Alfredo Castro, Clara Lago Star in ‘Queen of the Woods’

Clara Lago, best known for her roles in hit romcom “Spanish Affair” and Andi Baiz suspense drama “The Hidden Face,” will star opposite Chile’s indefatigable Alfredo Castro in the Iberseries Co-Production Forum-bound “Queen of the Woods” (“La reina del bosque”).

To be directed by Luján Loioco, the drama is produced by Loioco’s Buenos Aires-based Libre Cine alongside Argentine-Spanish company Non Stop, Brazil’s Cinefilm and the U.S.-based Bosco Entertainment, run by Julio Bove.

“Queen of the Woods” is described as a female-driven suspense film that tells the story of a failed relationship between a pregnant woman and her dying father. Forced to spend their last days together while isolated in a mountain cabin, she must confront the ghosts of her childhood to discover the kind of mother she truly wants to be, the synopsis goes.

“I aim to craft a story that truly connects with the audience. In this film, I want to delve into emotions deeply intertwined with the feminine experience,” said Loioco who has also penned the screenplay.

“My goal is to create a tone where reality feels like a dream. I’ve discovered that suspense offers the essential elements to evoke a sense of unease in a captivating and distinctive way,” she added.

Quite far along in its development, principal photography is targeted for June 2025 in Spain and Patagonia, Argentina.

Its development trajectory has seen it garner a best screenplay award at BioBioLab IV in Concepción, Chile in 2022 when it also participated in the Bolivia Lab XIV and Chile’s Sanfic Lab XI. Last year, it went through the Mercosur Co-Production Meet in Brazil, Sapcine VIII in Cali, Colombia and the Extremadura Residency in Spain.

For Libre Cine, the drama dovetails with its production objectives which leans toward characters who challenge norms, using different genres to turn personal stories into universal narratives.

“We’re interested in producing stories that have the ability to travel and transcend borders, featuring global actors and sparking interest in diverse regions,” said Loioco whose credits include “La niña de tacones amarillos,” “Algo con una mujer” and fiction series “La vida que viene,” the latter two co-directed with Libre Cine partner Mariano Turek.

“We aim to make content with international appeal, emphasizing gender perspectives and Ibero-American production, said Loioco, who added: “Our business model centers on co-production and international partnerships, with the purpose of serving as a bridge between Latin America and Europe.”

Iberseries & Platino Industria takes place Oct. 1 – 4 in Madrid.