Samuel Goldwyn Films Acquires Abner Benaim’s Oscar-Shortlisted Panamanian Drama ‘Plaza Catedral’

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EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired Plaza Catedral, the Oscar-shortlisted film from writer-director Abner Benaim, which looks to represent Panama at the 94th Academy Awards, in the category of Best International Feature. The company’s release plan has not yet been disclosed.

The drama centers on Alicia (Ilse Salas), a woman who had a perfect life before her 6-year-old son died in a tragic accident. Plagued by grief, she becomes estranged from society – until one night a street-smart 13-year-old boy named Chief (Fernando Xavier de Casta) arrives at her door bleeding from a gunshot wound, and begs her to let him inside.

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Plaza Catedral made its world premiere at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, where it won the awards for both Best Actress and Best Actor. The film then went on to win the Audience Award for Best Film at the International Film Festival of Panama. Benaim produced it with Rubén Sierra Salles and Matthias Ehrenberg.

Samuel Goldwyn Films also recently acquired North American rights to the Oscar-shortlisted Bhutanese film Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, written and directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji. The company last year released Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round, which won the Oscar for Best International Feature, and scored an additional nom with Kaouther Ben Hania’s drama The Man Who Sold His Skin. It has also previously released such titles as Snakehead, Night Raiders, Betrayed, Big Gold Brick, Margrete: Queen of the North and Last Film Show.

Samuel Goldwyn Films’ President Peter Goldwyn negotiated the acquisition of Plaza Catedral with Daniel Diamond of Luminosity Entertainment and Mike Karz of Gulfstream Pictures who jointly represent worldwide rights to the picture.

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