‘El Mariachi,’ ‘Spy Kids’ Producer Elizabeth Avellán Wraps Canary Islands Thriller ‘Bonded,’ Toplining Bichir Trio, Paz Vega, Ingrid García-Jonsson (EXCLUSIVE)
U.S.-Venezuelan producer Elizabeth Avellán, whose credits span iconic titles such as Robert Rodríguez’s “El Mariachi,” “Desperado” and “Machete,” alien film “Predators” and the “Spy Kids” franchise, has wrapped principal photography on supernatural thriller “Bonded,” a production Avellán is positioning as a flagship for her new Canary Islands-based film hub.
Directed by Venezuelan writer-director Gisberg Bermúdez (“The Whistler: Origins”), “Bonded” toplines Oscar-nominated Demián Bichir (“A Better Life”), his daughter Gala Bichir (“Now and Then”) and brother Bruno Bichir (“Narcos”), in the first time the three Bichirs have worked together on a feature.
Also starring Ingrid García-Jonsson (“Seven Kings Must Die”), Malena González (“Rabbit”) and Michael Stobbe (“Band of Spies”), with a special appearance by Paz Vega (“Spanglish,” “Kaleidoscope”), the film shot for four weeks in La Esperanza, in the island of Tenerife’s forested interior, followed by one week in Austin, Texas, Avellán’s long-time production base.
Building a Canary-Texas Pipeline
The English-language film is produced by Anaga Media Productions, the Tenerife company backed by Avellán, Bermúdez and González, structured under the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC), whose advantages include a reduced 4% corporate income tax rate, compatible with a 45%-50% tax incentive.
From this base, Avellán is building a pipeline of Texan-Canarian partnerships, which already includes Bermúdez’s previous work, horror film “Gara’s Return,” now in post.
“Despite having my whole career in Texas, I wanted to firmly invest in the Canary Islands,” says Avellán, whose Canarian great-grandparents emigrated from the islands to Venezuela.
“For us it was important not just to come here once, shoot and leave. We wanted to plant roots – build a company, keep coming back and make this a real hub.”
Time-Slip Thriller About Grief
“Bonded” follows Louis Abrams (Demián Bichir), a grieving father, and his troubled 13-year-old daughter Ruth (Gala Bichir), who retreat to a rundown farmhouse after a road accident kills Louis’ wife, Sarah (Vega).
Hoping for solace, they instead find the property haunted by restless spirits tied to a century-old tragedy in the same house, and their own grief becomes entangled with that of another family from the 1920s, a synopsis says.
“It’s a psychological thriller but also fantastical,” Avellán explains. “We play with what we’re learning about quantum physics and how time isn’t really linear. Two families, a hundred years apart, are bound together by tragedy.”
Through visions and time slips, Louis is pulled into the world of Anna Heller (García-Jonsson) and her gravely ill son Ethan (Nil Gomez), watched over by Ethan’s stern father Isaac (Bruno Bichir) and Rabbi Sholem Minda (Stobbe).
As Louis attempts to help Anna and Ethan, Ruth’s recurring dreams begin to echo Ethan’s visions, suggesting the children are sharing images across time. Underneath the genre frame, the film probes how both families confront loss.
Training Ground for Local Talent
Anaga Media Productions is also doubling as a training ground. Avellán, who has long worked with film schools and universities in Texas, is now channelling that model into the Canaries. Speaking at a recent masterclass at the César Manrique educational center in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, she underlined her commitment to local crews.
The masterclass forms part of a wider program linking ZEC, Proexca, the islands’ public sector promotion agency, and the Canary Islands schools to the archipelago’s fast-growing audiovisual sector, aimed to connect training centers directly with producers and service companies so graduates can transition into professional shoots.
With Avellán’s arrival, the Canary Islands’ film strategy takes a further step forward: professionals trained on the islands are finding work on international films at home, alongside a producer who has helped shape Latin cinema’s presence in Hollywood for decades.
Come-back to independent cinema
Since the pandemic, Avellán has already produced six small independent films, part of a deliberate move back to hands-on producing and filmmaker-driven projects.
“I wanted to help certain filmmakers get their shot,” she says. “It’s been beautiful for me to come back to truly independent cinema.”
“Bonded” is in the editing stage, with Avellán expecting the film to be completed within six months, allowing submissions to spring festivals such as SXSW, where she has premiered three different titles in as many years.
Anaga is lining up a slate of thrillers, genre fare and documentaries anchored out of Tenerife, with Texas and Latin America as natural partners on both financing and talent.
For studios and streaming executives weighing the Canaries, Avellán boils her pitch down to one idea: “You have seven islands where you can find almost any location you can imagine, plus stages where you can build whole worlds.”
“Also, the culture here is very rich, and there are so many stories to tell,” she adds.
Directed by Venezuelan writer-director Gisberg Bermúdez (“The Whistler: Origins”), “Bonded” toplines Oscar-nominated Demián Bichir (“A Better Life”), his daughter Gala Bichir (“Now and Then”) and brother Bruno Bichir (“Narcos”), in the first time the three Bichirs have worked together on a feature.
Also starring Ingrid García-Jonsson (“Seven Kings Must Die”), Malena González (“Rabbit”) and Michael Stobbe (“Band of Spies”), with a special appearance by Paz Vega (“Spanglish,” “Kaleidoscope”), the film shot for four weeks in La Esperanza, in the island of Tenerife’s forested interior, followed by one week in Austin, Texas, Avellán’s long-time production base.
Building a Canary-Texas Pipeline
The English-language film is produced by Anaga Media Productions, the Tenerife company backed by Avellán, Bermúdez and González, structured under the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC), whose advantages include a reduced 4% corporate income tax rate, compatible with a 45%-50% tax incentive.
From this base, Avellán is building a pipeline of Texan-Canarian partnerships, which already includes Bermúdez’s previous work, horror film “Gara’s Return,” now in post.
“Despite having my whole career in Texas, I wanted to firmly invest in the Canary Islands,” says Avellán, whose Canarian great-grandparents emigrated from the islands to Venezuela.
“For us it was important not just to come here once, shoot and leave. We wanted to plant roots – build a company, keep coming back and make this a real hub.”
Time-Slip Thriller About Grief
“Bonded” follows Louis Abrams (Demián Bichir), a grieving father, and his troubled 13-year-old daughter Ruth (Gala Bichir), who retreat to a rundown farmhouse after a road accident kills Louis’ wife, Sarah (Vega).
Hoping for solace, they instead find the property haunted by restless spirits tied to a century-old tragedy in the same house, and their own grief becomes entangled with that of another family from the 1920s, a synopsis says.
“It’s a psychological thriller but also fantastical,” Avellán explains. “We play with what we’re learning about quantum physics and how time isn’t really linear. Two families, a hundred years apart, are bound together by tragedy.”
Through visions and time slips, Louis is pulled into the world of Anna Heller (García-Jonsson) and her gravely ill son Ethan (Nil Gomez), watched over by Ethan’s stern father Isaac (Bruno Bichir) and Rabbi Sholem Minda (Stobbe).
As Louis attempts to help Anna and Ethan, Ruth’s recurring dreams begin to echo Ethan’s visions, suggesting the children are sharing images across time. Underneath the genre frame, the film probes how both families confront loss.
Training Ground for Local Talent
Anaga Media Productions is also doubling as a training ground. Avellán, who has long worked with film schools and universities in Texas, is now channelling that model into the Canaries. Speaking at a recent masterclass at the César Manrique educational center in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, she underlined her commitment to local crews.
The masterclass forms part of a wider program linking ZEC, Proexca, the islands’ public sector promotion agency, and the Canary Islands schools to the archipelago’s fast-growing audiovisual sector, aimed to connect training centers directly with producers and service companies so graduates can transition into professional shoots.
With Avellán’s arrival, the Canary Islands’ film strategy takes a further step forward: professionals trained on the islands are finding work on international films at home, alongside a producer who has helped shape Latin cinema’s presence in Hollywood for decades.
Come-back to independent cinema
Since the pandemic, Avellán has already produced six small independent films, part of a deliberate move back to hands-on producing and filmmaker-driven projects.
“I wanted to help certain filmmakers get their shot,” she says. “It’s been beautiful for me to come back to truly independent cinema.”
“Bonded” is in the editing stage, with Avellán expecting the film to be completed within six months, allowing submissions to spring festivals such as SXSW, where she has premiered three different titles in as many years.
Anaga is lining up a slate of thrillers, genre fare and documentaries anchored out of Tenerife, with Texas and Latin America as natural partners on both financing and talent.
For studios and streaming executives weighing the Canaries, Avellán boils her pitch down to one idea: “You have seven islands where you can find almost any location you can imagine, plus stages where you can build whole worlds.”
“Also, the culture here is very rich, and there are so many stories to tell,” she adds.