Marialy Rivas: “In a country that has forbidden gay pride for the next 100 years and has imprisoned Pussy Riot for expressing their opinion, I firmly believe Side by Side stands as a necessary voice for diversity and visibility of the LGBT community. We need to see our stories on the screen to understand who we are and be able to deal with an aspect as profound and delicate as our own sexuality. Coming from a very conservative country myself, where the fight against discrimination is also starting I’m specially proud to be part of this year’s festival that stands as an icon of freedom and inclusion that shines bright till every corner of the world.”

Join Marialy Rivas at the festival opening at the screening of Young & Wild.

Marialy Rivas is a Film Director; her work includes commercials, short films, music videos and TV series.

She has directed Presidential Campaigns like the one for Michelle Bachelet, first woman President of Chile. She was also elected Best Ad Film Director from Iberoamerica at El Ojo.

Marialy has also worked as a teacher in College and has done several Master Classes in different Universities around the world.

Currently she works in Fabula, the biggest production company in Chile, where she directed in 2010 the short film Blokes, based on a story by Pedro Lemebel. Blokes was released in the Official Competition of Cannes, in 2010, and was selected for the festivals of Berlin, NYFF, Sundance, Miami IFF, among others where it won prices as best short in San Francisco Film Festival, Cartagena Film Festival and Miami Film Festival.

This year she released her first feature film called “Joven & Alocada”,

“Joven y Alocada” has been selected in many festivals around the world such as Berlinale, San Sebastián Film Festival and Sundance where it won the Best Screenwriting Award.

She just won Best Outstanding Talent at Outfest for her work in “Joven y Alocada”.