In line with its continued bid to release a diversity of strong titles, Cinepolis Distribution has picked up all worldwide distribution rights to horror drama “My Favorite Birthday” (“Mi Cumpleaños Favorito”) by helmer-scribe Agustin ‘Oso’ Tapia (“Club Eutanasia”).
Tapia has described “Birthday” as “a story where two genres collide: Film noir with the supernatural.” The horror pic follows a young girl about to turn seven who receives a magical puppet theater for her birthday. The unusual gift allows her to spy on unsuspecting adults around her.
Seasoned film and TV producer Leonardo Zimbron and genre producer Beatriz Bouras (“Influencia”) are producing the drama, which is currently shooting on location.
Fernanda Castillo, wildly popular for her performance in Mexican box office hit “Ya Veremos,” leads the cast along with Juan Rios and Ivan Arana.
“Horror is without a doubt one of Mexico’s most representative genres,” said Zimbron. “It’s wonderful to work with people so talented like Tapia and Bouras; this film already looks like a classic,” he noted.
“Working with Zimbron is a major achievement for our distribution branch,” said Cinepolis Distribution head Leo Cordero, adding: “We deeply respect his career and his drive to bring powerful stories to theaters.”
Zimbron’s notable credits in film and TV include Netflix’s first original production in Mexico, the hit soccer-themed comedy series “Club de Cuervos,” now on its fourth season, and the 2013 hit comedy “Nosotros Los Nobles,” Gary Alazraki’s debut film, which broke the Mexican box office record that year and is the top film of all time on all platforms in Mexico.
In September, Zimbron was hired to run the new scripted division of Endemol Shine Boomdog, a division of Endemol Shine North America. But he continues to produce films through his shingle, Traziende.
His most recent mainstream movies have been Issa Lopez’s “Todo Mal” and Jose Bojorquez’s “Mas Sabe el Diablo por Viejo.”
As the distribution arm of Mexican exhibition giant Cinepolis, Cinepolis Distribution has been busy scooping up all Latin American rights to such high concept titles as “Chicuarotes,” the second feature helmed by Mexican star Gael Garcia Bernal, and Alonso Ruizpalacios’ acclaimed “Museo,” toplined by Bernal.
In August, Cinepolis picked up all Latin American rights to the Mexican version of 2011 Colombian suspense thriller, “The Hidden Face” (“La Cara Oculta”).
Kickstarted with Jonas Cuaron’s “Desierto” in early 2016, Cinepolis Distribution has released an average of 18 to 22 Mexican and upscale foreign titles over the past two years. The potential appeal of each project determines whether they pick up all Latin American rights or just Mexico, and in some cases, such as with “My Favorite Birthday,” all worldwide rights.
In other news, Cinepolis Exhibition officially opened the five-screen luxury Bay Theatre Nov. 9 in the tony neighborhood of Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. The bespoke theatre, revived 40 years after its 1978 closure, will feature fully-reclining leather seats and a 35 mm projector in one of the screens as well as offer fine wine and select dishes.