Culture 3 min read By Lauren Baxter
MMM Film Sales Acquires International Rights to Ecuadorian Queer Drama Princess
Paris-based MMM Film Sales has picked up international rights to Christian Rojas’ debut feature Princess ahead of its world premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
Paris-based sales company MMM Film Sales has acquired international rights to “Princess” (“Ñusta”), the debut feature from Ecuadorian filmmaker Christian Rojas, ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, known locally as PÖFF. The deal positions the queer drama for distribution beyond its home market as it heads to one of Europe’s established showcases for emerging filmmakers.
“Princess” is screening in the festival’s First Feature Competition. The film follows Kallpa, a 12-year-old Indigenous girl from the Andes, as she prepares for her community’s festivities. The story centers on a young protagonist navigating her identity within a traditional setting, a theme that gives the film both its emotional core and its place in a growing wave of queer and Indigenous storytelling from Latin America.
The acquisition comes at a moment when international festivals and sales agents are closely watching first features from non-Anglophone markets. Tallinn Black Nights has built a reputation for spotlighting debut and second films from Central and Eastern Europe and beyond, and its competition sections often serve as launch pads for titles seeking foreign buyers. For Rojas, a first-time feature director, securing a sales partner before the premiere gives the film a clearer path to theaters and streaming platforms outside Ecuador.
The film’s selection and sale also reflect a broader pattern in the festival circuit, where films from Latin America increasingly carry themes of Indigenous life, gender identity and rural community. Industry observers have noted that such stories, often told by local filmmakers with limited budgets, rely heavily on festival exposure and early sales deals to reach global audiences.
Separately, the Doha Film Festival has announced the jury for the main international competition at its second edition, taking place in November. Japanese director Naomi Kawase will lead the panel, which also includes French Tunisian actor Adam Bessa, Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha, Italian documentary filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi and Palestinian filmmaker and artist Elia Suleiman. The lineup underscores how major festivals continue to draw on filmmakers from across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia to shape their programs.
9
