Berlin Indie Film festival
Reviews

Invisibles by Juan Lumé is a drama short film. This story is written by the director himself with Italo Spotorno, the main actor, and Ignacio Verdugo, the co-producer with Lumè.
The story starts when Andres, a 38-year-old property broker, receives an offer to sell a house, which he does not hesitate to accept. After the difficulties suffered during the past years, he has worked hard to restore his situation.
The day begins with a visit to a house on the outskirts of the city, which provides Andres with a strange mixture of restlessness and peace. When he opens the door, for some reason, the image causes him a jolt of unease: a slight, irrational shiver that passes quickly as it has appeared. The house looks sinister and it’s almost empty. It’s hard to imagine what kind of person lived there before. Nevertheless, gradually, Andres finds traces of his own life.
Flowers in the bathroom or specific music would seem absolutely normal to most people, but for him, they are just the opposite: they are clues. Between gloomy walls and nightfall, hallucinations become confusing memories. It seems as if the person he contacted to sell the land is someone he already knows. Someone he wants to forget. But that person is now at home… The night ends, and under the sun, a deep feeling of desolation takes over reminding him of what he could not face.
Dealing with a strong exploration of the past and of the unconscious, the director uses very specific camera moves to take usto the main character’s inner trip. All the shots convey this sense of research.Nicolas Sepulveda’s refined and extremely elegant cinematography sustains this research.
The editing is smooth at the beginning and develops to become agitated and syncopated as the short film progresses.
Another great point of Invisible is the performance of the main character, played by Italo Spotorno. The actor is remarkably intense and well directed by Juan Lumé. The audience is touched by a strong sense of suspense and fatigue in the actor’s inner search: looking back in the past is hard work for everyone that dares to do so. The sound design is minimal and efficient in conveying the feelings of the main character. The director’s brilliant choice of the location is extremely efficient in the communication of the character’s state of mind.Obviously he’s not a novice: Juan Lumé has been a Director and Producer with over 10 years of professional experience, as well as a Founding partner of Go.Films, and a Producer dedicated to both fiction and theatre. Highlights of his career as a Director include:
INVISIBLE (2021 / Short film – Fiction)
Winner 1st Monthly Film Festival:Best director – Best Indie Short Film. Special mention: Short Film – Production – Actor – Thriller Short Film
Winner 4th Dimension Independent Film Festival: Best director Juan Lumé -Best Actor Italo Spotorno – Best Producer Ignacio Verdugo. Winner Chicago Indie Film Award: Best Director. Winner Berlin Indie Film Festival: Best Director Independent Shorts Award: Bronze Award Best Production Designer (Ignacio Verdugo) – Bronze Award Best Thriller Short – Honorable Mention for Best Director (Juan Lumé) – Actor (Italo Spotorno) and Indie Short.
Semi-Finalist Berlin Shorts Award Official Selection Prague International Indie Film Festival Official Selection 2021 ARFF Berlin international Awards Official Selection CKF International Film Festival Official Selection Montreal Independent Film Festival Official Selction IndieX Film Fest

SUMERGIDO (Submerged) 2020 / Short film – Fiction (Semi finalist Venice Shorts 2020 – Official selection Venice Shorts 2020 – Semi FinalistSweden Films Awards September 2020 – Official selection Sweden Films Awards 2020 – Official selection Montreal Independent Films Festival 2020 – Especial Mention Londonx4 seasonal Short Films Festival Autumn 2020).

CAÍDA LIBRE (Free Fall) 2018 / Short film – Fiction
Theatre Director of the play PROMETEO, launched in 2019 in the city of Montevideo, with a roaming season in Uruguay, as well as in different theatre halls in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2019. During 2015 and 2016, he presented the theatre play HANSEL Y GRETEL (play nominated to the 2017 CLAP awards with the largest 2016 audience) with two successful seasons in the theatres Coca Cola City and Centro Morí. He is currently working in the pre-production of his first feature film ASEDIO, both as Producer and Director of the project. In addition to his work in Go.Films, he developed his career for three years as General Producer of the multi-space cultural theatre “Ladrón de Bicicletas” in Santiago – Chile. During that period, he was responsible for the following activities: Executive production – Program design of all billboard works – Sponsorship management – Coordination of activities and new hires.
He has vast experience in pedagogy, teaching short film workshops in the field of Fiction at the Cultural Corporation Balmaceda 1215.
He also noted, concerning this short film: «Invisibles emerges from the concern to investigate the different reactions that our memory can have facing traumatic events and how our brain can block all its memories in front of such reaction.”
We can confirm that he really reached his goals and will add that his strong experience doesn’t seem affected at all by the low production budget.For all the above mentioned reasons, INVISIBLE was awarded Best Director Short film in May 2021 by the Berlin Indie Film Festival.

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Chicago Movie Magazine
The Invisible
Invisible is about Andres, a 38-year-old property broker, receives an offer to sell a house, he does not hesitate for a moment. After the difficulties suffered during the past years, he has worked hard to restore his situation.</p> <p>The day begins with a visit to a house on the outskirts of the city, which generates in Andres a strange mixture of restlessness and peace. When he opens the door, for some reason, the image causes him a jolt of unease: a slight, irrational shiver that passes as soon as it has appeared. The house looks sinister and it’s almost empty. It is hard to imagine what kind of person lived there before. Nevertheless, gradually, Andres discovers traces of his own life. Flowers in the bathroom or some music might seem innocent to anyone’s eyes, but for him, they are just the opposite: They are clues. Between gloomy walls and nightfall, hallucinations become confusing memories. It seems as if the person he has contacted to sell the land is someone he knows. Someone he wants to forget. But that person is now at home… The night ends and under the sun a deep desolation invades him remembering what he could not face.

What draws you to filmmaking and the cinematic language?

I think films give us the possibility to turn ordinary things into extraordinary situations,

hence they have always been a fundamental part of my life. Storytelling not only gives us

a moment of fun it also provides us reflection, and even company, it is also a way to share

knowledge, generate debate and opinion. In my view, film is undoubtedly a &quot;reality

builder&quot; and can even create a connection with the people who are watching a movie in the same theater at the same time as you. Films allow us to see worlds within worlds, to

explore concepts and emotions. To direct is to have the freedom to develop imagination,

and to experience new realities.

 

Do you believe in film schools or does making a film teach you more than film school?

I think film schools can certainly be very important to acquire and share knowledge, they

provide tools to develop projects that you want to realize in the future, but I also think

performance is fundamental, I think practice in any artistic career is the most important

thing. The experience of making a film is a great way to get to know yourself as a director

or as an artist in general, to learn how to work in a team, to develop an idea and put it

into practice. The fear of jumping into the void always exists, but that risk is what will

definitely give you the tools to become a professional.

 
 

Does cinema stand out more than the arts for you? Why?

Honestly, I do not know if I can say that film stands out more in importance than other art

forms, I have also had some very interesting experiences in theater, but for me, films are

absolutely a complete experience that even allows to mix other arts such as music, and

photography. I sincerely believe the power of an image in film is infinite.

 

Why do you like to make films and where do you see your career in the film industry in

ten years?

My fascination with filmmaking arises from the need to tell stories that may seem

appealing from a human and reflective point of view. Making films generates in me a great

illusion to do this work, I consider films as a really motivating experience for many people,

therefore in 10 years I see my career creating solid content able to reach a cross-cultural

audience. I hope to be able to make many feature films by working hard and creatively.

 
 

Do you consider yourself an indie filmmaker and what would most be the most

difficult thing about being an independent artist?

 

It is extremely difficult, you must have a great desire of wanting to make your movie to be

able to achieve it. You must be willing to work hard and overcome quickly when things get

complicated in order to have new ideas that allow you to keep moving forward. I consider

fundamental the willingness to learn that each process provides, no matter how difficult it

may be at times. I am deeply grateful to my closest team for supporting with strength and

conviction each project that we as Go.Films have set out to do. In that way, besides my

work, the work done by Ignacio verdugo as general producer and Italo Spotorno as actor

has been essential, we have developed an interesting, creative and production team

together. In addition to Nicolas Sepulveda in Photography Direction. 

 

What is the distribution plan for your film and how are you planning to reach a

greater audience for your project?

Our work has been very well received in different festivals, winning numerous awards and

selections, including:

 

Winner 1st Monthly Film Festival: Best director – Best Indie Short Film. Special

mention: Short Film – Production – Actor – Thriller Short Film

Winner 4th Dimension Independent Film Festival: Best director Juan Lumé – Best

Actor Italo Spotorno – Best Producer Ignacio Verdugo.

Winner Chicago Indie Film Award: Best Director.

Winner Berlin Indie Film Festival: Best Director

Independent Shorts Award: Bronze Award Best Production Designer (Ignacio

Verdugo) – Bronze Award Best Thriller Short – Honorable Mention for Best Director

(Juan Lumé) – Actor (Italo Spotorno) and Indie Short.

Official Selection Prague International Indie Film Festival

Official Selection 2021 ARFF Berlin international Awards

Official Selection CKF International Film Festival

Official Selection Montreal Independent Film Festival

 

Once our festival process has been finished, we plan to make an official premiere in the

city of Santiago, as well as trying to make premieres in different cultural centers around

the world, to finally release the short film on our website: www.go-films.org

 
 

What is your cinematic goal in life and what would you like to achieve as a

filmmaker?

My goal is to grow within the film industry, I wish I could always take risks by taking on

new challenges and try to reach as many people as possible who are interested in getting

to know new filmmakers. As a filmmaker, I want to achieve high quality works, mainly in

terms of content. I am in the script polishing process with Ignacio Verdugo and Italo

Spotorno of our first feature film called: Asedio. The main objective is to grow as a

production company and internationalize our career.

 

What kind of impact would your film have in the world and who is your audience?  

I think and hope my film will have an impact on the reflection and interest of a cross-

cultural audience because film can address real problems in a way that allows people

relating to a fictitious world. I consider this to be a film that opens the viewer&#39;s senses and allows them to see things from a psychological point of view rather than from a

chronological or rational order. This can lead to conversations to discuss different points

of view for those who attend the film. I hope to be able to make feature films that can

impact people of all backgrounds and cultures, because film is a great influence

worldwide, it allows us to open our eyes and question what we think we know.

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1stmonthly film festival
FILMMAKER OF THE MONTH

When I was a kid I used to play home movie making, I have always been a huge fan of cinema, photography and reading. Through reading I was able to develop a great imagination, in addition to having many references. In my teens, I often skipped class to go to the movies (I keep smiling when I remember those days). My first real approach to cinema as a director was in a fiction workshop organized in Balmaceda 1215 in Santiago de Chile. Later I took different acting and film courses, which led me to work for many years as a producer, consequently, directing films was a dream that I had to postpone for a few years.

Until, in collaboration with Ignacio Verdugo, we founded the production company Go.Films, where my first short film was «Free Fall.» This short film starred Italo Spotorno, a very important actor in my works. «Free Fall» It was a great experience that allowed me to quickly approach the world of cinema to want to continue investigating this language with the short films Submerged, Invisible, and currently working on the pre-production of my first feature film ASEDIO, where he works as a producer and director of the project with Italo Spotorno as Actor and Ignacio Verdugo in the production. n.

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