Far-out cineaste Santiago Mohar Volkow (“Los Muertos”) will deliver his fourth feature “A History of Love & War” (“Una Historia de Amor y de Guerra”) to audiences at the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
A viscally ludicrous examination of Mexico’s colonial history and the duplicitous nature of high-wealth, the film screens as part of the Harbor strand, dedicated to a wide range of contemporary narratives.
The plot opens on insufferably spoilt and corrupt real estate mogul Pepe Sanzhez Campo (Andrew Leland Rogers) as his mega-mall development plans roil on and an engagement offer to his affluent love interest Constanza (Lucía Gómez Robledo) proves a success.
When militant forces challenge his land rights and an otherwise cliche bachelor party turns sour after his fiancé’s lover Teo (Darío Yazbek Bernal) sets off a rip-roaring tide change, Pepe’s left with a reckoning that derails his privileged future.
Providing...
A viscally ludicrous examination of Mexico’s colonial history and the duplicitous nature of high-wealth, the film screens as part of the Harbor strand, dedicated to a wide range of contemporary narratives.
The plot opens on insufferably spoilt and corrupt real estate mogul Pepe Sanzhez Campo (Andrew Leland Rogers) as his mega-mall development plans roil on and an engagement offer to his affluent love interest Constanza (Lucía Gómez Robledo) proves a success.
When militant forces challenge his land rights and an otherwise cliche bachelor party turns sour after his fiancé’s lover Teo (Darío Yazbek Bernal) sets off a rip-roaring tide change, Pepe’s left with a reckoning that derails his privileged future.
Providing...
- 1/26/2024
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Production has begun on Cada Minuto Cuenta, a new Prime Video drama series set against the backdrop of Mexico’s catastrophic earthquake in 1985 that claimed the lives of at least 5k people. Osvaldo Benavides, Maya Zapata, Jesús Zavala and Antonio de la Vega will star in the production set to premiere in 2024.
From director, Jorge Michel Grau, Cada Minuto Cuenta narrates how, as a result of the terrible earthquake of 1985 In Mexico City, a doctor tied to his past, a journalist in search of fame, and a family in crisis will be forced to risk their lives in extreme situations to save themselves — alongside thousands of others who were buried. In their titanic rescue efforts, every minute becomes an opportunity to rewrite their own destiny.
Additional cast includes Miriam Balderas, Azalia Ortiz, Mónica Del Carmen, Gabriela Cartol, Luis Fernando Peña, Zamia Fandiño, Damayanti Quintanar, Daniel Martínez and Pamela Vargas.
From director, Jorge Michel Grau, Cada Minuto Cuenta narrates how, as a result of the terrible earthquake of 1985 In Mexico City, a doctor tied to his past, a journalist in search of fame, and a family in crisis will be forced to risk their lives in extreme situations to save themselves — alongside thousands of others who were buried. In their titanic rescue efforts, every minute becomes an opportunity to rewrite their own destiny.
Additional cast includes Miriam Balderas, Azalia Ortiz, Mónica Del Carmen, Gabriela Cartol, Luis Fernando Peña, Zamia Fandiño, Damayanti Quintanar, Daniel Martínez and Pamela Vargas.
- 7/10/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Not widely seen in the United States, S tense, quasi-eat-the-rich debut, “Workforce” (“Mano de obra”), followed a group of construction workers frustrated with their latest patron’s dehumanizing treatment after one of them dies on the job.
Fed up, the deceased’s brother takes over one of the properties he and his comrades worked on, turning it into a sort of commune. All of their families can live rent free inside a luxurious house that would otherwise be unattainable for them. But that seemingly idyllic setup soon begins to elicit the worst of human behavior: faced with the new circumstances these once powerless individuals get a taste of how power and greed can corrupt anyone.
Zonana’s even more incendiary follow-up, “Heroic” (“Heróico), shares some of the “Workforce” DNA in that it observes the corrosion of a person’s spirit inside an institution that perpetuates corruption and abuse under the guise of a shared goal.
Fed up, the deceased’s brother takes over one of the properties he and his comrades worked on, turning it into a sort of commune. All of their families can live rent free inside a luxurious house that would otherwise be unattainable for them. But that seemingly idyllic setup soon begins to elicit the worst of human behavior: faced with the new circumstances these once powerless individuals get a taste of how power and greed can corrupt anyone.
Zonana’s even more incendiary follow-up, “Heroic” (“Heróico), shares some of the “Workforce” DNA in that it observes the corrosion of a person’s spirit inside an institution that perpetuates corruption and abuse under the guise of a shared goal.
- 1/21/2023
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Indiewire
Sepideh Farsi’s “La Sirène” (“The Siren”) is opening the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama strand.
The program, which comprises 35 films from 30 countries, including 28 world premieres and 11 debuts, includes new films by Patric Chiha, İlker Çatak, Frauke Finsterwalder, Maite Alberdi, Milad Alami and Apolline Traoré. They feature a galaxy of well-known protagonists and actors such as Joan Baez, Jafar Panahi, Payman Maadi, George MacKay, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Fan Bingbing, Sandra Hüller and Susanne Wolff.
Panorama Selections
“After”
by Anthony Lapia | with Louise Chevillotte, Majd Mastoura, Natalia Wiszniewska
France
World premiere | Debut film
“All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White”
by Babatunde Apalowo | with Tope Tedela, Riyo David, Martha Ehinome Orhiere, Uchechika Elumelu, Floyd Anekwe
Nigeria
World premiere | Debut film
“And, Towards Happy Alleys”
by Sreemoyee Singh | with Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Soutodeh, Jinous Nazokkar, Farhad Kheradmand, Aida Mohammadkhani
India
World premiere | Debut film | Documentary
“La Bête dans la...
The program, which comprises 35 films from 30 countries, including 28 world premieres and 11 debuts, includes new films by Patric Chiha, İlker Çatak, Frauke Finsterwalder, Maite Alberdi, Milad Alami and Apolline Traoré. They feature a galaxy of well-known protagonists and actors such as Joan Baez, Jafar Panahi, Payman Maadi, George MacKay, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Fan Bingbing, Sandra Hüller and Susanne Wolff.
Panorama Selections
“After”
by Anthony Lapia | with Louise Chevillotte, Majd Mastoura, Natalia Wiszniewska
France
World premiere | Debut film
“All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White”
by Babatunde Apalowo | with Tope Tedela, Riyo David, Martha Ehinome Orhiere, Uchechika Elumelu, Floyd Anekwe
Nigeria
World premiere | Debut film
“And, Towards Happy Alleys”
by Sreemoyee Singh | with Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Soutodeh, Jinous Nazokkar, Farhad Kheradmand, Aida Mohammadkhani
India
World premiere | Debut film | Documentary
“La Bête dans la...
- 1/18/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Heroico
A longtime producer for Michel Franco’s films, Mexican filmmaker David Zonana finally kicked off his feature filmmaking career with Workforce (Mano de obra) in 2019 shoring up at TIFF and competing in San Sebastian. Zonana moves from non-professional bricklayers with a valid chip on their shoulders to the joys of training and humiliation when young recruits enter military college with his sophomore feature. Zonana describes his curiosity of wanting “to show the psychological and physical side that these boys who want to enter the go through and what their life is like inside the armed institute”. With Heroico, he reteams with his cinematographer Carolina Costa and works with professional and non-professional actors.…...
A longtime producer for Michel Franco’s films, Mexican filmmaker David Zonana finally kicked off his feature filmmaking career with Workforce (Mano de obra) in 2019 shoring up at TIFF and competing in San Sebastian. Zonana moves from non-professional bricklayers with a valid chip on their shoulders to the joys of training and humiliation when young recruits enter military college with his sophomore feature. Zonana describes his curiosity of wanting “to show the psychological and physical side that these boys who want to enter the go through and what their life is like inside the armed institute”. With Heroico, he reteams with his cinematographer Carolina Costa and works with professional and non-professional actors.…...
- 1/10/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Photo: ‘A Cop Movie’ An Opening Image of Cophood: Teresa and Montoya ‘A Cop Movie’, a new venture in docu-fiction from Mexican director, Alonso Ruizpalacios, opens with a poem from the winner of the 3rd Regional Police Poetry Contest, Officer Daniel Alatorre: “you will hear the sirens singing closer and closer to you, pray that they are not singing this night for you.” Beyond this prologue, we are first introduced to the main themes of this film through the vessel of Teresa (played by Mónica Del Carmen) who was inspired by the work of her father (but not by his encouragement) to eventually join the police force, now working for 17 years. From the very beginning, we are transplanted into the Pov of not only Teresa as a person, but of her police car as it patrols; through the thick lens of her front window, beside the radiant red and blue flashing lights,...
- 11/11/2021
- by Grace Smith
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Alonso Ruizpalacios’ film starts off as an addictive cop show, breaks the fourth wall and then rebuilds it in a film bristling with ideas
“Cops are like actors – you have to put on an act so people respect you.” The speaker is one of the police officers, or possibly actors playing police officers, in this startlingly clever and yet heartfelt docudrama about the contractual nature of power and authority from Mexican film-maker Alonso Ruizpalacios, who in just five years has established himself as one of the most potent talents in world cinema, with his new wave-style debut Güeros in 2014 and his true-crime heist drama Museum in 2018.
Now he gives us what looks at first glance like a conventionally gripping cop drama in chapter-length sections, about a couple of young officers, Teresa (Mónica Del Carmen) and Montoya (Raúl Briones), on the tough streets of Mexico City; they are partners, fall in love,...
“Cops are like actors – you have to put on an act so people respect you.” The speaker is one of the police officers, or possibly actors playing police officers, in this startlingly clever and yet heartfelt docudrama about the contractual nature of power and authority from Mexican film-maker Alonso Ruizpalacios, who in just five years has established himself as one of the most potent talents in world cinema, with his new wave-style debut Güeros in 2014 and his true-crime heist drama Museum in 2018.
Now he gives us what looks at first glance like a conventionally gripping cop drama in chapter-length sections, about a couple of young officers, Teresa (Mónica Del Carmen) and Montoya (Raúl Briones), on the tough streets of Mexico City; they are partners, fall in love,...
- 10/27/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
A Cop Movie Trailer — Alonso Ruizpalacios‘ A Cop Movie (2021) movie trailer has been released by Netflix. The A Cop Movie trailer stars Raúl Briones and Mónica Del Carmen. Crew David Gaitán and Alonso Ruizpalacios wrote the screenplay for A Cop Movie. Emiliano Villanueva crafted the cinematography for the film. Yibran Asuad conducted the [...]
Continue reading: A Cop Movie (2021) Movie Trailer: Director Alonso Ruizpalacios Blurs the Reality & Fiction Line in His Award-winning Documentary...
Continue reading: A Cop Movie (2021) Movie Trailer: Director Alonso Ruizpalacios Blurs the Reality & Fiction Line in His Award-winning Documentary...
- 9/13/2021
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
“Museo” and “Gueros” director Alonso Ruizpalacios zooms in on the paradoxes inherent in the job for a pair of Mexico City cops in the unpredictable, genre-bending documentary “A Cop Movie.” Originally a Berlin Film Festival premiere from earlier this year, “A Cop Movie” arrives on Netflix on November 5. Exclusive to IndieWire, watch the trailer below before the film hits the streaming platform.
Here’s the official synopsis courtesy of Netflix: “Director Alonso Ruizpalacios takes us deep into the Mexican police force with the story of Teresa and Montoya, together known as ‘the love patrol.’ In this thoroughly original and unpredictable documentary, Ruizpalacios plays with the boundaries of nonfiction and immerses the audience into the human experience of police work within a dysfunctional system.”
“Over the course of our investigation, I came to the conclusion that performing is an essential part of a police officer’s life. From the moment they put on the uniform,...
Here’s the official synopsis courtesy of Netflix: “Director Alonso Ruizpalacios takes us deep into the Mexican police force with the story of Teresa and Montoya, together known as ‘the love patrol.’ In this thoroughly original and unpredictable documentary, Ruizpalacios plays with the boundaries of nonfiction and immerses the audience into the human experience of police work within a dysfunctional system.”
“Over the course of our investigation, I came to the conclusion that performing is an essential part of a police officer’s life. From the moment they put on the uniform,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
If you’ve found yourself having just too good a time lately and need that to come to an end, hotfoot it to New Order, the new ordeal from Mexican director Michel Franco. In just 86 brisk, effectively brutalizing minutes, any tentative optimism you might have been feeling — say, due to a jaunty walk to a newly-reopened movie theater in sunny weather — will completely dissipate into a far more familiar downer fug. Not to suggest it’s all doom and depression! The film also makes you feel unpleasantly dirty.
Franco is...
Franco is...
- 5/26/2021
- by Jessica Kiang
- Rollingstone.com
L.A.-based Spanish-language streaming platform Pantaya and global streamer Starzplay have revealed that production is underway on the period new drama series “Señorita 89” from Fremantle and the Larraín brothers’ Fabula, the latest co-production stemming from a first-look deal between the two, dating back to 2019.
The first fruit of that combined labor was global hit series “La Jauria,” available on Amazon Prime Video in Latin America and HBO Max in the U.S. Selected as one of Variety’s best international series of 2020, “La Jauria” stars “A Fantastic Woman” lead Daniela Vega and is directed by one of Latin America’s most prominent film and TV writer-directors Lucia Puenzo.
Sticking with a talent alliance that worked so well for Fabula and Fremantle the first time around, Puenzo also co-wrote and is directing “Señorita 89.” She is joined by co-screenwriters María Renée Prudencio and Tatiana Mereñuk, and co-directors Nicolás Puenzo...
The first fruit of that combined labor was global hit series “La Jauria,” available on Amazon Prime Video in Latin America and HBO Max in the U.S. Selected as one of Variety’s best international series of 2020, “La Jauria” stars “A Fantastic Woman” lead Daniela Vega and is directed by one of Latin America’s most prominent film and TV writer-directors Lucia Puenzo.
Sticking with a talent alliance that worked so well for Fabula and Fremantle the first time around, Puenzo also co-wrote and is directing “Señorita 89.” She is joined by co-screenwriters María Renée Prudencio and Tatiana Mereñuk, and co-directors Nicolás Puenzo...
- 4/29/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
"Powerful and necessary." Neon has debuted a new full US trailer for the Mexican film New Order, which originally premiered at the Venice + Toronto Film Festivals last year. Nuevo Orden (in Spanish) is the latest film from acclaimed filmmaker Michel Franco and is described as a "gripping, hard-hitting, dystopian drama." This definitely looks intense. A lavish high-society wedding unexpectedly turns into a class struggle that leads to a violent coup. The film has already received a mix of scathing and raving reviews, criticizing the film's depiction of the lower class, though it's hard to tell without seeing it first. Starring Naian González Norvind, Diego Boneta, Mónica del Carmen, Fernando Cuautle, Darío Yazbek, Roberto Medina, Patricia Bernal, Lisa Owen, and Enrique Singer. It's now set for release in theaters in the US this May. This more I see of this, the more curious I am to watch it. Here's the official...
- 4/21/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
There has never been a less auspicious time to make a “cop movie.” As scrutiny abounds from both within (content warnings on streaming services) and externally (social media) towards the past output of media producers, also suspect are the bevy of films and series that glamorize law enforcement, or see the police as uncomplicated arbiters of justice. Of course, last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests initiated all kinds of brave new thinking about a potential world devoid of cops. Like the Western genre, perhaps all police thrillers in future will be revisionist ones.
Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios’ new Netflix-produced quasi-documentary, A Cop Movie, has thus arrived right on cue. Don’t accuse it of giving the thin blue line yet another flattering cinematic close-up––this film is on its best, most self-consciously virtuous behavior to show its sensitivity to the current moment, so much so that it ends up bet-hedging and toothless.
Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios’ new Netflix-produced quasi-documentary, A Cop Movie, has thus arrived right on cue. Don’t accuse it of giving the thin blue line yet another flattering cinematic close-up––this film is on its best, most self-consciously virtuous behavior to show its sensitivity to the current moment, so much so that it ends up bet-hedging and toothless.
- 3/9/2021
- by David Katz
- The Film Stage
The siren heard over the opening seconds of “A Cop Movie” doesn’t emanate from a car at all, but from an actor, imitating the piercing sound of approaching police with her voice. That’s a fitting fake-out with which to begin Alonso Ruizpalacios’ astoundingly original look at what makes an effective Mexico City cop. Technically, this outside-the-box project could be classified as a documentary, though the “Güeros” director is anything but typical in his approach, which will probably play best to those who tune in blind. The film, which debuted at the Berlin Film Festival, will launch on Netflix, where it’s easy to be caught unawares by movies like “Dick Johnson Is Dead” which push the boundaries.
Gazing out through the windshield of a Mexico City squad car, the movie opens a lot your standard episode of “Cops”. María Teresa Hernández Cañas — or Teresa for short — receives a...
Gazing out through the windshield of a Mexico City squad car, the movie opens a lot your standard episode of “Cops”. María Teresa Hernández Cañas — or Teresa for short — receives a...
- 3/5/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
“A Cop Movie” is almost half over before it reveals the full scope of its plot, and even then, it still has a few surprises in store. Director Alonso Ruizpalacios’ exciting and unpredictable look at a pair of Mexico City police officers — as well as the underlying corruption that makes the most earnest officers vulnerable to a system rigged against them.
There have been countless documentaries made on that subject, but Ruizpalacios’ dynamic approach roots the exploration in the energy of hardworking officers consumed by the commitments of the job, at least until it turns against them. The movie revolts as well, reinventing its structure midway through with mixed results, but the level of risk and intrigue driving its critical approach to law enforcement sustains an unusual method of interrogating a subject so often seen exclusively in gloomy terms.
With his spirited black-and-white 2014 activist coming-of-age drama “Gueros,” Ruizpalacios emerged as...
There have been countless documentaries made on that subject, but Ruizpalacios’ dynamic approach roots the exploration in the energy of hardworking officers consumed by the commitments of the job, at least until it turns against them. The movie revolts as well, reinventing its structure midway through with mixed results, but the level of risk and intrigue driving its critical approach to law enforcement sustains an unusual method of interrogating a subject so often seen exclusively in gloomy terms.
With his spirited black-and-white 2014 activist coming-of-age drama “Gueros,” Ruizpalacios emerged as...
- 3/3/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
This year’s Berlin International Film Festival will look a bit different this year, with a virtual edition taking place March 1-5 for industry and press, then a public, in-person edition kicking off in June.
The complete lineup has now been unveiled, including Céline Sciamma’s highly-anticipated Portrait of a Lady on Fire follow-up Petite Maman, a surprise new Hong Sang-soo feature, the latest work from Ryūsuke Hamaguchi, along with new projects by Radu Jude, Xavier Beauvois, Dominik Graf, Pietro Marcello, Ramon Zürcher & Silvan Zürcher, and more.
Check out each section below.
Competition Tiles
“Albatros” (Drift Away)
France
by Xavier Beauvois
with Jérémie Renier, Marie-Julie Maille, Victor Belmondo
“Babardeală cu buclucsau porno balamuc” (Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn)
Romania/Luxemburg/Croatia/Czech Republic
by Radu Jude
with Katia Pascariu, Claudia Ieremia, Olimpia Mălai
“Fabian oder Der Gang vor die Hunde” (Fabian – Going to the Dogs)
Germany
by Dominik Graf
with Tom Schilling,...
The complete lineup has now been unveiled, including Céline Sciamma’s highly-anticipated Portrait of a Lady on Fire follow-up Petite Maman, a surprise new Hong Sang-soo feature, the latest work from Ryūsuke Hamaguchi, along with new projects by Radu Jude, Xavier Beauvois, Dominik Graf, Pietro Marcello, Ramon Zürcher & Silvan Zürcher, and more.
Check out each section below.
Competition Tiles
“Albatros” (Drift Away)
France
by Xavier Beauvois
with Jérémie Renier, Marie-Julie Maille, Victor Belmondo
“Babardeală cu buclucsau porno balamuc” (Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn)
Romania/Luxemburg/Croatia/Czech Republic
by Radu Jude
with Katia Pascariu, Claudia Ieremia, Olimpia Mălai
“Fabian oder Der Gang vor die Hunde” (Fabian – Going to the Dogs)
Germany
by Dominik Graf
with Tom Schilling,...
- 2/11/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"A necessary fiction... about a reality in the very near future." The Match Factory has released a full-length official trailer for the Mexican film New Order, which originally premiered at the Venice + Toronto Film Festivals this year. Nuevo Orden (in Spanish) is the latest film from acclaimed filmmaker Michel Franco and is described as a "gripping, hard-hitting, dystopian drama." A high-society wedding is interrupted by the arrival of unwelcome guests. What will happen next? The film stars Naian González Norvind, Diego Boneta, Mónica del Carmen, Fernando Cuautle, Darío Yazbek, Roberto Medina, Patricia Bernal, Lisa Owen, and Enrique Singer. It looks super intense and very dark and very brutal. There's a controversy around its depiction of the lower class people, making them seem like thugs, and the wealthy well-rounded. But we all know that's not true. But I'm still curious... Here's the full-length promo trailer for Michel Franco's New Order, direct...
- 12/22/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Michel Franco’s dystopian drama played at Toronto and scored success at Venice.
Ascot Elite Entertainment has picked up all rights for German-speaking Europe and Switzerland to Michel Franco’s New Order, in a deal struck with The Match Factory.
The Zurich-based distributor plans to release the dystopian drama, which won the grand jury prize at this year’s Venice Film Festival, in 2021.
Franco’s drama chronicles a shocking class uprising set in the near future in an unspecified Mexican location, seen through the eyes of a young bride and the servants who work for her wealthy family.
The ensemble cast includes Naian González Norvind,...
Ascot Elite Entertainment has picked up all rights for German-speaking Europe and Switzerland to Michel Franco’s New Order, in a deal struck with The Match Factory.
The Zurich-based distributor plans to release the dystopian drama, which won the grand jury prize at this year’s Venice Film Festival, in 2021.
Franco’s drama chronicles a shocking class uprising set in the near future in an unspecified Mexican location, seen through the eyes of a young bride and the servants who work for her wealthy family.
The ensemble cast includes Naian González Norvind,...
- 11/4/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Arthouse outfit Mubi has struck a deal with sales firm The Match Factory for all UK and Ireland rights to Michel Franco’s Venice Film Festival drama New Order, which won the festival’s Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize.
Conceived six years ago, Franco’s (After Lucia) timely class conflict drama sees a high-society wedding interrupted by the arrival of unwelcome guests as protests rage on the streets. We debuted first footage for the film earlier this month.
Parasite distributor Neon just picked the Spanish-language film up for North America. It will next play at BFI London Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival. The movie also played at San Sebastian Film Festival and made its North American debut at Toronto.
Written, produced and directed by Franco, the film features an ensemble cast comprised of Naian González Norvind, Darío Yazbek Bernal, Lisa Owen, Fernando Cuautle, Mónica Del Carmen, Eligio Meléndez,...
Conceived six years ago, Franco’s (After Lucia) timely class conflict drama sees a high-society wedding interrupted by the arrival of unwelcome guests as protests rage on the streets. We debuted first footage for the film earlier this month.
Parasite distributor Neon just picked the Spanish-language film up for North America. It will next play at BFI London Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival. The movie also played at San Sebastian Film Festival and made its North American debut at Toronto.
Written, produced and directed by Franco, the film features an ensemble cast comprised of Naian González Norvind, Darío Yazbek Bernal, Lisa Owen, Fernando Cuautle, Mónica Del Carmen, Eligio Meléndez,...
- 10/1/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Dystopian drama plays next at BFI London Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival.
Neon has picked up North American rights to Michel Franco’s Venice grand jury prize-winner New Order.
The distributor will announce a theatrical release in due course. New Order screened at Toronto and San Sebastián, and will play next at BFI London Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival.
Franco’s drama chronicles a shocking class uprising set in the near future in an unspecified Mexican location.
The story opens with indigenous protestors storming a society wedding and charts the ensuing developments as the army takes control,...
Neon has picked up North American rights to Michel Franco’s Venice grand jury prize-winner New Order.
The distributor will announce a theatrical release in due course. New Order screened at Toronto and San Sebastián, and will play next at BFI London Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival.
Franco’s drama chronicles a shocking class uprising set in the near future in an unspecified Mexican location.
The story opens with indigenous protestors storming a society wedding and charts the ensuing developments as the army takes control,...
- 9/29/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Neon has acquired the North American rights to “New Order,” the latest feature from Mexican auteur Michel Franco that won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival this year.
“New Order” also made its North American premiere at Toronto and will next play at the BFI London Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival. Neon is planning a theatrical release for the film but will announce release plans at a later date.
“New Order” is a dystopian drama set in the near future that grapples class dynamics and government recapitulation, and it concerns a woman from a high society family trying to prepare for a wedding but is unable to keep protests and the real world from disturbing the party.
Franco conceived the film six years earlier, but critics have already hailed the film for its prescient themes. “New Order” is the follow-up to Franco...
“New Order” also made its North American premiere at Toronto and will next play at the BFI London Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival. Neon is planning a theatrical release for the film but will announce release plans at a later date.
“New Order” is a dystopian drama set in the near future that grapples class dynamics and government recapitulation, and it concerns a woman from a high society family trying to prepare for a wedding but is unable to keep protests and the real world from disturbing the party.
Franco conceived the film six years earlier, but critics have already hailed the film for its prescient themes. “New Order” is the follow-up to Franco...
- 9/29/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Neon has acquired North American rights to Michel Franco’s dystopian social thriller “New Order.” The movie was this year’s winner of the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Set in a near-future Mexico City while protests rage, “New Order” focuses on a high society family preparing for a wedding when a former employee seeking emergency medical funds intrudes on the festivities. But soon the party is unable to keep the reckoning at bay, followed by a swift disintegration of law and order defined first by class lines.
“New Order” is written, produced and directed by Franco, who conceived the project six years ago. The cast includes Naian González Norvind, Darío Yazbek Bernal, Lisa Owen, Fernando Cuautle and Mónica Del Carmen.
“In making ‘New Order,’ I had to think about movies in a whole new way,” Franco said. “It’s not only my largest scale film,...
Set in a near-future Mexico City while protests rage, “New Order” focuses on a high society family preparing for a wedding when a former employee seeking emergency medical funds intrudes on the festivities. But soon the party is unable to keep the reckoning at bay, followed by a swift disintegration of law and order defined first by class lines.
“New Order” is written, produced and directed by Franco, who conceived the project six years ago. The cast includes Naian González Norvind, Darío Yazbek Bernal, Lisa Owen, Fernando Cuautle and Mónica Del Carmen.
“In making ‘New Order,’ I had to think about movies in a whole new way,” Franco said. “It’s not only my largest scale film,...
- 9/29/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Neon has taken North American rights to Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco’s latest feature New Order, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize.
Conceived six years ago, Franco’s timely class conflict drama sees a high-society wedding interrupted by the arrival of unwelcome guests as protests rage on the streets. We debuted first footage for the film earlier this month.
Mason Speta negotiated the deal for Parasite distributor Neon with ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers. The Match Factory is handling international sales.
Neon intends a theatrical release that will be announced at a later date. The film will next play at BFI London Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival. It also played at San Sebastian Film Festival and made its North American debut at Toronto.
Written, produced and directed by Franco, the film features an ensemble cast comprised of Naian González Norvind,...
Conceived six years ago, Franco’s timely class conflict drama sees a high-society wedding interrupted by the arrival of unwelcome guests as protests rage on the streets. We debuted first footage for the film earlier this month.
Mason Speta negotiated the deal for Parasite distributor Neon with ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers. The Match Factory is handling international sales.
Neon intends a theatrical release that will be announced at a later date. The film will next play at BFI London Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival. It also played at San Sebastian Film Festival and made its North American debut at Toronto.
Written, produced and directed by Franco, the film features an ensemble cast comprised of Naian González Norvind,...
- 9/29/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Michel Franco’s dystopian thriller won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
Leading German sales company The Match Factory has closed key deals on Michel Franco’s dystopian thriller New Order, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
The film has sold to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau (Hgc), Italy (I Wonder Pictures), Spain (A Contracorriente), Scandinavia (Future Film), Benelux (Filmfreak), Greece (Weirdwave) and Israel (Lev).
Further key deals are being negotiated, according to The Match Factory, while ICM is working on a North American deal.
As well as the Silver Lion,...
Leading German sales company The Match Factory has closed key deals on Michel Franco’s dystopian thriller New Order, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
The film has sold to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau (Hgc), Italy (I Wonder Pictures), Spain (A Contracorriente), Scandinavia (Future Film), Benelux (Filmfreak), Greece (Weirdwave) and Israel (Lev).
Further key deals are being negotiated, according to The Match Factory, while ICM is working on a North American deal.
As well as the Silver Lion,...
- 9/14/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
“New Order,” Mexican Michel Franco’s near-future dystopia thriller that world premieres at the Venice Film Festival Thursday, begins with protestors, daubed in green paint, bursting into a swanky wedding peopled by Mexico’s indecently rich. They rob the guests, then shoot them dead. Franco’s heart however is obviously on the side of the protestors.
“A Mexican disaster movie,” as Franco calls it, “New Order,” the only Latin American movie in Venice main competition, is Franco’s first direct social verdict on his homeland. “Mexico’s upper class are asking for trouble: They’re building up to a situation that will finally explode,” Franco told Variety in the run-up to Venice.
“The protesters have been saying for decades, hundreds of years: ‘Here we are. We need to heard.’” But nobody has really listened. “That’s why they explode,” Franco adds.
Breaking out when he won the biggest prize at...
“A Mexican disaster movie,” as Franco calls it, “New Order,” the only Latin American movie in Venice main competition, is Franco’s first direct social verdict on his homeland. “Mexico’s upper class are asking for trouble: They’re building up to a situation that will finally explode,” Franco told Variety in the run-up to Venice.
“The protesters have been saying for decades, hundreds of years: ‘Here we are. We need to heard.’” But nobody has really listened. “That’s why they explode,” Franco adds.
Breaking out when he won the biggest prize at...
- 9/9/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
New work from Idris Elba, Halle Berry, Mark Wahlberg, Vanessa Kirby.
It is a slimline Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year but there are still plenty of acquisition titles on offer for distributors looking to fill 2021 and 2022 slots.
Here we take a look at some of the available films that are likely to be among the more sought after prospects.
TIFF runs from September 10-19 and opens on Thursday with David Byrne’s American Utopia directed by Spike Lee. Click here for Screen’s report on the line-up, and here for the TIFF Industry Selects roster.
Good Joe Bell...
It is a slimline Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year but there are still plenty of acquisition titles on offer for distributors looking to fill 2021 and 2022 slots.
Here we take a look at some of the available films that are likely to be among the more sought after prospects.
TIFF runs from September 10-19 and opens on Thursday with David Byrne’s American Utopia directed by Spike Lee. Click here for Screen’s report on the line-up, and here for the TIFF Industry Selects roster.
Good Joe Bell...
- 9/8/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
It's time for a new order! The Match Factory has also released a promo teaser trailer for a Mexican film premiering at the Venice Film Festival this year titled New Order. Nuevo Orden (in Spanish) is the latest film from acclaimed filmmaker Michel Franco and is described in this trailer as a "gripping, hard-hitting, dystopian drama." This looks intense already and it's barely 45 seconds of footage. A high-society wedding is interrupted by the arrival of unwelcome guests, in what Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera calls "Franco's most ambitious & darkest film yet." The film stars Naian González Norvind, Diego Boneta, Mónica del Carmen, Fernando Cuautle, Darío Yazbek, Roberto Medina, Patricia Bernal, Lisa Owen, and Enrique Singer. This is looking great already. Not exactly sure what all the green is about, but I'm certainly curious to find out. Rattle those high society cages. Here's the first festival teaser trailer for Michel Franco's New Order,...
- 8/24/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Dystopian drama has been selected for Toronto and will debut at Venice in competition.
Leading German sales company The Match Factory has acquired international sales rights to Michel Franco’s New Order, which was today selected to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The film, which will receive its world premiere in competition at Venice ahead of TIFF, marks the first collaboration between The Match Factory and Franco’s Mexican production company Teorema.
The dystopian drama explores Mexico’s economic and social inequalities through a high-society wedding, which is crashed by a group of impoverished people. The cast...
Leading German sales company The Match Factory has acquired international sales rights to Michel Franco’s New Order, which was today selected to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The film, which will receive its world premiere in competition at Venice ahead of TIFF, marks the first collaboration between The Match Factory and Franco’s Mexican production company Teorema.
The dystopian drama explores Mexico’s economic and social inequalities through a high-society wedding, which is crashed by a group of impoverished people. The cast...
- 7/30/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
The eighth annual Hola Mexican Film Festival, presented by DishLATINO, the largest festival of cinema outside of Mexico, today announced a partial lineup of the 2016 festival schedule including opening and closing nights and four special showcase presentations. The festival runs May 13-22 with all screenings taking place at the Regal La Live Stadium 14 Theatre, except for closing night which will be at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
This year’s festival will open with "Thin Yellow Line" (La Delgada Linea Amarilla) nominated for 14 Premios Ariel Awards (Mexico’s “Oscars”). The film is a story of smooth roads and bumpy rides, with unexpected twists and turns... like life itself. Directed by Celso R. Garcia, the film stars Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Silverio Palacios, Gustavo Sánchez Parra. Confirmed to attend the premiere are Cosio and Palacios as well as other special guests.
Additional showcase screenings include "We Fulfill Your Dreams" (Ilusiones S.A.) directed by Roberto Girault and starring Jaime Camil, Adriana Louvier, Silvia Mariscal on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 Pm and "Mr. Pig" with star Danny Glover to attend, on Thursday, May 19, at 7:00 Pm.
Closing the festival on Sunday, May 22 is "Panoramas," a unique and introspective look inside one of Latin America's top alternative-rock music acts, Zoé. Members of band Zoé will attend and perform a DJ set. This special event screening will take place at La Plaza Cultura y Artes Theatre located at 501 N. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles.
Also this year marks the first time that films from a country outside of Mexico will be shown with special presentations of two films from Chile – "Sin Filtro" and "El Bosque de Karadima"
Opening Night Premiere – Friday, May 13 at 7:00 Pm
Regal La Live Stadium 14
"The Thin Yellow Line" (La Delgada Linea Amarilla)
Dir. Celso R. Garcia
Cast: Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Silverio Palacios, Gustavo Sánchez Parra
Mexico 2015, 95 Min
Five men are hired to paint the yellow line of a road that will link two forgotten towns in Mexico. With less than 2 weeks to cover over 200 kilometers aboard a '76 pick-up truck, they will discover that painting at a speed of 1 km/hour will teach them about the lines between good and evil, laughter and despair, life and death. The challenges they face will change their lives forever. The Thin Yellow Line is a story of smooth roads and bumpy rides, with unexpected twists and turns... like life itself.
Closing Night Premiere – Sunday, May 22 At 7:00 Pm
La Plaza Cultura y Artes theatre located at 501 N. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles.
"Panoramas"
Dir. Rodrigo Guardiola y Gabriel Cruz Rivas
Cast: Zoé
Mexico 2016, 90 Min
A unique and introspective look inside one of Latin America's top alternative-rock music acts, Zoé. “Panoramas” is a Cinéma Vérité-style portrait of Zoé that takes you on a contemplative audio/visual journey through some of the band's most decisive moments. A film crew accompanies the band during a two-year period to provide us with an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the band’s longest international tour to date, in their first real shot at becoming well-known and "making it big" outside their home country of México. The 15-year artistic career of Zoé completes its growth-cycle and reaches full circle as the musicians arrive at the quintessential question all bands face: What's next?
MÉXico Now
"We Fulfill Your Dreams" (Ilusiones S.A.)
Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Roberto Girault
Cast: Jaime Camil, Adriana Louvier, Silvia Mariscal
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
"We Fulfill Your Dreams" is a company that makes fantasies come to life. Made up of a group of actors and led by a ‘Director' (Jaime Camil), they create set-ups to re-enact real-life circumstances for the good of people.
For their latest job, they are hired by Mr. Balboa to spend a week in the roles of a long-gone loving grandson and his wife. Portrayed as an angel to his grandmother through fictitious letters created by the elderly Mr. Balboa, the young man has in reality become a villainous character. But things go awry for actors Mauricio and Isabel when the real grandson turns up for a show-down with his grandparents.
"Mr. Pig"
Thursday, May 19 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Diego Luna
Cast: Danny Glover, Maya Rudolph, Jose Maria Yazpik
Mexico 2016, 100 Min
Ambrose Eubanks (Danny Glover), is an old-school pig farmer from California. After the family farm is foreclosed, he sets off with Howard, his beloved (and very large) pig, on a road trip to Mexico.
Ambrose must figure out how to smuggle "Howie" across the border and find him a new home.
"In Your Eyes" (A los Ojos)
Friday, May 20 at 7:00 Pm and Saturday, May 21 at 1:00 Pm
Dir. Victoria Franco y Michel Franco
Cast: Mónica del Carmen, Omar Moreno, Benjamín Espinoza, Jacobo Najman
Mexico 2015, 96 Min
Monica is a social worker from Mexico City, a single mother whose child is suffering from a degenerative illness of the eyes. Having exhausted all other options, a corneal transplant is the child's only hope. Overwhelmed by the ineffectiveness of the health system and the scarcity of resources, Monica is driven to an extreme solution... Found within the world of the street children.
"The Aparicios" (Las Aparacio)
Sunday, May 15 at 4:30 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Moisés Ortiz - Urquidi
Cast: Ana De La Reguera, María Del Carmen Farías, Liz Gallardo, Eréndia Ibarra, Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Paulina Gaitán y Tenoch Huerta
México 2016,
The Aparicios are a family made up entirely of women, all cursed to become widows and to never bear male children. At their ranch in Xico, in the state of Veracruz, they discover the body of the first husband of an Aparicio woman. This leads the Aparicios to search their past in an attempt to end the ancient curse, and finally face their present
"Parallel Roads" (Rumbos Paralelos)
Saturday, May 14 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Rafael Montero
Cast: Ludwika Paleta, Iliana Fox, Michel Brown, Arturo Barba
Mexico 2016,
(Film in Spanish, no English subtitles)
Rumbos Paralelos (Parallel Roads) tells the emotional story of two young mothers whose lives change unexpectedly.
Silvia must suddenly confront both her son’s illness and the abrupt discovery that she is not his biological mother. Desperate to find a donor for a life-saving kidney transplant, Silvia will seek out Gaby, the child's true biological mother. The following actions will put the power of maternity to the test and challenge life as a whole. Are family ties made out of love? Or are they carried in our blood?
"Paradise Lost" (Paraiso Perdido)
Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Humberto Hinojosa
Cast: Ana Claudia Talancón, Iván Sanchez, Andrés Almeida
México 2016, 87 Min
Three friends are traveling by sailboat through Caribbean waters, when they come across a deserted paradise island and decide to explore it. What was supposed to be one of the best weekends of their lives will turn into a tireless fight for survival when they discover the island's hidden secret.
"She is Ramona" (Ella es Ramona)
Saturday, May 14 at 9:00 Pm and Monday, May 16 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Hugo Rodriguez
Cast: Andrea Ortega Lee, Daniel Giménez Cacho, María Rojo, Leticia Huijara
México 2015, 83 Min
Ramona is overweight, with too many kilos and not enough luck. She remembers a childhood as the victim of abuse at the hands of her mother, her sister, and even her friends. She was Big Belly Ramona, Big Eater Ramona, Ramona the Pig. Now an adult, things aren't looking much better. Her life seems to be crumbling. She gets fired for being fat; when she seeks liposuction, her doctor rejects as a candidate for the procedure because she is too overweight. Things begin falling into place, however, when she stumbles across a Tarot café which sells the magic beetles that will change her life.
"Elvira, I would Give You my Life, but I’m Using It" (Elvira, Te Daria Mi Vida Pero La Estoy Usando)
Thursday, May 19 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Manolo Caro
Cast: Cecilia Suárez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Vanessa Bauche
Mexico 2015, 108 Min
Gustavo, husband of Elvira, goes out one night to buy cigarettes, never to return. Elvira, a 40-year-old mother of two, begins a relentless search for the love of her life. Clues lead her to the conclusion that her husband has kept a secret relationship. The unfortunate discovery will not stop Elvira in her mission of finding him.
"The Chosen Ones" (Las Elegidas)
Friday, May 20 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. David Pablos
Cast: Nancy Talamantes, Óscar Torres
Mexico 2015, 105 Min
Sofia, 14 years old, is in love with Ulises. Because of him, in spite of him, she is forced into a prostitution ring in Mexico. To set her free, Ulises will have to find another girl to replace her...
New Voices
"Leaf Blower" (Sopladora de Hojas)
Saturday, May 14 at 2:00 Pm, Monday, May 16 at 9:30 Pm and Friday, May 20 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Alejandro Iglesias
Cast: Francisco Rueda, Alejandro Guerrero, Fabrizio Santini
Mexico 2015, 96 Min
Lucas, Emilio and Rubén are three friends united in a special quest: to find a set of lost keys in a pile of dead leaves. What appears to be a simple task will turn into a profound journey that forces the teenagers to confront their fears: of letting go of the past, of facing embarrassing truths, of taking risks... Of growing up. This afternoon, as trivial as it may sound, could change the course of their lives. Or maybe not.
"Amir"
Saturday, May 14 at 4:00 Pm and Thursday, May 19 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. José Paredes
Cast: Jorge Guevara, Tania Niebla y Lirio Karina
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
Amir, an aspiring musician, finds himself drawn to Jeanette, a beautiful singer he meets during a night out on the town with his friends. The attraction complicates his relationship with his current girlfriend, Elizabeth, who is expecting his child. Amir will attempt to work out his feelings towards his newfound love interest, music and maturity, as adulthood forces him to make some challenging choices along the way.
"The Arrival of Conrado Sierra" (El Arribo de Conrado Sierra)
Friday, May 20 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. René Pereyra
Cast: Maite Perroni, Joaquín Cosío, Susana Dosamantes, Ana González, Rocío García, Jessica Mas
Mexico 2015, 120 Min
In 1940's "Torres Mochas" (the city of Torreón, Mexico), the widow Doña Josefina and her five spinster daughters await the arrival of a man aiming to marry the youngest of the sisters. The local townspeople, excited at the prospect of one of “Virgin Josefitas” finally marrying, prepare massive celebrations. When the mysterious suitor finally appears, circumstances take an unforeseen course.
For The Children
"The Adventures of Itzel and Sonia" (Las Aventuras de Itzel y Sonia)
Saturday, May 14 at 12:00 Pm
Dir. Fernanda Rivero
Cast: Arcelía Ramírez, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Joaquín Cosío, Bruno Bichir
Mexico 2016, 70 Min
This film was made as part of the “Cuéntamelo filmando” ("Tell it to me with the cameras rolling") workshop and was done with the support of 500 people from 10 rural communities in Mexico.
Itzel, an 8-year-old girl, and her best friend ‘Sonia the Frog’ will embark on a mission to find the guardians of the water, before the city's supply runs out. With the help of her grandmother, they will search in the most remote areas of Mexico, while a faceless being stalks them.
"By My Mustache" (Por Mis Bigotes)
Sunday, May 15 at 12:00 Pm
Dir. Manuel Carames
Cast: Jesus Ochoa, Santiago Torres, Fernando Becerril
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
Though it sounds unbelievable, little Ulises, at only nine years old, has grown an enormous mustache from one day to the next. So begins a series of extraordinary events for him, his mother and his best friends. From this moment forward, all of them, along with a cast of very curious characters, will find themselves caught up in a very hairy adventure.
Documentary
"Made in Bangkok"
Monday, May 16 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Flavio Florencio
Cast: Morgana Love
Mexico 2015, 75 Min
Morgana is a Mexican transgender opera singer with a relentless determination to assert her identity, despite having to fight against social stigma and family prejudice. Her dream is to have gender-reassignment surgery. Her only chance to make happen is by winning a beauty pageant in Bangkok, and use the $10,000 cash prize to pay for the surgery. The documentary embarks on Morgana’s journey with her, while providing us with an intimate portrait of what it is to construct a long-dreamt-of identity.
"Mexican Fighting" (Lucha Mexico)
Sunday, May 15 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Alexandria Hammond & Ian Markiewicz
Cast: 1000% Guapo, Blue Demon, Hijo Del Perro Aguayo, Tony Salazar, Arkangel
México / USA 103 Min
The ultimate look behind the mask, Lucha Mexico documents the joyous spectacle of Lucha Libre wrestling, which has thrilled Mexican fans for generations. The story follows "El 1000% Guapo" (1000% Handsome) Shocker, one of the most successful Luchadores of the modern era. His life is consumed by the need of being in the ring. A supporting cast of fan-favorites further reveal the world of Lucha Libre from the inside, with Blue Demon Jr. discussing life from behind a legendary mask; the violent history of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo (the Son of "The Dog" Aguayo); as well as veterans like Tony Salazar and Archangel, as they pass on the secrets of the ring to a new generation of fighters. These stars and others will shed light on the intense physical and emotional challenges they must constantly face in order to stand inside the ropes and thrill every last fan. With its unprecedented access to the top Lucha performers and promoters, as well as other players of this grand spectacle, Lucha Mexico steps into the ring to show us the great power behind the mask, and leads us straight to the beating heart of Mexico.
Hola Chile
"The Church Of Karadima" (El Bosque de Karadima)
Sunday, May 15 at 2:00 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Matías Lira
Cast: Benjamin Vicuña, Luis Gnecco, Ingrid Isensee
Chile 2015, 98 Min
Fernando Karadima, the pastor and leader of the most powerful Church of the Chilean upper class from the 1980's to 2000's, is considered a living saint. Thomas, a teenager in search of his vocation, finds himself drawn to Karadima and accepts him as a spiritual guide. For 20 years, Tommy will gradually be subjected to physical and psychological abuse by the priest, until he decides to speak out and confront both the charismatic priest and the power networks that protect him, finally uncovering the real Karadima hiding behind the investiture of God's representative on Earth.
"No Filter" (Sin Filtro)
Wednesday, May 18 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Nicolás López
Cast: Paz Bascuñán, Ignacia Allamand, Paulo Brunei
Chile 2016, 100 Min
Pía is on the verge of a nervous breakdown: Her boss humiliates her, her husband ignores her, her stepson is disrespectful, and her best friend no longer listens to what she says.
Pía begins having strong chest pains and, after trying many different healing methods, decides to undergo an acupuncture treatment. The Chinese doctor discovers that Pía's pain is caused by repressed feelings, and, with an ancient technique, he "removes the filter". From now on, an uninhibited Pía will realize that the only way to heal herself is to speak everything that comes to mind - which won't always bring her the best results.
Nocturnal/Genre
"Barrancas"
Saturday, May 14 at 12 Midnight and Wednesday, May 18 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Juan De La Peña
Cast: Diego Sánchez, Esteban De la Isla, Ana Lucía Camacho, Julia Dávalos, Eduardo Romo, Gustavo Gascón, Inés Vachez
Mexico 2016, 88 Min
The owner of a huge house in the woods, in the town of Barrancas, has a reputation for not paying his employees. When the latest housekeeper goes missing, everyone simply assumes that yet another employee has quit. Meanwhile, back in the city, the owner's nephew Mario is tasked with going to Barrancas to hand over the keys to the new caretaker. Young Mario thinks it’s a good idea to secretly invite his friends from college, as well as the girl he likes, out to the country house for a fun weekend. What Mario doesn’t know is that this may turn out to be a very dangerous idea indeed.
"The Similars" (Los Parecidos)
Sunday, May 15 at 9:30 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Isaac Ezban
Cast: Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Humberto Busto, Carmen Beato
Mexico 2015, 89 Min
In the rainy darkness of the early morning hours of October 2, 1968, eight people are waiting in a remote bus station in the middle of nowhere for the bus heading to Mexico City. They’ll soon find themselves experiencing a strange phenomenon.
For more information and ticket sales visit - http://holamexicoff.com...
This year’s festival will open with "Thin Yellow Line" (La Delgada Linea Amarilla) nominated for 14 Premios Ariel Awards (Mexico’s “Oscars”). The film is a story of smooth roads and bumpy rides, with unexpected twists and turns... like life itself. Directed by Celso R. Garcia, the film stars Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Silverio Palacios, Gustavo Sánchez Parra. Confirmed to attend the premiere are Cosio and Palacios as well as other special guests.
Additional showcase screenings include "We Fulfill Your Dreams" (Ilusiones S.A.) directed by Roberto Girault and starring Jaime Camil, Adriana Louvier, Silvia Mariscal on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 Pm and "Mr. Pig" with star Danny Glover to attend, on Thursday, May 19, at 7:00 Pm.
Closing the festival on Sunday, May 22 is "Panoramas," a unique and introspective look inside one of Latin America's top alternative-rock music acts, Zoé. Members of band Zoé will attend and perform a DJ set. This special event screening will take place at La Plaza Cultura y Artes Theatre located at 501 N. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles.
Also this year marks the first time that films from a country outside of Mexico will be shown with special presentations of two films from Chile – "Sin Filtro" and "El Bosque de Karadima"
Opening Night Premiere – Friday, May 13 at 7:00 Pm
Regal La Live Stadium 14
"The Thin Yellow Line" (La Delgada Linea Amarilla)
Dir. Celso R. Garcia
Cast: Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Silverio Palacios, Gustavo Sánchez Parra
Mexico 2015, 95 Min
Five men are hired to paint the yellow line of a road that will link two forgotten towns in Mexico. With less than 2 weeks to cover over 200 kilometers aboard a '76 pick-up truck, they will discover that painting at a speed of 1 km/hour will teach them about the lines between good and evil, laughter and despair, life and death. The challenges they face will change their lives forever. The Thin Yellow Line is a story of smooth roads and bumpy rides, with unexpected twists and turns... like life itself.
Closing Night Premiere – Sunday, May 22 At 7:00 Pm
La Plaza Cultura y Artes theatre located at 501 N. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles.
"Panoramas"
Dir. Rodrigo Guardiola y Gabriel Cruz Rivas
Cast: Zoé
Mexico 2016, 90 Min
A unique and introspective look inside one of Latin America's top alternative-rock music acts, Zoé. “Panoramas” is a Cinéma Vérité-style portrait of Zoé that takes you on a contemplative audio/visual journey through some of the band's most decisive moments. A film crew accompanies the band during a two-year period to provide us with an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the band’s longest international tour to date, in their first real shot at becoming well-known and "making it big" outside their home country of México. The 15-year artistic career of Zoé completes its growth-cycle and reaches full circle as the musicians arrive at the quintessential question all bands face: What's next?
MÉXico Now
"We Fulfill Your Dreams" (Ilusiones S.A.)
Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Roberto Girault
Cast: Jaime Camil, Adriana Louvier, Silvia Mariscal
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
"We Fulfill Your Dreams" is a company that makes fantasies come to life. Made up of a group of actors and led by a ‘Director' (Jaime Camil), they create set-ups to re-enact real-life circumstances for the good of people.
For their latest job, they are hired by Mr. Balboa to spend a week in the roles of a long-gone loving grandson and his wife. Portrayed as an angel to his grandmother through fictitious letters created by the elderly Mr. Balboa, the young man has in reality become a villainous character. But things go awry for actors Mauricio and Isabel when the real grandson turns up for a show-down with his grandparents.
"Mr. Pig"
Thursday, May 19 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Diego Luna
Cast: Danny Glover, Maya Rudolph, Jose Maria Yazpik
Mexico 2016, 100 Min
Ambrose Eubanks (Danny Glover), is an old-school pig farmer from California. After the family farm is foreclosed, he sets off with Howard, his beloved (and very large) pig, on a road trip to Mexico.
Ambrose must figure out how to smuggle "Howie" across the border and find him a new home.
"In Your Eyes" (A los Ojos)
Friday, May 20 at 7:00 Pm and Saturday, May 21 at 1:00 Pm
Dir. Victoria Franco y Michel Franco
Cast: Mónica del Carmen, Omar Moreno, Benjamín Espinoza, Jacobo Najman
Mexico 2015, 96 Min
Monica is a social worker from Mexico City, a single mother whose child is suffering from a degenerative illness of the eyes. Having exhausted all other options, a corneal transplant is the child's only hope. Overwhelmed by the ineffectiveness of the health system and the scarcity of resources, Monica is driven to an extreme solution... Found within the world of the street children.
"The Aparicios" (Las Aparacio)
Sunday, May 15 at 4:30 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Moisés Ortiz - Urquidi
Cast: Ana De La Reguera, María Del Carmen Farías, Liz Gallardo, Eréndia Ibarra, Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Paulina Gaitán y Tenoch Huerta
México 2016,
The Aparicios are a family made up entirely of women, all cursed to become widows and to never bear male children. At their ranch in Xico, in the state of Veracruz, they discover the body of the first husband of an Aparicio woman. This leads the Aparicios to search their past in an attempt to end the ancient curse, and finally face their present
"Parallel Roads" (Rumbos Paralelos)
Saturday, May 14 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Rafael Montero
Cast: Ludwika Paleta, Iliana Fox, Michel Brown, Arturo Barba
Mexico 2016,
(Film in Spanish, no English subtitles)
Rumbos Paralelos (Parallel Roads) tells the emotional story of two young mothers whose lives change unexpectedly.
Silvia must suddenly confront both her son’s illness and the abrupt discovery that she is not his biological mother. Desperate to find a donor for a life-saving kidney transplant, Silvia will seek out Gaby, the child's true biological mother. The following actions will put the power of maternity to the test and challenge life as a whole. Are family ties made out of love? Or are they carried in our blood?
"Paradise Lost" (Paraiso Perdido)
Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Humberto Hinojosa
Cast: Ana Claudia Talancón, Iván Sanchez, Andrés Almeida
México 2016, 87 Min
Three friends are traveling by sailboat through Caribbean waters, when they come across a deserted paradise island and decide to explore it. What was supposed to be one of the best weekends of their lives will turn into a tireless fight for survival when they discover the island's hidden secret.
"She is Ramona" (Ella es Ramona)
Saturday, May 14 at 9:00 Pm and Monday, May 16 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Hugo Rodriguez
Cast: Andrea Ortega Lee, Daniel Giménez Cacho, María Rojo, Leticia Huijara
México 2015, 83 Min
Ramona is overweight, with too many kilos and not enough luck. She remembers a childhood as the victim of abuse at the hands of her mother, her sister, and even her friends. She was Big Belly Ramona, Big Eater Ramona, Ramona the Pig. Now an adult, things aren't looking much better. Her life seems to be crumbling. She gets fired for being fat; when she seeks liposuction, her doctor rejects as a candidate for the procedure because she is too overweight. Things begin falling into place, however, when she stumbles across a Tarot café which sells the magic beetles that will change her life.
"Elvira, I would Give You my Life, but I’m Using It" (Elvira, Te Daria Mi Vida Pero La Estoy Usando)
Thursday, May 19 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Manolo Caro
Cast: Cecilia Suárez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Vanessa Bauche
Mexico 2015, 108 Min
Gustavo, husband of Elvira, goes out one night to buy cigarettes, never to return. Elvira, a 40-year-old mother of two, begins a relentless search for the love of her life. Clues lead her to the conclusion that her husband has kept a secret relationship. The unfortunate discovery will not stop Elvira in her mission of finding him.
"The Chosen Ones" (Las Elegidas)
Friday, May 20 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. David Pablos
Cast: Nancy Talamantes, Óscar Torres
Mexico 2015, 105 Min
Sofia, 14 years old, is in love with Ulises. Because of him, in spite of him, she is forced into a prostitution ring in Mexico. To set her free, Ulises will have to find another girl to replace her...
New Voices
"Leaf Blower" (Sopladora de Hojas)
Saturday, May 14 at 2:00 Pm, Monday, May 16 at 9:30 Pm and Friday, May 20 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Alejandro Iglesias
Cast: Francisco Rueda, Alejandro Guerrero, Fabrizio Santini
Mexico 2015, 96 Min
Lucas, Emilio and Rubén are three friends united in a special quest: to find a set of lost keys in a pile of dead leaves. What appears to be a simple task will turn into a profound journey that forces the teenagers to confront their fears: of letting go of the past, of facing embarrassing truths, of taking risks... Of growing up. This afternoon, as trivial as it may sound, could change the course of their lives. Or maybe not.
"Amir"
Saturday, May 14 at 4:00 Pm and Thursday, May 19 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. José Paredes
Cast: Jorge Guevara, Tania Niebla y Lirio Karina
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
Amir, an aspiring musician, finds himself drawn to Jeanette, a beautiful singer he meets during a night out on the town with his friends. The attraction complicates his relationship with his current girlfriend, Elizabeth, who is expecting his child. Amir will attempt to work out his feelings towards his newfound love interest, music and maturity, as adulthood forces him to make some challenging choices along the way.
"The Arrival of Conrado Sierra" (El Arribo de Conrado Sierra)
Friday, May 20 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. René Pereyra
Cast: Maite Perroni, Joaquín Cosío, Susana Dosamantes, Ana González, Rocío García, Jessica Mas
Mexico 2015, 120 Min
In 1940's "Torres Mochas" (the city of Torreón, Mexico), the widow Doña Josefina and her five spinster daughters await the arrival of a man aiming to marry the youngest of the sisters. The local townspeople, excited at the prospect of one of “Virgin Josefitas” finally marrying, prepare massive celebrations. When the mysterious suitor finally appears, circumstances take an unforeseen course.
For The Children
"The Adventures of Itzel and Sonia" (Las Aventuras de Itzel y Sonia)
Saturday, May 14 at 12:00 Pm
Dir. Fernanda Rivero
Cast: Arcelía Ramírez, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Joaquín Cosío, Bruno Bichir
Mexico 2016, 70 Min
This film was made as part of the “Cuéntamelo filmando” ("Tell it to me with the cameras rolling") workshop and was done with the support of 500 people from 10 rural communities in Mexico.
Itzel, an 8-year-old girl, and her best friend ‘Sonia the Frog’ will embark on a mission to find the guardians of the water, before the city's supply runs out. With the help of her grandmother, they will search in the most remote areas of Mexico, while a faceless being stalks them.
"By My Mustache" (Por Mis Bigotes)
Sunday, May 15 at 12:00 Pm
Dir. Manuel Carames
Cast: Jesus Ochoa, Santiago Torres, Fernando Becerril
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
Though it sounds unbelievable, little Ulises, at only nine years old, has grown an enormous mustache from one day to the next. So begins a series of extraordinary events for him, his mother and his best friends. From this moment forward, all of them, along with a cast of very curious characters, will find themselves caught up in a very hairy adventure.
Documentary
"Made in Bangkok"
Monday, May 16 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Flavio Florencio
Cast: Morgana Love
Mexico 2015, 75 Min
Morgana is a Mexican transgender opera singer with a relentless determination to assert her identity, despite having to fight against social stigma and family prejudice. Her dream is to have gender-reassignment surgery. Her only chance to make happen is by winning a beauty pageant in Bangkok, and use the $10,000 cash prize to pay for the surgery. The documentary embarks on Morgana’s journey with her, while providing us with an intimate portrait of what it is to construct a long-dreamt-of identity.
"Mexican Fighting" (Lucha Mexico)
Sunday, May 15 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Alexandria Hammond & Ian Markiewicz
Cast: 1000% Guapo, Blue Demon, Hijo Del Perro Aguayo, Tony Salazar, Arkangel
México / USA 103 Min
The ultimate look behind the mask, Lucha Mexico documents the joyous spectacle of Lucha Libre wrestling, which has thrilled Mexican fans for generations. The story follows "El 1000% Guapo" (1000% Handsome) Shocker, one of the most successful Luchadores of the modern era. His life is consumed by the need of being in the ring. A supporting cast of fan-favorites further reveal the world of Lucha Libre from the inside, with Blue Demon Jr. discussing life from behind a legendary mask; the violent history of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo (the Son of "The Dog" Aguayo); as well as veterans like Tony Salazar and Archangel, as they pass on the secrets of the ring to a new generation of fighters. These stars and others will shed light on the intense physical and emotional challenges they must constantly face in order to stand inside the ropes and thrill every last fan. With its unprecedented access to the top Lucha performers and promoters, as well as other players of this grand spectacle, Lucha Mexico steps into the ring to show us the great power behind the mask, and leads us straight to the beating heart of Mexico.
Hola Chile
"The Church Of Karadima" (El Bosque de Karadima)
Sunday, May 15 at 2:00 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Matías Lira
Cast: Benjamin Vicuña, Luis Gnecco, Ingrid Isensee
Chile 2015, 98 Min
Fernando Karadima, the pastor and leader of the most powerful Church of the Chilean upper class from the 1980's to 2000's, is considered a living saint. Thomas, a teenager in search of his vocation, finds himself drawn to Karadima and accepts him as a spiritual guide. For 20 years, Tommy will gradually be subjected to physical and psychological abuse by the priest, until he decides to speak out and confront both the charismatic priest and the power networks that protect him, finally uncovering the real Karadima hiding behind the investiture of God's representative on Earth.
"No Filter" (Sin Filtro)
Wednesday, May 18 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Nicolás López
Cast: Paz Bascuñán, Ignacia Allamand, Paulo Brunei
Chile 2016, 100 Min
Pía is on the verge of a nervous breakdown: Her boss humiliates her, her husband ignores her, her stepson is disrespectful, and her best friend no longer listens to what she says.
Pía begins having strong chest pains and, after trying many different healing methods, decides to undergo an acupuncture treatment. The Chinese doctor discovers that Pía's pain is caused by repressed feelings, and, with an ancient technique, he "removes the filter". From now on, an uninhibited Pía will realize that the only way to heal herself is to speak everything that comes to mind - which won't always bring her the best results.
Nocturnal/Genre
"Barrancas"
Saturday, May 14 at 12 Midnight and Wednesday, May 18 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Juan De La Peña
Cast: Diego Sánchez, Esteban De la Isla, Ana Lucía Camacho, Julia Dávalos, Eduardo Romo, Gustavo Gascón, Inés Vachez
Mexico 2016, 88 Min
The owner of a huge house in the woods, in the town of Barrancas, has a reputation for not paying his employees. When the latest housekeeper goes missing, everyone simply assumes that yet another employee has quit. Meanwhile, back in the city, the owner's nephew Mario is tasked with going to Barrancas to hand over the keys to the new caretaker. Young Mario thinks it’s a good idea to secretly invite his friends from college, as well as the girl he likes, out to the country house for a fun weekend. What Mario doesn’t know is that this may turn out to be a very dangerous idea indeed.
"The Similars" (Los Parecidos)
Sunday, May 15 at 9:30 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Isaac Ezban
Cast: Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Humberto Busto, Carmen Beato
Mexico 2015, 89 Min
In the rainy darkness of the early morning hours of October 2, 1968, eight people are waiting in a remote bus station in the middle of nowhere for the bus heading to Mexico City. They’ll soon find themselves experiencing a strange phenomenon.
For more information and ticket sales visit - http://holamexicoff.com...
- 5/5/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
One of the key functions of film festivals around the world is being able to pick out and showcase upcoming talent, often giving them a platform or a spotlight. The Berlin Film Festival is no different in this regard, as it offers a Best First Feature Award to first-time filmmakers whose submissions are accepted. The 2015 incarnation of the festival gave this award to Gabriel Ripstein for 600 Millas, or 600 Miles. The film’s synopsis is as follows.
Arnulfo Rubio smuggles weapons for a deadly Mexican cartel. Atf agent Hank Harris attempts to apprehend him, but gets kidnapped by Rubio, instead. Rubio takes him to his bosses, but during the 600-miles-long drive, they slowly befriend.
Ripstein directed the feature and co-wrote the screenplay with Issa López. Tim Roth and Kristyan Ferrer star in the leading roles, with Monica Del Carmen and Greg Lutz in the supporting cast. While it doesn’t have an American release date,...
Arnulfo Rubio smuggles weapons for a deadly Mexican cartel. Atf agent Hank Harris attempts to apprehend him, but gets kidnapped by Rubio, instead. Rubio takes him to his bosses, but during the 600-miles-long drive, they slowly befriend.
Ripstein directed the feature and co-wrote the screenplay with Issa López. Tim Roth and Kristyan Ferrer star in the leading roles, with Monica Del Carmen and Greg Lutz in the supporting cast. While it doesn’t have an American release date,...
- 7/22/2015
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
As far as getting your name out there with your first feature film, things couldn't have gone better for director Gabriel Ripstein who snapped up the Best First Film trophy at the Berlin International Film Festival for "600 Miles." And while the movie hasn't yet landed a U.S. distributor, the international rollout is underway and the first trailer has arrived. Tim Roth, Harrison Thomas, Monica Del Carmen, Kristyan Ferrer, Craig Hensley, and Julian Sedgwick star in the movie that follows an Atf agent who tracks a young gun trafficker, only to find the tables turned when he's unexpectedly smuggled into Mexico by the very man he's been keeping an eye on. The situation is grim and the agent will have to do everything he can to bargain for his life, while the young trafficker learns a lesson about the hard realities of the line of business he's in. Hopefully this...
- 7/21/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
With the border between the United States and Mexico becoming an increasingly political chess piece in the battle over immigration and the fight waged in the war on drugs, it's not a surprise that more filmmakers are finding storytelling inspiration against that backdrop. Its within that milieu that Gabriel Ripstein makes his directorial debut with "600 Miles," premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival. Starring Tim Roth, Harrison Thomas , Monica Del Carmen, Kristyan Ferrer, Craig Hensley, and Julian Sedgwick, the story follows an Atf agent who tracks a young gun trafficker, only to find the tables turned when he's smuggled into Mexico. Here's the full synopsis: Arnulfo Rubio, a young Mexican, works with a gringo barely older than himself to smuggle weapons from Arizona to Mexico for a drug cartel. We follow him buying weapons, crossing borders and during his almost familial encounters with middle-men and clients. What Arnulfo does not know is that for.
- 2/5/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
.It will be a strange experience,. says Australian filmmaker Michael Rowe as he prepares to direct his first English-language film, psychological drama Rest Home, in Montreal.
Rowe.s screenplay follows a security guard in a retirement home whose life spirals out of control when he catches his wife with a lover, pushing him to the brink of insanity.
It.s a Canadian-Australian co-production between Serge Noël.s Possibles Média and Trish Lake.s Freshwater Pictures, with investment from Screen Australia and Quebec.s Sodec fund.
Rowe has lived in Mexico City since he landed there 19 years ago when he was 23 with $76 in his wallet, motivated by what he drily terms as a mixture of .youth and stupidity..
After earning a crust variously as an English teacher, journalist, screenwriter and teaching screenwriting at a film school, he wrote and directed Año Bisiesto (Leap Year), a zero-budget drama shot, entirely in a...
Rowe.s screenplay follows a security guard in a retirement home whose life spirals out of control when he catches his wife with a lover, pushing him to the brink of insanity.
It.s a Canadian-Australian co-production between Serge Noël.s Possibles Média and Trish Lake.s Freshwater Pictures, with investment from Screen Australia and Quebec.s Sodec fund.
Rowe has lived in Mexico City since he landed there 19 years ago when he was 23 with $76 in his wallet, motivated by what he drily terms as a mixture of .youth and stupidity..
After earning a crust variously as an English teacher, journalist, screenwriter and teaching screenwriting at a film school, he wrote and directed Año Bisiesto (Leap Year), a zero-budget drama shot, entirely in a...
- 10/13/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
#26. Michel & Vicky Franco’s A los ojos
Gist: Featuring mostly non-actors, A los ojos is a docu-fiction hybrid about a mother (Año bisiesto‘s Monica del Carmen) who works as a social worker in aiding, integrating and rehabilitating children suffering from homelessness in Mexico City, while her son, Omar struggles with life-long problems with his eyesight.
Prediction: 2009 was a huge first step for Franco with Daniel and Ana (Cannes – Directors’ Fortnight ’09) but 2012 proved to be an even bigger year for the filmmaker – winning the top prize in the Un Certain Regard for After Lucia. Representing what could be a huge year for Mexican cinema in Cannes, Franco has been in the works with this project for a while now (he briefly discussed it with us last May), and though the Main Comp would be the logical step up, we think that this might once again play next door in the...
Gist: Featuring mostly non-actors, A los ojos is a docu-fiction hybrid about a mother (Año bisiesto‘s Monica del Carmen) who works as a social worker in aiding, integrating and rehabilitating children suffering from homelessness in Mexico City, while her son, Omar struggles with life-long problems with his eyesight.
Prediction: 2009 was a huge first step for Franco with Daniel and Ana (Cannes – Directors’ Fortnight ’09) but 2012 proved to be an even bigger year for the filmmaker – winning the top prize in the Un Certain Regard for After Lucia. Representing what could be a huge year for Mexican cinema in Cannes, Franco has been in the works with this project for a while now (he briefly discussed it with us last May), and though the Main Comp would be the logical step up, we think that this might once again play next door in the...
- 4/12/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
A los ojos (To the Eyes)
Directors/Writers: Vicky and Michel Franco
Producer(s): Lucia Films’ Michel Franco & Moises Zonana
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Monica del Carmen (Michael Rowe’s Año bisiesto)
In my books, his debut Daniel and Ana (Cannes – Directors’ Fortnight ’09) left quite the impression for its unflinching look at an unfathomable, hideous social crime, but it was at the ’12 edition of the Cannes Film Festival where Michel Franco joined the ranks of the Mexico’s top working auteurs (Reygadas, Escalante, Naranjo, Eimbcke and Plá) as several took notice of his skillset and this included Tim Roth and the Un Certain Regard jury who awarded the filmmaker with the top prize of the section. After Lucia, which I describe as a “Haneke film for teens” may posit on the bullying thematic, but here Franco skillfully demonstrates how difficult it is for the healing process to...
Directors/Writers: Vicky and Michel Franco
Producer(s): Lucia Films’ Michel Franco & Moises Zonana
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Monica del Carmen (Michael Rowe’s Año bisiesto)
In my books, his debut Daniel and Ana (Cannes – Directors’ Fortnight ’09) left quite the impression for its unflinching look at an unfathomable, hideous social crime, but it was at the ’12 edition of the Cannes Film Festival where Michel Franco joined the ranks of the Mexico’s top working auteurs (Reygadas, Escalante, Naranjo, Eimbcke and Plá) as several took notice of his skillset and this included Tim Roth and the Un Certain Regard jury who awarded the filmmaker with the top prize of the section. After Lucia, which I describe as a “Haneke film for teens” may posit on the bullying thematic, but here Franco skillfully demonstrates how difficult it is for the healing process to...
- 1/15/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Not unlike other years, 2011 had its share of particular titles that dominated cinematic conversations (though I don’t recall ever having had more conversations about a new film than The Tree of Life), with the end of the year heralding shoe-in awards fodder for hotly anticipated, overbearing biopics, starring Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams. While many an auteur trotted out new, astounding masterworks, whether they be tempered with flaws (Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method) or arrived without much ado (Almodovar’s excellent The Skin I Live In), 2011 also really featured some excellent debuts and some auteurs-in-the-making returning with astounding second (Kenneth Lonergan’s devastingtly ignored Margaret, Oren Moverman’s brilliant Rampart) and third efforts (Lynne Ramsay’s bad-seed Swinton starrer, We Need to Talk About Kevin). And whereas 2009 was credited as an exceptional year for female directors, one could argue that 2011 announced some excellent new global female filmmakers, with spectacular...
- 1/1/2012
- IONCINEMA.com
Release Date: Oct. 11, 2011
Price: DVD $24.99
Studio: Strand Releasing
Monica del Carmen and Gustavo Sanchez Parra take it to the next level in Leap Year.
The acclaimed 2010 erotic drama movie Leap Year from Mexico will heat up up any already steamy summer.
The film follows Laura (Monica del Carmen), a young journalist living an isolated life in a cramped Mexico City flat. Laura’s not lucky in love. The banality of her daily life stands in stark contrast to her nightly pursuit of sex and love, which result in a series of short-lived affairs.
One night, she meets brooding, would-be actor Arturo (Gustavo Sanchez Parra), and their sizzling chemistry ignites feelings in Laura that leave her deeply troubled. It doesn’t take too long for the pair to embark on an increasingly dangerous sadomasochistic relationship in which pleasure, pain and love merge. Uh-oh…
Directed and co-written by Michael Rowe, Leap Year...
Price: DVD $24.99
Studio: Strand Releasing
Monica del Carmen and Gustavo Sanchez Parra take it to the next level in Leap Year.
The acclaimed 2010 erotic drama movie Leap Year from Mexico will heat up up any already steamy summer.
The film follows Laura (Monica del Carmen), a young journalist living an isolated life in a cramped Mexico City flat. Laura’s not lucky in love. The banality of her daily life stands in stark contrast to her nightly pursuit of sex and love, which result in a series of short-lived affairs.
One night, she meets brooding, would-be actor Arturo (Gustavo Sanchez Parra), and their sizzling chemistry ignites feelings in Laura that leave her deeply troubled. It doesn’t take too long for the pair to embark on an increasingly dangerous sadomasochistic relationship in which pleasure, pain and love merge. Uh-oh…
Directed and co-written by Michael Rowe, Leap Year...
- 9/6/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Writers: Lucia Carreras, Michael Rowe
Director: Michael Rowe
Cast: Monica del Carmen, Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Armando Hernández
Loneliness may be the single worst thing a human being can feel. As humans, we strive for interaction between one another, be that lengthy conversations or the most brief of Facebook-style interchanges about the most banal of subjects. That very concept is at the root of the new film from first time filmmaker and Cannes Film Festival award winner (Camera d’Or, 2011), Michael Rowe. Entitled Ano Bisieto (or Leap Year as it is called stateside), this film festival hit is an intriguing study of isolation, both conceptually and creatively.
Read more on Theatrical Review: Leap Year...
Director: Michael Rowe
Cast: Monica del Carmen, Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Armando Hernández
Loneliness may be the single worst thing a human being can feel. As humans, we strive for interaction between one another, be that lengthy conversations or the most brief of Facebook-style interchanges about the most banal of subjects. That very concept is at the root of the new film from first time filmmaker and Cannes Film Festival award winner (Camera d’Or, 2011), Michael Rowe. Entitled Ano Bisieto (or Leap Year as it is called stateside), this film festival hit is an intriguing study of isolation, both conceptually and creatively.
Read more on Theatrical Review: Leap Year...
- 6/30/2011
- by Joshua Brunsting
- GordonandtheWhale
"Cars 2, directed (like several great Pixar films of the last two decades) by John Lasseter, finds itself in the unlucky position of the not-so-bright kid in a brilliant family," finds Slate's Dana Stevens. "No matter if his performance in school is comfortably average; he'll always be seen as a disappointment compared to his stellar siblings. There's nothing really objectionable about Cars 2, although parents of young children should be warned that a few evil vehicles meet violently inauspicious ends. It's sweet-spirited, visually delightful (if aurally cacophonous), and it will make for a pleasant enough family afternoon at the movies. But we've come to expect so much more than mere pleasantness from Pixar that Cars 2 feels almost like a betrayal."
Nick Schager for the Voice: "Pixar's Cars franchise takes a sharp turn from Nascar mayhem and rural red-state-targeted 50s nostalgia to 007 espionage with this upgraded sequel, though in its...
Nick Schager for the Voice: "Pixar's Cars franchise takes a sharp turn from Nascar mayhem and rural red-state-targeted 50s nostalgia to 007 espionage with this upgraded sequel, though in its...
- 6/25/2011
- MUBI
Winner of the Camera D’Or for Best First Feature at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, the bracing Mexican psychodrama Leap Year unfolds almost entirely in a dim, seedy one-room apartment that doubles as living space and state of mind. With equal debt owed to two mid-’70s touchstones—half to Last Tango In Paris, half to Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai Du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles—writer-director Michael Rowe patiently details the grinding routine of its 25-year-old occupant, Monica del Carmen, a freelance journalist by day and an insatiable nymphet by night. Adopting a long master-shot style similar to Mexico’s ...
- 6/23/2011
- avclub.com
Check out a brand new movie poster for the upcoming film “Leap Year” by Michael Rowe and starring Monica del Carmen, Gustavo Sanchez Parra, and Marco Zapata. Synopsis: Laura is 25 years old. She’s a journalist, she’s single and lives in a small apartment in Mexico City. After a series of short-lived affairs, Laura meets Arturo. After the first time they make love, she is left deeply unsettled. They embark on an intense and passionate sexual relationship, in which pleasure, pain and love merge. As days go by which Laura conscientiously crosses out in a calendar, her secret past resurfaces, pushing Arturo to the limit. Stay tuned to Shockya.com for...
- 6/22/2011
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Kate Gompert, the Ophelia character in David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, awakes in a psych ward after ingesting "a hundred-ten Parnate, about thirty Lithonate capsules, [and] some old Zoloft," and notes, "I took everything I had in the world.... I wasn't trying to hurt myself. I was trying to kill myself. There's a difference." Laura (Monica del Carmen), the focus of Michael Rowe's blistering Leap Year (Ano Bisiesto), seems to be heading along the same pathway.
read more...
read more...
- 6/12/2011
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
Since winning the prestigious Camera D'Or at Cannes last year, first-time director Michael Rowe's Ano Bisiesto (Leap Year) has been touring the festival circuit and drawing well-founded comparisons with Bernando Bertolucci's butter-smeared erotic classic Last Tango In Paris. I was lucky enough to catch the film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival earlier this year, and it's a powerful and at times disturbing portrait of a deeply troubled woman searching for gratification and love in all the wrong places. Monica del Carmen is fantastic in the lead, ably supported by the familiar intensity of Gustavo Sanchez Parra.The film is set for release in the Us later this year through Strand Releasing, who have offered us the opportunity to run their rather revealing new poster...
- 5/18/2011
- Screen Anarchy
The Arbor; Jackass 3; Alamar; Leap Year
I wrote previously in this column of the "subversion" of the documentary format by films as diverse as Catfish, I'm Still Here and Exit Through the Gift Shop, all of which provoked heated debate about authenticity versus artifice. Yet, adventurous as they may be, none of these titles come close to the generic redefinition of The Arbor (2010, Verve, 15), an extraordinarily impressive meditation upon the short life and troubled legacy of gifted playwright Andrea Dunbar. Indeed, whether this masterfully assured feature debut from director Clio Barnard even qualifies as a documentary at all remains a matter for debate, the strange mix of fact and fantasy being closer in tone (although not form) to the equally indefinable Waltz With Bashir.
At the centre of Barnard's mercurial film is a dramatic device which sounds like it shouldn't work at all: a series of intimate audio interviews with...
I wrote previously in this column of the "subversion" of the documentary format by films as diverse as Catfish, I'm Still Here and Exit Through the Gift Shop, all of which provoked heated debate about authenticity versus artifice. Yet, adventurous as they may be, none of these titles come close to the generic redefinition of The Arbor (2010, Verve, 15), an extraordinarily impressive meditation upon the short life and troubled legacy of gifted playwright Andrea Dunbar. Indeed, whether this masterfully assured feature debut from director Clio Barnard even qualifies as a documentary at all remains a matter for debate, the strange mix of fact and fantasy being closer in tone (although not form) to the equally indefinable Waltz With Bashir.
At the centre of Barnard's mercurial film is a dramatic device which sounds like it shouldn't work at all: a series of intimate audio interviews with...
- 3/13/2011
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
A depiction of intense loneliness and psycho-sexual torture - or experimentation - depending on which side of the fence you lay, Michael Rowe’s minimalist debut feature Leap Year (Año bisiesto, 2010) raises many a difficult question with regards to its seemingly complex gender politics.
It follows the life of Laura, played with vulnerable perfection by Monica Del Carmen, a lonely freelance journalist who lives alone in a small Mexican apartment. After a series of one night stands she meets and sleeps with Artur, played by Gustavo Sanchez Parra.
Their subsequent relationship grows increasingly violent, with Artur apparently forcing Laura into a chain of appalling, aggressive and demeaning sexual acts. Gradually, however, what initially appears to be a case of intense male dominance, it is Laura who then sets about forcing him into acting out even further acts of sexual violence, reaching a finale that I will not reveal for you here.
It follows the life of Laura, played with vulnerable perfection by Monica Del Carmen, a lonely freelance journalist who lives alone in a small Mexican apartment. After a series of one night stands she meets and sleeps with Artur, played by Gustavo Sanchez Parra.
Their subsequent relationship grows increasingly violent, with Artur apparently forcing Laura into a chain of appalling, aggressive and demeaning sexual acts. Gradually, however, what initially appears to be a case of intense male dominance, it is Laura who then sets about forcing him into acting out even further acts of sexual violence, reaching a finale that I will not reveal for you here.
- 2/28/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
Australian writer and director Michael Rowe’s 2010 Cannes Film Festival Camera D’Or winner for Best First Feature, Leap Year is a powerful, uncompromising sexual thriller following 29 days in the life of a lonely and disillusioned freelance business journalist.
The silent opening of the lead's solitary existence is a misleading beginning to what at first appears to be an 'inaction film'. Living alone in Mexico City, far away from family, Laura works from home and compulsively lies to family, friends and colleagues to reassure them of a fictitiously busy and happy lifestyle. In her imagined reality she has a lively social network that jars with what viewers are privy to – a life confined to her flat, living off microwave meals and sad acts of masturbation while watching her neighbours' mundane loving existence, interspersed with the occasional outing to find a sexual partner.
Crossing off the days leading up to a...
The silent opening of the lead's solitary existence is a misleading beginning to what at first appears to be an 'inaction film'. Living alone in Mexico City, far away from family, Laura works from home and compulsively lies to family, friends and colleagues to reassure them of a fictitiously busy and happy lifestyle. In her imagined reality she has a lively social network that jars with what viewers are privy to – a life confined to her flat, living off microwave meals and sad acts of masturbation while watching her neighbours' mundane loving existence, interspersed with the occasional outing to find a sexual partner.
Crossing off the days leading up to a...
- 12/5/2010
- Shadowlocked
Australian writer and director Michael Rowe’s 2010 Cannes Film Festival Camera D’Or winner for Best First Feature, Leap Year is a powerful, uncompromising sexual thriller following 29 days in the life of a lonely and disillusioned freelance business journalist.
The silent opening of the lead's solitary existence is a misleading beginning to what at first appears to be an 'inaction film'. Living alone in Mexico City, far away from family, Laura works from home and compulsively lies to family, friends and colleagues to reassure them of a fictitiously busy and happy lifestyle. In her imagined reality she has a lively social network that jars with what viewers are privy to – a life confined to her flat, living off microwave meals and sad acts of masturbation while watching her neighbours' mundane loving existence, interspersed with the occasional outing to find a sexual partner.
Crossing off the days leading up to a...
The silent opening of the lead's solitary existence is a misleading beginning to what at first appears to be an 'inaction film'. Living alone in Mexico City, far away from family, Laura works from home and compulsively lies to family, friends and colleagues to reassure them of a fictitiously busy and happy lifestyle. In her imagined reality she has a lively social network that jars with what viewers are privy to – a life confined to her flat, living off microwave meals and sad acts of masturbation while watching her neighbours' mundane loving existence, interspersed with the occasional outing to find a sexual partner.
Crossing off the days leading up to a...
- 12/5/2010
- Shadowlocked
Australian writer and director Michael Rowe’s 2010 Cannes Film Festival Camera D’Or winner for Best First Feature, Leap Year is a powerful, uncompromising sexual thriller following 29 days in the life of a lonely and disillusioned freelance business journalist.
The silent opening of the lead's solitary existence is a misleading beginning to what at first appears to be an 'inaction film'. Living alone in Mexico City, far away from family, Laura works from home and compulsively lies to family, friends and colleagues to reassure them of a fictitiously busy and happy lifestyle. In her imagined reality she has a lively social network that jars with what viewers are privy to – a life confined to her flat, living off microwave meals and sad acts of masturbation while watching her neighbours' mundane loving existence, interspersed with the occasional outing to find a sexual partner.
Crossing off the days leading up to a...
The silent opening of the lead's solitary existence is a misleading beginning to what at first appears to be an 'inaction film'. Living alone in Mexico City, far away from family, Laura works from home and compulsively lies to family, friends and colleagues to reassure them of a fictitiously busy and happy lifestyle. In her imagined reality she has a lively social network that jars with what viewers are privy to – a life confined to her flat, living off microwave meals and sad acts of masturbation while watching her neighbours' mundane loving existence, interspersed with the occasional outing to find a sexual partner.
Crossing off the days leading up to a...
- 12/5/2010
- Shadowlocked
Australian writer and director Michael Rowe’s 2010 Cannes Film Festival Camera D’Or winner for Best First Feature, Leap Year is a powerful, uncompromising sexual thriller following 29 days in the life of a lonely and disillusioned freelance business journalist.
The silent opening of the lead's solitary existence is a misleading beginning to what at first appears to be an 'inaction film'. Living alone in Mexico City, far away from family, Laura works from home and compulsively lies to family, friends and colleagues to reassure them of a fictitiously busy and happy lifestyle. In her imagined reality she has a lively social network that jars with what viewers are privy to – a life confined to her flat, living off microwave meals and sad acts of masturbation while watching her neighbours' mundane loving existence, interspersed with the occasional outing to find a sexual partner.
Crossing off the days leading up to a...
The silent opening of the lead's solitary existence is a misleading beginning to what at first appears to be an 'inaction film'. Living alone in Mexico City, far away from family, Laura works from home and compulsively lies to family, friends and colleagues to reassure them of a fictitiously busy and happy lifestyle. In her imagined reality she has a lively social network that jars with what viewers are privy to – a life confined to her flat, living off microwave meals and sad acts of masturbation while watching her neighbours' mundane loving existence, interspersed with the occasional outing to find a sexual partner.
Crossing off the days leading up to a...
- 12/5/2010
- Shadowlocked
Michael Rowe's Leap Year is an exercise in minimalism and intense character portrayal, that while compelling is let down by the flaw in its own logic.
This style of film could have been filmed anywhere and been about anyone. It is a slow burn that gives the loner persona a disturbing refresh, but drags its heels and the effect wears off, particularly due to the unbelievable plot.
Laura (Monica del Carmen) is the mostly quiet, troubled protagonist. The film opens with her shopping in a brightly lit aisle. Her grocery choices reflect her as an individual, instant meals for one, as she checks out she glances at a male shopper; longing in her eyes.
She goes home, performs many menial laborious tasks. She drifts through her tiny apartment. She stares out her window; a seemingly normal couple in the next building across become her objects of desire. Days pass,...
This style of film could have been filmed anywhere and been about anyone. It is a slow burn that gives the loner persona a disturbing refresh, but drags its heels and the effect wears off, particularly due to the unbelievable plot.
Laura (Monica del Carmen) is the mostly quiet, troubled protagonist. The film opens with her shopping in a brightly lit aisle. Her grocery choices reflect her as an individual, instant meals for one, as she checks out she glances at a male shopper; longing in her eyes.
She goes home, performs many menial laborious tasks. She drifts through her tiny apartment. She stares out her window; a seemingly normal couple in the next building across become her objects of desire. Days pass,...
- 11/28/2010
- Screen Anarchy
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