Buffalo 8 Acquires North American Rights to Javier Andrade’s Drama “Lo Invisible”

Javier Andrade’s latest project won’t be invisible for long in North America…

Buffalo 8 has acquired the North American rights to the 45-year-old Ecuadorian filmmaker’s drama Lo Invisible, Ecuador’s candidate for the Academy AwardsBest International Feature Film.

Javier AndradeDirected by Andrade, the film is scheduled for release on VOD in the second or third quarter of this year.

In Lo Invisible, a woman (Anahí Hoeneisen) returns from psychiatric care and finds herself in new confinement — a stunning mansion in Puembo, Ecuador. She’s unable to return to normalcy after a bout of severe postpartum depression and, alone amongst family and servants, must keep her struggles invisible — over time, sinking deeper and deeper into madness.

The first Ecuadorian film to be featured at the Toronto Film Festival in nearly 20 years, Lo Invisible also secured a nomination for Best Iberoamerican Film last year at the Málaga Spanish Film Festival.

Marques-Marcet Named to Variety’s “10 Europeans to Watch” List

It could turn out to be Carlos Marques-Marcet’s breakout year…

The 31-year-old Spanish filmmaker has been named to Variety’s “10 Europeans to Watch” list.

Carlos Marques-Marcet

Marques-Marcet’s feature directorial debut 10.000 km won a long list of prizes at several international festivals, including Best Film at the Málaga Spanish Film Festival, as well as awards at the Sant Jordi Awards and the Seattle International Film Festival.

The group, which consists of exciting new talents across various disciplines, will be honored February 7 at a reception hosted by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg during the Berlin International Film Festival. Best First Week by

Here’s a look at the complete list:

The 10 Europeans to Watch:

Yann Demange, director
The Londoner’s film “’71,” above, stars Jack O’Connell and was a prize-winner at the 2014 Berlinale and is rolling out in the U.S. this month via Roadside Attractions.

Cara Delevingne, actress
The British supermodel and Vogue staple is making a successful transition to acting; she landed the lead in the next John Green adaptation, “Paper Towns,” among other plum roles.

Mara Eibl-Eibesfeldt, director-writer
With “Spiderwebhouse,” the German filmmaker makes her debut; pic plays in Berlin’s German Film Perspective.

Ginevra Elkann, producer
The Italian producer has landed two films in Berlin’s Generation section: Duccio Chiarini’s “Short Skin” and Lamberto Sanfelice’s “Chlorine.”

Veronika Franz, screenwriter/director
She co-directed (with Severin Fiala) Venice festival hit “Goodnight Mommy,” and in her role as a screenwriter, the Austrian has collaborated with Ulrich Seidl on his “Paradise” trilogy.

Ole Giaever, director/writer
The Norwegian filmmaker returns to Berlin with his latest feature, “Out of Nature,” one of the first pics selected for Berlin’s Panorama section.

Helene Hegemann, novelist, filmmakerThe German writer staged her first play at 15, published a sensational novel at 17 and now at 23 is embarking on an adaptation of her novel “Axolotl Roadkill.”

Carlos Marques-Marcet, director
The Spanish director’s feature directorial debut “10.000 KM” won a slew of prizes at several international festivals.

Gian-Piero Ringel, producer
With his Neue Road Movies, the German producer has been behind Jim Jarmusch’s “Only Lovers Left Alive,” and produced Wim Wenders’ groundbreaking “Pina” and “Everything Will Be Fine,” among other pics.

Tom Sommerlatte, director
The actor (“Inglourious Basterds,” “Belle and Sebastian”) makes his feature debut with “Summer Downstairs,” which plays in Berlin’s German Film Perspective.

Tena Earns Best Actress Honors at the Malaga Spanish Film Festival

Natalia Tena has gone the distance at the Malaga Spanish Film Festival

The 29-year-old Spanish actress – born and raised in England – tied Elena Anaya (Todos Estan Muertos) for best actress honors at the fest over the weekend.

Natalia Tena in Long Distance

Tena, best known for her role as wildling Osha in the HBO’s Game of Thrones, earned the honors for her performance in Carlos Marques-Marcet’s directorial debut Long Distance, which also won the top award, the Gold Biznaga, and the best director prize.

Marques-Marcet also landed the best new scriptwriter award with co-writer Clara Roquet for penning the long-distance romance with a production budget less than $690,000 (€500,000).

Distance is a Spanish-U.S. co-production between L.A based Panda Productions and Spain’s Lastor Media and will be released in Spain on May 16.

“The awards mean a huge chance for this independent movie to have success at the box office,” producer Pau Brunet said. “It’s also a triumph for a kind of independent cinema done with untraditional budgets but financed with international vision and the artistic bravery that has characterized the European art house.”

Beatriz SanchisTodos Estan Muertos, about a woman who lives with her agoraphobic daughter, also took the Silver Biznaga with a Special Jury Mention.

Other key awards included Juan Diego’s best actor honor for Anochece en la India, Yolanda Ramos’ for supporting actress in Carmina y Amen, Salva Reina and Hector Medina’s tie for supporting actor in 321 Days in Michigan and Paco Leon for screenplay for Carmina y Amen.

Iglesias to Star in Gonzalo Bendala’s Upcoming Spanish Thriller “Innocent Killers”

Maxi Iglesias has landed a killer role…

The 23-year-old actor, one of Spain’s rising sex symbols, has joined the cast of Gonzalo Bendala’s upcoming thriller Innocent Killers, alongside Aura Garrido and Luis Fernandez.

Maxi Iglesias

The suspense drama, produced by Aralan, is scheduled to shoot at the end of the month, with backing from pubcaster Television Espanola, the film institute ICAA and regional broadcaster Canal Sur.

Bendala’s directorial debut is Aralan’s follow-up to Patricia Ferreira’s The Wild Children, which won best film and best screenplay at 2012’s 15th Malaga Spanish Film Festival.

Iglesias and Fernandez have both become pop idols in their native land where their television characters on Los Protegidos propelled them to fame. More recently they have starred together in Sony‘s thriller XP3D.

Garrido is a rising star in Spain, following her film debut in Oriol Paulo’s The Body. Audiences can see her in theaters in Spain now in Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Stockholm.

“A suspenser, echoing elements of Hitchcock,” according to Aralan CEO Marta Velasco, “Killers tells of a university student (Iglesias) who receives an job offer to kill his psychology teacher (Miguel Sola).The twist is that the offer comes from the psychology teacher.”

Producers said the story is inspired by a series of strange and unsuccessful attempts on the life of New York’s Michael Malloy, an ex-firefighter and legendary alcoholic in the 1920 in New York.