Moisés Arias (Fallout), Teresa Ruiz (Narcos: Mexico), Ignacio Diaz-Silverio (Primo) and Augusto Aguilera (Predator) are starring in movie crime-thriller 52nd State, which is underway in Bogotá, Colombia.Written by Ivan Krim and Todd S. Yellin, and directed by the latter, the movie is inspired by true events and plays out against the backdrop of an international scam operation in Costa Rica.The movie marks an interesting next chapter in the career of director Yellin, who spent 17 years at Netflix helping revolutionize the entertainment business. As the former head of product, he played a pivotal role in shaping the platform’s data-driven approach to audience engagement. He is credited with an array of developments, including leading the creation of Netflix’s “tudum” sonic trademark and advancing the company’s personalized content recommendations. At the end of 2022, he left the entertainment-tech giant to pursue his original passion—filmmaking, having made his feature debut with 2006 low-budget indie Brother’s Shadow. 52nd State marks his sophomore film as director.Pic is produced by Parts and Labor’s Jay Van Hoy (The Lighthouse) and Fernando Ferro (The Birthday Cake). Executive producers include Phillip Kumin (Dallas Buyers Club), Juan Pablo Solano (Rosario), Simon Beltrán (Luckiest Man in America), and Regina Solorzano (Triangle of Sadness).Set in the shadows of Costa Rica’s booming tech sector in 2010, the story follows Felipe (Arias), a reserved IT worker whose new job hides something far more sinister than it seems. As he’s pulled deeper into a web of deception and criminal exploitation, Felipe must decide how far he’s willing to go to do what’s right—before the system swallows him whole.“This is the kind of story I’ve always wanted to tell—one that entertains while shining a light on real-world injustice,” said Yellin. “It’s about people pretending to be what they’re not and the twisted moral complexity that results. After years of empowering other filmmakers through technology, I felt compelled to tell a story that merges heart-pounding suspense with deeply human themes. 52nd State isn’t just a thriller—it’s about coming to terms with who we really are.”The film is produced alongside Bogota-based production service company Jaguar Bite in Colombia and Costa Rica. It was approved to receive the CINA incentive (Audiovisual Investment Certificate), granted by the Colombian government and administered by Proimágenes Colombia.Arias was most recently seen in Amazon’s Fallout and previously starred in Clint Bentley’s Jockey and Sundance Film Festival 2019 World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award Monos. Ruiz followed her breakout in Narcos: Mexico with a lead role in Netflix’s Mo. Ignacio Diaz-Silverio was the lead of Amazon Freevee’s Primo, and will next be seen in Live Nation’s Green Day-inspired feature New Years Rev. Augusto Aguilera, known for The Predator and Too Old to Die Young, recently starred opposite Jennifer Garner in The Last Thing He Told Me.Moisés Arias is represented by Independent Artist Group and Myman Greenspan. Ruiz is represented by Innovative Artists, Eliseo Ruiz, and Hirsch Wallerstein. Augusto Aguilera is represented by Independent Artist Group and Anonymous Content. Ignacio Diaz-Silverio is represented by Gersh and Brookside Artist Management. Director Todd Yellin and producers Fernando Ferro and Jay Van Hoy are represented by Andrew Randone of The BALA Firm.
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