The results are in, and the Fantastic Lab Central America & Caribbean has announced six finalists and a grand prize winner at the Cannes Fantastic Pavilion.
The grand prize, presented by Baby Atómica, a partner of Fantastic Lab, has been awarded to “We Won’t Let the Goat Die” (“No dejaremos que muera la cabra”), a collaborative production from Costa Rica, Perú, and Panamá. The production features Variety Talent to Track cinematographer Nicolas Wong (“La Llorona,” “Love is the Monster”) as a producer.
As part of the award, Baby Atómica will provide director Felipe Zúñiga and Wong with an opportunity to film their proof of concept with its team in Costa Rica.
Zúñiga, who produced “Love is the Monster” and served as first assistant director on several notable Central American films, including “Clara Sola” and “Beloved Tropic,” will be leading this project.
This fantasy drama tells the story of 10-year-old Bernardo, who after losing his father, becomes deeply attached to his mother while secretly tending to an injured baby goat in the rainforest. His discovery of an ocelot feeding its young with the same animal beneath a glowing sphere reveals that love and violence are driven by the same instincts.
The Fantastic Lab Central America & Caribbean, launched at the Costa Rica Media Market in collaboration with Grupo Morbido, attracted 55 projects from the region. Coordinated by Costa Rican film commissioner Marysela Zamora and Grupo Morbido CEO Pablo Guisa, 15 projects were selected for the first phase, closely guided by Guisa and genre filmmaker Adrian Garcia Bogleano (“Night of the Wolf”), who served as mentors.
The six finalists feature one project from El Salvador, two from the Dominican Republic, one from Honduras co-produced with Mexico and Spain, and two from Costa Rica. These projects highlight a regional focus on politically charged genre films that use horror as a medium to address memory, history, and social tensions. They will advance to pitch their projects at the Costa Rica Media Market in July.
According to Laura López, General Manager of Costa Rica’s Foreign Trade Promotion Agency, “The winning projects of this edition of Fantastic Lab demonstrate the growth and evolution of fantastic cinema in Central America and the Caribbean. This initiative, developed by the Fantastic Pavilion of the Cannes Marché du Film in partnership with the Costa Rica Media Market, helps strengthen talent development, foster collaborative networks and create greater opportunities for creators in the region to connect with the international audiovisual industry.”
Pablo Guisa remarked, “This first edition of the Fantastic Lab Costa Rica was a tremendous success. Watching the projects grow through the online workshop — guided by our advisors — was genuinely exciting. The diversity of themes, countries and subgenres represented tells you everything about how vibrant Central America and the Caribbean are as a region, historically and culturally. The Fantastic Lab doesn’t just showcase that, it takes it to another level. This is exactly what the Fantastic Pavilion is here to do: support and enrich the genre community in every region of the world.”
The Six Finalists:
“Cacao Tea”
Marcia Isabel Arenas Víquez, Costa Rica, Spain, Mexico.
This psychological horror drama centers on Alexa, who returns to Costa Rica with her partner to seek ancestral connections at a spiritual retreat promising healing and authenticity. As questionable therapies and unsettling postcolonial rituals blur boundaries between wellness and manipulation, Alexa uncovers disturbing forces beneath the retreat’s alluring exterior. Produced by Sofía Meza Herrera of Blue Paradox Films.
‘Cacao Tea’ Courtesy of the Fantastic Lab Central America
“Echoes”
Kryzz Gautier, Dominican Republic.
This gothic horror fantasy follows historian Catalina and her girlfriend Salomé, who discover a mysterious artifact in a colonial sugar plantation that transports them to the 17th century. They relive the tragic romance of an enslaved woman and the governor’s daughter, who share their faces. As past and present merge, the couple faces inherited trauma, forbidden desire, and a haunting cycle the house will not release. Lead production by Reclaimed Ent. with Rampante Films co-producing.
“Greetings from Maryland”
Ricardo B’atz’, El Salvador.
This horror film features undocumented migrant workers in the United States who inadvertently unleash a cursed presence while demolishing an abandoned house. As the entity hunts them, the film blends supernatural terror with the challenges of immigrant labor. Produced by Cayaguanca Films.
“Macheteros”
Daniel Emilio Oramas, Dominican Republic.
This creature-feature horror film delves into the Dominican Republic’s jungles, where road workers battling harsh conditions encounter the Ciguapa, a terrifying local folklore figure. The film combines survival horror, environmental tension, and class conflict, reimagining Dominican mythology as a tale of revenge and “the law of the jungle.” Produced by Angélica Pérez-Castro.
“The Fire Within”
Javier Suazo Mejía, Honduras, Mexico, Spain.
Produced by Zumo, Fosforito Films, El Médano, and Aída Herrerías, this supernatural horror film set on a Caribbean island follows a successful priest returning home after his adoptive brother’s death by spontaneous human combustion. As he investigates, he uncovers family secrets and awakens a terrifying force.
‘The Fire Within’ Courtesy of Fantastic Lab Central America
“What Comes With the Storm”
Miguel Angel Ferrer, Costa Rica, U.S.
This creature-feature horror film follows a reclusive ex-military doctor who shelters a desperate mother and daughter during a deadly Caribbean hurricane, only to find a terrifying creature has entered his home. Trapped by the storm, he must confront both the monster and his own inner darkness to survive. Produced by La Pajara Cine and Magic Films, with Dinga Haines producing.
‘What Comes With The Storm’ Courtesy of Fantastic Lab Central America
