Bendita Film Sales Secures US and Canada Deals for Festival Hits

Spain’s Bendita Film Sales has successfully negotiated distribution deals for three feature films with Paul Hudson’s Outsider Pictures in the United States and Antoine Zeind’s A-Z Films in Canada. This agreement follows the films’ participation in the 2024 edition of Ventana Sur, held in Montevideo, where they premiered at notable international festivals earlier this year.

Highlights from Ventana Sur

The three featured films, which screened in the Primer Corte, participated in Copia Final, and were included in market screenings, have been well received in the festival circuit. Luis Renart of Bendita expressed optimism about the new deals, stating, “With these deals we feel we are closing a circle that began here at Ventana Sur one year ago. When we presented two of these films, they received key awards.”

Among the standout films is Álvaro Olmos Torrico’s latest project, which earned the prestigious Cine+ Award during Ventana Sur 2024 within the Copia Final segment. This film had its premiere in the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Centrepiece programme this year, followed by screenings at Biarritz and FIC Cali, where it won awards for Best Feature and Best International Film, respectively. Produced by Empatía Cine in Bolivia and Maravilla Cine in Buenos Aires, the film portrays a mother-daughter relationship set against the backdrop of rural depopulation in the Andes.

Notable Films and Directors

Another significant work in this package is the film by Mayra Hermosillo, who served as the writer, director, and producer. This film premiered at Venice’s Giornate degli Autori and won the Best Screenplay for Authors Under 40 Award. It has also garnered acclaim from renowned filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro. Set in late-1980s Mexico, the narrative explores the lives of several generations of women navigating love and adversity. This film also claimed awards at Ventana Sur 2024 and Cinélatino Toulouse.

The final film in the package is the second fiction feature by Avelina Prat, which offers an intimate examination of identity, dislocation, and personal reinvention. Starring Maria de Medeiros and Manolo Solo, this film premiered at the Málaga Festival and was produced by Distinto Films and Jaibo Films in Spain, in collaboration with O Som e a Fúria.

Paul Hudson of Outsider Pictures remarked on the journey of these films, noting, “I first saw [the films] in Primer Corte at Ventana Sur last year, and it’s been great to see them grow from there to Venice and TIFF. [One film] is the sleeper surprise of the year.”

The successful distribution deals highlight the rising international interest in Latin American cinema and underscore the significance of platforms like Ventana Sur in promoting diverse storytelling. As these films find new audiences in North America, they reflect a growing trend of cross-cultural collaboration in the film industry.