Brussels-based Best Friend Forever has boarded Geneviève Dulude-De Celles’ “Nina Roza”. The film has been selected for Locarno’s First Look.
In the film, a viral video of an eight-year-old Bulgarian girl, a painting prodigy, is circulating online. The phenomenon catches the attention of a collector eager to acquire her work. Mihail is sent to assess the value of the young girl’s paintings. But in order to do it, he must return to his home country for the first time in nearly 30 years – and face the ghosts of his past.
Currently in post-production, it will premiere in early 2026. Dulude-De Celles has previously won Berlinale’s Crystal Bear for debut feature “A Colony,” while her short “The Cut” was awarded at Sundance.
“I made this film to give life to a gallery of colorful characters from various inspirations, to talk about the fragile feeling of belonging, that of finding a home,” said the director, explaining that “Nina Roza” proposes a journey “between Montreal and Bulgaria, traced by an intimate, initiatory quest… That of Mihail, a sexagenarian who will have to face his past through Nina.”
The cast consists of up-and coming talent from Canada, Bulgaria and Italy, including Galin Stoev, Ekatarina and Sofia Stanina, Chiara Caselli (“Ripley’s Game”), Christian Begin (“The Infiltration Problem”) and Michelle Tzontchev. Crew includes editor Damien Keyeux and DOP Alexandre Nour.
“Nina Roza” – which also debuts its exclusive first-look still – marks Dulude-De Celles’ fifth collaboration with Canada’s Colonelle films and second with Best Friend Forever.
Martin Gondre and Charles Bin, Best Friend Forever co-founder, noted: “Genevieve’s debut, ‘A Colony’ was the BFF’s first ever title and success. We’re thrilled to team up again. The film unfolds as an investigation exploring the contemporary art world while raising self-identification elements. We can’t wait to bring it to the audience”.
“Nina Roza” is produced by Fanny Drew and Sarah Mannering (Colonelle Films) and co-produced by Lorenzo Fiuzzi and Bardo Tarantelli (Umi Films), Lubomira Piperova and Nikolay Moutafchiev (Ginger Light Films and Premier Studio), as well as Etienne and Benoit Hansez at Echo Bravo.
It will be released in Canada by Entract Films.
Launched in 2019 – and a sister company of Paris-based Indie Sales – Best Friend Forever’s 2025 fall line-up includes TIFF pick “Egghead Republic” and “To the Victory!” by Valentyn Vasyanovych.
Other recent titles include Critics’ Week winners “A Useful Ghost” by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke and “Sleepless City” by Guillermo Galoe and animated “Death Does Not Exist” by Félix Dufour-Laperrière and “ChaO” by Yasuhiro Aoki.
variety.com
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