BUENOS AIRES — Laura Casabé’s atmospheric, dark coming-of-age feature The Virgin of the Quarry Lake has been officially selected to represent Argentina in the race for the 2027 Academy Awards. The announcement was made by the Argentine Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences during a special event hosted at ArtHaus Central in downtown Buenos Aires.
The prestigious selection puts Casabé’s gritty, suspense-laden drama on the official road to the 99th Academy Awards, where it will vie for a spot in the international feature film category. However, securing the country’s nomination is only the first step on a competitive global stage; the film must now successfully navigate a rigorous voting process to break into the highly coveted shortlist of fifteen international films that will ultimately contend for the final Oscar nominations.
The Virgin of the Quarry Lake emerged as the winning choice from a competitive group of four exceptional films previously shortlisted by the Argentine Academy. Beyond its upcoming Oscar campaign, the film has already captured international attention for its strong regional backing, having also been selected by the Academy as Argentina’s official entry for Spain’s 2027 Goya Awards, where it will compete in the fiercely contested Best Ibero-American Film category.
Desire as a Social Lens
Adapted by screenwriter Benjamín Naishtat, the narrative is deeply rooted in contemporary Argentine literary horror. The film draws its inspiration from two distinct short stories—“The Virgin of the Quarry Lake” and “The Cart”—both pulled from celebrated horror writer Mariana Enríquez’s acclaimed 2009 collection, The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. Casabé’s cinematic vision translates Enríquez’s unsettling, visceral style onto the screen, setting the story in the sprawling, fractured suburbs of Buenos Aires during the deeply troubled aftermath of Argentina’s devastating 2001 economic, political, and social crisis.
The plot centers on 18-year-old Natalia, brought to life through a compelling feature film debut by young actor Dolores Oliverio. Alongside her two closest friends, Mariela and Josefina, Natalia spends her days navigating the monotonous and challenging landscape of suburban youth. The tight-knit trio shares a collective fascination with Diego, a lifelong childhood friend whose presence anchors much of their adolescent world.
That fragile equilibrium is abruptly shattered when Silvia—an older, more sophisticated, and worldly woman—enters their orbit and immediately captures Diego’s attention. What begins as standard adolescent jealousy and teenage rivalry gradually curdles into something much darker and more dangerous. Natalia’s desperate urge to win Diego back transforms into an all-consuming obsession. As her grip on reality frays, she is inexorably drawn toward the occult, seeking out the terrifying supernatural powers and dark rituals summoned by her enigmatic grandmother, Rita.
Critics and reviewers have frequently characterized the project as a uniquely atmospheric, distinctly dark Latin American iteration of Stephen King’s classic Carrie, transposed to the rugged urban periphery of Buenos Aires. Rather than relying on cheap jump scares or conventional cinematic tropes, Casabé’s directorial approach finds true horror in human vulnerabilities: unrequited desire, intense peer competition, simmering violence, and systemic social rupture. The backdrop of a country grappling with economic collapse mirrors the psychological decay playing out within the characters.
The feature’s journey to the Oscar race has been paved with significant critical acclaim across the international festival circuit. It celebrated its high-profile world premiere at the prestigious 2025 Sundance Film Festival before returning to Latin America for a triumphant run at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (BAFICI). At BAFICI, the picture dominated the competition, walking away with four major awards, including the coveted Grand Jury Prize in the Argentine competition.
Its international momentum continued with a special mention at the Leeds International Film Festival and a win for Best Cinematography at the renowned Sitges Film Festival, cementing its reputation as a technical and artistic triumph.
A complex, multi-nation collaboration, The Virgin of the Quarry Lake is an Argentine-Mexican-Spanish co-production. Alongside breakout star Dolores Oliverio, the ensemble cast features a talented lineup including Luisa Merelas, Fernanda Echevarría, Candela Flores, Isabel Bracamonte, Agustín Sosa, and Dady Brieva, all of whom contribute to the film’s haunting, grounded realism.
Argentina boasts a rich and celebrated history at the Academy Awards, highlighted by historic victories for films like Luis Puenzo’s The Official Story in 1986 and Juan José Campanella’s The Secret in Their Eyes in 2010. Most recently, the Argentine Academy selected Dolores Fonzi’s acclaimed drama Belén as its 2025 Oscar submission following its successful premiere at the San Sebastián Film Festival. While Belén successfully navigated the first hurdle and earned a place on the competitive 15-film Oscar shortlist, it ultimately missed out on securing a final nomination. The industry now looks to The Virgin of the Quarry Lake to carry forward the nation’s proud cinematic legacy on the global stage.
Restoration of ‘On Tuesdays, Orchids’
In addition to the much-anticipated Oscar announcement, the Buenos Aires event served as a platform to celebrate the preservation of Argentina’s cinematic past. Producer Luis Scalella announced a major cultural initiative: the Argentine Academy will spearhead a comprehensive restoration project for the beloved 1941 classic romantic comedy On Tuesdays, Orchids (Los martes, orquídeas).
The ambitious restoration is being undertaken in close partnership with the Audiovisual Heritage Society and Warner Bros. Discovery, with the collaborative support of Argentina Sono Film. The delicate technical work of breathing new life into the historic celluloid will be executed by Cubic Restoration.
Directed by Francisco Mugica, On Tuesdays, Orchids holds a legendary status in the history of Argentine cinema because it marked the dramatic breakthrough leading role of a young Mirtha Legrand, who would go on to become an enduring icon of national entertainment. Legrand maintains a deep connection to the institution as an honorary member of the Argentine Academy and a past recipient of its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Honor Award at the Sur Awards.
