In 2019, Sofía Quirós made history with “Land of Ashes,” the first feature film from Costa Rica to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival, in this case, Critics’ Week.  In the relatively short span of seven years, the small but mighty Central American country has considerably ramped up production and now celebrates another landmark at the French festival, with Valentina Maurel’s “Forever Your Maternal Animal” playing Un Certain Regard, the first time a Costa Rican feature has made Cannes’ official selection.   Well-known for stunning landscapes and rich biodiversity, Costa Rica has emerged as a hungry player on the international production scene. In 2021, the country introduced its Law of Attraction of Film Investments, consolidating VAT refunds and tax exemptions for foreign productions. Today, the country offers an up-to-90% VAT refund on local services for qualifying projects, which equates to an around 11.7% tax rebate with a promise to repay within 90 days.…