Beta Fiction Spain, Distributor of ‘Emmanuelle,’ ‘We Live in Time,’ Taps Director Arantxa Echevarría for ‘Dolores’ (EXCLUSIVE)

As a seasoned film enthusiast with years of immersion in the ever-evolving world of cinema, I find the strategy adopted by Beta Fiction Spain to be both intriguing and commendable. Their eclectic approach, encompassing biopics, thrillers, and even remakes of successful foreign comedies, speaks volumes about their commitment to catering to a diverse audience.

In San Sebastian, Beta Fiction Spain – the distributor for this year’s festival’s opening and closing films, “Emmanuelle” by Audrey Diwan and “We Live in Time” by John Crowley – has appointed Arantxa Echevarría to helm their upcoming Spanish production titled “Dolores.

As a passionate cinephile, I’ve had the privilege to direct “La Infiltrada” for Beta Fiction, a gripping tale about an undercover cop infiltrating the Basque terrorist group ETA. This compelling drama will premiere on October 11, with Luis Tosar and Carolina Yuste gracing our screens.

The movie titled ‘Dolores,’ which focuses on Dolores Ibarruri, famously known as La Pasionaria and a global symbol of the labor movement and resistance against fascism, was initially unveiled in 2022 by Beta Fiction Spain.

As a cinephile, I’ve been captivated by the recent recognition of Carlos Marques-Marcet’s “Chinas.” This film, which premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight under the title “Carmen & Lola,” has garnered four prestigious Spanish Academy Goya Award nominations this year.

The screenplay for “Dolores” was written by two prominent Spanish screenwriters, Alejandro Hernández, who collaborated on Alejandro Amenábar’s “While at War,” and Michel Gaztambide, known for his work on Julio Medem’s breakthrough 1992 film “Cows” and the Freddy Highmore heist thriller “The Vault,” which was the second highest-grossing Spanish movie of 2021.

Mercedes Gamero of Beta Fiction stated to EbMaster prior to this year’s San Sebastián Festival, running from September 20th to the 28th, that Arantxa fits both mainstream appeal and a unique directorial style, making her an ideal choice for the film.

Beta Fiction Spain, Distributor of ‘Emmanuelle,’ ‘We Live in Time,’ Taps Director Arantxa Echevarría for ‘Dolores’ (EXCLUSIVE)

The news about Echevarría’s involvement arrives as Beta Fiction Spain is fine-tuning its 2025 Spanish film production plan, a project that appears poised to attract some of the most prominent actors, directors, and writers from Spain.

Following the successful debut of its hit comedy “La Familia Benetón” (Beta Fiction) in Spain, which earned €4.0 million ($4.5 million), and “The Count of Monte Cristo” ($1.8 million), the Madrid-based film production-distribution company – a component of the pan-European independent film giant Beta Film – showcased three titles at Toronto International Film Festival: “We Live in Time,” action drama “William Tell” directed by Nick Hamm, and the romantic epic “On Sweet Horses,” featuring Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

With the titles we’ve earned, we find ourselves perfectly positioned now. We are putting into practice the strategies we envisioned when starting Beta Fiction Spain, as shared with EbMaster.

Even though Spain’s box office continues its struggle to surpass pre-pandemic revenue levels, and humor alone may not guarantee box office wins, Beta Fiction aims to secure success through a mix of approaches.

One aspect is choosing carefully. As Gamero mentioned, we only choose six movies annually, considering that half of our collection consists of our own Spanish productions.

Another, naturally enough, is talent.

On October 31, the film “Escape,” directed by Spanish auteur Rodrigo Cortés (known for “Buried” and “Love Gets a Room”), will be opening. The movie stars Mario Casas (“The Innocent”) and Anna Castillo (“Nowhere,” “A Perfect Story”).

Not only “Dolores” and “Escape”, but both fall into the genre of drama thrillers. As stated by Gamero, there seems to be an oversaturation of comedies, with many being similar in nature, leading to a sense of fatigue among audiences.

If comedies tend to lose some of their impact over time, recent Spanish films like ‘The 47’ and ‘The Teacher Who Promised the Sea’ show that audiences are open to different types of narratives. She pointed out that when you look at international markets, movies based on real events or biopics are doing extremely well. It appears that audiences are drawn to lesser-known stories about real people, as evidenced by the high number of biopics being produced in Hollywood.

Without coincidence, “Infiltrada,” produced by Bowfinger International Pictures and set to hit theaters on October 11, is based on a real-life event. It tells the story of a 20-year-old police officer, who went by the name Aránzazu Berradre Marín, who successfully infiltrated a terrorist group. She even lived with them as one of their own.

Beta Fiction’s production slate is also markedly eclectic.

Upcoming titles take in:

“Sigue Mi Voz” – a heartfelt teen romance and identity drama, based on the deeply personal story of Ariana Godoy, author of Wattpad, about a young woman’s journey to find love and self-acceptance after experiencing a mental health crisis. Berta Castañé and Jae Woo take on leading roles; Inés Pintor and Pablo Santidrián direct this film, scheduled for release in February 2025.

As a film enthusiast, I’m eagerly anticipating the production of “Cronos,” set to begin in September 2025, directed by Fernando González Molina, and produced by Nostromo Pictures. This gripping drama is based on the aftermath of the 2017 Ramblas Barcelona terrorist attack, where Spanish and European security forces race against time to dismantle the cell responsible before they can perpetrate more atrocities. The screenplay is being crafted by Alberto Marini from an original idea by Arturo Lezcano and Nacho Carretero. Moreover, “Cronos” delves into how this attack reverberated through the lives of Barcelona’s residents and Catalonia as a whole, as Gamero pointed out.

Slated for release in March, “Coartada S.L.” will be a Spanish remake of Philippe Lacheau’s popular French comedy franchise known for its outrageous humor and box office success with over 8 million tickets sold in France. Curro Velázquez, the writer behind “Brain Drain,” is responsible for penning this new adaptation.

Gamero stated, “We enjoy exploring different choices,” she explained. This is evident in our projects such as a biopic based on one of the most significant Spanish women of the 20th century, a fact-based suspenseful drama, and a reimagining of a popular French comedy. The key to Beta Fiction Spain’s success, she noted, has been the backing from public broadcasters like TVE, Atresmedia, Movistar Plus+, and Prime Video in Spain, who have acquired Beta Fiction Spain titles since their inception. “Without the support of Atresmedia and Movistar Plus+, for instance, we wouldn’t have been able to produce ‘Infiltrada’,” she added. Last week, TVE acquired “Cronos”.

As a passionate cinephile, I’ve found that being part of the Beta family comes with numerous benefits. The Spanish branch, Beta Fiction Spain, engages in fruitful conversations, sharing valuable industry insights, with our German counterpart, Beta Cinema – their film sales and production arm. While there’s no binding obligation for either party to acquire or co-produce each other’s projects, this collaborative dynamic certainly adds an exciting dimension to our collective cinematic journey.

Gamero noted that having the backing of a large group provides a sense of security, not just for individuals but also for the market. Furthermore, Beta is a highly esteemed institution, and we feel privileged to be able to participate and add to its prestige.

2024-09-20 09:19

Beta Fiction Spain, Distributor of ‘Emmanuelle,’ ‘We Live in Time,’ Taps Director Arantxa Echevarría for ‘Dolores’ (EXCLUSIVE)

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