Felipe Solari Yrigoyen, a longtime assistant director for South American filmmakers including Rodrigo Moreno and Santiago Mitre, is making his own directorial debut with a crime comedy called "The Amateurs." The project, unveiled at Venice's Gap-Financing Market, matters as another sign of the strength of South American co-productions, particularly as Argentina's film industry struggles under government funding cuts. It also marks a notable step up for an industry veteran who has learned his craft on acclaimed sets before striking out on his own.

Set at a fictional Comic-Con-style convention in Patagonia, the film follows an eccentric cast of costumed attendees after a prized Maltese Falcon statuette is stolen alongside a mysterious Russian guest, leaving amateur sleuths to crack the case. Solari Yrigoyen wrote the script himself and is now seeking financing at European markets, working with producer Giancarlo Nasi of Quijote Films, who is considering shooting in Chile with backing already secured from Chilean and Argentinian film funds. The director cited Argentina's defunding of its national film institute INCAA under President Javier Milei as a key reason for expanding production beyond national borders.