NEW YORK, NY(SMI-LATIN-GLOBAL-ENTERTAINMENT-AUGUST 02-07, 2025)-Award-winning film director & writer " Lucia Garibaldi "(Latin+Uruguay,Argentina & Germany) known for " Los Tiburones"(The Sharks), premiered her 2nd featured film " A Bright Future" with the sensational debut by lead actress Martina Passeggi (Argentina), winning the "Viewpoints Award" @ 2025 Tribeca Film Festival last June 04-15, in New York City.

Garibaldi, who made her directorial debut with "Los Tiburones (The Sharks)" in 2019, and won numerous accolades in Latin-America and Europe including The World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award @ 2019 Sundance Film Festival, wins the Viewpoints Award with " A Bright Future " for its originality and creative concept of a perfect world that is enticing, alluring and modern.

"A Bright Future " is a Drama-Sic-fi-Thriller film that follows an 18-year old named Elisa(Played by Martina Passeggi) from a fictional gloomy and depressed small neighborhood in a dystopian world, who was selected to go or attend an unique place or world called 'The North". 

"The North" is known in the story as an exclusive place where only the brightest between the ages of 18-25, are invited or selected to attend after a catastrophe disaster occurred around the world. A perfect place where topics of pursuing limitless dreams, and obsession or fetishism of the youth is the most desire while ants are evil, and dogs are in stage of extinction.

Elisa is accepted after going through rigorous I.Q. tests, and the whole family is happy that now she can go and meet her sister at the North who since she left hasn't heard from her, while her mother begin saving money to enter into her town's lottery to go North and reunite with both of them.

After celebrating and arranging for the special trip,  Elisa began to have doubts and internal conflict regarding questioning authority, her parents correct decisions about the North, and evaluating if her personal sacrifice is worth it for a better future traveling to the North. 

Starlight had the opportunity to meet & asked couple questions to director Lucia Garibaldi, and lead cast Martina Passeggi during the festival to give the audience a little taste of what's expected and this is what they said:

Starlight: Tell Us about your latest Film " A Bright Future" ?

Lucia Garibaldi :The film is about an 18-years old named Elisa who was selected to go an exclusive place where everybody want to go, and finally will meet her sister that she hasn't heard or returned since she left to the place called the North. Metaphorically could be a developed country, or a Mega-Institution(i.e University) where She studied and prepared all her life for this trip, while it was very important for her mother, and the people from her neighborhood that she travels there since only few are given the privilege to attend.

During the process of being accepted, Elisa begin to have doubts and changed her mind to travel to the North, and fight internally about facing the consequences of disappointment that will bring to her mother, family and the whole neighborhood in the South.
Elisa eventually finds her own way of life in the South. 

Starlight: The subject Elisa is based on anyone in real life or it's a fiction character?  What makes Elisa so peculiar in your film ?

Lucia Garibaldi: It's a fictional character and I like her for being rebel and independent  

Starlight: In the film, the people that are selected to travel to the North are only young adults from ages 18-25, and with the highest IQ ? 

Lucia Garibaldi: It's a little bit of critique regarding about the concept in being the best or  successful in life and the age-range has something to do with the protection of the image and perfection required in this dystopian place or world.

Starlight: In conclusion, What message are you trying to send to the audience with your latest film "A Bright Future" ?

Lucia Garibaldi:  It's a movie like any other sci-fiction film with a metaphor on  What would you do if you prepare or studied all your life to go to an exclusive place where everyone wants to go, with the support of your family and people from your surroundings and then suddenly you changed your mind after being accepted. Are you ready to face the consequences and be the disappointment to all the people that wanted the best for you, just for having the freedom to make your own decision ?  
 
The theme of the story overall is about the internal struggle and fight in having the freedom to make your own decision. 

Starlight:Thank You for your time and Good Luck with your next Film


What can we say about film director " Lucia Garibaldi" ?

The film competed in the Viewpoints category and won at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival for its originality and creative concept of a perfect world that is enticing, alluring and modern.

Lucia Garibaldi has proven to the World Film community that by winning numerous accolades on her debut and first featured film "Los Tiburones"(The Sharks) across Latin-America and Europe, and now "The Viewpoints Award" on her second featured with "A Bright Future" at the 2025 TFF that She definite belongs in the North with A Bright Future ahead of her..!

We gave the film a 4.5+ Starlight out of 5, for It's engagement from start to finish, the sensational performance by actress Martina Passeggi who made her debut with this film and kept everybody at the edge of their seat, and numerous viewpoint interpretations.
     

Article Written, Interview & Photos By Marcello Cutti II/Starlight Illustrated