La Faena Films
La Faena Films is a Toronto- and Caracas-based film production company focused on internationally co-produced auteur cinema and contemporary Venezuelan stories.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
La Faena Films is an independent film production company founded in 2015 by Venezuelan filmmakers Jorge Thielen Armand and Rodrigo Michelangeli. The company operates between Toronto and Caracas and has built its identity around international co-productions, festival-oriented releases, and films concerned with Venezuelan contemporary identity. Rather than presenting itself as a conventional commercial studio, La Faena Films functions as a producer of director-led cinema whose projects are developed through partnerships linking Venezuela with other countries and production communities. The company’s publicly documented filmography includes three feature films—La Soledad, La Fortaleza, and El Father Plays Himself—and three short films: Of Memory and Debris, Flor de la Mar, and Ráfagas de Paz. Its films have circulated through international festivals and, in several cases, received awards or critical recognition. This festival-centered distribution model has allowed the company to bring Venezuelan stories to audiences outside the country while also positioning its productions within the global art-house and independent-film ecosystem. La Soledad, directed by Jorge Thielen Armand, was the filmmaker’s debut feature and premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival. It subsequently screened at more than 60 festivals and received 14 awards, including the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival. The film established an early connection between La Faena Films and major international festival platforms. La Fortaleza, Thielen Armand’s second feature, was produced as a co-production among Venezuela, Colombia, France, and the Netherlands. It competed in the Tiger Competition at the 49th International Film Festival Rotterdam, becoming the first Venezuelan production to compete in that section or festival competition. The film also screened at festivals in Busan, Gijón, Cairo, Rome, and Biarritz. At Biarritz, film critic and historian Nicole Brenez awarded it the Jury Prize; the film also received recognition in Rome and Caracas. The company’s short-film work includes Of Memory and Debris, directed by Rodrigo Michelangeli. Released in 2020, the short received a Special Mention at the Caracas Film Critics Festival and was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick after its online release. Together with Flor de la Mar and Ráfagas de Paz, the short-film slate demonstrates the company’s interest in supporting compact, director-driven projects alongside feature production. La Faena Films’ stated creative orientation is a cinema that questions reality through an auteur perspective, with particular attention to the complexities of contemporary Venezuelan life and identity. Its business and cultural role is therefore closely tied to international financing, co-production alliances, festival exhibition, and the circulation of Venezuelan filmmaking abroad. Publicly available reference material does not identify a parent company, corporate owner, stock-market listing, or detailed commercial revenue profile.
History
La Faena Films was established in 2015 by Venezuelan filmmakers Jorge Thielen Armand and Rodrigo Michelangeli. The company developed as a production platform operating between Toronto and Caracas, combining Venezuelan creative perspectives with international financing and production partnerships. Its documented work is primarily associated with independent, director-led cinema rather than mass-market studio entertainment. The company’s early international profile was shaped by La Soledad, Thielen Armand’s debut feature. The film premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival and subsequently traveled to more than 60 festivals. Its festival run produced 14 awards, including the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival, giving both the director and the production company substantial exposure within the international art-house circuit. La Fortaleza followed as Thielen Armand’s second feature. Unlike a solely national production, the film was developed as a collaboration involving Venezuela, Colombia, France, and the Netherlands. Its selection for the Tiger Competition at the 49th International Film Festival Rotterdam was a notable milestone because it was identified as the first Venezuelan production to compete in that festival competition. The film also appeared at festivals in Busan, Gijón, Cairo, Rome, and Biarritz. Its recognition included a Jury Prize at Biarritz, awarded by critic and film historian Nicole Brenez, as well as awards or distinctions in Rome and Caracas. Alongside features, La Faena Films has produced short-form work. Of Memory and Debris, directed by Michelangeli and released in 2020, received a Special Mention at the Caracas Film Critics Festival and was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick for online exhibition. The company’s listed short-film output also includes Flor de la Mar and Ráfagas de Paz. Its feature-film slate includes El Father Plays Himself in addition to La Soledad and La Fortaleza. Across this body of work, La Faena Films has emphasized films that question reality through an auteur gaze and engage with contemporary Venezuelan identity. The company’s production strategy is consequently linked to cross-border alliances, international festival premieres, and alternative distribution rather than publicly documented large-scale theatrical commercialization. Available reference material does not provide detailed information about its ownership structure, revenue, staffing beyond its founders, or a formal corporate parent.
- 2020
La Fortaleza entered Rotterdam’s Tiger Competition
[1]La Fortaleza competed at the 49th International Film Festival Rotterdam as an international co-production involving Venezuela, Colombia, France, and the Netherlands.
- 2020
Of Memory and Debris received festival and online recognition
[1]The short received a Special Mention at the Caracas Film Critics Festival and was released online as a Vimeo Staff Pick.
- 2016
La Soledad premiered in Venice
[1]La Soledad, directed by Jorge Thielen Armand, premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival and began an international festival run.
- 2015
Company founded
[1]La Faena Films was founded by Venezuelan filmmakers Jorge Thielen Armand and Rodrigo Michelangeli, with operations based in Toronto and Caracas.
Products and positioning
Independent, internationally connected auteur-film producer with a focus on contemporary Venezuelan identity, cross-border co-production, and festival circulation.
Feature film · 2016
La Soledad
Jorge Thielen Armand’s debut feature and one of La Faena Films’ principal international breakthrough projects. It premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival, later screened at more than 60 festivals, and received 14 awards, including the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival.
Feature film · 2020
La Fortaleza
Thielen Armand’s second feature, produced through a four-country collaboration involving Venezuela, Colombia, France, and the Netherlands. It competed in the Tiger Competition at Rotterdam and screened at festivals including Busan, Gijón, Cairo, Rome, and Biarritz, where it received a Jury Prize.
Feature film
El Father Plays Himself
A feature listed in La Faena Films’ documented filmography. Publicly available reference material identifies the title as one of the company’s three feature-film productions but does not provide further production, release, or award details.
Short film · 2020
Of Memory and Debris
A short film directed by Rodrigo Michelangeli. Released in 2020, it received a Special Mention at the Caracas Film Critics Festival and was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick for online release.
Short film
Flor de la Mar
A short film included in La Faena Films’ documented filmography. The available reference material does not provide additional details about its release, director, or festival history.
Short film
Ráfagas de Paz
A short film included in the company’s documented filmography. No further production or release information is specified in the available reference material.
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