Rio de Janeiro-based Habanero Film Sales has snagged worldwide rights to “This Island” (“Esta isla”), the feature debut of Lorraine Jones Molina and Cristian Carretero ahead of its world premiere in the U.S. Narrative Competition of the Tribeca Film Festival. The New York City-based festival founded by Robert de Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff runs June 4 -15 this year.
Habanero Film Sales CEO Alfredo Calviño sealed the agreement with its filmmaking duo Jones Molina and Carretero who are also its producers.
“In Habanero we love it when we are surprised by awesome stories and even more when those stories come from emerging talent. In our opinion, ‘This Island’ has all the elements to make a compelling addition to the current boom of Caribbean films that has been marked by visibility and awards in the top-tier international film festivals and art house film circuits,” Calviño told Variety. “These are films that have a distinct vibrant energy, color palette, rawness and humanity at the same time,” he added.
Described as a deeply personal and poignant portrait of the Puerto Rican experience that dives deep into the complexities of identity, resilience and colonial legacy, “This Island” is set in a coastal Puerto Rican town where teenage Bebo (played by Zion Ortíz) and his brother turn to crime to survive. When a deal goes bad, Bebo escapes with Lola (Fabiola Brown), a wealthy runaway. As they flee through the island’s fading interior, violence closes in, forcing Bebo to confront his past and choose between redemption—or the sea.
The rest of the cast includes Xavier Morales, Teófilo Torres, Audicio Robles, Georgina Borri, Omar Iloy, Sean Ortiz, Jeniffe Fret and Bryan Minaya.
“From the very first conversation with Alfredo, it was clear how deeply connected he is to Caribbean cinema and how well he understood our film and its layered message,” said the directing duo, adding: “We love the slate of films Habanero represents — bold, socially conscious, and artful, spanning the entire Latin American region.”
Some other Habanero pickups include “Chronicles of the Absurd” by Cuban director Miguel Coyula, “Isla Familia” which is directed by Cuba’s Abraham Jiménez Enoa and Claudia Calviño and “On the Invention of Species” from Ecuador’s Tania Hermida.
In late March, the 30+-year-old sales agency nabbed world sales rights to Panamanian Annie Canavaggio’s documentary “The Panama Canal Treaties – Son of Tiger & Mule” (“Hijo de Tigre y Mula”) prior to its special screening at the Panama International Film Festival (IFF Panama).
