The Match Factory Sells Key Territories for Karim Aïnouz’s ‘Motel Destino’
The Match Factory has closed major international deals for Karim Aïnouz’s neon-noir thriller “Motel Destino,” which premiered in the Official Selection in Competition to a 14-minute standing ovation at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The film has secured distribution in key territories: Germany (Piffl Medien), Benelux (Cherrypickers Film Distributie), Spain (Vertigo Films), Latin America, excluding Brazil (Mubi), Scandinavia (Njutafilms), Poland (Aurora Films), Portugal (Nitrato Filmes), Romania (Bad Unicorn), the Baltics (A-One Films), Greece (Danaos Films), Former Yugoslavia (MCF MegaCom Film), Bulgaria (Beta Film), and Taiwan (Catchplay). Tandem secured the French distribution rights ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, while Brouhaha and Written Rock are handling the U.K. rights. Negotiations for additional territories are underway.
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After its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the film will open Brazil’s main film festival, the Gramado Film Festival in August, on an hors-concours basis, and will then premiere in cinemas all over the country, on Aug. 22, making use of the awareness generated before. More than 100 cinemas are expected to host the film in Brazil.
The film is set at the neon-hued Motel Destino, a roadside sex hotel steaming under the burning blue skies of the northeastern coast of Brazil. It is run by hot-headed Elias and his restless younger wife Dayana. The unexpected arrival of 21-year-old Heraldo, on the run after a botched hit, disrupts the established order. As the tropical noir plays out, loyalties and desires intertwine to reveal that destiny has its own enigmatic design.
The film stars Iago Xavier, in his feature film debut, Nataly Rocha and Fabio Assunção. “Motel Destino” is a Brazilian co-production between Inflamável and Gullane, in co-production with Maneki Films, The Match Factory, Globo Filmes, Telecine and Canal Brasil, in association with Brouhaha Entertainment, Written Rock Films, Tandem, Matizar Filmes, Tigresa and Filmes del Fuego.
The production received support from Ancine, FSA/BRDE, the Government of the State of Ceará – Department of Culture, Aide aux cinémas du monde – Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée – Institut Français, and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.
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