Snags

Madrid-based Amore Cine, founded by Paz Lázaro, Juan Pablo Félix and Edson Sidonie, has boarded “Dæmon,” the debut feature of Chile’s Valeria Hofmann, who snagged best director for short “AliEN0089” at Sundance 2023. It joins Chile’s Maquina, launched last year at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Described as a body-horror techno-romance best encapsulated by its logline “In a world where you can print DNA at home, why not print your own boyfriend?” the drama dwells on the same themes of digital intimacy, grief and transformation that Hofmann explored in her short, which also scored best film at the world’s leadig short film fest, Clermont-Ferrand, in its Labo competition, among other accolades.

Set in the Chilean coastal town of Valparaíso, it follows Liz, a solitary content moderator who finds unexpected intimacy in a virtual lover. But when she learns he’s not just code but a consciousness trapped within her computer, obsession takes root. As reality and simulation begin to collapse into each other, Liz becomes consumed with building him a physical form using a bioprinter that runs on blood — even if it means risking her own humanity.

The project clinched first place in Spain’s ICAA Selective Grant, outshining more than 400 submissions and cementing its position as one of the more highly anticipated Latin American–European co-productions in development.

With the ICAA production grant secured, “Dæmon” has returned to San Sebastián’s industry platform this year, and is aiming to start principal photography in 2026. The producers are actively seeking additional international partners.

“This project brings together everything we believe in: a director with an urgent and singular voice that is going to leave everyone on the edge of their cinema seats, a genre film that takes the stakes to a whole new level, along an international reach and a creative and strategic collaboration between Amore and Maquina that is already visionary and fun,” said Amore Cine’s Lázaro, who added: “We are very thankful the ICAA selection team has scored the film the highest in the already extremely talented and competitive pool of excellent filmmakers in Spain.”

“From the very beginning, ‘Dæmon’ captivated us with Valeria Hofmann’s audacious and deeply personal female gaze breaking into genre cinema. Supporting a debut of such ambition alongside this wonderful team of producers has been truly exciting, each one bringing an energy that makes the project grow in an organic and inspiring way” said Úrsula Budnik, co-founder of Maquina alongside Augusto Matte and Fernando Bascuñán.

She added: “We are especially thrilled to have sealed this co-production with Amore and to join forces with Paz Lázaro, whose vision and talent we deeply admire. For me, this journey is also about amplifying a new voice that dares to transform not only narratives, but also how we imagine women leading the future of cinema.”

Launched in San Sebastian last year, Maquina brings together the partners’ respective companies, Horamágica, Deptford Film and Planta Producciones, in a bid to pool their resources and bolster Chile’s standing in the international co-production arena.

Founded in Madrid in 2023, Amore Cine is known for its strong Ibero-American focus. Its early productions have already earned major recognition, including “The Message” by Iván Fund, which snagged the Silver Bear Jury Prize at this year’s Berlinale.