International film distributor, streamer and production company Mubi has snapped up Mexican and Latin American rights to Fernando Eimbcke’s “Flies” (“Moscas”) with plans to release it in cinema theaters. It will mark the first time that Mubi will theatrically release a Mexican film across Latin America.
Opening the Guadalajara Film Festival (F(CG) on April 17, “Flies” had its world premiere at the Berlinale last February where it vied for the Golden Bear.
The latest from Eimbcke, best known for past gems “Duck Season” and “Club Sandwich,” follows a bitter, solitary woman living in a large complex who rents out a room to make ends meet. Her new tenant sneaks in his nine-year-old son, with whom, after discovering him, she forms a deep connection.
Like “Duck Season,” “Flies” was shot entirely in black and white. It stars Teresita Sánchez (“The Chambermaid,” “Tótem”), Hugo Ramírez (“Xquipi”), Enrique Arreola (“Duck Season,” “Blue Eyelids”) and young Bastian Escobar in his acting debut.
“In ‘Flies,’ this nine-year-old boy transforms Olga’s universe, a woman paralyzed by the fear of connection. On set, Bastian transformed the entire crew, reminding us that making a movie should be a game – and for a child, playing is a deeply serious matter. Children don’t need poetic dialogue or images; they are poetic in their very existence,” said Eimbcke.
Its theatrical release in Mexico and the rest of Latin America is slated for the second half of 2026.
Over the past 10 years or so, Fernando Eimbcke has emerged as one of Latin America’s most influential directors. Born in Mexico City and trained at UNAM, he broke out with “Duck Season,” which debuted at Cannes in 2004, won multiple awards and was released in the U.S. by Alfonso Cuarón and Warner Independent.
His follow-up, “Lake Tahoe,” premiered at Berlin in 2008, earning both the FIPRESCI Prize and the Silver Bear Jury Prize. “Club Sandwich“ debuted at TIFF in 2013 and went on to win the Golden Shell at San Sebastián. Most recently, Eimbcke premiered “Olmo” in Berlin’s Panorama section—his first U.S. production, made with Plan B.
Founded in 2007 by Efe Cakarel, Mubi has expanded its global reach to some 190 countries, with headquarters in London, 15 offices, and 400+ employees. It acquired The Match Factory in 2022 and a majority stake in Cinéart in 2024.
Recent and upcoming releases include pics by Lynne Ramsay, Paolo Sorrentino, Park Chan-wook, Luca Guadagnino, Sofia Coppola and others, alongside such acclaimed titles as “The Substance” and Oscar-winning pic “Sentimental Value” and Oscar-nominated “Sirât” in its slate.
In early April, Mubi forged a multi-year co-financing deal with Helsinki-based investment fund manager IPR.VC to back a slate of prominent European auteur-driven films, starting with Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland” and Felix Van Groeningen’s “Let Love In.”
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