Sovereign is proud to announce that award-winning Mexican director Amat Escalante’s powerful thriller Lost In The Night received its UK premiere at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival, as part of the ‘Thrill’ section, and now the film is available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
From acclaimed Mexican director Amat Escalante, following Heli, for which he won Best Director at Cannes in 2013, and The Untamed, which won him the Best Director prize at Venice in 2016, comes Lost In The Night, a taut, engrossing thriller that blends traditional elements of Latin American cinema with astute social commentary on Mexican society and contemporary influencer culture.
The film, which premiered at Cannes this year, stars Juan Daniel García Treviño (Narcos México), and Latin American influencer superstar Ester Expósito, who has 27 million followers, and features a superb score by Stranger Things composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein.
The film...
From acclaimed Mexican director Amat Escalante, following Heli, for which he won Best Director at Cannes in 2013, and The Untamed, which won him the Best Director prize at Venice in 2016, comes Lost In The Night, a taut, engrossing thriller that blends traditional elements of Latin American cinema with astute social commentary on Mexican society and contemporary influencer culture.
The film, which premiered at Cannes this year, stars Juan Daniel García Treviño (Narcos México), and Latin American influencer superstar Ester Expósito, who has 27 million followers, and features a superb score by Stranger Things composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein.
The film...
- 4/11/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Exclusive: 3Point0 Labs has followed up recent strategic moves by signing In the Summers co-producer Luz Films.
Headed by Sergio Lira, Lynette Coll and Cristobal Güell, Luz was created with a mission to make Latino-focused prestige and elevated-genre content from diverse creatives and producers in the film and TV space. Its debut film, In the Summers, was a prize winner at Sundance earlier this year.
“Sergio, Lynette, and Cristobal bring such an authentic desire to foster family and community in everything they do,” said Andrew Cutrow, Chief Business Officer and Head of the Entertainment division of 3Point0 Labs. “They bring a vision that is so core to 3Point0’s mission to build communities and infrastructure globally. Luz is a rocket ship and we are so humbled to be a part of their growth as they take off.”
As we revealed at the time, Luz Films launched in January with former...
Headed by Sergio Lira, Lynette Coll and Cristobal Güell, Luz was created with a mission to make Latino-focused prestige and elevated-genre content from diverse creatives and producers in the film and TV space. Its debut film, In the Summers, was a prize winner at Sundance earlier this year.
“Sergio, Lynette, and Cristobal bring such an authentic desire to foster family and community in everything they do,” said Andrew Cutrow, Chief Business Officer and Head of the Entertainment division of 3Point0 Labs. “They bring a vision that is so core to 3Point0’s mission to build communities and infrastructure globally. Luz is a rocket ship and we are so humbled to be a part of their growth as they take off.”
As we revealed at the time, Luz Films launched in January with former...
- 4/2/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
And the Razzie Goes to . . .
As much as we hate to give Razzies any sort of promotion, The Criterion Channel has a new series to show just how wrong the execrable organization has been over the past decades. Launching today, they are spotlighting comedic gems like Tom Green’s Freddy Got Fingered, Elaine May’s Ishtar, and Neil Labute’s The Wicker Man, alongside Cruising, Heaven’s Gate, Xanadu, Querelle, Under the Cherry Moon, Cocktail, Showgirls, Barb Wire, The Blair Witch Project, Swept Away and Gigli.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score.
And the Razzie Goes to . . .
As much as we hate to give Razzies any sort of promotion, The Criterion Channel has a new series to show just how wrong the execrable organization has been over the past decades. Launching today, they are spotlighting comedic gems like Tom Green’s Freddy Got Fingered, Elaine May’s Ishtar, and Neil Labute’s The Wicker Man, alongside Cruising, Heaven’s Gate, Xanadu, Querelle, Under the Cherry Moon, Cocktail, Showgirls, Barb Wire, The Blair Witch Project, Swept Away and Gigli.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score.
- 3/1/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Manager Zac Frognowski, who spent the last 10 years at Grandview, most recently as partner, has joined Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
In his move to Brillstein, Frognowski will be retaining major clients such as Mattson Tomlin (The Batman Pt II), Academy Award nominee Zach Baylin (King Richard), Tony winner Matthew López (Red White & Royal Blue), Jonathan Entwistle (upcoming Karate Kid), Lucy Tcherniak (Station Eleven), Matt Ruskin (Boston Strangler), Leah Rachel (Chambers), Francisca Alegria (upcoming The House of the Spirits) and Randy McKinnon (The Prophecy).
“We are thrilled that Zac has chosen to join us as his career evolves,” said Jon Liebman and Cynthia Pett, Brillstein’s Co-CEO’s. “It’s an understatement to say that Zac is highly intelligent, deeply passionate, and beyond tenacious in his commitment to his clients.”
Frognowski had been at Grandview since the company’s launch in May 2014. Starting as an assistant, he was promoted to manager...
In his move to Brillstein, Frognowski will be retaining major clients such as Mattson Tomlin (The Batman Pt II), Academy Award nominee Zach Baylin (King Richard), Tony winner Matthew López (Red White & Royal Blue), Jonathan Entwistle (upcoming Karate Kid), Lucy Tcherniak (Station Eleven), Matt Ruskin (Boston Strangler), Leah Rachel (Chambers), Francisca Alegria (upcoming The House of the Spirits) and Randy McKinnon (The Prophecy).
“We are thrilled that Zac has chosen to join us as his career evolves,” said Jon Liebman and Cynthia Pett, Brillstein’s Co-CEO’s. “It’s an understatement to say that Zac is highly intelligent, deeply passionate, and beyond tenacious in his commitment to his clients.”
Frognowski had been at Grandview since the company’s launch in May 2014. Starting as an assistant, he was promoted to manager...
- 1/16/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Sergio Lira, Lynette Coll and Cristobal Güell are launching Luz Films, a newly formed entertainment company founded with the mission of making Latino-focused prestige and elevated-genre content from diverse visionary creatives and producers in the film and TV space.
Lira and Coll will serve as co-CEOs while Guell will serve as CFO.
Through a collaborative community spirit, Luz Films will produce and co-finance projects from the Latino perspective for U.S. and global audiences. The company believes in mentoring and supporting projects from debut filmmakers and connecting them with veteran Latino creatives who can collaborate with these new voices behind the camera and on-screen.
‘While Latinos are one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States, representation for storytellers in the community lags behind other demographics,” the trio shared in an exclusive statement to Deadline. “Luz Films, named with purpose, embodies ‘light.’ Our mission is to illuminate opportunities. We...
Lira and Coll will serve as co-CEOs while Guell will serve as CFO.
Through a collaborative community spirit, Luz Films will produce and co-finance projects from the Latino perspective for U.S. and global audiences. The company believes in mentoring and supporting projects from debut filmmakers and connecting them with veteran Latino creatives who can collaborate with these new voices behind the camera and on-screen.
‘While Latinos are one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States, representation for storytellers in the community lags behind other demographics,” the trio shared in an exclusive statement to Deadline. “Luz Films, named with purpose, embodies ‘light.’ Our mission is to illuminate opportunities. We...
- 1/12/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Management and production company 2Am is bolstering its finance and sales division with the hire of former Sundance Catalyst executive Julia Nelson.
Nelson will report to former WME & Endeavor Content exec Christine D’Souza Gelb who oversees the sales arm of 2Am.
2Am will be launching sales on two titles at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival: Sam and Andy Zuchero’s Love Me starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun, and produced by 2Am, ShivHans, and AgX; and Haley Elizabeth Anderson’s Tendaberry, produced by Dweck and Flies Collective. 2Am is co-repping worldwide rights on both projects with WME, where the filmmakers are also represented.
The company, which is a producer on Celine Song’s Golden Globe nominee Past Lives, has previously repped Sing J. Lee’s Accidental Getaway Driver, Andrew Semans’ Resurrection, and Christopher Makoto Yogi’s I Was A Simple Man.
Nelson joins the company after six years at...
Nelson will report to former WME & Endeavor Content exec Christine D’Souza Gelb who oversees the sales arm of 2Am.
2Am will be launching sales on two titles at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival: Sam and Andy Zuchero’s Love Me starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun, and produced by 2Am, ShivHans, and AgX; and Haley Elizabeth Anderson’s Tendaberry, produced by Dweck and Flies Collective. 2Am is co-repping worldwide rights on both projects with WME, where the filmmakers are also represented.
The company, which is a producer on Celine Song’s Golden Globe nominee Past Lives, has previously repped Sing J. Lee’s Accidental Getaway Driver, Andrew Semans’ Resurrection, and Christopher Makoto Yogi’s I Was A Simple Man.
Nelson joins the company after six years at...
- 12/15/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman and Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Above: first US teaser poster for Poor Things. Design by Vasilis Marmatakis.I don’t know whether it’s because of the power of Yorgos Lanthimos, or the popularity of Emma Stone, or the sheer genius of designer Vasilis Marmatakis, or a combination of all of them, but three out of the four most liked posters on my Movie Poster of the Day Instagram over the past six months have all been posters for Lanthimos’s latest, Poor Things. The teaser above is now the most liked poster ever on my feed.Breaking up the Poor Things monopoly at number two is Polish designer Maks Bereski’s fan-art design for Ridley Scott’s yet-to-be-released Napoleon, which also went through the roof with over 4,000 likes when I posted it in June in conjunction with my article on Bereski and his favorite movie posters. Instagram likes are a fickle thing but it...
- 10/12/2023
- MUBI
Chile’s at it again. Since’s Andrés Wood’s breakout “Machuca” in 2004, Chilean filmmakers, led by Pablo Larraín, Sebastián Lelio and now Maite Alberdi, have punched consistently above the country’s weight, consistently winning plaudits at Sundance, Berlin and Cannes. Chile has also won three Oscars – for Claudio Miranda’s cinematography on 2012’s “Life of Pi,” 2015’s animated short “Bear Story” and Lelio’s 2017’s fiction feature “A Fantastic Woman” – more any other South American country apart from Argentina.
First half 2023 has proved no exception in Chile’s statue trawl. Some of the awards on offer are among the biggest out: Alberdi’s “The Eternal Memory,” from Fabula, scooped Sundance’s World Cinema Grand Prize; Andrés Wood’s “News of a Kidnapping” walked off with best series at the Platino Awards, the Spanish-speaking world’s nearest kudos fest to the Oscars.
In all, according to a CinemaChile study released during Sanfic,...
First half 2023 has proved no exception in Chile’s statue trawl. Some of the awards on offer are among the biggest out: Alberdi’s “The Eternal Memory,” from Fabula, scooped Sundance’s World Cinema Grand Prize; Andrés Wood’s “News of a Kidnapping” walked off with best series at the Platino Awards, the Spanish-speaking world’s nearest kudos fest to the Oscars.
In all, according to a CinemaChile study released during Sanfic,...
- 8/24/2023
- by John Hopewell, Anna Marie de la Fuente and Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
Chile’s Francisca Alegria, whose debut feature “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” premiered at Sundance 2022, is launching a Latinx production company called Madre, with offices based in Chile, Uruguay and the U.S.
Together with her partners Fernanda Urrejola, Gabriela Rosés and Cristóbal Güell, Alegria said: “We firmly believe that stories have the ability to shape perspectives, challenge norms, and inspire action. With this in mind, we strive to select projects that not only entertain but also provoke thought and spark meaningful conversations.”
Recognizing that “representation matters,” the company intends to showcase Latinx culture “beyond surface-level diversity” stating: “We aim to portray the complexities, nuances, and rich tapestry of our community, shedding light on the multifaceted experiences and identities that often go unseen or are misunderstood.”
The new company is working on a fantasy feature set in Chile with Latinx producers Sergio Lira and Lynette Coll atLuz Films and “The Cow…...
Together with her partners Fernanda Urrejola, Gabriela Rosés and Cristóbal Güell, Alegria said: “We firmly believe that stories have the ability to shape perspectives, challenge norms, and inspire action. With this in mind, we strive to select projects that not only entertain but also provoke thought and spark meaningful conversations.”
Recognizing that “representation matters,” the company intends to showcase Latinx culture “beyond surface-level diversity” stating: “We aim to portray the complexities, nuances, and rich tapestry of our community, shedding light on the multifaceted experiences and identities that often go unseen or are misunderstood.”
The new company is working on a fantasy feature set in Chile with Latinx producers Sergio Lira and Lynette Coll atLuz Films and “The Cow…...
- 8/18/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Babylon (Damien Chazelle)
Those seeking an insightful exploration of cinema history in Hollywood’s Golden Age or a nuanced, affecting character study on the lives within this early era will mostly like be disappointed by Damien Chazelle’s latest. Babylon is a brash, bombastic, unwieldy comic opera conveyed with enough bad taste and directorial panache that it—refreshingly—registers as a refutation of the well-mannered prestige drama to which these kinds of nostalgic odes often conform. And while there’s a touch of wistfulness in regards to the communal power of big-screen cinema, the film is more defined by an acidic unsentimentality, both when it comes to its characters and the precarious world they inhabit. Capturing the mad, violent clash of high...
Babylon (Damien Chazelle)
Those seeking an insightful exploration of cinema history in Hollywood’s Golden Age or a nuanced, affecting character study on the lives within this early era will mostly like be disappointed by Damien Chazelle’s latest. Babylon is a brash, bombastic, unwieldy comic opera conveyed with enough bad taste and directorial panache that it—refreshingly—registers as a refutation of the well-mannered prestige drama to which these kinds of nostalgic odes often conform. And while there’s a touch of wistfulness in regards to the communal power of big-screen cinema, the film is more defined by an acidic unsentimentality, both when it comes to its characters and the precarious world they inhabit. Capturing the mad, violent clash of high...
- 7/21/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
As Sanctuary, Zachary Wigon’s twisted tale of a dominatrix and her wealthy client, opens in NY and LA, David Lancaster of producer Rumble Films recalls a speedy 18-day shoot on a custom-made set in Brownsville, Brooklyn in late summer of 2021. It was Covid, so not the easiest time for indie financing.
It world premiered in Toronto, Neon picked it up. Rumble is pretty prolific with projects including Whiplash, Night Crawler, Eye In The Sky, Drive and Donnybrook. It lost one project to a lack of pandemic insurance and more recently saw another fall away since it wouldn’t have been finished shooting by the end of June – when actor and director contracts expires and they could potentially be on strike alongside writers. “It’s a tricky world,” he said.
He’s in Cannes with eOne horror thriller Visitation by Nicolas Pesce starring Olivie Cooke and Isla Johnston that finished...
It world premiered in Toronto, Neon picked it up. Rumble is pretty prolific with projects including Whiplash, Night Crawler, Eye In The Sky, Drive and Donnybrook. It lost one project to a lack of pandemic insurance and more recently saw another fall away since it wouldn’t have been finished shooting by the end of June – when actor and director contracts expires and they could potentially be on strike alongside writers. “It’s a tricky world,” he said.
He’s in Cannes with eOne horror thriller Visitation by Nicolas Pesce starring Olivie Cooke and Isla Johnston that finished...
- 5/19/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Hundreds of fish lie dead on a riverbed. A lone (lonely?) cow ambles around late at night in a forest. A flock of birds fly in discordant unison up above. The arresting images of nature gone awry in Francisca Alegría’s “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” are but the first clues that this rural-set Chilean feature has a distinct ecological interest. This hypnotic tale about how hard it can be to heal earthly and familial wounds marks a singular feature debut from the director of 2016 short “And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye.”
Aptly matching its dizzying and obfuscating title, the film opens with a premise that owes much to Latin America’s most treasured literary genre: magical realism. A young woman, with a motorcycle helmet in tow, emerges from the river where she presumably committed suicide decades ago. She washes ashore only slightly disoriented,...
Aptly matching its dizzying and obfuscating title, the film opens with a premise that owes much to Latin America’s most treasured literary genre: magical realism. A young woman, with a motorcycle helmet in tow, emerges from the river where she presumably committed suicide decades ago. She washes ashore only slightly disoriented,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Manuel Betancourt
- Variety Film + TV
Cows might be one of the few animals whose 'wild' version no longer exists; now bred solely in domestication, they represent how humans have forcibly adapted the natural world for our wants, without regard to the consequences. But now the consequences have come back to haunt us, with a vengeance. It is this combination of haunting and vengeance that creates the surreal and magic realist atmosphere of The Cow Who Sang the Song into the Future, Francisca Alegría's feature film debut, an eco-thriller that asks us to listen to the earth and its 'lower' inhabitants, their song both mournful and angry. Run-off from a pulp mill is causing massive damage to a vital river in central Chile; so much so, that fish by the hundreds...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 5/17/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Francisca Alegría’s The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future is an object lesson in what can result when a work of art subordinates itself to a message. And in this case, that the message of ecological redemption feels too little too late makes the film’s failure to give it resonance all the more frustrating. Between its half-realized characters, unresolved plotlines, and perfunctory stab at magical realism, it’s hard to take this story as seriously as it takes itself.
Set in present-day rural Chile, the film opens with Magdalena (Mía Maestro) washing up on the banks of a river alongside the bodies of countless fish. The woman, it turns out, drowned decades earlier after driving her motorcycle into the water. Having aged not a day since the accident—or was it suicide?—she wanders into the village where she used to live. And it’s there that Magdalena’s former husband,...
Set in present-day rural Chile, the film opens with Magdalena (Mía Maestro) washing up on the banks of a river alongside the bodies of countless fish. The woman, it turns out, drowned decades earlier after driving her motorcycle into the water. Having aged not a day since the accident—or was it suicide?—she wanders into the village where she used to live. And it’s there that Magdalena’s former husband,...
- 5/15/2023
- by William Repass
- Slant Magazine
Leonor Varela with Anne-Katrin Titze on The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future: “For me the stories that came to mind to build my character had to do with familiar echoes in the disconnect …”
Francisca Alegría’s The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future (La Vaca Que Cantó Una Canción Hacia El Futuro), co-written with Fernanda Urrejola, Manuela Infante and shot by Inti Briones, stars Leonor Varela with Mia Maestro, Alfredo Castro, Marcial Tagle, Enzo Ferrada Rosati, Laura Del Rio Rios, María Velasquez, and 2222, the cow.
Leonor Varela as Cecilia with a calf: “it’s so sad, they’re separated from their mother very early on, but their instinct is to suck.” Photo: Inti Briones
In recent years, a number of outstanding films brought to the forefront an issue society at large is all too willing to ignore, namely the treatment of farm animals and...
Francisca Alegría’s The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future (La Vaca Que Cantó Una Canción Hacia El Futuro), co-written with Fernanda Urrejola, Manuela Infante and shot by Inti Briones, stars Leonor Varela with Mia Maestro, Alfredo Castro, Marcial Tagle, Enzo Ferrada Rosati, Laura Del Rio Rios, María Velasquez, and 2222, the cow.
Leonor Varela as Cecilia with a calf: “it’s so sad, they’re separated from their mother very early on, but their instinct is to suck.” Photo: Inti Briones
In recent years, a number of outstanding films brought to the forefront an issue society at large is all too willing to ignore, namely the treatment of farm animals and...
- 5/14/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
“I always imagined this moment.” Amidst the bodies of dead fish succumbing to pollution caused by deadly chemicals from a nearby factory rises Magdalena. Magdalena (Mía Maestro), long-deceased, brings with her not only the shock of resurrection, but old wounds and a litany of family secrets, setting the stage for “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future,” the feature-length debut from young Chilean director Francisca Alegría.
Continue reading ‘The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future’ Trailer: Francisca Alegría’s Haunting Ecological Fairy Tale Hits Theaters On May 19 at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future’ Trailer: Francisca Alegría’s Haunting Ecological Fairy Tale Hits Theaters On May 19 at The Playlist.
- 5/12/2023
- by Rosa Martinez
- The Playlist
If you’ve perused our summer movie preview you may already have a sense of what films to keep on your radar this month, but it’s time to dig deeper into May. While much of our attention will be on the Cannes Film Festival, plenty of worthwhile offerings arrive stateside.
15. The Starling Girl (Laurel Parmet; May 12)
After breaking out in Babyteeth and Little Women, Eliza Scanlen finds an impressive new starring role with The Starling Girl. Michael Frank said in his review, “Scanlen shines as Starling, playing someone much younger than herself. She brings an assurance to the role. We belive in Jem. She’s naive-yet-overconfident, isolated-yet-connected, carefree-yet-shackled by a system designed to believe the word of men much older than her. Scanlen shows all of that and more. Her performance grounds a film that risks blending together with preceding pictures, raising it above any average trappings.”
14. L’immensita (Emanuele Crialese...
15. The Starling Girl (Laurel Parmet; May 12)
After breaking out in Babyteeth and Little Women, Eliza Scanlen finds an impressive new starring role with The Starling Girl. Michael Frank said in his review, “Scanlen shines as Starling, playing someone much younger than herself. She brings an assurance to the role. We belive in Jem. She’s naive-yet-overconfident, isolated-yet-connected, carefree-yet-shackled by a system designed to believe the word of men much older than her. Scanlen shows all of that and more. Her performance grounds a film that risks blending together with preceding pictures, raising it above any average trappings.”
14. L’immensita (Emanuele Crialese...
- 5/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
We had some formidable directorial debuts stretching across the Croisette this past May. At the Critics’ Week, we had Charlotte Wells’ gem Aftersun, in the Un Certain Regard section we had the film within a film drama Les Pires by Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret claims the section’s highest prize, and in Directors’ Fortnight sidebar, we had the actress turned director Manuela Martelli confidently look into Chile’s murky past with a debut that oozes in quality. The extremely accomplished Chile ’76 (the festival title was simply 1976) adds Maretelli’s name to the new wave of voices of Chilean cinema that includes the likes of Francisca Alegría, Fernando Guzzoni and Maite Alberdi.…...
- 5/1/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Chilean director Francisca Alegría weaves together singing cows and family trauma in this thoughtful magical realist fable with an environmental message
First-time Chilean director Francisca Alegría turns up the arthouse dial past eleven right from the name of her debut feature. The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future is a conspicuously poetic title that gives every impression that we’re in for a hardcore cine-patience tester. I have to admit that it made my heart sink. But while, yes, Tcwssf is a dreamy magical realist fable with an environmental message, Alegría weaves into her tale an emotionally satisfying, gripping family drama, with singing cows – and fish too.
It begins with the fish, dying by the shoal-load on the banks of a river, poisoned by pollution from a nearby factory. As the fish die, a woman gasps to the surface of the water. This is Magdalena (Mía Maestro), who drowned herself decades ago.
First-time Chilean director Francisca Alegría turns up the arthouse dial past eleven right from the name of her debut feature. The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future is a conspicuously poetic title that gives every impression that we’re in for a hardcore cine-patience tester. I have to admit that it made my heart sink. But while, yes, Tcwssf is a dreamy magical realist fable with an environmental message, Alegría weaves into her tale an emotionally satisfying, gripping family drama, with singing cows – and fish too.
It begins with the fish, dying by the shoal-load on the banks of a river, poisoned by pollution from a nearby factory. As the fish die, a woman gasps to the surface of the water. This is Magdalena (Mía Maestro), who drowned herself decades ago.
- 3/20/2023
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
The Sundance Institute announced the eight participants selected for the fifth annual Momentum Fellowship with names such as Charlotte Wells, Nikyatu Jusu and Francisca Alegria among the selected pack of eight. The program is designed to support and provide coaching to mid-career artists with a focus on career development during a pivotal moment in their creative practice. The 2023 Momentum Fellows are:
Francisca Alegria is an award-winning filmmaker who’s short film And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye received the award for Best International Fiction Short at Sundance Film Festival. Her debut feature The Cow Who Sang A Song Into the Future premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2022 and was supported by the 2017 Sundance Institute Screenwriters and Directors Lab along with the Catalyst Forum.…...
Francisca Alegria is an award-winning filmmaker who’s short film And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye received the award for Best International Fiction Short at Sundance Film Festival. Her debut feature The Cow Who Sang A Song Into the Future premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2022 and was supported by the 2017 Sundance Institute Screenwriters and Directors Lab along with the Catalyst Forum.…...
- 3/2/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Eight Fellows to receive year-round support.
Aftersun director Charlotte Wells and Huesera director Michelle Garza are among the eight participants selected for the Sundance Institute’s fifth annual Momentum Fellowship.
The initiative supports and provides coaching to mid-career artists from historically marginalised communities and is aimed at talent who have recently achieved a noteworthy accomplishment like an acclaimed feature or series.
The 2023 Momentum Fellows are: Francisca Alegria (whose debut feature The Cow Who Sang A Song Into the Future premiered at Sundance 2022); Rita Baghdadi (Sirens premiered at Sundance 2022 and and won the Outfest grand jury prize); Mexico’s Michelle Garza...
Aftersun director Charlotte Wells and Huesera director Michelle Garza are among the eight participants selected for the Sundance Institute’s fifth annual Momentum Fellowship.
The initiative supports and provides coaching to mid-career artists from historically marginalised communities and is aimed at talent who have recently achieved a noteworthy accomplishment like an acclaimed feature or series.
The 2023 Momentum Fellows are: Francisca Alegria (whose debut feature The Cow Who Sang A Song Into the Future premiered at Sundance 2022); Rita Baghdadi (Sirens premiered at Sundance 2022 and and won the Outfest grand jury prize); Mexico’s Michelle Garza...
- 3/2/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sundance Institute announced the eight participating filmmakers selected for the fifth annual Momentum Fellowship, a program “designed to support and provided coaching to midcareer artists with a focus on career development during a pivotal moment in their creative practice.”
The program was designed to support storytellers from historically marginalized communities and filmmakers that have “recently achieved a noteworthy accomplishment” (like a TV show or movie). The Momentum Fellowship provides each artist with a ”full-year program of deep, customized support around the goals they have identified for themselves to level up in their craft and career.” The Momentum Fellowship is a program of Women at Sundance with support from Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
Among the Momentum Fellows are “Aftersun” director Charlotte Wells and “Nanny” filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu.
“The most ingenious part of Momentum is its timing at this precarious point in our careers as we all consider our futures beyond the first film.
The program was designed to support storytellers from historically marginalized communities and filmmakers that have “recently achieved a noteworthy accomplishment” (like a TV show or movie). The Momentum Fellowship provides each artist with a ”full-year program of deep, customized support around the goals they have identified for themselves to level up in their craft and career.” The Momentum Fellowship is a program of Women at Sundance with support from Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
Among the Momentum Fellows are “Aftersun” director Charlotte Wells and “Nanny” filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu.
“The most ingenious part of Momentum is its timing at this precarious point in our careers as we all consider our futures beyond the first film.
- 3/2/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Sundance Institute on Thursday announced the eight participants selected for the fifth annual Momentum Fellowship, a program at the nonprofit designed to support and provide coaching to mid-career artists with a focus on career development.
Created to support storytellers from historically marginalized communities who have recently achieved a noteworthy accomplishment, such as a regarded feature film or series, Momentum provides fellows with a full-year program of deep, customized support around the goals they have identified for themselves to level up in their craft and career. The fellowship is a program of Women at Sundance with support from Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
The Momentum Fellowship includes an unrestricted artist grant; professional coaching offered by Renee Freedman & Company, supported by The Harnisch Foundation; connection to Elevate, Sundance’s professional development initiative; and bespoke year-round support from Sundance Institute staff. Additionally, as part of an ongoing partnership with Universal’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion team,...
Created to support storytellers from historically marginalized communities who have recently achieved a noteworthy accomplishment, such as a regarded feature film or series, Momentum provides fellows with a full-year program of deep, customized support around the goals they have identified for themselves to level up in their craft and career. The fellowship is a program of Women at Sundance with support from Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
The Momentum Fellowship includes an unrestricted artist grant; professional coaching offered by Renee Freedman & Company, supported by The Harnisch Foundation; connection to Elevate, Sundance’s professional development initiative; and bespoke year-round support from Sundance Institute staff. Additionally, as part of an ongoing partnership with Universal’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion team,...
- 3/2/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the most striking directorial debuts to come out Sundance Film Festival last year, Francisca Alegría’s gorgeously haunting The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future takes a mysterious journey of magical realism through Chile. Revisiting themes from her short And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye, the film centers on the long-deceased Magdalena (Mia Maestro), who appears from the water, bringing with her old wounds and a wave of family secrets. Her daughter Cecilia (Leonor Varela) returns home to the family’s dairy farm with her own children, as they reconcile this strange occurrence in a bid for healing. Ahead of a release beginning on May 19 in New York City, we’re pleased to exclusively debut the U.S. trailer from Kino Lorber.
Michael Frank said in his review, “Chilean filmmaker Francisca Alegria’s The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future...
Michael Frank said in his review, “Chilean filmmaker Francisca Alegria’s The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future...
- 3/2/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Buenos Aires — Tinta Oscura winner Juan Bernardo Sánchez Mejía, Netflix awardee “Convince Me,” Argentine art film “León,” animated series “Choco” and the Shudder-coproduced “When Evil Lurks” walked off with some of the biggest prizes on Dec. 2 at a multitudinous Ventana Sur prize ceremony whose whooped applause at each and every winner attested also to the youth of Latin America’s film and TV industries.
The 47 allotted prizes also underscore just how broadly Ventana Sur has diversified from its art pic base into a building gamut of carefully targeted growth sectors for Latin America. Following, a breakdown of prize highlights in a fast-paced ceremony – winners basically made it to the stage for a just a photo – which still lasted the best of two hours.
Tinta Oscura: ‘Warrior’ Supercharged by Ventana Sur Jackpot
The big one. A 25,000 cash prize – a record for Ventana Sur – for the winning screenwriter, backed by Guadalajara’s Agavia Studios,...
The 47 allotted prizes also underscore just how broadly Ventana Sur has diversified from its art pic base into a building gamut of carefully targeted growth sectors for Latin America. Following, a breakdown of prize highlights in a fast-paced ceremony – winners basically made it to the stage for a just a photo – which still lasted the best of two hours.
Tinta Oscura: ‘Warrior’ Supercharged by Ventana Sur Jackpot
The big one. A 25,000 cash prize – a record for Ventana Sur – for the winning screenwriter, backed by Guadalajara’s Agavia Studios,...
- 12/3/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Buenos Aires — Galvanised by backing from Netflix, BBC Studios and Flixxo, the presence of top regional producers – Fabula, Kapow, Pampa Films – power panels, a spread of project from Buenos Aires City, SoloSerieS, Ventana Sur’s TV strand looks in 2022 to have come of age.
That’s hardly surprising. Latin America is a key market for platforms, including Netflix, which looks set to try to reach out to broader cross-section of Argentine producers at two presentations on Thursday, headed by Belén Piñeiro, manager & content, legal, Latin America, and Francisco Ramos, VP of content, Netflix.
The diaspora of on-the-rise filmmakers into TV continues, Chile’s multi-prized cineastes Dominga Sotomayor and Francisca Alegría and Dominican Yanillys Pérez presenting their first TV projects at SoloSeries.
Women make much of the running, packing all five berths in Netflix’s strand and half of the projects competing for two BBC Studios mentorships. Short format series, in contrast,...
That’s hardly surprising. Latin America is a key market for platforms, including Netflix, which looks set to try to reach out to broader cross-section of Argentine producers at two presentations on Thursday, headed by Belén Piñeiro, manager & content, legal, Latin America, and Francisco Ramos, VP of content, Netflix.
The diaspora of on-the-rise filmmakers into TV continues, Chile’s multi-prized cineastes Dominga Sotomayor and Francisca Alegría and Dominican Yanillys Pérez presenting their first TV projects at SoloSeries.
Women make much of the running, packing all five berths in Netflix’s strand and half of the projects competing for two BBC Studios mentorships. Short format series, in contrast,...
- 11/30/2022
- by John Hopewell, Pablo Sandoval and Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
Buenos Aires — Online in 2020, and sporting a boutique on-site edition in 2021, Ventana Sur, Latin America’s biggest film-tv market, is roaring back, attendance levels, especially from delegates outside Argentina, looking set to break all time records.
“With all the sales companies, distributors and platforms coming back, it’s really great to find the same dynamism as in 2019,” Jérôme Paillard, Ventana Sur co-director, commented a week out from this year’s 13th edition, running Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.
In some ways, in fact, there may be more. 10 takes on this year’s event, backed by the Cannes Festival, Market and Argentina’s Incaa film-tv agency:
Ventana Sur Xxl
Three stats nail this year’s Ventana Sur. Delegates from outside Argentina had near doubled by Sunday, say organisers. Led by Primer Corte & Copia Final, Proyecta, Animation!, Blood Window, Punto Genero, Maquinitas and the Spanish Screenings, projects and pix-in-post pitched has sky-rocketed to a...
“With all the sales companies, distributors and platforms coming back, it’s really great to find the same dynamism as in 2019,” Jérôme Paillard, Ventana Sur co-director, commented a week out from this year’s 13th edition, running Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.
In some ways, in fact, there may be more. 10 takes on this year’s event, backed by the Cannes Festival, Market and Argentina’s Incaa film-tv agency:
Ventana Sur Xxl
Three stats nail this year’s Ventana Sur. Delegates from outside Argentina had near doubled by Sunday, say organisers. Led by Primer Corte & Copia Final, Proyecta, Animation!, Blood Window, Punto Genero, Maquinitas and the Spanish Screenings, projects and pix-in-post pitched has sky-rocketed to a...
- 11/28/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish Screenings on Tour, video games section among anticipated highlights.
Ventana Sur organisers anticipate a record number of participants to descend on Buenos Aires for the in-person return of Latin America’s leading audiovisual market running November 28–December 2.
This year’s edition is loaded with animation and genre, a profusion of works in progress as well as video game projects and the arrival of Spanish Screenings On Tour.
Ventana Sur is heading towards a record attendance this year as organisers said more than 2,500 participants including 400 from Europe, 100 from North America and 400 from Latin America (excluding Argentina) have registered so far.
Ventana Sur organisers anticipate a record number of participants to descend on Buenos Aires for the in-person return of Latin America’s leading audiovisual market running November 28–December 2.
This year’s edition is loaded with animation and genre, a profusion of works in progress as well as video game projects and the arrival of Spanish Screenings On Tour.
Ventana Sur is heading towards a record attendance this year as organisers said more than 2,500 participants including 400 from Europe, 100 from North America and 400 from Latin America (excluding Argentina) have registered so far.
- 11/27/2022
- by Emilio Mayorga
- ScreenDaily
The 48th edition of the Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival will honor Spanish actress Nathalie Poza with a City of Huelva Award, an acknowledgment whose previous recipients included filmmaker Oscar-winning director Fernando Trueba (“Belle Epoque”) and actors Dario Grandinetti, Eduard Fernández and Edward James Olmos.
Running Nov. 11-18, Huelva 2022 will also homage young thesp Greta Fernández, a best actress winner at San Sebastian for Belén Funes’ “A Thief’s Daughter,” and Andalusian writer-director Juan Miguel del Castillo (“Food and Shelter”) with two Light Awards.
Meanwhile, Seville-born director Santi Amodeo will receive a Rtva Award for best Andalusian filmmaker.
Launched 48 years ago, Huelva represents Europe’s oldest confab dedicated exclusively to movies from Ibero-America: Spain, Latin America and Portugal, and a traditional launchpad for Latino filmmakers in Spain and Europe.
Over the years other festivals have been adding parallel sections of Latin American cinema, a symptom of its growing international relevance.
“Our...
Running Nov. 11-18, Huelva 2022 will also homage young thesp Greta Fernández, a best actress winner at San Sebastian for Belén Funes’ “A Thief’s Daughter,” and Andalusian writer-director Juan Miguel del Castillo (“Food and Shelter”) with two Light Awards.
Meanwhile, Seville-born director Santi Amodeo will receive a Rtva Award for best Andalusian filmmaker.
Launched 48 years ago, Huelva represents Europe’s oldest confab dedicated exclusively to movies from Ibero-America: Spain, Latin America and Portugal, and a traditional launchpad for Latino filmmakers in Spain and Europe.
Over the years other festivals have been adding parallel sections of Latin American cinema, a symptom of its growing international relevance.
“Our...
- 11/11/2022
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
As with most events this year, the Fantasia International Film Festival is heading back to theaters for its 2022 edition, the 26th year of its existence. From July 14 to August 3, Montreal, Quebec, will fill its screens at Concordia Hall Cinema, the Cinémathèque Québécoise, Cinéma du Musée, and the McCord Museum with the best genre fare the industry has to offer. If you’re in town there won’t be a better ticket this summer.
The festivities are bookended by the world premiere of Kc Carthew’s eco-action fantasy Polaris on opening night and, as closer, the North American premiere of July Jung’s Cannes alum Next Sohee. Between them comes the usual mix of festival favorites heading to Canada for the first time and eagerly anticipated titles making their debut. From a special screening of Bodies Bodies Bodies to Neil Labute’s House of Darkness or Wai Ka-Fai’s Detective vs.
The festivities are bookended by the world premiere of Kc Carthew’s eco-action fantasy Polaris on opening night and, as closer, the North American premiere of July Jung’s Cannes alum Next Sohee. Between them comes the usual mix of festival favorites heading to Canada for the first time and eagerly anticipated titles making their debut. From a special screening of Bodies Bodies Bodies to Neil Labute’s House of Darkness or Wai Ka-Fai’s Detective vs.
- 7/7/2022
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Nifff 2022: A 21st Edition Under The Aegis Of Fantastic Plurality
The Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival unveiled its complete 2022 programme on June 16, 2022. It is the first year the festival has Pierre-Yves Walder as its new General and Artistic Director.
True to its explorative approach, the Nifff is summoning the global imagination with a programme that includes 128 works from five continents, thus faithfully prolonging the festival’s rich history. The International Competition, the jury of which is presided by none other than American author Joyce Carol Oates, explores the current trends of fantastic films through a beautifully diverse overview of the ruminations of our era. The festival brings together the boldest new voices of the time and the latest works from frequently selected filmmakers. The goal is to strengthen its role as a bridge maker between generations and between the arts in order to ensure better inclusivity. Last but not least,...
The Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival unveiled its complete 2022 programme on June 16, 2022. It is the first year the festival has Pierre-Yves Walder as its new General and Artistic Director.
True to its explorative approach, the Nifff is summoning the global imagination with a programme that includes 128 works from five continents, thus faithfully prolonging the festival’s rich history. The International Competition, the jury of which is presided by none other than American author Joyce Carol Oates, explores the current trends of fantastic films through a beautifully diverse overview of the ruminations of our era. The festival brings together the boldest new voices of the time and the latest works from frequently selected filmmakers. The goal is to strengthen its role as a bridge maker between generations and between the arts in order to ensure better inclusivity. Last but not least,...
- 6/17/2022
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Lea Mysius’s ‘The Five Devils’ will open the festival, which runs July 1-9.
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival, one of Europe’s leading fantasy festivals, has announced its full programme today (16 June).
The festival will open with the international premiere of The Five Devils by Léa Mysius, while the closing film is Sun Haipeng’s animated feature I Am What I Am.
This is the first edition under Pierre-Yves Walder, who took up the post of general and artistic director last July after 11 years as part of the Nifff programming team. The competition jury is to be headed by US author Joyce Carol Oates,...
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival, one of Europe’s leading fantasy festivals, has announced its full programme today (16 June).
The festival will open with the international premiere of The Five Devils by Léa Mysius, while the closing film is Sun Haipeng’s animated feature I Am What I Am.
This is the first edition under Pierre-Yves Walder, who took up the post of general and artistic director last July after 11 years as part of the Nifff programming team. The competition jury is to be headed by US author Joyce Carol Oates,...
- 6/16/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” described by Variety as “a fizzy, delirious, impishly energized, compulsively watchable 2-hour-and-39-minute fever dream,” is set to open the 37th Guadalajara Int’l Film Festival (Ficg) on June 10.
The biopic starring Austin Butler as Elvis opposite Tom Hanks as his controversial manager, received a rousing 12-minute standing ovation at Cannes, the longest at this year’s edition.
The Festival closes June 18 with Mexico’s own musical icons, Los Tigres del Norte, in the documentary “Los Tigres del Norte: Historias que contar,” by Carlos Pérez Osorio (“Las Cronicas del Taco”), with its band members descending on Guadalajara to present it.
The documentary debuts on Prime Video the day before but it’s all about bringing back the in-person theatrical experience, said festival director Estrella Araiza.
Ficg has managed to push through the pandemic and the current government’s indifference to culture and subsequent budget cuts. Nevertheless,...
The biopic starring Austin Butler as Elvis opposite Tom Hanks as his controversial manager, received a rousing 12-minute standing ovation at Cannes, the longest at this year’s edition.
The Festival closes June 18 with Mexico’s own musical icons, Los Tigres del Norte, in the documentary “Los Tigres del Norte: Historias que contar,” by Carlos Pérez Osorio (“Las Cronicas del Taco”), with its band members descending on Guadalajara to present it.
The documentary debuts on Prime Video the day before but it’s all about bringing back the in-person theatrical experience, said festival director Estrella Araiza.
Ficg has managed to push through the pandemic and the current government’s indifference to culture and subsequent budget cuts. Nevertheless,...
- 6/10/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Producer Shrihari Sathe of New York-based production company Dialectic is enjoying the best time of his life, with no less than three of his projects, each completely different in style, genre and tone, being selected at A-list festivals.
The latest career high for Sathe began with Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s continent-hopping, multilingual identity tale “No Land’s Man” being selected at Busan in October 2021, followed by Francisca Alegria’s Spanish-language magical realist drama “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” premiering at this year’s Sundance. Now, “Stay Awake,” an expansion of Jamie Sisley’s 2015 short film of the same name that premiered at the Berlinale and won the Jury Prize at Slamdance, makes its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Generation 14plus strand on Feb. 12.
The “Stay Awake” cast includes Wyatt Oleff, Fin Argus and Chrissy Metz. “Prescription drug and opioid addiction is a global problem.
The latest career high for Sathe began with Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s continent-hopping, multilingual identity tale “No Land’s Man” being selected at Busan in October 2021, followed by Francisca Alegria’s Spanish-language magical realist drama “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” premiering at this year’s Sundance. Now, “Stay Awake,” an expansion of Jamie Sisley’s 2015 short film of the same name that premiered at the Berlinale and won the Jury Prize at Slamdance, makes its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Generation 14plus strand on Feb. 12.
The “Stay Awake” cast includes Wyatt Oleff, Fin Argus and Chrissy Metz. “Prescription drug and opioid addiction is a global problem.
- 2/12/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Francisca Alegria’s The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future is unlike any other experience offered by Sundance ’22: a deeply moving onscreen poem of unshakeable, dreadful beauty. In collaboration with lead actors Mia Maestro and Leonor Varela, Chilean writer/director Alegria paints a visually rich, emotionally layered fable about motherhood—where two troubled humans symbolize Mother Earth and the threats posed by our species. Adapted from Alegria’s award-winning short from Sundance ’17, The Cow premiered in this year’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition. A stunning first feature, it’s both an urgent call to action and a study in contrasts. Reality vs.…...
- 2/5/2022
- by Dylan Kai Dempsey
- IONCINEMA.com
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Kino Lorber releases the film in theaters on Friday, May 19.
“The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future” uses magical realism to blend the story of a family deeply scarred by a suicide decades ago, and a fable of Mother Nature crying out for help. Thankfully, Francisca Alegría’s feature debut manages to be hauntingly moving and hopeful instead of angry and pessimistic, like Adam McKay’s recent doomsday satire “Don’t Look Up.”
The fish are dying from pollution, the bees are disappearing, and the milking cows are not far behind, not unlike the beginning of Douglas Adam’s “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” And like the 2005 adaptation of the book, the lamentations of the animals is presented in song form, with the fish and cows singing woes of death and despair, begging for their...
“The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future” uses magical realism to blend the story of a family deeply scarred by a suicide decades ago, and a fable of Mother Nature crying out for help. Thankfully, Francisca Alegría’s feature debut manages to be hauntingly moving and hopeful instead of angry and pessimistic, like Adam McKay’s recent doomsday satire “Don’t Look Up.”
The fish are dying from pollution, the bees are disappearing, and the milking cows are not far behind, not unlike the beginning of Douglas Adam’s “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” And like the 2005 adaptation of the book, the lamentations of the animals is presented in song form, with the fish and cows singing woes of death and despair, begging for their...
- 1/28/2022
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Indiewire
Chilean filmmaker Francisca Alegria’s The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future opens on pensive shots of the river and its inhabitants, most of whom are dead. As the dying and already passed fish sing a song of sadness, a woman, motorcycle helmet in tow, rises from the water. She walks aimlessly, hopping on a local bus and appearing outside a story, scaring her ex-husband into enough anxiety to land him in the hospital. The next 90 minutes of Alegria’s meditative drama exist largely in silence or one-sided conversation––people confronting their past like a monster that grows with each passing day.
It follows a straightforward structure: the woman who supposedly committed suicide decades early, Magdalena (Mía Maestro), revisits the members of her family one-by-one, appearing like a waking ghost, a mirror allowing them to reckon with whatever might be on their minds. Without speaking, Magdalena inhabits her family’s property,...
It follows a straightforward structure: the woman who supposedly committed suicide decades early, Magdalena (Mía Maestro), revisits the members of her family one-by-one, appearing like a waking ghost, a mirror allowing them to reckon with whatever might be on their minds. Without speaking, Magdalena inhabits her family’s property,...
- 1/28/2022
- by Michael Frank
- The Film Stage
Five years after her lauded short “And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye” won Sundance’s short film jury award in international fiction, Chile’s Francisca Alegria is bowing her feature debut on Jan. 23 at the Park City, Utah, fest.
In “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future,” Alegria continues to further expand the themes in her short. “I was exploring this in-between place, which exists beyond our physical senses. It’s where the subtle entities are, where our sensations live, where death appears,” she says. “I wanted to convey those spaces through the stories and themes that have been with me since childhood. I do feel that in the short film, these themes became more like symbols because I didn’t have time to develop and dig into the heart and bones of the matter.”
In the short, 85-year-old Emeteria is visited by...
In “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future,” Alegria continues to further expand the themes in her short. “I was exploring this in-between place, which exists beyond our physical senses. It’s where the subtle entities are, where our sensations live, where death appears,” she says. “I wanted to convey those spaces through the stories and themes that have been with me since childhood. I do feel that in the short film, these themes became more like symbols because I didn’t have time to develop and dig into the heart and bones of the matter.”
In the short, 85-year-old Emeteria is visited by...
- 1/22/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
The Cow That Sang A Song About The Future
When it comes time to developing the next generation of auteurs, the nation of Chile has provided more than a fair share. The well has not been dry in the past two decades with the likes of Pablo Larraín, Pablo Trapero, Dominga Sotomayor, Sebastián Silva and Sebastian Lelio taking over the film fest circuit and recently added, Sundance has supported the likes of Maite Alberdi, Alejandro Fernández Almendras, Marcela Said and in 2022: Francisca Alegria. The filmmaker saw her short film And All the Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye win Sundance’s Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction award in 2016 and has been in development process for her feature debut since 2017.…...
When it comes time to developing the next generation of auteurs, the nation of Chile has provided more than a fair share. The well has not been dry in the past two decades with the likes of Pablo Larraín, Pablo Trapero, Dominga Sotomayor, Sebastián Silva and Sebastian Lelio taking over the film fest circuit and recently added, Sundance has supported the likes of Maite Alberdi, Alejandro Fernández Almendras, Marcela Said and in 2022: Francisca Alegria. The filmmaker saw her short film And All the Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye win Sundance’s Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction award in 2016 and has been in development process for her feature debut since 2017.…...
- 1/6/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
More than half of 82-strong feature roster directed by filmmakers who identify as women.
The hybrid 2022 Sundance Film Festival has announced a roster of 82 features that include world premieres for Sophie Hyde’s comedy drama Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, Michel Hazanavicius’s zombie comedy Final Cut, and Lena Dunham’s drama Sharp Stick as well as new work from John Boyega, Noomi Rapace and Julianne Moore.
Features, New Frontiers selections and shorts (the latter will be announced on Friday) will screen from January 20-30 2022 in person in the Utah hubs of Park City and Salt Lake City as...
The hybrid 2022 Sundance Film Festival has announced a roster of 82 features that include world premieres for Sophie Hyde’s comedy drama Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, Michel Hazanavicius’s zombie comedy Final Cut, and Lena Dunham’s drama Sharp Stick as well as new work from John Boyega, Noomi Rapace and Julianne Moore.
Features, New Frontiers selections and shorts (the latter will be announced on Friday) will screen from January 20-30 2022 in person in the Utah hubs of Park City and Salt Lake City as...
- 12/9/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
It’s been a long development process for Francisca Alegria‘s directorial debut. The Chilean filmmaker (Sundance has supported several over the past decade) saw her short film And All the Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye win Sundance’s Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction (2016) and preemd at Telluride and TIFF as well. She has been prepping several projects including The Cow that Sang a Song About the Future – which was selected for both the Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Lab in 2017. The film recently won some coin via European Work in Progress (Ewip) and stars some heavy-hitter talent in Leonor Varela and Alfredo Castro.…...
- 11/24/2021
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Chile is starting its own big restart. Few national industries will have a larger online presence at this year’s Cannes Film Market. Big name news has broken in early market plays as well.
After features with Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams (“Disobedience”) and Julianne Moore (“Gloria Bell”), Academy Award winner Sebastián Lelio, (“A Fantastic Woman”) will associate produce “El Porvenir de la Mirada,” a doc feature that captures the trauma of some of the 460 protesters shot in the eyes by Chilean police during massive demonstrations that erupted in October 2019.
Set up at Storyboard Media, “Porvenir” is directed by distinguished Chilean doc filmmaker Cristián Leighton.
Even while gearing up to direct Joaquin Phoenix in A24’s “Disappointment Blvd.,” Ari Aster has signed on to executive produce Chilean stop-motion short “The Bones,” directed by Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña (“The Wolf House”) with a soundtrack composed by acclaimed U.S. violinist Tim Fain,...
After features with Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams (“Disobedience”) and Julianne Moore (“Gloria Bell”), Academy Award winner Sebastián Lelio, (“A Fantastic Woman”) will associate produce “El Porvenir de la Mirada,” a doc feature that captures the trauma of some of the 460 protesters shot in the eyes by Chilean police during massive demonstrations that erupted in October 2019.
Set up at Storyboard Media, “Porvenir” is directed by distinguished Chilean doc filmmaker Cristián Leighton.
Even while gearing up to direct Joaquin Phoenix in A24’s “Disappointment Blvd.,” Ari Aster has signed on to executive produce Chilean stop-motion short “The Bones,” directed by Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña (“The Wolf House”) with a soundtrack composed by acclaimed U.S. violinist Tim Fain,...
- 7/8/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
After enduring endless months of Covid-19 lockdown, Chile’s film and TV industry is revving up production once more. And several women are leading the charge.
Various high-profile titles are either in production or setting up dates, such as season two of Lucía Puenzo’s hit series “La Jauria” and, starting this month, Francisca Alegria’s debut feature, “The Cow Who Sang a Song About the Future.” Fernando Guzzoni’s “Blanquita” aims to start principal photography by July, says producer Giancarlo Nasi of Quijote Films, who also presides over Chile’s Film Arts Academy, founded in 2018.
For the first time, the 200-plus member Academy selected Chile’s submission to the 93rd Academy Awards, Maite Alberdi’s “The Mole Agent,” which was happily shortlisted in both international feature and documentary categories. Alberdi is hopefully indicative of the growing diversity and inclusion in Chile’s society on the whole.
“We are proud...
Various high-profile titles are either in production or setting up dates, such as season two of Lucía Puenzo’s hit series “La Jauria” and, starting this month, Francisca Alegria’s debut feature, “The Cow Who Sang a Song About the Future.” Fernando Guzzoni’s “Blanquita” aims to start principal photography by July, says producer Giancarlo Nasi of Quijote Films, who also presides over Chile’s Film Arts Academy, founded in 2018.
For the first time, the 200-plus member Academy selected Chile’s submission to the 93rd Academy Awards, Maite Alberdi’s “The Mole Agent,” which was happily shortlisted in both international feature and documentary categories. Alberdi is hopefully indicative of the growing diversity and inclusion in Chile’s society on the whole.
“We are proud...
- 3/1/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Latest round will support 20 fiction, one animation, and five documentary films.
New projects from Danish director Niels Arden Oplev and Portugal’s Miguel Gomes are among the 26 selected in the latest Eurimages co-production support funding round.
The 26 films have been awarded a total of €6.1m (£5.5m). 52% are directed by women, with those projects receiving €2.5m (£2.3m) – 41% of the total funding.
Arden Oplev’s new film Rose will receive €280,000, and is a co-production between Norway and his native Denmark. Oplev’s previous features include 2009’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and last year’s Daniel.
Also included is Gomes’ Savagery,...
New projects from Danish director Niels Arden Oplev and Portugal’s Miguel Gomes are among the 26 selected in the latest Eurimages co-production support funding round.
The 26 films have been awarded a total of €6.1m (£5.5m). 52% are directed by women, with those projects receiving €2.5m (£2.3m) – 41% of the total funding.
Arden Oplev’s new film Rose will receive €280,000, and is a co-production between Norway and his native Denmark. Oplev’s previous features include 2009’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and last year’s Daniel.
Also included is Gomes’ Savagery,...
- 7/6/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
In what marks the company’s first Latin American project, Alec Baldwin’s El Dorado Pictures has boarded Chilean filmmaker Francisca Alegria’s debut feature, “The Cow Who Sang a Song About the Future.” The multi-Emmy-winning actor and his El Dorado partner Casey Bader will serve as executive producers of the film, slated to start principal photography in Valdivia, Chile by April next year.
Alegria’s first feature is based on her acclaimed short “The Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye,” winner of the best international fiction short award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017.
“Francisca Alegria is creating a unique and engaging story set in a world of magical realism and stunning art. We are excited to join her in this process,” said Baldwin.
He added: “Her filmmaking style is original and powerful and she certainly has a dynamic and promising career ahead.”
For El Dorado,...
Alegria’s first feature is based on her acclaimed short “The Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye,” winner of the best international fiction short award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017.
“Francisca Alegria is creating a unique and engaging story set in a world of magical realism and stunning art. We are excited to join her in this process,” said Baldwin.
He added: “Her filmmaking style is original and powerful and she certainly has a dynamic and promising career ahead.”
For El Dorado,...
- 9/17/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Santiago, Chile — The much anticipated feature debut of Chilean Francisca Alegria, renowned for her magical short “And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye,” has firmed up its cast and shooting dates.
Argentine thesp Mia Maestro (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”), Chile’s Leonor Varela, Alfredo Castro and rising talent Lucas Balmaceda (“The Prince”) lead the cast.
Inspired by her short, a Sundance sensation where it snagged the Short Film Jury Award in 2017, Alegria’s upcoming feature, “The Cow that Sang a Song About the Future” adapts a similar magical realist tone in a family drama set in the verdant countryside of Valdivia, southern Chile.
Varela plays a single mother, Cecilia, who returns to her childhood home with her 19-year-old son (Balmaceda) where she faces a series of surreal events, including the deaths of hundreds of cows and the reappearance of her long dead mother (Maestro), whose suicide profoundly marked the family.
Argentine thesp Mia Maestro (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”), Chile’s Leonor Varela, Alfredo Castro and rising talent Lucas Balmaceda (“The Prince”) lead the cast.
Inspired by her short, a Sundance sensation where it snagged the Short Film Jury Award in 2017, Alegria’s upcoming feature, “The Cow that Sang a Song About the Future” adapts a similar magical realist tone in a family drama set in the verdant countryside of Valdivia, southern Chile.
Varela plays a single mother, Cecilia, who returns to her childhood home with her 19-year-old son (Balmaceda) where she faces a series of surreal events, including the deaths of hundreds of cows and the reappearance of her long dead mother (Maestro), whose suicide profoundly marked the family.
- 8/23/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Leading arthouse sales agent the Match Factory has added Francisca Alegria’s debut feature, “The Cow Who Sang a Song About the Future,” to its sales slate at Cannes, where it has four films in the festival. The Chilean director won the best international fiction short award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017.
The feature, a combination of the fantastic film genre with Latin American magical realism, was developed at the Sundance Labs, with support from Cinereach, the Rotterdam Film Festival, Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund and Chile’s Ministry of Culture.
As well as winning at Sundance, Alegria’s most recent short, “And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye,” screened at the Telluride, Toronto, New York and San Francisco film festivals.
Alegria’s feature film follows Cecilia and her two children, who after a long time away, pay a visit to her father’s dairy farm in Valdivia,...
The feature, a combination of the fantastic film genre with Latin American magical realism, was developed at the Sundance Labs, with support from Cinereach, the Rotterdam Film Festival, Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund and Chile’s Ministry of Culture.
As well as winning at Sundance, Alegria’s most recent short, “And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye,” screened at the Telluride, Toronto, New York and San Francisco film festivals.
Alegria’s feature film follows Cecilia and her two children, who after a long time away, pay a visit to her father’s dairy farm in Valdivia,...
- 5/15/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
By uniting forces, the two co-production platforms of the Holland Film Market and Rotterdam Film Festival’s (Iffr) CineMart have created a new space in which the selected projects can get stronger film industry exposure and support.
The participant projects’ representatives receive advice from film professionals through a series of individual meetings with special attention paid to their festival, sales and marketing strategies. From the first BoostNL program, four films entered the Iffr 2018 program.
The interest now lies in watching BoostNL films as they progress through the international film circuit:
The Reports on Sarah and Selim, Muayad Alayan. After its world premiere at Iffr 2018, it continued winning for Best Actress and Best Picture at Durban Ff and playing at Hamburg and Jeonju Film Festivals. International sales by Heretic Outreach did extremely well, going to Australia/Nz- Hi Gloss, Benelux-Moov, Croatia & Ex-Yugoslavia-Mediterranean Film Festival Split/ Kino Mediteran, Mena-Mad Solutions, France-Bodega, Germany-Missingfilms,...
The participant projects’ representatives receive advice from film professionals through a series of individual meetings with special attention paid to their festival, sales and marketing strategies. From the first BoostNL program, four films entered the Iffr 2018 program.
The interest now lies in watching BoostNL films as they progress through the international film circuit:
The Reports on Sarah and Selim, Muayad Alayan. After its world premiere at Iffr 2018, it continued winning for Best Actress and Best Picture at Durban Ff and playing at Hamburg and Jeonju Film Festivals. International sales by Heretic Outreach did extremely well, going to Australia/Nz- Hi Gloss, Benelux-Moov, Croatia & Ex-Yugoslavia-Mediterranean Film Festival Split/ Kino Mediteran, Mena-Mad Solutions, France-Bodega, Germany-Missingfilms,...
- 10/1/2018
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Brazil’s Directors’ Fortnight entry “Los Silencios” typifies a growing breed of Brazilian films, shot in multiple locations and in co-production with one or more countries. Beatriz Seigner’s cross-border drama about a Colombian family fleeing the armed conflict in their native country was co-produced by Seigner’s Miriade Filmes and Leonardo Mecchi’s Enquadramento Prods. (“The Trial”), along with France’s Cine-Sud Promotion and Colombian shingle Dia-fragma.
“We shot mainly in Colombia so the key crew members were Colombian — and mostly women,” says Cine-Sud’s Thierry Lenouvel, who is co-producing Anita Rocha’s next film, “Medusa,” with Vania Catani’s Bananeira Filmes and is boarding two other Brazilian films in development: Dezenove’s Vietnam-set “The Paths of My Father” by Mauricio Osaki and BossaNovaFilms’ “To Our Children,” by actress-helmer Maria de Medeiros.
Co-producing Argentine helmer Lucrecia Martel’s acclaimed period drama “Zama” “was a lot of work but the rewards were high,...
“We shot mainly in Colombia so the key crew members were Colombian — and mostly women,” says Cine-Sud’s Thierry Lenouvel, who is co-producing Anita Rocha’s next film, “Medusa,” with Vania Catani’s Bananeira Filmes and is boarding two other Brazilian films in development: Dezenove’s Vietnam-set “The Paths of My Father” by Mauricio Osaki and BossaNovaFilms’ “To Our Children,” by actress-helmer Maria de Medeiros.
Co-producing Argentine helmer Lucrecia Martel’s acclaimed period drama “Zama” “was a lot of work but the rewards were high,...
- 5/11/2018
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Radha Blank, Aleem Khan, Francisca Alegria, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Tayarisha Poe, Brett Weiner, Emma Fletcher, Hannah Pearl Utt, Jen Tullock, Grainger David, Cory Miller, Colman Domingo, Amirah Tajdin, Clea DuVall, Marcos Díaz Sosa, Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr. Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival London-based director Aleem Khan is one of the 13 directors selected to participate in the 2017 Directors and Screenwriters Labs in Utah. His film After Love sees a widow discover she has a secret family in France.
At the Directors Lab (May 29-June 22), filmmakers will rehearse, shoot and edit key scenes from their scripts, working closely with creative advisors, actors and production crews. The one-on-one support of the Screenwriters Lab (June 24-29) focuses on the art and craft of screenplay writing.
Feature film programme founding director Michelle Satter said: “Our Lab brings together a community of artists from the U.S. and around the world to learn, discover and...
At the Directors Lab (May 29-June 22), filmmakers will rehearse, shoot and edit key scenes from their scripts, working closely with creative advisors, actors and production crews. The one-on-one support of the Screenwriters Lab (June 24-29) focuses on the art and craft of screenplay writing.
Feature film programme founding director Michelle Satter said: “Our Lab brings together a community of artists from the U.S. and around the world to learn, discover and...
- 5/13/2017
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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