Jonás Cuarón’s SXSW Audience-Winning ‘Campeón Gabacho’ Acquired by Janus Films for North America — SkimNews
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- Janus Films acquired 'Campeón Gabacho,' Jonás Cuarón's surreal Bronx-set immigrant film, for North American theatrical release in early 2027, ahead of the movie's Beyond Fest screening in Los Angeles on September 30.
- 'Campeón Gabacho' won the Audience Award at SXSW earlier this year and stars Juan Daniel García Treviño as a Mexican migrant who becomes an amateur boxing champion in a soundstage-recreated Jackson Heights.
- The film's ensemble also includes Leslie Grace, Rubén Blades, Eddie Marsan, Rosario Dawson, Cheech Marin, Marvin Jones III, Carlos Carrasco, and Dolores Heredia.
- The film was produced by Jonás Cuarón, Gabriela Rodríguez, Alfonso Cuarón, and Nicolás Celis through Esperanto Filmoj, the production company founded by Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón and led by Oscar-nominated producer Rodríguez.
- The deal was negotiated between Janus Films and WME on behalf of the filmmakers.
- The soundtrack is being produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Edgar Barrera, with featured artists including Grupo Frontera, Alemán, Dei V, Maluma, Santa Fe Klan, Victor Mendivil, Anitta, Snow Tha Product, Eladio Carrión, Bomba Estéreo, Los Tigres del Norte, Rawayana, Edén Muñoz, and Arcángel.
- Janus Films has had multiple arthouse theatrical runs this year, including 'Blue Heron' and 'The Samurai and the Prisoner,' and will also release Paul Thomas Anderson's 35mm concert capture 'Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall' after it plays the New York Film Festival.
Why it matters: The acquisition slots a marquee Spanish-language Cuarón-produced title onto Janus's arthouse slate alongside 'Blue Heron,' 'The Samurai and the Prisoner,' and Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall' — giving the distributor a four-month runway from Beyond Fest (September 30) to its early-2027 theatrical push, while giving Esperanto Filmoj a prestigious North American home for its border-crossing underdog story.
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