BOTóN FILMS
Boton Films is an Ecuadorian film production company. It focuses on independent productions that are daring and original, both in their content and language. It seeks to develop projects with an author’s perspective that align with the reality of the film industry in Ecuador.
Over the years, Button Films has participated with its films in various prestigious film festivals and events worldwide, including:
Festivals:
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), IDFA, Rotterdam IFFR, San Sebastian Film Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival, Havana Film Festival, Cartagena FICCI Film Festival, Dok.Fest Munich, Guadalajara Film Festival FICG, Millenium Docs Against Gravity, Margaret Mead Film Festival, among others…
Markets and Events:
San Sebastian Coproduction Forum, Locarno Open Doors, BAL (BAFICI), Guadalajara Coproduction Meeting, SANFIC Industry, New Looks EICTV, BrLab, Rotterdam Cinemart, among others.
Awards and Funds:
IDFA Bertha Fund Classic and Europe, Doha Film Institute, Ibermedia, IFCI Ecuador, Eficine Mexico, Catalonia Fund, CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde, Qualification for the Academy Awards in Cartagena de Indias, among several others.
team
Ana Cristina Barragán
Director
Filmography
Ana Cristina Barragán, born in Quito in 1987, is an Ecuadorian screenwriter and film director.
Her debut feature film, "Alba," premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, winning an award, and was selected for the Horizontes Latinos section at the San Sebastian Festival, where it received a Special Mention from the Jury. "Alba," focusing on a girl's puberty, has garnered over thirty-five international awards at 140 festivals worldwide. It represented Ecuador at the Oscars and was featured in the Latin American Film Showcase at MOMA in New York.
Ana's second fiction feature, "La Piel Pulpo," delves into the life of an isolated family on a bird and mollusk island. It premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival and was showcased at festivals like Thessaloniki, Guadalajara, and Filmfest Munchen. "La piel pulpo" is still making rounds in festivals, having secured funding from various sources and winning five awards at the Guadalajara Work in Progress.
Ana is currently developing "Amapola," inspired by her short film "Ave," set to premiere in the official competition at TIFF 2023 after being selected for Open Doors at Locarno 2022. She's also working on feature film projects "La Costra y la miel" and "Hiedra," and documentary project "Tercer Paisaje." She has a history of successful short films like "Despierta" and "Domingo Violeta" and is currently engaged in analog photography projects and contributing to the series "Adiós a la Tierra" by Gibrán Portela.
Ana studied film at Universidad San Francisco de Quito with a minor in still photography and earned a master's degree in filmmaking at Eliaz Querejeta Zine Eskola in San Sebastian. She participated in workshops including Berlinale Talents, Sundance script writing lab, and workshops by Lucrecia Martel.
Additionally, Ana has acted in short films and worked as a jury member for national film funds in Colombia, Peru, and Chile.
Joe houlberg
Director / Producer
Filmography
Joe Houlberg Silva, studied film at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, works as director, assistant director, and producer, known for his contributions to acclaimed Ecuadorian films which have premiered in important festivals like Rotterdam and San Sebastian. In 2019, he founded Botón Films, a company dedicated to develop and produce independent Ecuadorian cinema. Its films have participated and received important recognitions from: CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde, Idfa Bertha Fund, Cinemart, Ikusmira Berriak, Ibermedia and others. Currently, he is immersed in several significant projects, including his debut documentary "Ozogoche" (2023), Which premiered at IDFA and won best documentary at FICCI, and "The Ivy" (2024) and "Amapola" (2025), where he serves as a producer, both directed by acclaimed ecuadorian director Ana Cristina Barragán. His recent short film as producer "Ave" (2023) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival TIFF. Alongside his active film involvement, Joe also imparts his knowledge as a film instructor at USFQ and contributes actively to the Ecuadorian film community.
Andres Cornejo
Producer
Filmography
Andrés Cornejo Pinto is a non-fiction film director and producer. He obtained his degree in film at ESCAC (Barcelona). Years later he crosses the Docnomads master's degree (Lisbon, Budapest, Brussels) specializing in directing. His visual style explores personal and creative narratives. He is a storyteller who likes to encourage artistic, multidisciplinary and collaborative experimentation. He has explored and occupied different roles in several films as producer, editor, cinematographer and researcher. His work as a director has toured several festivals around the world such as: IDFA, SHEFIELD DOC FEST, DOCAVIV, HOT DOCS, BUSAN, EDOC, among others. In 2022 he founded DOCMAS, a production company specialized in creative documentary. He currently teaches at the Universidad San Francisco, produces the film Ozogoche and edits the film Hijos de la Luz.