as the Municipality of Toro, the Rayo Museum, Santiago Plaza Shopping Center, Chevrolet, Tigo, and gaining support from different embassies over the years: USA, Spain, Israel, Poland, etc.

CineToro was an extended creation laboratory for us, boosting the careers of young filmmakers from northern Valle del Cauca and our own. During the 8 years we were in charge of the festival, which was directed and curated by Javier Álvarez Galeano, we managed to position CineToro as the most important experimental film event in Colombia, with broad international projection. In the 4th edition, we even had the presence of the Polish filmmaker Lech Majewski, who also premiered his feature film «The Mill and the Cross» at our event.

Below, some of the most memorable memories and advertisements from those 8 years of promoting and fostering experimentation in cinema.

That’s great to hear! It’s wonderful to see how the festival has evolved and continues to promote experimental animation.