France’s Urban Factory and Mexico’s Fidelio Films have boarded Colombian filmmaker Mauricio Leiva-Cock’s psychological thriller “Los Eastman,” selected for the Fantastic Round Robin at Cannes’ Fantastic Pavilion.
According to Urban Factory’s Frédéric Corvez, they discovered the project during Colombia’s 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 exciting to read a true page-turner. Mauricio masterfully uses elements of horror to portray and expose toxic class struggle — which, in my view, lies at the very 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 imprisoned her.
Leiva-Cock explained that the story was inspired by a real newspaper article he and co-writer Diego González Cruz discovered during the COVID pandemic. The article described a wealthy Bogotá family kidnapping their housekeeper under the pretext of protecting her through strict safety protocols. “The film begins as a social drama before spiraling into psychological thriller, horror and ultimately what we call Social Gore.”
The project highlights growing international interest in elevated Latin American genre cinema blending political commentary, suspense, violence and social critique.
For Leiva-Cock and his partners Sebastían Hernández, Juan Manuel Betancourt and Daniela Echeverri in their new production company Cuatro Ojos, it’s significant that their relationship with Urban Factory began at the BAM Producers Meeting organized by Colombia’s Ministry of Culture.
“This is a real example of how programs led by [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 during the Fantastic Pavilion at Cannes. Mórbido and [Fantastic Pavilion executive director] Pablo Guisa Koestinger have been important supporters of ‘Los Eastman’ and we’re very thankful for their continued support.”
“We’re also especially excited that France is becoming such an important partner in bringing the film to life and that we’ll be in Cannes with Urban Factory at this stage of the process.”
Having David Figueroa Garcia and Mauro Mueller of Fidelio Films in Mexico also boarding 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 an 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 on “Memory” by Apichatpong Weerasethakul and “Horizonte”(TIFF).
Echeverri, who served as an EP on “Anhell 69 “(Venice Critics’ Week) and produced the Berlinale-winning short “Uli” and “Pelotón Trueno,” selected for the short film competition at this year’s Cannes, will be the lead producer on the film.
“Los Eastman” has participated in such programs as Sitges FanPitch and the Sanfic Mórbido Lab where it received two awards. Last year, it took home 13 awards at the BAM Production Meetings. It will also be present at BAM 2026 in July as one of the selected fiction projects.
The 79th Cannes Film Festival kicked off on May 12 and wraps on May 23rd.