Malaga’s MAFF: Abner Benaim, Nerea Barros, Storyboard Media, Yanillys Perez Set for Fest’s Centerpiece Project Competition
John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent “The Simple Life,” the sixth movie of Oscar-shortlisted Abner Benaim, and “The Coast,” the directorial feature debut of “The Gypsy Bride” star Nerea Barros, both make their market debut at next March’s Malaga Festival Fund & Co-Production Event (MAFF), one of the top forums for arthouse projects in the Spanish-speaking world. Proving the possibility to carve out an international film career based out of Panama, “The Simple Life” (“La Vida Simple”) marks the sixth feature from Benaim, Oscar shortlisted for “Plaza Catedral.” Marking a departure, “The Simple Life” looks like a more personal turn, about a film director, sans camera and crew, in Panama, compelled by unforeseen circumstances to live the very movie he’s longed to capture on film, suffering existential crisis.