Cineplex acquires North and South American rights to Mariel Garcia Spooner’s "La Residencia"

Latin American distributor Cineplex has acquired the North and South American sales rights for "La Residencia," the upcoming dramedy from director Mariel Garcia Spooner. The project follows Spooner's successful film "Algo Azul."

The film recently participated in the Sanfic Industria’s WIP Iberoamericana section, a competition for films from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal currently in post-production. The story centers on three friends in their mid-sixties who join forces to address money troubles and create a social club for seniors.

Diana Dudek, a managing partner at Cineplex who works with co-founder-general manager Elba McAllister, stated that the company has worked with Spooner since her first film. Dudek said they like Spooner’s ability to tell "entertaining, relatable stories with a deeper underlying message." Regarding "La Residencia," Dudek noted that the company "immediately connected with the story of these three friends who, at a more mature stage of their lives, decide to reinvent themselves and move forward together."

The development of the film included participation at Málaga WIP and winning the Latino Film Institute Work in Progress finishing fund at Laliff 2026, presented with Amazon MGM Studios. Additionally, Barcelona-based Only Postproduction joined the project for color grading after a connection made during Mafiz.

Spooner, who produced the film through her Panama-based company Hello October, said she tells the story of the three friends, Cecilia, Rocío, and Martina, from a "close and human perspective." She stated the film explores "friendship, the fear of growing older and above all, the possibility of starting over without losing who you are."

The cast features Colombian actresses Xilena Aycardi and Marcela Carvajal, along with Panamanian actors Diana Abouganem, Massiel Mas, Diego de Obaldía, Miguel Melfi, Beatriz García, and Gregory Manrique. With the picture now locked, the film is in the final stages of post-production before its festival launch. Dudek expressed confidence that the film has the potential to "resonate with international audiences."

Cineplex also acquired Colombian and Latin American rights to "The Cry of Serankwa" by Yull Nuñez, another Sanfic WIP title. McAllister noted other recent acquisitions include the documentary "Yuma" and Klych López’s "Irreparable," which premieres at the Tallinn Black Nights film festival and Argentina’s Mar del Plata festival.