Prestige International Pictures Boards SXSW Mexican Teen Body Horror ‘Fifteen’ – AFM

EXCLUSIVE: Prestige International Pictures (PIP) has acquired all sales rights to SXSW Midnighters title Fifteen (Quince), outside of Latin America, ahead of the AFM in November.

Taking its cue from the Latin American tradition of quinceañera, a coming-of-age celebration when a girl turns 15, the film was directed by Mexican brothers Jack Zagha and Yossy Zagha from an original screenplay by Andrzej Rattinger and Ricardo Álvarez Canales ((100 Days to Fall in Love).

Since its premiere at SXSW, it since played a raft of international genre and film festivals, including Seattle, Fantaspoa and Neuchâtel.

The body horror follows a Mexican girl who has been planning the perfect quinceañera with her best friend until she begins to transform into something monstrous, causing a rift in their friendship as her birthday party spirals into chaos.

Greta Martí stars alongside Macarena Oz (Nadie nos va a extrañar), Aminta Ireta, Cloe Furlong and Mercedes Hernández, who recently appeared in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Digger.

The film was produced by the Zagha bothers for Avanti Pictures alongside Elsa Reyes and Películas V’s Valentín Javier Diment and Vanesa Pagani. The Mexican and Argentine co-production was made with the support and participation of the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE), through FIDECINE, FOCINE and EFICINE.

“People keep telling teenage girls, ‘You’re becoming a woman,’ as if that isn’t terrifying enough,” said Yossy Zagha. “We took that fear and put it inside the biggest party of her life.

“I’m thrilled to invite buyers at AFM to this gory quinceañera if they dare to attend,” said Prestige president Carlos Rincon. “Jack and Yossy have crafted a supernatural coming-of-age horror that draws on familiar elements of classics such as Carrie and Rosemary’s Baby but with a Mexican twist.”

Prestige president Carlos Rincon negotiated the deal with producers Jack and Yossy Zagha.