France\u2019s Manny Films has boarded Chilean feature \u201cMaybe It Is True What They Are Saying About Us,\u201d and will co-produce alongside leading Chilean independent label Storyboard Media and Argentina\u2019s Murillo Cine, whose credits include Cannes sidebar entries \u201cThe Snatch Thief\u201d and \u201cLand of Ashes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are thrilled that Manny Films is joining as a co-producer on this exciting film,\u201d Storyboard\u2019s Carlos Nu\u00f1ez told Variety. \u201cTheir involvement will go a long way in our continued efforts to promote this project internationally. Our idea is now to film later this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manny\u2019s history of working with top Latin American talent is long and lauded. The company has co-produced award-winning fare such as Cannes players \u201cArdor\u201d from Pablo Fendrik and \u201cThe Chosen Ones\u201d from David Pablos, Venice competition player \u201cCompa\u00f1eros\u201d from Alvaro Brechner and last year\u2019s best film in a foreign language winner \u201cTragic Jungle\u201d from Yulene Olaizola.<\/p>\n
Camilo Becerra and Sofia Gomez share writing and directing duties on the project, which was originally set to shoot in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic put things on hold. \u201cMaybe It\u2019s True\u2026\u201d stars \u201cA Fantastic Woman\u2019s\u201d Aline Kuppenheim, Alejandro Goic (Pablo Larrain\u2019s \u201cThe Club,\u201d Sebasti\u00e1n Silva\u2019s \u201cThe Maid\u201d), and young newcomer Camila Roschman.<\/p>\n
Based on real events, \u201cMaybe It\u2019s True\u2026\u201d is the story of young mother Tamra, who returns to her own estranged mother begging for help after the sect which she fled two years before has sacrificed her newborn child. Her mother Ximena, quick to forgive and offer protection to her daughter, even goes so far as to hide her from the authorities, and embarks on a journey for the truth, but slowly uncovers the uncomfortable possibility that her own daughter might have been complicit in the crime.<\/p>\n
Early in development, the film won support from both Chile\u2019s Corfo Development Fund and Audiovisual Fomento Fund, which provided the kickstart needed to film a teaser, create a concept art dossier and production portfolio and finish the final draft of the screenplay, giving the producers a polished project to bring to the international marketplace and court potential partners.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe partnership with Murillo allowed an organic and profitable collaboration in both artistic and economic terms, to optimally complete the film\u2019s development and financing process. Thanks to that co-production, we won an award from the Chile-Argentina Bilateral Production Fund, and then recently got the INCAA\u2019s interest for production,\u201d explains the film\u2019s promotional material.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, with Manny Films as the third partner, our idea is to complete the financing stage and include some international talent and technicians as we want to start filming in the second half of this year,\u201d the statement concludes.<\/p>\n
Storyboard will also handle domestic distribution for the film in Chile, having done so for many of the country\u2019s highest-profile indie plays in recent years including Sebastian Mu\u00f1oz\u2019s Venice Queer Lion winner \u201cThe Prince\u201d<\/strong>, Jose Luis Torres Levia\u2019s San Sebastian competition player \u201cDeath Will Come and Shall Have Your Eyes,\u201d Juan C\u00e1ceres\u2019 award-winning debut \u201cPerro Bomba\u201d and Dominga Sotomayor\u2019s festival darling \u201cToo Late to Die Young.\u201d<\/p>\n