The city of Cochabamba became the epicentre of emerging Latin American cinema as it hosted the fourth edition of the International “Lions of Fire” Film Festival.

The event was organised by a Bolivian film production company with the support of the Autonomous Municipal Government of Cochabamba.

In the national competition, the short film "Misk’i" emerged as the winner of the night. Meanwhile, in the international category, the top award went to "Intraterrestres" (Argentina).

In addition to the competitive section, the festival featured a Special Showcase organised in collaboration with TV BRICS, the event’s international media partner. As part of this programme, two productions created by the network were screened: in particular, audiences will be able to see two films produced by TV BRICS: "Uralian Anomaly" (2025, film author – Ksenia Komissarova, director – Andrey Porshnyak, cameraman – Dmitry Golovko), as well as "Worthy of Applause: New Roles for BRICS+ Actors" (2024, author: Anatoly Kharitonov).

Alongside these, the showcase included other international works: "Vida Artística" (2024), "Impression of Sandun" (2024), "Trombonists" (2021), "My Brother Joaquin" (2021), "Che Guevara's Path" (2023), and "Mergulho" (2020).

One of the most notable activities was the screening of "Joaquín, mi primón" at the Universidad del Valle (Univalle), where students of Psychology and Communication and Digital Media took part in a discussion with invited panellists.

Exclusively for TV BRICS, Kellen Casara, director of the documentary "Mergulho", said: “It is an honour to participate in the “Lions of Fire” Film Festival, represented by TV BRICS. The Special Showcase is a demonstration of the audiovisual potential of the BRICS member countries. 'Mergulho' is a documentary that addresses the universal theme of the human ability to reinvent oneself and overcome obstacles.”

In turn, the festival director, Leonardo Pacheco, noted that this year the event significantly expanded its reach and was consolidated as an international platform.

“Thanks to cooperation with the TV BRICS International Media Network, we managed to bring the festival to a new level and give it global visibility,” he stated.

The closing ceremony brought together directors, jury members, representatives of public and private institutions, media outlets and film enthusiasts.

Photo: Universidad del Valle (Univalle)