More deals are being announced post-Ventana Sur, the largest film-TV market in Latin America, which wrapped Dec. 5 in Buenos Aires.

In the latest pact, Cinephobia Releasing has pounced on North American rights to Argentine horror pic, “The Dollmaker,” from U.K. genre specialist Jinga Films.

Cinephobia president Raymond Murray negotiated the deal with Jinga Films director Julian Richards whose company first acquired world sales rights to the psychological thriller at last year’s Ventana Sur and has since secured its distribution in various European territories, with Lighthouse Home Entertainment snagging rights for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and Media4Fun picking up rights for Poland.

“The Dollmaker’ is creepy, weird, bloody and surreal…and I loved every minute of it,” said Murray, who added that the company was “excited to bring this original film to the art and genre audiences.”

Set in a sleepy village, a young Tomás (played by Rodrigo Noya) leads an uneventful life, caring for his mother, toiling at the video store and tending to his secret doll collection. After women start vanishing, an inspector trains his sights on him as his prime suspect.

Directed by Jose María Cicala who co-wrote the pic with Griselda Sánchez, “The Dollmaker” was produced by Abril Cicala of Shock House Films. The rest of the cast includes Sánchez, Alejo García Pintos, Arturo Puig, Mario Alarcon, Alejandra Baldoni, Guillermo Zapata, Eduardo Calvo, Santiago Dominguez and Silvia Petri.

“A unique genre film like ‘The Dollmaker’ requires a unique distributor like Cinephobia,” said Richards, adding: “The film blends the classic suspense of Alfred Hitchcock with the offbeat surrealism of David Lynch to create an unpredictable giallo that will boggle the minds of the most seasoned genre fans.” 

“The Dollmaker” debuted as a work-in-progress at Ventana Sur’s Blood Windows showcase in 2023. It marks Cicala’s fourth feature following “Sola,” “The Shadow of the Cat” (with Danny Trejo) and “Lennons.”

It had its U.S. premiere at Screamfest in Los Angeles where Noya won the Best Actor prize.

Cinephobia Releasing will continue the film’s festival run and is targeting its limited theatrical launch for the Summer of 2026, to be followed by its on demand and digital release.

The company, which focuses on genre and LGBTQ+-themed films, also acquired all North American rights to Sergio Tovar Velarde‘s LGBT dramedy “The Divine Tragedy,” (“La tragedia divina”) at Ventana Sur.

Deal was closed by Murray and Alfredo Calvino, founder-CEO of the Brazil-based Habanero Film Sales.