U.K.-French film company Alief has boarded Cinélatino winner Victoria Linares Villegas’ upcoming horror debut “No salgas” (“Stay Quiet”) as its world sales agent and co-producer, teaming up with El Perro de Argento, the Dominican Republic-based production company founded by Linares Villegas and Carlos Marranzini.
Alief partners Brett Walker and Miguel Angel Govea are heading to Cannes with a sizzle reel to meet with potential buyers and post-production partners at the Marché du Film. Pic is slated for completion by winter 2024, in time for the festival circuit.
Currently filming in the Dominican Republic, the queer coming-of-age horror pic stars Camila Issa (Nickelodeon’s “Are You Afraid of the Dark”) Cecile van Welie (San Sebastian’s New Directors Award winner “Carajita”) and Camila Santana (Berlinale Generation’s “Ramona”) as well as newcomer Gabriela Cortés.
In “No salgas,” van Welie portrays Liz, a college student grappling with her sexual identity. While on a weekend break with friends, she becomes the focal interest of a supernatural force that targets queer individuals in the Dominican Republic.
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“The dynamics of coexistence and power have always favoured a heteronormative society. The Dominican Republic is highly conservative, which only highlights the inadequacy of the concept of an ‘ally,’ an idea that in ‘No salgas’ is more performative than supportive, and often does not stem from genuine understanding, but from reflexive tolerance,” said Linares, adding: “The ally can be understanding and, at the same time, contribute, out of ignorance, to oppressive social environments.”
Alief also handled the distribution of Linares’ neo-realist docu-fiction pic, “Ramona,” which made its world debut at Berlinale’s Generation in 2023 before screening at BFI London and IDFA. The film won the Grand Prix documentaire at Cinélatino 2024. “Ramona” was officially released in the U.K. in April 2024 by Aya Films and indie streaming platform, MUBI.
“Meeting Victoria last Berlinale when we launched ‘Ramona’ changed my impressions of Latinx; she’s the most exciting Latin American writer-director I’ve met in the past decade and such a joy to work with,” said Govea, adding: “And we love working with women at the helm.”
“No salgas” marks Linares Villegas’ debut in fiction filmmaking and her first collaboration with Marranzini as co-writers and producing partners.
Alief defines itself as a hybrid entity encompassing media sales, production, and distribution. Their mission is to introduce genre and auteur storytelling to both audiences and critics, engaging in all facets of the production journey, from script development and funding to sales and distribution.
Alief’s 2024 world sales slate include BBC Film & Dorothy St. Pictures’ young adult thriller “Edge of Summer” by Lucy Cohen; dark comedy “Puddysticks” by Megan Seely; “Five and a Half Love Stories in an Apartment” by Tomas Vengris with “Saltburn’s” Alison Oliver; Boaz Yakin’s Tallinn 2023 Audience Award winning hip-hop Musical “once Again (For the Very First Time)” and Henri Pardo’s Tiff 2023 Amplify Award-winning adventure “Kanaval.”
