News

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new acquisition: SAINTS

We are happy to share our new acquisition, Saints, by Mikel Gurrea, starring Victoria Luengo in the leading role. Luengo also appears in Pedro Almodóvar's latest film, Bitter Christmas, and plays opposite Javier Bardem in The Beloved (Cannes Competition 2026).

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Festivals

November 2026

Los Angeles Brazilian FF, US: GUGU'S WORLD
Hong Kong Asian FF, HK: THE WORLD BEFORE
Queersicht, CH: GUGU'S WORLD / DOWNTOWN
Seoul International Pride Film Festival, KR: DOWNTOWN
Thessaloniki IFF, GR: GUGU'S WORLD
Mannheim-Heidelberg IFF, DE: GUGU'S WORLD / THE WORLD BEFORE
FICUNAM, MX: TOUCHING THE SKIN OF EERINESS / HEAVEN IS STILL FAR AWAY /PASSION / HAPPY HOUR
FICUNAM, MX: ZOOM IN, ZOOM OUT
Mar del Plata, AR: THE GARDEN WE DREAMED
Mezipatra QFF, CZ: GUGU'S WORLD
Brazilian Film Festival Australia, AU: GUGU'S WORLD
Taipei Golden Horse FF, TW: THE WORLD BEFORE
Seville European IFF, ES: BALCANICA
Loft Film Festival, US: DOWNTOWN
NOAM Faenza Film Festival, IT: THE GARDEN WE DREAMED
Adelaide Queer FF, AU: NIGHT STAGE
Queersicht on tour, CH: GUGU'S WORLD
West Virginia International Film Festival, US: GUGU'S WORLD
Tallinn Black Nights IFF, EE: WHEN I EXISTED
Huelva IFF, ES: GUGU'S WORLD
Filmar, CH: GUGU'S WORLD
Qcinema IFF, PH: THE WORLD BEFORE
RainbowQC Pride Film Fest, PH: GUGU'S WORLD
Exground IFF, DE: THE GARDEN WE DREAMED
Austrian International Children Film Festival, AT: GUGU'S WORLD
Cine Brazil London, UK: GUGU'S WORLD
LIGHT HOUSE CINEMA, IE: GUGU'S WORLD
Pink Panorama FF, CH: DOWNTOWN
Slovak Queer Film Festival, SK: DOWNTOWN
MOSTRA DE CINEMA LGTBIQ+ ENDIMARIS, ES: GUGU'S WORLD
image+nation, US: DOWNTOWN
Cinebrasil, DE: GUGU'S WORLD
Tokyo FILMeX, JP: THE WORLD BEFORE
Marrakech Int.Film Festival, MO: THE WORLD BEFORE
Festival des 3 Continents, FR: THE WORLD BEFORE
Ale Kino!, PL: GUGU'S WORLD
Torino IFF, IT: TRULY NAKED
Torino IFF, IT: THE WORLD BEFORE
JAFF, ID: THE WORLD BEFORE
Tbilisi International Film Festival, GE: TRULY NAKED

Awards

Molodist Kyiv IFF

GUGU’S WORLD takes home Best Film in the Teen Screen competition at the closing ceremony of the 55th Kyiv IFF Molodist! Congratulations to the cast and crew!

ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS

We’re delighted to celebrate Sim Su-bin, star of The World Before, on her win at the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Huge congratulations!

Rome Film Festival

SAINTS star Victoria Luengo has won Best Actress at the Rome Film Fest 2026 for her performance in the film. Congratulations!

Morelia International Film Festival

THE GARDEN WE DREAMED received two awards at the 24th Morelia International Film Festival: Best Cinematography, awarded to director of photography Gökhan Tiryaki, and a Special Mention in the Mexican Fiction Feature Film Competition. Congratulations to the whole crew!

Queer Film Fest München

We’re thrilled to share that our film GUGU’S WORLD won the Audience Award at the Queer Film Fest München 2026. May the film continue to conquer audiences around the world! Congratulations to the whole cast and crew!

Out on Film - Atlanta

“Gugu’s World” won big at Out on Film in Atlanta! The film took home awards for Best Film, Best Director for Allan Deberton, and Best Performance for Teca Pereira and Yuri Gomes. The film remains a strong contender for a spot on the 15-film shortlist for the 2027 Academy Award®️ for Best International Feature Film. Congratulation to the cast and Crew!

MSP FILM

GUGU’S WORLD was 1st runner up Cine Latino MSP's Audience Choice - Fiction Feature
Congratulations!

innsbruck nature film festival 2026

The Garden We Dreamed, by Joaquín del Paso, was awarded the highest prize, Green Fiction Feature, at the Innsbruck Nature Film Festival. Congratulations!

Ariel Awards 2026

The big winner of the night was En el camino, directed by David Pablos. Selected to represent Mexico at the Oscars, the film won a total of six Ariel Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Osvaldo Sánchez), Best Supporting Actor (Mariano López Sosa), Best Acting Debut (Víctor Miguel Prieto) and Best Cinematography (Ximena Amann). Congratulations to the cast and crew!

Golden Calves 2026

Great news from the Netherlands! TRULY NAKED, Muriel d’Ansembourg’s Berlinale Perspectives entry, won six Golden Calves at the national awards ceremony in the Netherlands: Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Production Design. Congratulations to the whole crew!

Golden Calves 2026

Congratulations as well to DOWNTOWN, directed by Michiel van Erp, which won two Golden Calves in the Netherlands: Best Supporting Role to Thor Braun and Best Costume Design. Well done to the whole cast and crew!

San Sebastian IFF

THE WORLD BEFORE wins the Special Mention of Kutxabank-New Directors Award in San Sebastian International Film Festival 2026. Congratulations to the whole film crew and cast!

BALCANICA // Venice IFF 2026

BALCANICA conquers the official Audience Award and the Carlo Lizzani Award from Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinematografici after its World Premiere in Giornate Degli Autori in Biennale Cinema 2026. Congratulations to the film’s crew!

ZOOM IN, ZOOM OUT // Venice IFF 2026

Our title ZOOM IN, ZOOM OUT also brings home two Awards from its World Premiere in settimana internazionale della critica: the award for Most Innocative Film and the independent critics’ prize Bisato d'Oro Award. We also congratulate the entire cast and crew!

Gramado Film Festival

GUGU’S WORLD takes home five Kikitos in its Brazilian Premiere at 54th Festival de Cinema de Gramado. Congratulations to the whole team, in special to director Allan Deberton and the Award-winning cast.

FEST 2026

TRULY NAKED conquers two great awards in Portugal, at FEST New Director New Films. The film won the Audience Awards for Best Feature Film and the GOLDEN LYNX Honorable Mention. Congratulations to the whole team!

TIFF.25

Great news to TRULY NAKED! The crew took home two awards at Transilvania IFF 2026, receiving Best Performance Award to Caolán O'Gorman and the Ecumenical Jury Award, offered by SIGNIS and INTERFILM to a film from the Festival Competition.

Markets

ACFM | Busan IFF 2026

m-appeal is attending ACFM 2026. Find our colleague Cinthya Calderón at ACFM, from September 10th to 13th, presenting the Asian Premiere of our film THE WORLD BEFORE, by Yoon Dan-bi - Winner of the Bright Future Award at the 2020 International Film Festival Rotterdam for her debut MOVING ON.


Screenings

WED Oct 7 - 12:20PM - Busan Cinema Center Small Theater
with Q&A

FRI Oct 9 - 12:00PM - Lotte Cinema Centum City 6
with Q&A

SAT Oct 10 - 2:00PM - Lotte Cinema Centum City 10

TUE Oct 13 - 1:10PM - KOFIC Standard Screening Room

San Sebastian IFF 2026

m-appeal is attending SSIFF 2026.
From September 21st to 25th our colleagues Maren Kroymann and Quentin Bosschaert will be in San Sebastian presenting the World Premiere of SAINTS, by Mikel Gurrea, and the European Premiere of THE WORLD BEFORE, by Yoon Dan-bi.
Let's schedule a meeting!


SCREENINGS

SAINTS - Official Selection
World Premiere:
24.09. at 21:30, Kursaal 1

Press Screenings:
23.08. at 19:30, Principal
24.09. at 08:30, Kursaal 1

Public Screenings:
25.09 at 16:00, Prinsipe 7
25.09 at 19:00, Antiguo Berri 6

THE WORLD BEFORE - New Directors Session
European Premiere:
24.09 at 12:00, Kursaal, 2

Public Screenings:
24.09 at 21:00, Antiguo Berri, 8
25.09 at 22:00 Antiguo Berri, 8
26.09 at 22:15 Antiguo Berri, 8

Toronto IFF

WORLD PREMIERE

THE WORLD BEFORE
by Yoon Dan-bi

World Premiere:
WED 16.09 5:45pm TIFF Lightbox

Press and market screening:
SUN 13.09 3:20pm Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Public Screenings
THU 17.09 3pm Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
SAT 19.09 9pm Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Director & Cast Attendance: 15.09 to 20.09

Venice IFF 2026

m-appeal is attending the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
From September 03rd to 07th our colleagues Cinthya Calderón and Camille Winkler will be introducing our line-up to buyers, including our newest acquisitions with their World Premieres in Venice: BALCANICA, premiering at Giornate degli Autori, and ZOOM IN, ZOOM OUT, premiering in Settimana Internazionale della Critica.
Let's schedule a meeting!
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BALCANICA
by Nicola Sorcinelli
WORLD PREMIERE at Giornate Degliautori - Official Selection 2026

World Premiere: FRI 04.09 17:00 at Sala Perla
Press and Industry Screening: THU 03.09 22:00 at Sala Corinto
Public Screening: THU 10.09 22:00 at Sala Corinto

ZOOM IN, ZOOM OUT
by Jie Dong
WORLD PREMIERE at Settimana Internazionale della Critica

World Premiere: FRI 04.09 13:45 at Sala Perla
Press and Industry Screening: THU 03.09 08:30 at Sala Perla
Public Screening: SAT 05.09 19:30 at Sala Corinto