Rita (2024 Guatemalan film) explained

Rita
Director:Jayro Bustamante
Producer:Jayro Bustamante
Jonathan King
Gustavo Matheu
Starring:Giuliana Santa Cruz
Cinematography:Inti Briones
Editing:Jayro Bustamante
Gustavo Matheu
Music:Pascual Reyes
Studio:Concordia Studio
La Casa de Producción
Distributor:Shudder (United States)
Runtime:107 minutes
Country:Guatemala
United States
Language:Spanish

Rita is a 2024 dark fantasy horror film written, directed, co-produced and co-edited by Jayro Bustamante.[1] It stars Giuliana Santa Cruz as a 13-year-old girl who, fleeing from her abusive father, is trapped in an apartment managed by the state from whence she plans to escape with her cellmates in a violent act.[2] It is the first feature co-produced between Guatemala and the United States.[3]

Rita had its world premiere at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on 25 July 2024, where it won the best Cinematography Award.[4]

Synopsis

A 13-year-old girl named Rita manages to escape from her abusive father. She is taken in by a kind owner of a diner, where she finds solace for a time, until she is transferred to a state-run institution that is full of fantastic beings, super-powered girls who plan to destroy the witches and demons that rule the place and are waiting for her to carry out their escape plan.[5] [6]

Cast

Production

Principal photography took place in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, lasting 3 months in Guatemala.[8]

Release

It had its world premiere on July 25, 2024, at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival,[9] then screened on September 25, 2024, at the 25th Calgary International Film Festival,[10] and on October 5, 2024, at the 43rd Vancouver International Film Festival.[11]

It was commercially released on August 8, 2024, in Guatemalan theaters.[12] [13] It is scheduled to release on November 22, 2024, on Shudder.[14]

Accolades

YearAward / FestivalCategoryRecipientResultRef.
202428th Fantasia International Film FestivalCheval Noir - Best FilmRita[15] [16]
Best CinematographyInti Briones

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cruz . Keneth . 2024-08-06 . Rita, la película de Jayro Bustamante que conecta el realismo mágico, la fantasía y el horror . 2024-09-26 . . es-GT.
  2. Web site: 2024-08-08 . Rita: La historia de la niña que inspiró el personaje principal de la nueva película de Jayro Bustamante . 2024-09-26 . . es-GT . 2024-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240926045508/https://www.prensalibre.com/vida/escenario/rita-la-historia-de-la-nina-que-inspiro-el-personaje-principal-de-la-nueva-pelicula-de-jayro-bustamante/ . live .
  3. Web site: 2024-07-28 . Rita, una película con talento guatemalteco coproducida con Hollywood . 2024-09-26 . Guatemala.com . es . 2024-09-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240927110655/https://www.guatemala.com/noticias/entretenimiento/rita-una-pelicula-con-talento-guatemalteco-coproducida-con-hollywood.html . live .
  4. Web site: 2024-07-27 . Rita gana premio a la mejor cinematografía Festival Internacional "Fantasía" en Montreal, Canadá . 2024-09-26 . IberoNews . es . 2024-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240926045503/https://iberonewsla.com/rita-gana-premio-a-la-mejor-cinematografia-festival-internacional-fantasia-en-montreal-canada/ . live .
  5. Web site: Toro . David . 2024-08-10 . Rita, expone la vulnerabilidad de las niñas en Centroamérica . 2024-09-26 . . es-ES.
  6. Web site: Rita . 2024-09-26 . Cinépolis . es-MX . 2024-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240926045503/https://stage.cinepolis.com.gt/pelicula/rita . live .
  7. Web site: Cruz . Keneth . 2024-08-26 . Glendy, Ángela, Alejandra, Giuliana y André: Las protagonistas de "Rita", la reciente película de Jayro Bustamante . 2024-09-26 . . es-GT.
  8. Web site: Mejía . Selene . Rita, la película que muestra la oscura realidad de muchas niñas en Guatemala . 2024-09-26 . Soy 502 . es.
  9. Web site: Rita . 2024-09-26 . . en-US . 2024-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240926052510/https://fantasiafestival.com/en/film/rita . live .
  10. Web site: Rita . 2024-09-26 . Calgary International Film Festival.
  11. Web site: VIFF 2024: Rita . 2024-09-26 . . en-US.
  12. Web site: 2024-08-06 . Rita brilla en premier oficial en Guatemala y abre sus alas . 2024-09-26 . UP Relaciones Públicas . es . 2024-09-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240927110659/https://uprelacionespublicas.com/rita/#:~:text=RITA%20BRILLA%20EN%20PREMIER%20OFICIAL%20EN%20GUATEMALA%20Y%20ABRE%20SUS%20ALAS,-Redacci%C3%B3n%20UP&text=Compartir:,8%20de%20agosto%20de%202024. . live .
  13. Web site: Cruz . Keneth . 2024-08-08 . Rita: Dónde ver la nueva película de Jayro Bustamante en Guatemala . 2024-09-26 . . es-GT . 2024-09-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240927094658/https://www.prensalibre.com/vida/escenario/rita-donde-ver-la-nueva-pelicula-de-jayro-bustamante-en-guatemala/ . live .
  14. Web site: Grobar . Matt . 2024-07-11 . Shudder Acquires Jayro Bustamante’s Orphanage Fable ‘Rita’ Ahead Of Fantasia Film Festival Debut . 2024-09-26 . . en-US . 2024-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240926045502/https://deadline.com/2024/07/jayro-bustamante-movie-rita-release-date-shudder-1236007169/ . live .
  15. Web site: Foreman . Alison . 2024-07-03 . Fantasia Fest 2024 Announces Its Stellar Final Lineup with ‘Ababouiné,’ ‘In Our Blood,’ and More . 2024-09-26 . . en-US . 2024-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240926045502/https://www.indiewire.com/news/festivals/2024-fantasia-fest-lineup-1235022587/ . live .
  16. Web site: Jury Awards for the 28th Edition of Fantasia . 2024-09-26 . . en-US.

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