Film at Eleven

Magnet, the newly formed genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today the acquisition of North American distribution rights to Kiltro and Mirageman – two exciting action films written, directed and edited by Ernesto Diaz Espinoza, produced by Derek Rundell, and starring the soon-to-be legendary Marko Zaror, also known as “The Latin Dragon.” Magnet will also produce Zaror’s next film, which will be announced shortly.

Kiltro was a sensation in Zaror’s native Chile (Mirageman will be released there next year), and Magnet anticipates that U.S. audiences will also embrace this new action star. Mirageman will have its U.S. premiere this week in Austin at the Fantastic Film Festival, and both films are slated for release in 2008.

Winner of the 2004 Stuntman of the Year award for his work as the Rock’s stunt and martial arts double in the feature film The Rundown, Zaror is a worldwide action star and martial arts champion poised for his U.S. breakthrough. In Kiltro, Zaror plays a violent gangster turned avenging warrior after the murder of his mother, and he takes on the role of a masked vigilante in Mirageman. Both films are impressive showcases for his exhilarating martial arts skills.

“I’ve never seen anyone with Marko’s power and size exhibit such agility and acrobatic skill. He’s amazing to watch,” said Magnet’s Tom Quinn. “I haven’t been this excited about an action star since the first time I saw Tony Jaa in Ong Bak.”

“Marko’s talent and skill is unmatched,” said producer Derek Rundell. “At 6′2″, 210 pounds, it’s magic to watch him move with such speed, power and style. We’re thrilled about working with Magnet and introducing him to American audiences.”

Kiltro and Mirageman join Magnet’s already robust slate of films, which includes the exquisite corpse-style thriller The Signal; Toronto Midnight Madness selection Big Man in Japan (Dainipponjin) by Hitoshi Matsumoto; Tony Stone’s heavy metal Viking epic, Severed Ways; action omnibus Triangle from Hong Kong greats Ringo Lam, Johnnie To, and Tsui Hark; Jeremy Saulnier’s darkly comic, hipster slasher flick Murder Party; Olivier Assayas’s Cannes-selected thriller Boarding Gate starring Asia Argento and Michael Madsen; and Mark Hartley’s expose on classic Australian genre filmmaking Not Quite Hollywood.

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