Charades, Anonymous Content Team on Spanish Psychological Thriller Upon Entry Ahead of S

 Posted on August 25, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  928 words  |  Jenniffer Sheldon

“Upon Entry,” a gripping psychological thriller tackling an immigration story, has been boarded by Charades and Anonymous Content ahead of its North American premiere at SXSW.

The movie marks the feature debut of Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez and is based on the their personal experiences as emigrants.

The cast is led by Goya-winning actors Alberto Ammann (“Narcos”) and Bruna Cusí (“Summer 1993”), as well as Laura Gómez, best known for her role in “Orange Is the New Black,” and Ben Temple.

“Upon Entry” had its world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival last November, where it won the Fipresci Award, and will next play at SXSW in the Narrative Spotlight Section.

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“Upon Entry” tells the story of Diego and Elena, a young couple moving to the U.S. from Spain. Upon their arrival at the Newark airport with their approved residence visas, the two are unexpectedly held and subjected to an interrogation by border agents who attempt to discover whether the couple may have something to hide.

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The film is produced by Carles Torras for Zabriskie Films, Carlos Juárez for Basque Films, Xosé Zapata, Sergio Adrià and Alba Sotorra.

“’Upon Entry’ is one of those rare gems that is meant to resonate and surprise every distributor who sees it over the months to come,” said Charades’ co-founder Yohann Comte. “We were lucky to discover it in the Tallinn Black Nights Film festival and each one of us in the team was caught by the performances and the suspense till the last minute.”

Co-founder Carole Baraton added, “Partnering with Anonymous on this title was quite obvious for [the company]. The filmmakers tackled important themes relating to the U.S., and Anonymous appeared as the strong domestic partner who has a history of bringing impactful movies to its market.”

Nick Shumaker, who joined Anonymous Content from UTA in 2021 and is heading the banner’s new film sales and finance division AC Independent, said, “It’s rare that a debut psychological thriller brims with a prescient social conscience and is executed so slyly and so precisely. It’s equally as rare to have one that we believe can cross over to multiple demographics in North America, and not just reside within the arthouse.”

Shumaker added that “you’ll never pass through Customs in Newark the same way after watching this film!”

Torras, meanwhile, said he “immediately realized that [he] was holding a genuine and authentic work that was brimming with sensibility, creativity and talent” when he first read the script.

The producer described “Upon Entry” as a “true indie film that stands out for its brilliant dialogue, the actors’ performances, its pace and the verisimilitude of its mise-en-scène.”

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