Canadian Distributor h264 Takes Worldwide Rights to 'Where the River Begins,' Headed to Toronto Film Festival
Canadian distributor h264 has acquired worldwide sales rights to Where the River Begins (Donde comienza el río), the third feature from Colombian-Canadian filmmaker Juan Andrés Arango, ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September (Variety).
The film will screen in TIFF's Centrepiece section, a programming strand that sits between the festival's marquee premieres and its discovery lineup. The 51st edition of the festival runs September 10–20.
Where the River Begins follows Yajaira, a young Embera woman living with her daughter Maria in a Bogotá neighbourhood. After a tragedy strikes, she flees with her daughter on a journey toward the Andágueda River, accompanied by Jhon — a charismatic young gang member from Bogotá whose motives remain hidden. The film stars Girleza Duave Cerezo, Juan David Junca Linares and Ana Michell Nama Dumaza. The story carries its characters from the city into the jungle and, as producer Staer Film describes it, "into themselves" (Staer Film).
The project is a Canadian-Colombian co-production made in collaboration with Norway, produced by Annick Blanc, Maria Gracia Turgeon and Paola Andrea Pérez Nieto. h264 president Jean-Christophe Lamontagne commented on the acquisition, though his remarks were not specified in the reporting.
The deal closes a circle for the film. In December 2025, the makers presented a rough cut at Ventana Sur's Primer Corte program — an industry showcase where filmmakers seek sales agents and territorial distributors (Variety, December 2025). Nine months later, the film has its sales agent and a festival slot.
Arango is no stranger to Toronto or to major festivals. His debut feature, La Playa DC, premiered at Cannes in 2012 and went on to represent Colombia in the Oscar race for best international feature. His second film, X500, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2016.
That track record gives the new film a familiar festival pathway. Where the River Begins marks Arango's return to TIFF a decade after X500, and h264 — a Canadian distributor handling international sales — will now be the company shopping the title to buyers across territories after its premiere.
For audiences, the premiere at TIFF means the first chance to see a story that moves between urban Colombia and Indigenous Embera culture, told through a road journey shaped by grief and survival.
