EXCLUSIVE: Luminalia Boards World Sales on Sofía Quirós Úbeda’s Sophomore Feature, Silent Birds - Production / Funding - Costa Rica/Argentina/Brazil/Spain/Norway/France

Key Takeaways

• Luminalia secures worldwide sales for Sofía Quirós Úbeda’s second feature
• Silent Birds co-produced by companies across six countries
• Film explores childhood grief in a rural Latin American setting
• Project earned ARTE Award at San Sebastián Co‑Production Forum
• Backed by Ibermedia, TorinoFilmLab, and multiple national film funds

Pulse Analysis

The Italian sales agency Luminalia has taken on worldwide sales for Silent Birds, the sophomore feature from Costa‑Rican‑Argentinian director Sofía Quirós Úbeda. By attaching a seasoned international sales house, the film gains immediate access to key territories and festival markets that are often out of reach for modestly budgeted Latin American productions. Luminalia’s portfolio, which includes several award‑winning arthouse titles, positions Silent Birds for a strategic rollout that could capitalize on the growing appetite for authentic, region‑specific storytelling among global audiences.

Silent Birds is a true multinational effort, co‑produced by companies in Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Norway and France. The project’s financing mix—combining Ibermedia, TorinoFilmLab’s co‑production fund, Aide aux cinémas du Monde and a slate of national grants—illustrates how contemporary indie films leverage trans‑Atlantic partnerships to stretch limited budgets while preserving creative control. Its early recognition at the San Sebastián Co‑Production Forum, where it won the ARTE Award, underscores the film’s festival‑ready pedigree and signals confidence from European cultural institutions in Latin American narratives.

Quirós Úbeda’s personal connection to the story—written during her mother’s illness—infuses Silent Birds with an intimate perspective on grief, childhood resilience, and the search for maternal figures. The narrative’s rural backdrop and focus on an eight‑year‑old protagonist offer a fresh lens on universal themes, likely resonating with both art‑house programmers and streaming curators seeking diverse content. With Luminalia’s distribution network and the film’s strong festival credentials, Silent Birds is poised to break into North American and European markets, potentially elevating the profile of emerging Central‑American talent.