Rodrigo Plá Goes Young: 'The Newcomers' Finds World Sales Agent After Locarno Premiere
Rodrigo Plá's first film for children has found its route to international audiences. Düsseldorf-based Patra Spanou Film has acquired world sales rights to The Newcomers (Los nuevos), shortly after the film's world premiere in the Locarno Film Festival's Kids Screenings section, according to Variety.
World sales rights mean Patra Spanou Film will represent the title to distributors and festivals around the globe, licensing it territory by territory. The company, run by Patra Spanou since 2011, has previously handled festival titles including A Scary Movie, which it launched at Cannes in 2025 (Screen Daily).
The Newcomers marks Plá's sixth feature and a departure from the adult-focused work that made his name. The Uruguayan-Mexican director first broke out with the 2007 social thriller The Zone, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival. His new film is an adaptation of the book They Came with the Wind (Llegaron con el viento) by Laura Santullo, who also serves as a producer.
The story follows three tweens, led by a boy named Mateo who narrates their adventure and occasionally breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience. It was filmed in Mexico's Tabasco region by cinematographer Ángel Jara Taboada and runs a brisk 79 minutes (Locarno Film Festival).
Buenaventura Cine produced the film in co-production with Mr. Miyagi Films. Producers include Gabriela Maldonado, Rodrigo Plá, Laura Santullo, Ángeles Hernández and David Matamoros.
At Locarno, the film screened with Italian subtitles and was recommended for ages 6 and over. Children up to 16 paid CHF 10 for admission, per the festival's listing. The Kids Screenings section is part of Locarno's broader programming aimed at young audiences.
For Plá, the film represents a shift into territory he has not previously explored: a narrative built for younger viewers, carried by child characters rather than the adult moral dilemmas of films like The Zone. With a sales agent now on board, the film can move from a festival premiere toward distribution deals that would put it in front of families well beyond Locarno.
Patra Spanou Film's track record spans titles across European and Latin American cinema. The company has previously taken world rights on projects including Blue Moon, a Romanian director's feature debut (Variety, 2021), and Sugar Island, which sold to North America in a deal reported by Variety (patraspanou.com).
