Luxbox Acquires Berlinale Competition Title ‘The Message,’ directed by Iván Fund (EXCLUSIVE)
Paris-based Luxbox has acquired the international sales rights to Iván Fund’s Berlinale Competition title “The Message” (El Mensaje).
Set in the Argentinian countryside, the film centers on a girl whose “gift pushes her opportunistic guardians to sell pet medium consultations to make a living. Whether magic or fraud, one thing is certain: the service is real – and innocence is a treasure,” according to a press statement.
The cast includes Mara Bestelli, Marcelo Subiotto, Anika Bootz and Betania Cappato, with a screenplay penned by Fund in collaboration with writer Martín Felipe Castagnet. The film’s production was spearheaded by Rita Cine alongside Insomnia Films, with Laura Mara Tablón and Gustavo Schiaffino producing.
In 1984, Fund began his career as a cinematographer before transitioning to directing. His debut feature, “La Risa,” premiered at BAFICI in 2009. Fund’s subsequent works have garnered international acclaim, including Los Labios, which won best actress at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2010, and “Dusk Stone” (Piedra Noche), which premiered at Venice’s Giornate degli Autori and won best film at the 2022 Lima Film Festival.
Luxbox has handled sales for critically lauded titles such as Cannes Grand Prix winner “All We Imagine as Light.”
Speaking about the acquisition, CEO Fiorella Moretti and head of international sales Jennyfer Gautier noted: “’The Message’ is a deeply tender family road movie that captures the beauty of innocence and the emotional power of connection. We were quickly won over by the originality of Ivan’s approach and the magical atmosphere that emanates from it, and we are proud to accompany the film on this adventure across the world.”
Fund commented: “’The Message’ was born from the belief that cinema must be connected to the pulse of life, that the family on screen is inseparable from the family behind it. Luxbox shares this understanding of filmmaking as something profoundly human—where the stories we craft don’t imitate life but reach out to touch it. Partnering with them feels like extending that connection even further.”
“The Message” was part of the Foro de Coproducción de San Sebastián in 2023, and in 2024, it was showcased at the WIP LATAM of San Sebastián. The film was also awarded by the Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund.
