Cannes Winner Michel Franco Launches Production Company

MORELIA, Mexico -- Coming off a big win at Cannes earlier this year, Mexican writer-director Michel Franco has launched production and distribution company Lucia Films with producer Moises Zonana.

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Franco wrote and directed the bullying-themed drama Despues de Lucia (After Lucia), winner of the Un Certain Regard prize at this year's edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

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Lucia Films currently is developing Estrella Gitana (Gypsy Star), which brings together award-winning director Tony Gatlif (Exiles) and Miss Bala screenwriter Mauricio Katz. The shingle also is producing Hotel Garage, a TV series written and helmed by Michael Rowe (Leap Year) for Mexican public broadcaster Canal 11. 

Other projects in the pipeline include the Franco-directed docu-fiction hybrid A los Ojos; 600 millas, a road movie from first-time director Gabriel Ripstein and penned by Issa Lopez; and Los Herederos, a new film from The Night Buffalo director Jorge Hernandez.

Franco officially announced the new production company here at the 10th Morelia International Film Festival. After Lucia producer Zonana said the distribution arm aims to handle titles that tend to take a long time to get releases in Mexico.