The Argentinean film industry is recognized for its creating some of the most important cinematic productions. Serving as an expression of their cultural identity the majority of the most successful Argentinean films are jointly produced by grants, guilds and producers.

The Argentine film industry had its beginnings in the 19th century. La Bandera Argentina captured the image of a billowing Argentinean flag and was first shown in 1897.  The French photographer Eugene Py, captured this sequence and is recognized as being one of the pioneers of Argentinean film making.  He brought the first cinematographic equipment to this South American country.

With this as a foundation, creative film making in Argentina went into overdrive and. Director Quirino Cristiani released El Apostol in 1917. Of great significance, this was the worlds first feature length animation.  Under dictorial suppression, what followed were cinematic creations that focused heavily on Argentinean cultural identity, nostalgia, and escapism and slapstick comedy.

Like many countries in Latin America, political unrest and dictatorship had a great influence on the genre of films being produced. During the 1980’s after the removal of the dictator Leopoldo Galtieri there was a prevalence of films that dealt with more emotive subjects that would have been previously prohibited under the regime.

Although Argentina has suffered its own economic crisis in the past which inevitably lead to fewer films being produced, the industry in the 1990’s and 2000 offers promise. Perhaps most notably, Pedro Trapero’s portrayal of the corrupt Buenos Aires police force in El Bonaerense is the most notable. First presented at the Cannes film Festival in 2002 the gripping story line won numerous awards in Latin and North America and put Argentina back at the forefront of contemporary world cinema.