Urban Factory, Fidelio Films Board Psychothriller ‘Los Eastman’
France’s Urban Factory and Mexico’s Fidelio Films have selected the psychological thriller ‘Los Eastman’ by Colombian filmmaker Mauricio Leiva-Cock for the Fantastic Round Robin at the Fantastic Pavilion of Cannes.
According to Frédéric Corvez of Urban Factory, they discovered the project during the Colombian BAM Producers Meeting, where partner Florencia Gil served as a mentor. “This project stood out from the rest for its ambition and approach. It is rare and thrilling to read a true page-turner. Mauricio masterfully uses horror elements to portray and expose the toxic class struggle – which, in my opinion, is at the heart of the genre.”
Set during a devastating pandemic, the drama follows a housekeeper trapped in servitude by her wealthy employers who unleashes a violent revenge. As the bloodshed escalates, she must choose between freedom and the corrupting privilege that once held her captive.
Leiva-Cock explained that the story was inspired by a real newspaper article that he and co-writer Diego González Cruz discovered during the COVID pandemic. The article described a wealthy Bogotá family who kidnapped their housekeeper under the pretext of protecting her through strict security protocols. “The film starts as a social drama before evolving into a psychological thriller, horror and ultimately what we call Social Gore.”
The project highlights the growing international interest in sophisticated Latin American genre films that combine political commentary, suspense, violence and social criticism.
For Leiva-Cock and his partners Sebastían Hernández, Juan Manuel Betancourt and Daniela Echeverri in their new production company Cuatro Ojos, it is significant that their relationship with Urban Factory began during the BAM Producers Meeting organized by the Colombian Ministry of Culture.
“This is a real example of how programs are run [promo entity] Proimágenes and the Ministry of Culture can have a tangible impact on the development and internationalization of Colombian projects,” he said, adding: “It also feels very meaningful to have closed the deal at the Fantastic Pavilion in Cannes. Morbido and [Fantastic Pavilion executive director] Pablo Guisa Koestinger have been key supporters of ‘Los Eastman’ and we are very grateful for their continued support.”
“We are also extremely excited that France will be such an important partner in bringing the film to life and that we will be in Cannes with Urban Factory at this stage of the process.”
That David Figueroa Garcia and Mauro Mueller of Mexico’s Fidelio Films are also joining the drama makes sense, he added, given his extensive work in Mexico, including as head writer on the international Emmy-winning “Falco” and “The Head of Joaquín Murrieta” for Prime Video.
Hernández is editor of “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” Season 2, and Laura Mora’s San Sebastian Golden Shell winner “The Kings of the World.” Betancourt is a VFX supervisor for Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Memory” and “Horizonte” (TIFF).
Echeverri, who served as EP on “Anhell 69” (Venice Critics’ Week) and produced the Berlinale-winning short film “Uli” and “Pelotón Trueno,” selected for this year’s Cannes short film competition, will be the film’s lead producer.
“Los Eastman” has participated in programs such as Sitges FanPitch and the Sanfic Mórbido Lab, where it received two awards. Last year it won 13 prizes during the BAM Production Meetings. It will also be present at BAM 2026 in July as one of the selected fiction projects.
The 79e The Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ends on May 23.
