Laura Mora’s “The Kings of the World” Named Best Feature at Zurich Film Festival

Posted on October 1, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Laura Mora is celebrating a golden moment…

The Colombian director’s drama The Kings of the World has won the Golden Eye for best feature film at the Zurich Film Festival.

The award follows hot on the heels of the film’s triumph at the San Sebastian Film Festival exactly a week ago, where it world premiered and then won the Golden Shell for best film.

The drama follows five street kids from Medellin who set off on a dangerous trip into the Colombian hinterland, after one of them is granted the right to a piece of land taken from his family by paramilitaries, during the country’s 52-year conflict which displaced more than five million people.

The Kings of the World was produced by producer and director Cristina Gallego, whose credits include Birds of Passage and the Oscar-nominated The Embrace Of The Serpent.

The film also previously screened to professionals as part of the TIFF Industry Select line-up and heads to the Chicago Film Festival in October.

Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi headed up the Feature Film Competition jury, which also included Swiss director Petra Volpe, producer Daniel Dreifuss, Swedish producer Peter Gustafsson and U.K. director Clio Barnard.

“The movie was one of the first films we saw and it left us with unforgettable images and scenes,” read their jury statement.

“The Kings of the World is meticulously crafted and brings us close to the young protagonists who fight for freedom and dignity. The lyrical film language infuses the harsh reality with a metaphysical dimension. It’s an important and powerful story about the marginalized in society.”

Natalia Reyes to Star in Lionsgate’s Action-Thriller “Shadow Force”

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Natalia Reyes is casting shadows…

The 35-year-old Colombian actress will star opposite Mark Strong, Jahleel Kamara, Marvin “Krondon” Jones III, Yoson An and Ed Quinn in Lionsgate’s action-thriller Shadow Force, from director Joe Carnahan.

The film has entered production in Colombia.

The actors join an ensemble led by Kerry Washington and Omar Sy, which also includes Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Cliff “Method Man” Smith.

The film penned by Leon Chills and Carnahan follows Kyrah (Washington) and Isaac (Sy), who were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They broke the rules by falling in love, and in order to protect their son, they go underground. With a large bounty on their heads, and the vengeful Shadow Force hot on their trail, one family’s fight becomes all-out war.

Details as to the roles the film’s newest cast members will play are being kept under wraps. But Stephen “Dr.” Love is producing via his company Made with Love Media—which has an overall deal with Lionsgate—alongside Simpson Street’s Washington and Pilar Savone, and Sterling K. Brown for Indian Meadows Productions.

Shadow Force has received approval to obtain the CINA incentive (Audiovisual Investment Certificate), granted by the Colombian government and administered by Proimágenes Colombia: a tax discount equivalent to 35% of the expenditure on audiovisual services in the country.

Reyes was most recently seen in the leading role of Dani in Terminator: Dark Fate — prior to that, starring in Ciro Guerra’s Birds of Passage, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival as an official Fortnight selection.

Additionally, she starred in Peter Webber’s Pickpockets and in Lady, La Vendedora de Rosas, one of Colombia and Netflix Latin America’s most popular series.

Natalia Reyes to Star in the Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Thriller “Tomorrow Before After”

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Natalia Reyes has big plans for tomorrow…

The 34-year-old Colombian actress has signed on to star in Tomorrow Before After, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller that’s scheduled to start shooting this month in Colombia.

The film, from writer/director Alfonso Quijada (El Suspiro del Silencio), centers on a woman with no name (played by Reyes) who struggles to survive on her own in a post-apocalyptic world, searching for others, with only a stray dog by her side.

In her quest, she collides with a world that is collapsed and utterly destroyed, and it seems, for a long time, that she is the only survivor in the world—until she discovers one day that she is pregnant. Not understanding how this could be possible, she then begins to question her own existence.

Reyes is best known for her turn as Dani Ramos in Tim Miller’s Terminator: Dark Fate, which James Cameron produced for Skydance and Paramount.

She also starred in the crime drama Birds of Passage, directed by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Among her television credits is Sony’s hit Latin American series Lady, La Vendedora de Rosas, in which she played Lady Tabares.

Cristina Gallego Signs with Verve for Representation in All Areas

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Cristina Gallego is going global…

Verve has signed the Colombian filmmaker, and will rep her in all areas as she moves to widen her reach and continue her passion for telling untold stories from a female perspective.

Gallego co-directed Birds of Passage, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, was selected as the Colombian entry and made the shortlist for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. The film is not a traditional Colombian drug-running story; it follows the journey of a Wayuu Indian family as they forego their traditions and fall into the drug trade.

Gallego was at the forefront of the creative process and wanted to subvert the genre that has typically been very macho by focusing on stories from the female members of the family and community. She directed the film with Ciro Guerra, her ex-husband; she produced the acclaimed 2015 film Embrace of the Serpent, which Guerra directed and which landed them their first foreign-language Oscar nomination. It was the first Colombian film to be nominated in the category. That led to Birds of Passage, a 10-year journey.

Most recently Gallego was in production on Cortes, a massive event miniseries for Amazon that she was executive producing and attached to direct multiple episodes of. Written by Steve Zaillian and starring Javier Bardem, this project was unfortunately a COVID-19 casualty and was shut down by the streamer back in September.

Gallego’s other producing credits include Wajib, the Palestinian official submission to the 90th Academy Awards and Ruben Blades is Not My Name, Panama’s submission to the 91st Academy Awards.

Ciro Guerra & Cristina Gallego’s “Birds of Passage” Makes Barack Obama’s Year-End List

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Ciro Guerra & Cristina Gallego have made an extra special list..

Barack Obama has added the 38-year-old Colombian filmmaker and 42-year-old Colombian filmmaker’s latest project, Birds of Passage, to the former American president’s list of Favorite Movies of 2019.

View this post on Instagram

Next up are my favorite movies and TV shows of 2019. This year’s list includes everything from explorations of class dynamics and relationships, to an inspired reboot of a classic graphic novel, to a portal back to one of the most special places in history — an Aretha Franklin concert. Of course, there’s also American Factory, a film from our own production company, Higher Ground, that was recently shortlisted for an Oscar. It’s our first offering in partnership with Netflix, and I’m excited about the other projects we’ve got in the works. Here’s the full list:

A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama) on Dec 29, 2019 at 9:04am PST

Birds of Passage is the only Spanish language film on Obama’s list this year.

The film explores the rise of a Wayuu man and his family as they enter the drug trade, prosper, and slowly lose their traditions and former way of life.

It was selected to open the 50th edition of the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. It was selected as the Colombian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.

Ciro Guerra & Cristina Gallegos’ “Birds of Passage” Wins Audience Award at Los Cabos International Film Festival

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

The people have spoken, and they’re all about Ciro Guerra’s latest project.

The awards have been handed out at the Los Cabos International Film Festival, with the 37-year-old Colombian film director’s Birds of Passage, co-directed by Cristina Gallegos, taking home the Cinemex Audience Award.

Meanwhile, Andrés Kaiser proved to be the night’s big winner, taking home three prizes for the Mexican filmmaker’s thriller/mockumentary sweeping the Mexico Primero categories.

The black-and-white film, set somewhere in Mexico’s Oaxacan mountains, won the Cinemex Prize, the Premio FIPRESCI and the Art Kingdom Award.

The film, selected as Colombia’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film race at the 91st Academy Awards, chronicles the early days of illegal drug trading in Colombia.

The crafted 1970s tribal mobster epic depicts how a Wayuu family is torn apart by Colombia’s early drug trade.

Here’s a look at all the prize winners

LOS CABOS COMPETITION
“Genesis,” (Philippe Lesage, France)

LOS CABOS COMPETITION SPECIAL MENTION
“We the Animals,” (Jeremiah Zagar, U.S.)

CINEMEX AUDIENCE AWARD
“Birds of Passage,” (Cristina Gallegos, Ciro Guerra, Mexico, Colombia)

MEXICO PRIMERO

CINEMEX PRIZE
“Feral,” (Andrés Kaiser, Mexico)

PREMIO FIPRESCI
“Feral,” (Andrés Kaiser, Mexico)

ART KINGDOM AWARD
“Feral,” (Andrés Kaiser, Mexico)

GABRIEL FIGUEROA FILM FUND AWARDS

WORK IN PROGRESS
“Labor,” (David Zonana)

CHEMISTRY AWARD
“Labor,” (David Zonana)

CINECOLOR MEXICO AWARD
“I’m No Longer Here,” (Fernando Frias)

FILM IN DEVELOPMENT AWARD
“Neza,” (Julio Hernández Cordón)

CTT EXP & RENTALS AWARD
“Estado del imperio,” (Amat Escalante)

CTT EXP & RENTALS + CHEMISTRY AWARD
“The Hole in the Fence,” (Joaquín del Paso)

TALENT ON THE ROAD /WORLD TALENT HOUSE AWARD
“Viaje al país de los Tarahumaras,” (Federico Cecchetti)

BOBO AWARD
“The Devil’s Advocates”

PROMO TRAILER ART KINGDOM AWARD
“The Devil’s Advocates”

OUTSTANDING WORK IN CINEMA AWARD
Adam Driver

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Spike Lee, Terry Gilliam

Ciro Guerra’s “Birds of Passage” Selected as Colombia’s Official Entry for the Foreign Language Film Oscar Race

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Ciro Guerra is hoping for Oscar passage again…

The 37-year-oldColombian film director and screenwriter’s Birds of Passage, a sprawling epic about the erosion of tradition in pursuit of material wealth, has been selected as Colombia’s official entry for the Foreign Language Film Oscar race, according to distributor The Orchard.

The film is directed by Cristina Gallego and Guerra — the respective producer and director of 2015’s Embrace of the Serpent, the first Colombian film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Birds of Passage premiered as the opening-night selection of the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Tracing the origins of the Colombian drug trade as it slowly corrupts a native Wayúu family, Birds of Passage stars Jose Acosta, Carmiña Martínez and Natalia Reyes (the upcoming Terminator reboot).

The film will screen at the Toronto Film Festival and is set for release by The Orchard on Wednesday, February 13th in New York and Los Angeles, with a national rollout to follow.

“We are incredibly humbled and honored to again be the Colombian selection for entry to the Academy Awards, especially with a film that is so personal to our country’s history and narrative,” said Gallego and Guerra. “We are very grateful to La Academia Colombiana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas, which has supported us throughout our careers. It is with great pride that we bring this film to a global audience.”

The Orchard Picks Up North American Rights to Ciro Guerra & Cristina Gallego’s “Birds of Passage”

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Ciro Guerra’s latest film is migrating to the United States…

The Orchard has picked up North American rights to the 37-year-old Colombian filmmaker and screenwriter’s latest film Birds of Passage, co-directed by Cristina Gallego.

The family saga details the impact of drug trafficking on an indigenous family and its culture starting in the 1970s.

“This film was always conceived as a theatrical experience, and there’s really no better way to appreciate it than in the cinema,” said co-directors Gallego, Guerra and producer Katrin Pors. “We are very happy that audiences will have the opportunity to see it the way it was intended, and that we have found a passionate distributor that loves and defends the art of cinema as much as we do.”

“Birds of Passage swept us up immediately into an engrossing familial drama surrounded by a world bursting with stunning color and sound,” added Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s EVP of Film and Television. “Cristina and Ciro have delivered something altogether special and unique that we are honored to be a part of.”

The company has yet to set a theatrical release for the film.

Guerra previously produced and directed Embrace of the Serpent, the first Colombian film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Celis Producing First TV Series, “Monstruos Perfectos”

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Nicolas Celis is ready for the small screen…

The 30-year old Mexican film producer is preparing for his first television series, Monstruos Perfectos, which recently received development support from the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) under the new TV series support scheme launched in late 2016.

Meanwhile, Celis’ Pimienta Films, one of Mexico’s leading production outfits, is completing production on Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma,” his first picture lensed in Mexico since “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” and “Birds of Passage,” from Colombia’s Oscar nominated Ciro Guerra (“Embrace of the Serpent”).

Monstruos Perfectos is set in Mexico and will be produced by Pimienta, with external producers Marion d’Ornato and Enrique M. Rizo. Rizo has worked with Celis as second assistant director on Semana Santa, and as production manager on Tempestad, Soy Nero and The Untamed.

“This will be my first experience in TV,” Celis revealed to Variety, although he refrained from outlining the story. “I’m really happy to jump aboard. For me this is completely new world. I really love that IMCINE is exploring new content opportunities. We want to make a TV series that’s much more cinematic, than TV series produced in Mexico so far.”

Celis said that it’s been great to work with Cuaron on Roma, having previously worked with his brother, Carlos, on “Rudo y Cursi,” early in his career, and having been one of the producers on the 2015 pic Desierto, by his son, Jonas.

“Roma” chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s and is produced by Cuaron, Celis, Gabriela Rodriguez (“Gravity”), and exec produced by Participant Media.

Roma is Celis’ first period movie. Its 1970s setting was prior to his own birth – in 1986 – which he says provoked some wisecracks during the shoot. “For me it’s been my most challenging and interesting project so far. I’m a big fan of Alfonso’s work since a kid and I loved that he wanted me to work on his new film.”

Guerra’s Birds of Passage is also set in the 1970s and is produced by Colombia’s Ciudad Lunar (Cristina Gallego and Katrin Pors), as well as Celis and Argentine producers MC Productions and Buffalo Films, with Colombia’s Caracol TV also on board.

Celis previously worked with Pors on The Untamed. “Working with Katrin has been a great discovery,” said Celis. “We’re trying to work with her on our next projects.”

Guerra to Direct Film Adaptation of J.M. Coetzee’s Award-Winning Book “Waiting For The Barbarians”

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Ciro Guerra isn’t Waiting for his Hollywood crossover…

The 35-year-old Colombian film director and screenwriter is partnering with actor Mark Rylance and producer Michael Fitzgerald to adapt J.M. Coetzee’s award-winning book Waiting For The Barbarians for the big screen.

Coetzee, a Nobel Prize winner for literature, adapted the novel, which the Nobel Prize committee called “a political thriller in the tradition of Joseph Conrad, in which the idealist’s naiveté opens the gates to horror.”

Waiting For The Barbarians, which first was published in 1980 and quickly amassed honors, follows a magistrate (to be played by the Oscar-winning Rylance) of a far-flung border outpost as the reckless behavior of the “Empire” he serves threatens to trigger a Barbarian invasion. He begins to question imperialism when he saves a young ‘barbarian’ (one of the indigenous people in the country) and realizes that all is not what it appears to be. After mounting a harrowing escape, he is arrested by his own people and thrown in jail only to escape and eventually become an inspiration and leader to others.

The book, which is considered Coetzee’s master work, won both the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize for fiction. It has been brought to the stage before (Phillip Glass composed a two-act opera for it) but never to the big screen. Coetzee, who is South African but lives in Australia, is one of the most respected authors of this century.

Fitzgerald is the one who pulled the prestigious project together with Rylance and Guerra.

Guerra is currently in pre-production on Birds of Passage which is in pre-production to shoot in the deserts of Colombia in January. The film is the follow-up to his award-winning film Embrace of the Serpent.

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