Avatar Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Rights to Vadhir Derbez’s Erotic Thriller “SVGS”

Vadhir Derbez’s latest project is going global…

Avatar Entertainment has acquired the worldwide rights to the 31-year-old Mexican actor and Elyfer Torres’s erotic thriller SVGS and is shopping them at the Cannes Market.

Vadhir Derbez,The Jorge Xolalpa-written and directed film, pronounced ‘Savages,’ follows a young couple, who on the night of celebrating their anniversary, decide to test the strength of their relationship and push each other to their mental and physical limits. What was supposed to be a romantic night takes a deadly turn.

Derbez recently starred in The Seventh Day alongside Guy Pearce and has in the past year completed shooting for Jesse Johnson’s White Elephant starring Bruce Willis and John Malkovich and “SVGS” and shot a pilot for HBO Max’s unscripted television series From Sloppy to Papi.

Torres was in Telemundo telenovela in Betty en NY and is currently starring in Netflix’s Guerra de Vecinos. She recently wrapped an untitled thriller, produced by Gary and Julie Auerbach.

Xolalpa shot the film, which is his sixth, over six days from within his own home. “I’ve always wanted to do a single-location, one-take film. Although I didn’t come close to that with SVGS, we do open the film with a 20-page single take shot,” he said. “We shot 33 pages on our first day.”

Val Valdez and Sara Seligman produced the film, which comes from Xolalpa’s Mighty Aphrodite Pictures.

Broken English Options “A Christmas to Remember” Screenplay from Erick Galindo & Patty Rodriguez

It’ll be a Christmas to remember for Erick Galindo and Patty Rodriguez.

Broken English has optioned an original screenplay by the award-winning Latino writer, producer and journalist and the best-selling Latina author for the holiday ensemble film A Christmas to Remember.

Erick Galindo & Patty Rodriguez

The film tells the story of Rose Klug, who has turned White Elephant into a war of attrition, one where bringing the best or most creative gift is more important than Christmas itself. The battles have become legendary among locals on the powdery slopes of Big Bear where the former hedge fund manager has called home for decades (she called it quits to manage a growing ulcer problem).

Rose feels like she’s from a different era: she drinks whiskey straight, she doesn’t say much yet commands attention, and she never takes two steps when one will do. Her family gift exchange is the one time of year she allows herself to go wild. But this Christmas, something threatens to upstage Rose’s epic game of White Elephant: her estranged and rebellious daughter Ana Klug is bringing home a rich and famous fiancé.

Broken English is currently in talks to attach a director to the project. Filming is expected to begin in Los Angeles in the fall.

Tamara Nagahiro of Grandave International will be introducing the title to buyers at next month’s Cannes Film Market.

“Erick and Patty have been on my radar for some time. I am excited to go on this journey with such visionaries,” said Jolene Rodriguez, president of Broken English Productions.

Galindo most recently announced the development of the family comedy series Mexican Beverly Hills for CBS in collaboration with Wilmer Valderrama’s WV Entertainment. He is also is a five-time Telly Awards winner known for the shorts The Bubble Machine and El De Buena Park.

Rodriguez is coming off a 15-year career at iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS FM Los Angeles where she most recently served as senior producer and on-air talent of the internationally syndicated show On Air With Ryan Seacrest.

She is also created and co-founded Lil’ Libros, a bilingual children’s media publisher.

Under their banner Sin Miedo Productions, Galindo and Rodriguez created the podcast Out of the Shadows: Children of ‘86, which is currently in production with iHeartMedia.

A Christmas to Remember will be produced by Broken English’s Rodriguez with Stanley Preschutti of Grandave Capital as executive producer.

Carmela Zumbado to Star in the Indie Holiday Rom-Com “White Elephant”

Carmela Zumbado isn’t avoiding the Elephant in the room…

The 29-year-old Latina actress recently wrapped production on veteran producer Corey Moss’ indie holiday romantic comedy White Elephant.

Carmela Zumbado

The movie marks Moss’s directorial debut and follows eight friends who convene for their annual gift exchange and secrets are revealed that thrust the game into chaos and push relationships to the brink.

Zumbado stars alongside Devin Druid, Matthew Hancock, Lana McKissack, CoCo Jones, Paul Karmiryan, Nathan Moore and Avery Norris.

Zumbado most recently starred on season two of Netflix’s You. Her other credits include television appearances on Rosewood, The Magicians, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and  a starring role in the film The Wall of Mexico.

Trapero to Direct Fox Searchlight’s “The Man In The Rockefeller Suit”

Pablo Trapero is ready to Rock(efeller)…

The 44-year-old Argentine filmmaker has been tapped to direct The Man In The Rockefeller Suit for Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Pablo Trapero

The film tells the true story of Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, an imposter who conned his way into various jobs on Wall Street — as well a marriage — posing as a member of the Rockefeller family. After achieving a life in rarefied social circles, his past finally catches up with him and he fears losing custody of his only daughter.

David Barr Katz has adapted the book by Mark Seal.

This part weekend, Trapero won the Goya Award for Best Ibero-American film for The Clan, which will have a platform release in the U.S. beginning March 19 through Fox. He won the Silver Lion for the picture at last year’s Venice Film Festival, just at it broke the record for largest local-language opening of all time in Argentina.
Trapero has twice had films nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Oscars, for Lion’s Den and Carancho.

Trapero, whose White Elephant premiered in Un Certain Regard at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, chaired the Cannes jury for Un Certain Regard at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.