An Afghan Hound Inherits a Fortune: Alpha Violet Picks Up Federico Borgia's 'Prince' Ahead of London Film Festival
A dead woman's dog inherits a luxury estate, and the butler who used to be her lover has to serve the hound. That is the premise of Prince, a darkly funny Spanish-language feature from Uruguayan filmmaker Federico Borgia, which Paris-based sales agency Alpha Violet has acquired for international distribution ahead of its world premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival in October. (Variety)
The deal positions Alpha Violet — a company whose current slate includes Memorizu by Miiku Sakanishi, Sad Girlz by Fernanda Tovar, and Flies by Fernando Eimbcke — to shop Prince to distributors worldwide after its festival debut. Keiko Funato negotiated on behalf of Alpha Violet, with producer Pancho Magnou Arnábal representing Montelona, the film's lead production company. (Variety)
Prince is set against the decaying seaside luxury of Punta del Este, Uruguay, and explores class divisions, grief, and domestic absurdity. The story follows Jaime, a former lover turned butler to a wealthy Argentine woman named Isabel. When Isabel dies, her Afghan Hound — named Prince — inherits the estate. Roberto Suárez, Maitina De Marco, and Esteban Bigliardi star. (Variety)
The film marks Borgia's solo feature directorial debut. He previously co-directed Clever (2015), which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival, and co-directed the documentary The Champion of the World (2019) with Guillermo Madeiro, which won the Best Film Award at the BBC LongShots Film Festival. (Variety)
The production itself spans borders. Montelona's Magnou Arnábal and Isabel García produce, with co-production from Daniel Werner of Werner Cine and Federico Eibuszyc of Pucará Cine. (Variety)
The 70th BFI London Film Festival runs from Wednesday 7 October to Sunday 18 October 2026. The programme includes 33 world premieres across features, series, mid-length works, shorts, and immersive pieces, plus 16 international premieres. Nine of those world premieres are feature films. (BFI; British Cinematographer)
The BFI describes Borgia's Prince as "dark and original." (BFI)
Festival tickets go on general sale from 17 September 2026, with screenings of Prince starting from £10. (BFI; BFI What's On)
For a first-time solo feature director, landing a London Film Festival world premiere and an international sales deal in the same week is a strong combination. The festival's platform puts Prince in front of programmers, critics, and buyers from across the global market, while Alpha Violet's involvement means the film will be actively pitched to territory distributors in the months that follow — the chain of decisions that determines whether a Spanish-language dark comedy from Uruguay reaches screens beyond the festival circuit.
