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Logline

Set in Córdoba, Argentina, The Rise is an absurdist comedy about a teenage girl stuck in a gas station line with her mom and grandma before fuel prices spike. Caught in family and social tensions, the film reveals how self-absorption can blind us to the world and our role in it.

Synopsis

In Córdoba, Argentina, 14-year-old Carla begs her mom to take her to a concert with her friends. But first, her mom needs to drop off Grandma and stop for gas, as prices are set to rise that night due to inflation. The station is packed—a block-long line full of cars and characters trying to fill up before the hike. Carla is stuck with her bitter mother, Mariana, and her delusional grandmother, who keeps calling her son to come rescue them. Carla is definitely going to be late. Bored, she watches the people around: a couple with a baby, a clown, a woman with a dog, old folks with pistachios, and a man who keeps staring at her. Then a big pickup truck pulls in—Francisco, a cool older boy, is inside.

Mariana asks Carla to check why the line isn’t moving. Carla finds out there’s a shortage, and everyone’s waiting for supply. On the way back, she meets Francisco smoking. He flirts. Trying to seem cool, Carla decides to take the bus to the concert despite her mom’s protests. But while waiting, she notices Francisco’s dad trying to bribe the station worker to skip the line. Carla tells her mom, who confronts him. He turns violent—and to Carla’s disappointment, Francisco takes his father’s side. Mariana backs off. Carla feels the injustice boil over. As the price hike kicks in and supply arrives, she acts—smashing the price sign with a metal tool. Mariana joins, pouring fuel on Francisco’s dad. Chaos erupts: all the characters Carla observed earlier now leap into the fight. Even Grandma gets her revenge. The police arrive. The three women are arrested.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Maria Belén Poncio — Writer/Director/ Producer
María Belén Poncio is a writer-director from Córdoba, Argentina. She co-wrote and directed the VR short 4 Feet: Blind Date, supported by Sundance Institute and Biennale College Cinema VR, which premiered at Venice (2018), Sundance (2019), and SXSW (Best VR Narrative), among other festivals. She followed it with the mini-series 4 Feet High, produced by Arte France, which screened at Venice (2020), Sundance (2021), and SXSW (Jury and Audience Awards), along with BFI, TIFF Next Wave, and more.

Her latest short, When Everything Burns, premiered at BAFICI (Best Short Film), then at Tribeca (Exceptional Craftsmanship Award), and went on to win several awards across Latin America and screen at festivals including Guadalajara, Dhaka, Huelva, and Woodstock. Belén is completing her MFA in Film at NYU Tisch (class of 2025), supported by the TSOA and Maurice Kanbar Scholarships. Her debut feature Chosen City is in development and was selected for the Torino Script Lab 2025.

Eva Cáceres — Producer
Co-founder of Punto de Fuga Cine company. Executive producer of Todas las pistas fueron falsas (2022) Official selection Cosquín International Film Festival FICIC, Rabinos rabiosos (2021) Official selection DocBuenos Aires Documentary Film Festival, Estrella roja Official selection Mar del Plata IFF (2021), Young Critics award Best Latinamerican Film, Mi última aventura (2021) BAFICI 2021 Best film International Competition, Silver Spike International Competition SEMINCI 2021, Esquirlas (2020) Mar del Plata IFF Best Director National Competition award , Vision du Reel Special Jury award 2021, Jeonju International Film Festival Best Film International Competition 2021, El oso antártico (2020) Official selection BAFICI 2020, Suquía (2019) Official selection Mar del Plata IFF, IDFA 2020, Hombre bajo la lluvia (2018)Official selection Mar del Plata IFF.

Ana Lucía Frau — Producer
Co-founder of Punto de Fuga Cine company. Works as executive producer and development projects. She has a Master in Audiovisual Communication, is teacher in the University of Córdoba. Participated as a jury in national and regional fonds like INCAA. Executive producer of The bus station. Official selection FID Marseille IFF and Yamagata Documentary IFF 2023. The unporofitable servant, Official selection BAFICI 2023 and Santander IFF 2023 award best first film and Sundance TV award. Andá a lavar los platos (2020) Special mention Buenos Aires Documentary International Film Festival, El hijo del cazador (2018) development project award at IDFA 2016, Official Selection Mar del Plata IFF 2018, Apuntes de una herencia (2019) Official selection Madrid Documentary IFF (2019), development project award in Viña del Mar International Film Festival, The hour of the wolf (2015) official selection BAFICI IFF and La Habana IFF 2015, La cacería (2017) Official Selection Film Festival Pizza Birra y Faso Argentina (2018) and Supercelda (2020) Official selection Al Este IFF. She has a Master in Audiovisual Communication.

Vindhya Gupta — Producer
Vindhya Gupta is an Indian filmmaker based in New York City. After studying literature, she is now a thesis student in the MFA Film program at NYU Tisch. She has produced several short films, including Smell of Rain by Anooya Swamy, supported by grants like Hear Us, Sarah Driver, and BAFTA, and Playas by Cinthya Franco, and The Wrong Idea by Sophia Bennett Holmes, all of which are in post-production. As a writer/director, her short film Jooyein was awarded the Sarah Driver Post-Production Grant and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film won the best student short award at austin film festival and has been nominated in the best writing category at the critics choice awards india. It has played in prestigious festivals across mumbai, Australia, Nashville, Canada, Seattle, mumbai, bhubaneshwar and San Diego. At present, she is working on her new short which is slated to be shot in her hometown. The film will now be screened across the United States, India, and Australia.

Marcos Rostagno — Cinematographer
Graduated in Film and Television for the National University of Cordoba. He has worked in film mainly as a cinematographer. Some of his most recognized works are Las Motitos, premiered in San Sebastian Film Festival and Mar del Plata Film Festival, and crossplatform series 4 Feet High, which premiered in Venice Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, TIFF Next Wave, BFI, and won jury and audience awards in the Episodic Pilot competition of South by South West. In 2024 he won the Best Cinematography Award at Mar del Plata Film Festival and Guadalajara Film Festival for the feature film Las Almas.

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Contact

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