Ventana Sur will return to Montevideo for its 2026 edition, confirming the Río de la Plata format as the new working structure for Latin America’s leading audiovisual market.
The Marché du Film, Uruguay’s ACAU and Argentina’s INCAA unveiled Monday the dates for the market’s second Montevideo edition. Ventana Sur will run Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 2026, in the Uruguayan capital.
The five-day edition will unfold across several of Montevideo’s landmark cultural venues. They include the national cultural center Sodre, the Cinemateca Uruguaya which will host market screenings, and the historic Teatro Solís.
The announcement marks another step in Ventana Sur’s evolving regional footprint since its launch in Buenos Aires in 2009. After 15 editions in the Argentine capital, the market moved to Montevideo in 2024, returned to Buenos Aires in 2025 and will now head back to Uruguay under a Río de la Plata format designed to reinforce continuity between both cities.
Ventana Sur has become the main international gateway for Latin American films, series, animation, documentaries and genre projects seeking financing, co-production partners, festival exposure, sales agents and distribution. Organizers say the market brings together more than 3,000 international professionals each year.
The Montevideo return also strengthens the market’s role as a meeting point for the wider Southern Cone. Brazil is expected to have a significant presence at the event, bringing one of Latin America’s largest production sectors into a format designed to connect Argentine talent, Uruguay’s growing audiovisual infrastructure and regional partners such as Chile with international buyers and financiers.
“Ventana Sur has established itself as the essential destination where the excellence of the Marché du Film converges with the Southern Hemisphere’s summer. As Uruguay prepares to host this market for the second time, we face a formidable new challenge: to deliver an edition that rises to the complexities of today’s global landscape. In this era, fostering meaningful encounters and co-productions is vital to asserting the value of our industry,” said Gisella Previtali, president of ACAU and co-director of Ventana Sur.
Guillaume Esmiol, executive director of the Marché du Film and co-director of Ventana Sur, framed the Río de la Plata format as a way to maintain momentum between Latin America and the international industry.
“Ventana Sur now plays an essential role in strengthening connections between Latin America and the international industry. The Río de la Plata format allows this momentum to be sustained over time while increasing the visibility of the region’s talents and content,” Esmiol said.
The 2026 announcement also lands as Ventana Sur increases its Cannes-facing activity. During the 2026 Marché du Film, the market staged a curated program that included Ventana Sur Goes to Cannes. The showcase presented Latin American works in progress to sales agents, distributors and festival programmers.
The Cannes program also included a panel with key representatives from ACAU and INCAA, a case study session and a networking cocktail, bringing together Latin American and global film professionals.
Ralph Haiek, executive director of Ventana Sur Argentina 2025, said last year’s Buenos Aires edition showed that the market is “not only a market — it is a laboratory for the future of Latin American content.”
“VS Tech was at the heart of that, bringing together the creative and technological talent that transforms stories into properties capable of crossing every screen and every border. Building IP that truly reaches audiences is no longer a challenge unique to Hollywood; it is our challenge — and we are meeting it,” Haiek said.
The 2026 edition will include Ventana Sur’s core programs: Primer Corte, Copia Final, Proyecta, VS Docs, VS Shortfilms, VS Guiones, VS Tech, VS Fantastic and VS Animation. It will also feature producer networking activities and the market’s full range of activities dedicated to international sales.
