The international film market is heating up ahead of the 79th Locarno Film Festival, and Italian distribution powerhouse Fandango Sales just secured global rights to one of the lineup’s most intense political thrillers. The Chilean (Il Cileno) is set to make its world premiere this August under the stars in Locarno’s iconic Piazza Grande. But the festival circuit is just the beginning. Following the Swiss debut, Fandango Distribuzione will handle the domestic theatrical rollout, pushing the film into Italian cinemas on August 27, 2026.
Directed by Sergio Castro-San MartÃn, the film drops viewers directly into the violent political crossfire of the 1970s. It is freely inspired by the true story of Aldo MarÃn, a young Chilean socialist militant who fled the oppressive Augusto Pinochet military regime. But sanctuary does not exist here. Landing in 1976 Turin, Aldo steps right into Italy’s volatile “Years of Lead.” Desperate for money to bring his wife and newborn baby over from Chile, he falls back on a dangerous talent. He starts manufacturing makeshift explosive devices for a radical extra-parliamentary anarchist group known as Azione Rivoluzionaria.
Camilo Arancibia takes on the heavy leading role of Aldo. He is joined by an impressive ensemble cast including Sara Serraiocco as an idealistic doctor performing clandestine abortions, Andrew Bargsted, and Lorenzo Richelmy. Getting this noir-tinged coming-of-age story to the screen was a serious grind. The project represents an intense eight-year labor of love spearheaded by production companies EQUECO in Chile, dispà rte in Italy, and Cinédokké in Switzerland.
The production physically retraced the historical narrative, shooting on location across Turin, Locarno, and Chile. The physical scope of the project and Sergio Castro-San MartÃn’s feature ambitions required significant international backing, according to Televisión Nacional de Chile. Funding mechanisms from the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Swiss Federal Office of Culture ultimately pushed the tripartite co-production across the finish line.
The project is expected to draw heavy international attention given its thematic links connecting South American and European political history. The upcoming Italian release date positions the film to capture audiences fascinated by the revolutionary movements of the era. And the stakes are high in Switzerland, too. The Chilean stands alongside projects like Princesa Burro as part of a remarkably strong year for Chilean cinema at the prestigious festival.
The Verdict: You should absolutely track down The Chilean when it hits wider distribution. The true-crime political angle provides a gritty, high-stakes foundation, and the parallel mapping of Chile’s 1973 coup fallout against Italy’s domestic terrorism wave offers a fresh cinematic perspective on 1970s radicalization. If you appreciate tense, character-driven historical thrillers, this one firmly belongs on your radar.