Aya Films Snags All U.K. Rights to Dominican Republic ‘s ‘Ramona’ From Alief Ahead of Its BFI London Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Aya Films has snatched all U.K. and Ireland rights to the Dominican Republics Ramona from Paris-based film company Alief SAS ahead of its BFI London Film Fest premiere.

The docu-fiction hybrid, which had its world premiere at the 2023 Berlinales Generation 14Plus sidebar, will have its U.S. West Coast premiere at the AFI Latin America festival after BFI London. Alief previously sold the U.S. rights to Grasshopper and Mexican rights to Salon de Belleza since the Berlinale, which plan to release the film in the spring.

Victoria Linares Villegas sophomore feature, co-written with Diego Cepeda, sheds light on the little-known fact that the Dominican Republic has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to Linares Villegas herself, who said: Its a great feeling to be back at the BFI with my second feature film. Im equally thrilled that well be able to share it on the UKs big screens next year with Aya Films.

This is an exciting new chapter in Ramonas journey around the world, and I cant wait to discuss our film with British audiences, she added.

The Lantica Media and Sky Films co-production turns on young actress, Camila Santana, who in preparing to play the role of a 15-year-old pregnant girl called Ramona, travels across the country to talk with pregnant young girls. In the process, as the girls talk about their lives and candidly discuss their circumstances on camera and how the fictitious Ramona should act and appear, they gradually influence the film production itself, taking it into new and unexpected terrain.

Villegas has created a bold and beautifully shot film that pushes the boundaries of fiction and non-fiction bringing a distinct form of storytelling to the screen, said Justine Atkinson, founder-director of Aya Films, which releases the film in U.K. cinemas in March.

Ramona blends styles of documentary, fiction and theatre to create a narrative that interrogates the purpose of storytelling and the meaning of the representational gaze. Each character adds to the direction of the lead protagonist and the film becomes an ode to the power of collaborative creativity, she added.

Said Miguel Angel Govea, partner at Alief:We are thrilled to have our thought-provoking docu fiction Ramona play at BFI London and secure a UK theatrical release with Aya Films, just in time for the festivities!

Alief, a UK-French film company, describes itself as a hybrid media sales, production and distribution company with a mission to bring genre, and auteur storytelling to audiences and critics alike, working in all stages of the production process, from script development and funding to sales distribution.

Its TIFF Market titles include: LGBTQ dramaVoices in Deep by Australian filmmaker Jason Raftopolous (MIFF thrillerFailure! with Ted Raimi by Mexicos Alex Kahuam (Frightfest neuro diverse documentaryBecause we have each otherby Sari Braithewhite (HOT DOCS Swiss minimalist thrillerRetreat by Leon Schwitter (FIPRESCI Prize 32, Filmkunstfest 2023);LGBTQ creative docPlaylandby Georden West (Tribeca 23) and Nigerian fantasy adventureMami Wata by CJ Obasi (Sundance Winner 23).