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“Twelve Moons,” the feature debut of Mexican filmmaker Victoria Franco, premieres on Saturday in the International Narrative Competition of Tribeca Festival. Variety debuts an exclusive first clip from the film and speaks to the director.

The film stars acclaimed Mexican actor Ana de la Reguera, whose career bridges Hollywood and Latin American cinema, alongside Ariel Award winner Enrique Arreola. Filmmaker Michel Franco, Victoria’s brother, is a producer on the film, and the Match Factory is handling international sales.

“Twelve Moons” follows Sofia, a 40-year-old architect in Mexico City, who has suffered a devastating loss, and must navigate her complex emotions while trying to stay true to herself. As she struggles with her fertility and identity as a woman, both her personal and professional life begin to deteriorate forcing her to look inward to find the light that will lead her forward.

In the clip, we see that Sofia has an issue with alcohol consumption,...

November 2024 brings an exciting lineup of Prime Video Originals, featuring a diverse range of films and series that cater to various tastes. Kicking off the month is Freedom on November 1, a gripping French thriller inspired by the true story of a notorious gangster, featuring a strong cast led by Lucas Bravo. Following this, on November 7, the Hindi action series Citadel (Honey Bunny), a spin-off of the acclaimed original, delves into the world of international spies with stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan. The disaster film Every Minute Counts arrives on November 8, chronicling the aftermath of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.

On November 10, the documentary series German Cocaine Cowboy examines the rise of gangster Joe Marx within the Cali cartel. Other highlights include the thriller series Cross on November 14, the action-adventure film Red One on November 15, and the intriguing docu-film Billions Mike on November 17. Comedy fans can look forward to Jeff Dunham...

Nothing to See Here is a hilarious series about two disabled friends having each other’s backs. Directed by Santiago Limón, the series stars incredible actors: Enrique Arreola, Alexis Arroyo, Alejandro Calva, Veronica Merchant, and others. The story revolves around the way Alexis envisions his life. Well, that could be a dark joke because Alexis is visually impaired! Replete with witty comedies, the series brings out the quest of two disabled friends to come in search of a new life in Mexico City. Will Alexis eventually be able to fulfill his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian? Let’s find out!

Spoiler Alert

Why Does Alexis Want To Go To Mexico City?

Alexis, a visually impaired guy, has dreams of his own and decides to move out of the comfort of his home to prove a point to the world. He asks his friend Charly, another disabled guy with cerebral palsy,...

Queens on the Run (Fuga de reinas) is a Mexican comedy directed by Jorge Macaya and starring Martha Higareda, Paola Nuñez, Alejandra Ambrosi, Valeria Vera.

A funny Mexican movie that, between Thelma and Louise and Sky Rojo, takes us to the adventures of four very nice women.

Very entertaining, it delves more in the funny and sympathetic tone than in the thriller.

Without being the movie of our lives, it achieves what it intends: to make us have a good time without disturbing us too much.

Simple.

Movie Review

Funny, good rhythm, excellent comic performances, exaggeratedly self-conscious: four great protagonists with whom to spend two hours and, unfortunately, forget about them after ten minutes.

With Queens on the Run we are clear about it after five minutes: it only aims to entertain, following usual plots and with a hint of parody to American cinema and the classic road movies with women characters.

Title: Nora’s Will Directed: Mariana Chenillo Starring: Fernando Luján, Enrique Arreola, Ari Brickman and Juan Carlos Colombo. Movies that aim to take a different outlook on serious subjects and succeed in achieving their intended unique perspective are often rewarded with praise and awards. The Mexican film ‘Nora’s Will’ is one such movie that aimed to take a humorous tone towards families who struggle to cope with the death of a loved one. While winning numerous honors at several festivals, including best first feature at the Havana Film Festival, the movie won’t likely strike a cord with American audiences. ‘Nora’s Will’ tries to take a comedic stand on death and the bonding and mourning of [...]...

The lovely, unpredictable comedy "Duck Season" marks the arrival of a fresh talent in writer-director Fernando Eimbcke. His script is vibrant with unforced humanist observations, the performances are natural and endearing, and the black-and-white imagery bears a distinct visual style that well serves the present-day tale without overpowering it.

The deceptively simple story of two Mexico City teens wasting time while home alone has enjoyed a warm reception on the festival circuit, reaped 11 Ariel Awards (Mexico's highest film honors) and received a 2006 Independent Spirit Awards nomination for best foreign film. Although its gentle charms and lack of incident might be too low-key for some viewers, positive reviews and word-of-mouth should help the film reach an appreciative audience as it expands beyond Friday's bow in Los Angeles and New York.

On a random Sunday in a working-class Mexico City apartment complex, 14-year-old best friends Flama (Daniel Miranda) and Moko (Diego Catano) are hanging out in Flama's apartment, his mother (Carolina Politi) having left, somewhat nervously, for a social engagement. Video games (Bush vs. bin Laden) are the main attraction for the boys, along with a liter of Coke expertly poured into two giant glasses. The first interruption of their slacker bliss arrives with 16-year-old neighbor Rita (Danny Perea), who needs to borrow their oven in order to bake a cake. While she explores the fridge and kitchen cupboards, helping herself to samples, the boys must contend with a second disruption: a power outage that thrusts them into listless silence. Potato chips don't quite fill the void, so they order pizza.

With the electricity still out in the building, the Telepizza guy must race up many flights to meet the company's 30-minute delivery guarantee. According to the boys' ruthless timing, he arrives 11 seconds late. Thus begins a standoff, with the bespectacled Ulises (Enrique Arreola) refusing to leave until he is paid. The boys stick to their guns, not so much out of principle as from a teen need to test their power through offhand cruelty. Among the film's many strengths is the way the young actors act like kids rather than miniature adults.

A video game challenge ends the impasse between Ulises and Flama, while Rita enlists the mop-headed Moko's assistance in her string of pastry disasters. Such is the "action," the ennui interlaced with deadpan silliness, tentative flirtations, ethical debates and soul-searching confessions. Without show-stopping fireworks, Eimbcke detonates revelations full of compassion and loneliness and the ache of living.

The film's title ("Temporada de Patos" in Spanish) refers to a rather generic landscape painting in Flama's living room. For the boy, it's a symbol of his parents' bitter divorce; for the philosophical Ulises, who reassesses his life in the course of the day, it's a window onto new possibilities.

The good-looking film unfolds almost entirely inside the apartment, with the exception of a few scene-setting exterior shots, one brief dip into magic realism and a winsome visual of the foursome on the balcony, which quotes an iconic series of Beatles album covers. In its affectionate look at this quartet of souls, "Duck Season" is a delight.

Duck Season

Warner Independent Pictures

Warner Independent Pictures and Alfonso Cuaron's Esperanto Filmoj present a Cinepantera, Lulu Producciones and Fidecine production with the support of Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografia

Credits:

Writer-director: Fernando Eimbcke

Script written with the collaboration of Paula Markovitch and the advice of Felipe Cazals

Producer: Christian Valdelievre

Executive producer: Jaime B. Ramos

Director of photography: Alexis Zabe

Production designer: Diana Quiroz

Music: Alejandro Rosso, Liquits

Costume designer: Lissi De La Concha

Editor: Mariana Rodriguez

Cast:

Ulises: Enrique Arreola

Flama: Daniel Miranda

Moko: Diego Catano

Rita: Danny Perea

Flama's mother: Carolina Politi

MPAA rating R

Running time -- 87 minutes...

MEXICO CITY -- Temporada de Patos (Duck Season), a black-and-white comedy made on a shoestring budget, swept the 47th Ariel Awards ceremony, winning 11 of Mexico's top film prizes, including best picture and director. Tuesday night's event at Mexico City's Palace of Fine Arts belonged to Duck Season director Fernando Eimbcke, who also walked away with awards for best first work and original screenplay. Eimbcke co-wrote the story about three teens battling boredom in a Mexico City apartment. Cine Pantera and Lulu co-produced the picture, which cost slightly less than $1 million. Duck Season also claimed prizes for best actor, Enrique Arreola, and actress, Danny Perea. Last year the movie won a record seven awards at the Guadalajara Film Festival and walked away with the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI fest. Producer Christian Valdelievre said he is still shopping for a distribution deal in the U.S. market.