Barcelona-based production-distribution-sales outfit Filmax has taken on international sales on Spanish director Víctor García León’s new comedy “One Hell of a Holiday!”

Filmax is presenting the trailer to international buyers at this week’s Malaga Film Festival at Mafiz’s Spanish Screenings Content, a massive industry platform where Filmax is also talking up a raft of titles led by “Girl, Unknown” and “Co-Husbands.”

“One Hell of a Holiday!” is written by Manuel Burque and Josep Gatell (“Undercover Wedding Crashers”).This grandparents’ tale follows Manuela and José, two grandparents who love looking after their grandkids but have had enough of their children dumping their offspring on them every five minutes. 

Indeed, Manuela and José can’t remember when they last had some free time. To top it all off, they’ve had to cancel their summer holiday, because their children have an important business trip and need them to look after the grandkids. It won’t be long before they find out the truth. Their children are actually on holiday in Bali.

Ivan Diaz, head of international at Filmax said: ”We’re delighted to be back working with Telecinco Cinema, Quexito and Aliwood on ‘One Hell of a Holiday!’ a comedy that is fresh and fun, but which also addresses an undeniable social reality,  the excessive load that grandparents have to bear in our country when it comes to looking after the grandchildren, a fact that is blindingly obvious to anyone who has ever been to pick up their children from a Spanish school.”

The film’s top tier cast includes Tito Valverde (“Pepa y Pepe”), Gracia Olayo (“The Neighbor”), Toni Acosta (“Mirror Mirror,” “Polyamory for Dummies”) and multi-hyphenate Ernesto Sevilla (“I Can Quit Whenever I Want”). Completing the line-up are actors Ramón Barea (“Lullaby”), Nuria Herrero (“Toc Toc”), Daniela Rubio (“El Internado”), Ricardo Mas, Marta de Toro and Nicolás Costi.

The film is produced by Telecinco Cinema, Quexito Films, Aliwood Mediterráneo Producciones, Creced y Multiplicaos AIE, with the participation of Mediaset España, Movistar Plus+ and Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group.

Eduardo Jiménez, the producer of the film for Quexito said: “The film shows a situation that is repeated in all kinds of homes and families: Grandparents taking care of grandchildren. What in principle is an opportunity for grandparents and grandchildren to strengthen ties, turns into some parents taking it as the opportunity to have nannies all year round.”

“Whether you are a father, grandfather or grandson, this story touches all of us. In a very natural way, we identify with any of the characters. In other words, this is not just the premise of a movie, this is real and it’s happening to us,” commented Quexito Films’ Miguel González, producer of hit Spanish comedies “Es por tu bien” and “Operación Camerón.”   

A director heavily influenced by Luis Berlanga co-scribe Rafael Azcona, one of the Spanish cinema’s greatest auteurs, García León (“The Europeans,” “Selfie”) was nominated in 2001 for a Spanish Academy Goya Awards in the best new director category for his frustrated high-school romance comedy “Mis pena que Gloria.”

He added:“‘One Hell of a Holiday!’ is a charming comedy that pays homage to all the grandparents out there. It’s a madcap, zany adventure that the whole family will love.”

Mafiz, the industry arm of the Malaga Festival, hosts the Spanish Screenings Content, part of a four-prong initiative to boost Spanish film and TV exports. The Finance and Tech leg unfurls at September’s San Sebastian Festival, the finance part in collaboration with CAA. 

By Variety - See full article here

ONE HELL OF A HOLIDAY!