Mexican production company Península Films & Entertainment has boarded “Insectario,” the debut feature of stop-motion animation wunderkind Sofía Carrillo (“Cerulia”). Eduardo Díaz Casanova of Península and Nicolás Celis of Pimienta Films, producer of “Roma,” finalized the co-production agreement at the ongoing 24th Morelia Film Festival.
“’Insectario’ is a wonderful opportunity to tell a magical story through the unique vision of Sofía Carrillo, one of the world’s leading voices in animation,” said Díaz Casanova.
“The co-production between Pimienta Films and Península Films underscores the power of partnering with like-minded creators to bring profound stories to audiences across borders. We’re confident this is the first of many collaborations to come,” he told Variety.
Now in pre-production, “Insectario” is set in a world without insects, where it follows Lexi, a specimen archivist who accidentally brings a rare, supposedly extinct moth back to life after taking it home from her uncle’s collection.
Carrillo, whose lauded short films such as “The Wandering Witch,” “The Sad House”, “Black Doll” and “Out of Control,” have screened at Annecy, Sundance and Sitges, is hailed by Guillermo del Toro for her formidable talent in stop motion animation. Her credits include Del Toro’s “Pinocchio” where she worked on the puppet costumes.
Her much-anticipated debut feature is written by Monika Revilla, whose credits include “The House of Flowers,” “Someone Has to Die,” “Somos” and “Blade Runner 2099.”
Península, which has also expanded its international presence through its involvement in Killer Films’ “De Noche,” the latest from Todd Haynes (“Carol”) starring Pedro Pascal, joins a stellar group of co-producers, some with Oscar-winning creds: Cuadernos de Cine (Mexico), Valérie Delpierre of Inicia Films (Spain), Daniela Mujica, Productions Ocho (Canada), Matīss Kaža, Trickster Pictures (Latvia) and Hugh Welchman of BreakThru Films (Poland).
Trickster Pictures’ Kaža is the producer and co-writer of “Flow,” Gints Zilbalodis’ animated feature, which won the Lux Audience Award and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2025. The win made “Flow” the first Latvian film to receive an Oscar.
Welchman of Poland’s BreakThru Films won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for “Peter & the Wolf.” He later co-directed “Loving Vincent” and “The Peasants” with Dorota Kobiela, two animated features created entirely through hand-painted imagery.
Delpierre, founder of Barcelona-based Inicia Films, has championed the work of acclaimed filmmakers including Pilar Palomero (“Schoolgirls”), Estibaliz Urresola (“20,000 Species of Bees”) and Berlinale winner Carla Simón (“Alcarrás”).
Montreal-based Productions Ocho in 2020 is known for series “Hotel Beirut” and docu series “Kitsch QC.”
Cuadernos de Cine (Mexico) is a post-production house that works closely with Netflix and Pimienta Films, with such notable credits as Gabriel Mascaro’s “The Blue Trail” and Berlin hit “The Garden We Dreamed” by Joaquin del Paso, which competes now at Morelia and is co-produced by Peninsula.
Founded in 2018 by Casanova and his brother Gabriel Diaz Casanova, Península has established itself as a prolific production company in Mexico, developing feature films, documentaries and series with a distinctive creative identity and international reach.
It just launched a new distribution company at the fest, Caos Cine, in partnership with former Pimienta Films distribution head, Regina Serratos.
At least two of the pics it has backed, “The Garden We Dreamed” by Joaquín del Paso (“The Hole in the Fence,” 2021), which premiered in the Panorama section of the 2026 Berlinale, and “Heil Jupiter” by Carlos Reygadas (Silent Light, 2007, Cannes Jury Prize) are competing at Morelia this year.
Another film, “City of the Dead” (“Ciudad de muertos”), a psychological thriller by J. M. Cravioto, held its international premiere at the 59th Sitges Film Festival.
The foremost showcase of Mexican cinema in the country, the 24th Morelia Film Festival opened on Oct. 16 and wraps on Oct. 25.