France’s Urban Factory and Mexico’s Fidelio Films have joined forces with Colombian director Mauricio Leiva-Cock for his psychological thriller “Los Eastman,” which has been selected for the Fantastic Round Robin at the Cannes Fantastic Pavilion.
Urban Factory’s FrĂ©dĂ©ric Corvez revealed that the project was discovered during Colombia’s BAM Producers Meeting, where their partner Florencia Gil was mentoring. Corvez noted, “This project stood out for its ambition and approach. It’s rare to find such an engaging story. Mauricio skillfully uses horror elements to explore and reveal toxic class struggles, which is central to the genre in my opinion.”
Set against the backdrop of a devastating pandemic, the story revolves around a housekeeper trapped by her wealthy employers. She exacts a violent revenge, and as the violence escalates, she faces a dilemma between seeking freedom and succumbing to the corrupting privilege that once held her captive.
Leiva-Cock explained that the idea for the film was inspired by a real newspaper article he and co-writer Diego González Cruz came across during the COVID pandemic. The article depicted a wealthy Bogotá family who kidnapped their housekeeper under the guise of protecting her with strict safety measures. “The film starts as a social drama and transforms into a psychological thriller, horror, and what we describe as Social Gore,” he said.
This project illustrates the growing global interest in sophisticated Latin American genre cinema, which combines political commentary, suspense, violence, and social critique.
Leiva-Cock, along with his partners Sebastián Hernández, Juan Manuel Betancourt, and Daniela Echeverri in their production company Cuatro Ojos, value the early collaboration with Urban Factory, which began at the BAM Producers Meeting organized by Colombia’s Ministry of Culture.
“This is a testament to how programs by Proimágenes and the Ministry of Culture can significantly impact the development and international reach of Colombian projects,” said Leiva-Cock. He added, “It’s also meaningful to have finalized the deal at the Fantastic Pavilion in Cannes. MĂłrbido and [Fantastic Pavilion executive director] Pablo Guisa Koestinger have been crucial supporters of ‘Los Eastman’, and we are grateful for their continued support.”
“We’re especially thrilled that France is becoming a key partner in bringing this film to fruition, and we’ll be in Cannes with Urban Factory at this stage of its development,” he continued.
Leiva-Cock noted that the involvement of David Figueroa Garcia and Mauro Mueller from Fidelio Films in Mexico is logical, given his extensive work there, including his role as head writer for the International Emmy-winning “Falco” and “The Head of JoaquĂn Murrieta” for Prime Video.
Hernández contributes as an editor for “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 “Memory” by Apichatpong Weerasethakul and “Horizonte” (TIFF).
Echeverri, who was an executive producer for “Anhell 69” (Venice Critics’ Week) and produced the Berlinale-winning short “Uli” and “PelotĂłn Trueno,” which was selected for this year’s Cannes short film competition, will be the lead producer on “Los Eastman.”
“Los Eastman” has participated in programs like Sitges FanPitch and the Sanfic MĂłrbido Lab, where it received two awards. Last year, it earned 13 awards at the BAM Production Meetings. It is also set to be featured at BAM 2026 in July as one of the selected fiction projects.
The 79th Cannes Film Festival commenced on May 12 and will conclude on May 23rd.
