Morelia Winner ‘The Chambermaid’ Bought by Kino Lorber for North America (EXCLUSIVE)

By Emilio Mayorga

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – New York-based Kino Lorber has taken North American rights to “The Chambermaid,” the feature debut of Mexico’s Lila Aviles that took the Best Film and the Warrior of the Press awards at Morelia Intl. Film Festival last week.

“” will get an U.S. premiere on Nov. 10 at the AFI Fest in Los Angeles. A national theatrical release is scheduled for summer 2019.

senior vice president Wendy Lidell said, “Using an incredible economy of means, Avilés makes palpable the inner life of an irrepressible soul imbued with dignity by actress Gabriela Cartol, who gives an unforgettable performance. ‘The Chambermaid’ gives new meaning, with a feminist twist, to our idea of the working class hero.”

Kino Lorber’s recent titles include Talal Derki’s “Of Fathers and Sons,” the Grand Jury Prize for World Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival; Jean Luc Godard’s “The Image Book”; and Adina Pintilie’s Berlin Golden Bear winner “Touch Me Not.”

“The Chambermaid” is a production from Avilés and Tatiana Graullera’s Mexico-based company Limerencia, Imcine-Foprocine, U.S.’ Bad Boy Billy Production, L.A.-based producers Jana Díaz and Pau Brunet and Mexico’s Bambú Audiovisual, which world-premiered the film in the Discovery showcase at Toronto Intl. Film Festival . It also competed in the San Sebastian Film Festival’s Kutxabank New Directors section.

The film follows Eve, a young chambermaid working at Mexico City’s classy Hotel Presidente Internacional, who imagines the guests’ wealthy lives through their belongings or by their bizarre requirements, building a serene, subtle profile of Eve in both social and intimate perspectives. Feature is inspired by Avilés’ theater play of the same name.

Avilés trained in direction and performing arts with some of Mexico’s foremost thespians such as Martín Acosta and Juliana Faesler. She also studied screenwriting with Beatriz Novaro (“Lola”) and Paula Markovitch (“The Prize”).

“The Chambermaid”  won the Los Cabos Film Festival Gabriel Figueroa Work in Progress Fund, peaking the interest of Bad Boy Billy Production as well as Brunet and Díaz. Feature also won at Ventana Sur First Cut, where Alpha Violet picked it up for international sales on the eve of the Buenos Aires event.

Avilés is currently writing her next project that will contain key autobiographical components.