As two-word shorthand for skewering this frenzied microcosmos, “Official Competition” was bound to become the title of a movie about movies, and Argentine writer-directors Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn have seized the opportunity with their sly satire about the making of a film that will, naturally, wind up being launched at a festival. Hungry for that Grand Prix or Palme d’Or, the most glamorous people on earth try to continue looking cool while they scramble to win attention for their arty and often pretentious works. The phrase “Official Competition” will bring a sly smile of recognition to anyone familiar with the mad culture of film festivals, where it indicates works that have been submitted in hopes of winning prizes at, say, Cannes or Sundance.
