Director Romina Tamburello
Producer Santiago King
Argentina
Synopsis
In the middle of a breakup, Cecilia (36) receives an unexpected request from her 67-year-old parents: to help them become swingers. Unfamiliar with that world, fearful and full of prejudice, she begins exploring the nightlife in search of safe places for them. A daughter who doesn’t want to know but wants to help, and a couple who, at retirement age, refuse to give up desire. A comedy-drama about what we prefer not to imagine: our parents’ sex lives.
Contact santiago@pezcine.com
Director´s Biofilmography
Argentine writer, screenwriter and director. Her short film Rabia was part of the Short Film Corner at Cannes. Her debut feature, Vera and the Pleasure of Others (Tallinn 2023), won Best Direction at Mar del Plata and the Critics’ Award at D’A Barcelona. She also directed the series Catalina, the Woman with the Flag (documentary) and Maternidark (fiction). Her films explore intimacy, relationships and desire with humor and sensitivity, establishing her as a distinctive voice in contemporary Argentine cinema.
Links to previous works
Total budget 823.884,84 €
Funds secured 429.799,16 €
Objectives to be achieved
To consolidate the project’s international co-production strategy by finding a Spanish partner to complement the existing structure between Argentina and Uruguay and strengthen its European dimension. The alliance with Spain is organic, both narratively —as the story concludes with the protagonist in Spain— and strategically, as it opens access to ICAA or ICEC funds, cash rebates, and reinforces the project’s submission to Ibermedia Co-production. To strengthen ties with sales agents, distributors, and platforms interested in auteur-driven comedies with commercial potential, expand its network of decision makers, and define a development and financing roadmap towards the 2027 shoot, enhancing the international visibility of Romina Tamburello and Pez Cine.
Co-production´s interesting countries
The Friends of My Parents resonates with contemporary Spanish cinema for its lucid and free approach to intimacy, relationships, and the body, in line with filmmakers such as Pilar Palomero, Elena Martín Gimeno, or María Antón Cabot. Spain emerges as a natural territory for co-production, both for its artistic affinity and the opportunities provided by ICAA or ICEC funds and local cash rebates.
Uruguay plays an essential role through El Cielo Cine, bringing experience in international co-productions and access to PUA and ACAU funds, consolidating a strong regional base upon which Spain can enhance the project’s European projection.
PRODUCER’S BIOFILMOGRAPHY
Argentine filmmaker and producer. He co-founded Pez Cine in 2016 with Federico Actis, producing Vera and the Pleasure of Others (Tallinn 2023, Best Direction at Mar del Plata 2023, Critics’ Award at D’A Barcelona 2024, Audience Award at Vancouver 2024). He also produced The Architecture of Crime and the series Catalina, the Woman with the Flag and Maternidark. As a director, he made the short film Around the Corner and the documentary series DEC, Democracy in Construction. His work blends an auteur approach with strong experience in international production.
