GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Mexico’s Ernesto Contreras, best known for his lauded Sundance Audience Award winner “I Dream in Another Language” is preparing his next feature film, “Cosas Imposibles” (“Impossible Things”).
“I Dream…” producers Monica Lozano and Eamon O’Farrill of Alebrije Prods. and Luis Albores and Érika Ávila of Contreras’ Agencia SHA, are re-teaming to make the dramedy.
Set in a Mexico City housing complex, “Impossible Things” turns on a woman in her 60s whose dead abusive husband continues to torment her, but only in her head. She strikes an unlikely friendship with a troubled 19-year-old neighbor. Together they help each other to shake off their inner demons.
Story is by novice writer Fanie Soto, a Guadalajara native, whose first script won the Matilde Landeta top award given to female scriptwriters. “I was intrigued by what the juror said about it and asked to read it,” said Contreras, adding: “I was completely taken by Fanie’s script and sent it to Monica who also loved it.” He plans to start shooting “Impossible Things” on the second week of April.
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Aside from serving as president of Mexico’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Contreras has directed 21 episodes of three seasons of “El Chapo” for Netflix-Univision and served as the showrunner/co-director of Amazon Prime’s detective thriller “Falco.”
He’s also attached to showrun another series for a streaming service later in the year.
“I still want to make my own movies; there are so many stories I want to tell,” said Contreras who had stopped by the Guadalajara Festival (FICG) for just a few days. It is at this festival’s 22nd edition where his debut feature, dark comedy “Blue Eyelids,” took home several top awards, including Best Ibero-American film. It went on to win the Special Jury Prize for the World Cinema – Dramatic category at Sundance the next year.
Alebrije Prods. has backed two films at FICG, Emilio Maille’s fireworks documentary “Sky Poets” and Alvaro Curiel’s drama “Marionette,” both world premiering in the festival’s Premio Mezcal section.
CREDIT: David Suárez
