Cristo Rey makes its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival

Cristo Rey makes its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 08/22/2013

Dominican film Cristo Rey will make its world debut on September 10, at 9:00 pm, at the Scotiabank Theatre, as part of the Toronto International Film Festival. 
This information was provided by the Dominican International Company (CID – Compañía Internacional Dominicana) and Kemasi Films, through Messrs. Sergio Gobbi, Joan Giacinti and Leo Proaño.

The producers consider it as an important step for the Dominican film to participate in said festival with the second film directed by Leticia Tonos, who was pre-nominated for an Oscar with her previous film La Hija Natural.

“Here we are celebrating; a very important door has opened for the Cristo Rey film and for the Dominican film industry,” stated director Leticia Tonos.

Cristo Rey wanted to provide an opportunity for emerging talents to develop a career based on their film work, as is the case with actors James Saintl, Yasser Michelén Cunillera and Akari Endo, who will attend this festival, which is an opportunity for future jobs at the international level.

This festival is considered as having the largest audience in the world, given that more than three hundred thousand people attend it each year with the participation of films from 60 different countries and many international stars.

Thanks to its universal language history, the filmmakers are preparing to launch it in Europe through the Equation distribution company; while its distribution in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will be handled by Caribbean Films.

The film is about two half-brothers – a Haitian and a Dominican – who will enter into conflict for the love of the same woman. Janvier, of Haitian origin, is forced to work for the gang of El Bacá, the drug kingpin of the neighborhood, by caring for his younger sister, Jocelyn. Rudy, of Dominican origin and Jocelyn’s old boyfriend, does not welcome this arrangement and he will do everything in his power to stand in the way. Janvier and Jocelyn, having fallen madly in love and not having any future in Cristo Rey, decide to run away together.