KimStim Acquires North American Rights to León & Cociña’s ‘Donkey Princess’ (EXCLUSIVE)

KimStim has acquired North American rights to “Donkey Princess,” the latest feature from Chilean filmmaking duo Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña, directors of “The Wolf House.”

The deal was closed by KimStim co-president Ian Stimler and Luis Renart, CEO of Spain’s Bendita Film Sales, which handles world sales on the film.

“Donkey Princess” world premiered in the International Competition at the Locarno Film Festival before its North American premiere at Austin’s Fantastic Fest. KimStim plans a North American theatrical release in 2027, followed by digital and home-video editions.

The acquisition renews KimStim’s ties with León and Cociña after the New York-based distributor previously released “The Wolf House” in North America.

“‘Donkey Princess’ feels as if Guy Maddin and Jan Švankmajer had collaborated on a fairy tale — handmade, darkly funny, romantic, and gloriously strange,” said Stimler. “It’s exactly the kind of singular film KimStim exists to champion.”

Set in a fairy-tale kingdom where love is forbidden, “Donkey Princess” follows Princess Diana, who defies the King’s decree by falling for Lalo. After he is banished, a magical bracelet carries her across worlds and parallel space-times on a journey to reclaim her dreams and her lost love.

Loosely inspired by Charles Perrault’s French fairy tale “Donkeyskin” (“Peau d’Âne”), previously adapted for the screen by Jacques Demy, the film blends live action, stop-motion, two-dimensional animation, handcrafted sets and digital imagery. The film turns the princess tale into a passage across medieval fantasy, retro-futurist sci-fi and the present day.

The film stars Antonia Giesen, Andrew Bargsted and Francisco Melo. Jean-Benoît Dunckel, one half of French electronic duo AIR, whose film work includes Sofia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides,” composed the score.

León and Cociña have collaborated since 2007, building a body of work across animation, visual art and live action. Their first feature, “The Wolf House,” premiered at the Berlinale and won the Caligari Film Prize.

Their short “The Bones” won the best short film prize in Venice’s Horizons section, while “The Hyperboreans” screened in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2024. Their work has also been exhibited at institutions including MoMA and Tate Modern.

Produced by Catalina Vergara, “Donkey Princess” is a Chilean-led co-production from León & Cociña Films and Globo Rojo Films, with France’s Metonymie, the Netherlands’ Viking Film, Uruguay’s Montelona Films and Germany’s Autentika Films.

Founded in 2000, KimStim releases international, documentary and repertory titles in North America across theatrical, educational, digital and home-video platforms.