First Look Media’s Topic Acquires North American Rights to Catalina Berarducci’s Drama “Noemí Gold”

Catalina Berarducci is preparing for her Golden moment stateside.

First Look Media’s streaming service Topic has acquired North American rights to the Argentinian film Noemí Gold, starring the 31-year-old Argentine actress.

Catalina Berarducci, Noemí Gold

Written, produced and directed by Dan Rubenstein, who also stars, the drama will debut on the streaming service on November 19.

Noemí Gold follows the titular character Noemí Goldberg who, after experiencing what she believes to be an allergic reaction to Misoprostol (commonly known as the abortion pill), seeks out the help of a gynecologist, who promptly reports her to the police. Since attempted abortion is not a prosecutable offense in Argentina, she is not charged with any crime. However, to her dismay, she’s still pregnant. This news coincides with the arrival of Noemí’s estranged cousin from Los Angeles, a social media influencer with millions of followers and dubious talent. With little support from her scatter-brained roommate and self-involved circle of friends, Noemí has only herself to rely on while navigating her present straits.

In addition to Berarducci and Rubenstein, the cast also includes Martina Juncadella and Juan Wauters.

Noemí Gold offers a beautiful and relatable window into navigating our confusing world as a twentysomething,” said Ryan Chanatry, general manager, Topic. “Noemi’s story is incredibly relevant, especially in today’s political climate, and we’re excited to share such moving, reverent, and funny journey with Topic’s North American audience,”

“I made this movie with one of my best friends, Catalina Berarducci, who stars in the film and also produced it,” said Rubenstein. “Noemí Gold is a story about friendship, family, reproductive justice, U.S.-Argentina relations, and coping with the fact that most people are set in their ways. We’re excited to share it with the world, and thrilled that it found such a great home at Topic.”

Noemí Gold was nominated for Best Film at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Film in 2019 and was an official selection at both Cinema Ciudad de México Film Festival and the Curaçao International Film Festival Rotterdam. Rubenstein and Beraducci produced alongside Paula Astorga, Daniel Powell and Alex Bach.

Luis Tellez’s “Inzomnia” to Become Mexico’s First Stop-Motion Animation Feature

Luis Tellez is inching towards Mexican cinematic history…

The Mexican director is the man behind Mexico’s first stop-motion animation feature, Inzomnia.

Luis Tellez

The film is in pre-production with former Mexican Cinematheque director Paula Astorga and producer Milko Luis on board as producers.

Budgeted at an initial $2 million, the animated film has participated in Venice’s Gap-Financing Market and will next be taken to Buenos Aires confab, Ventana Sur, to be pitched in its Animation! section.

Inzomnia tracks 10-year old Camila in her quest to rescue her parents and the rest of the city’s inhabitants from the yoke of a ruthless businessman who has converted them all into automatons via an insomnia pill. Camila is immune to the effects of the pill that keeps everyone else awake and at work.

Luis Tellez's Inzomnia

“We started shooting “Inzomnia” at a 7,535-sq. ft. gallery in Guadalajara’s Museo Trompo Mágico where we staged a live exhibit for our young visitors to witness the entire process in real time,” said Astorga, whose debut feature as a producer, Jimmy Cohen’s documentary Omar & Gloria, had its world premiere at Play-Doc, Spain last March.

While the characters are designed in Mexico, the puppets are being made in Poland’s Momakin, renowned for its technical know-how and experience. It will be a truly international production with key animators flying in from Poland, Brazil, Spain, Chile and Argentina, among others.

Production kicks off in January with the goal to debut the feature by 2020.

Animation is increasingly bigger business in predominantly youth-populated Mexico, which leads among the top three animation markets in the region.