Argentina hopes to make a splash at Cannes

Argentine films are looking to give a Latin American flavor to the 67th Cannes Film Festival, where Damian Szifron’s feature film “Relatos Salvajes” will be vying for the Palme d’Or, while Lisandro Alonso’s “Jauja” will compete in the Un Certain Regard section.

The Palme d’Or is the top prize awarded at Cannes, whose 2014 edition will run from May 14 to May 25.

Latin American films will have a presence in the all the sections at the festival, but the media spotlight will probably be on the 38yearold Szifron, who is known for “Tiempo de valientes” and “Los simuladores.”

The Argentine filmmaker will be going headtohead against directors like David Cronenberg (“Maps to the Stars”), Jean Luc Godard (“Adieu au Langage”) and Tommy Lee Jones (“The Homesman”).

“Relatos Salvajes,” coproduced by Argentina’s Kramer & Sigman Films and Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s El Deseo production company, stars Ricardo Darin, Leonardo Sbaraglia and Dario Grandinetti.

The film weaves together stories about returning to the past, tragedy and a betrayal of the heart.

“It’s a very different film that looks at life via the episodes that make it up,” festival director Thierry Fremaux said.

“Jauja,” which stars Viggo Mortensen, is vying for the prize in the Un Certain Regard section, a niche competition whose jury is headed by Argentine Pablo Trapero.

The film is competing with “The Salt of the Earth,” in which Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado look at the work of Brazilian photographer Sebastian Salgado, and “Lost River,” the directorial debut of actor Ryan Gosling.