The Days Off: Latest News & Updates

Inwave Films has acquired international sales rights to Lucila Mariani's debut feature “The Days Off,” a dreamlike Argentine sci-fi drama that will have its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in August, USA Film News has learned exclusively.

The 84-minute film, set in a near-future Argentina during an unrelenting summer break, follows 12-year-old Bego as she navigates the shifting currents of family life and girlhood friendships while a solar eclipse looms overhead. Mariani, making her feature debut after a series of acclaimed short films, blends science-fiction elements with intimate character study, creating what early observers describe as a lyrical meditation on isolation and belonging.

A Dreamlike Debut in a Near-Future Summer

“The Days Off” centers on Bego (played by Antonia Robolini), a preteen caught between the expectations of her family and the unspoken rules of her peer group. The heat is oppressive, the days stretch endlessly, and the approaching eclipse seems to mirror the internal disorientation Bego feels. Laura Paredes portrays Romina, likely a maternal figure, while Luiza Quinteiro appears as REN__, a character whose name suggests a possible technological or non-human element consistent with the film’s near-future setting. Guillermo Berthold plays Gonzalo, and the supporting cast includes Amanda Minujín as Male, Gaia Garibaldi as Flor, Bruna Sigal as Sofi, and Rosa Scarvaci as Cande.

Mariani’s script and direction reportedly emphasize mood and sensory detail over conventional plot mechanics. The film’s dreamlike quality - a recurrent descriptor in early festival materials - suggests a narrative that moves fluidly between reality and subjective experience, with the eclipse serving as both a natural phenomenon and a metaphor for obscured vision, whether literal or emotional. The science-fiction genre tag indicates that the near-future setting is not merely decorative but may involve subtle speculative elements woven into the characters’ daily lives.

Locarno Premiere and Festival Buzz

Locarno’s selection committee programmed “The Days Off” in a competitive section, signaling confidence in Mariani’s vision. The festival, held annually in the Swiss town on Lake Maggiore, has a long history of launching arthouse and debut films from Latin America. For Mariani, the Locarno premiere represents a significant international platform. Her previous short films have circulated at festivals in Europe and Latin America, but this marks her first feature-length project and her first Locarno appearance.

The film’s release date is set for August 7, 2026, likely timed to its festival slot, though theatrical and streaming distribution plans have not yet been announced outside of Inwave Films’ sales mandate. The acquisition by Inwave - a sales agent known for championing emerging auteurs and genre-bending works - suggests that “The Days Off” will travel to additional festivals and potentially secure distribution in key markets.

Cast Highlights and Production Background

Antonia Robolini, making her feature debut as Bego, anchors the film with a performance that festival programmers have described as naturalistic yet layered. Laura Paredes, a veteran Argentine actress with credits in films like “The Delinquents” and “The Temple of the Golden Ibis,” brings gravitas to the role of Romina. Luiza Quinteiro, a Brazilian actress known for her work in experimental cinema, appears as REN__, a character whose name’s underscores may hint at an algorithmic or digital identity. Guillermo Berthold, Amanda Minujín, and the younger cast members round out the ensemble.

Mariani’s background includes a degree in film direction from the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires, and she has cited the works of Lucrecia Martel and Apichatpong Weerasethakul as influences. “The Days Off” appears to draw on that lineage - slow cinema infused with sensory immediacy and a subtle genre consciousness. The film’s Argentine production context also aligns with a recent surge of locally produced genre films that use speculative elements to explore social and emotional realities.

What to Expect from the Screenings

With a runtime of 84 minutes, “The Days Off” is a compact feature that likely prioritizes atmosphere over exposition. The near-future setting is not dystopian in a conventional sense but rather a slightly altered version of the present, where the heat feels more intense, the days longer, and the eclipse more symbolic than world-ending. Mariani’s approach mirrors the way adolescence itself can feel like a liminal, suspended time - a long summer break that never seems to end.

Inwave Films is expected to fan out the title to buyers during the Locarno market, with interest likely from distributors who program art-house, coming-of-age, and Latin American cinema. The film’s TMDb rating is currently zero, as is typical for a pre-release title awaiting audience and critical response.

For now, “The Days Off” stands as one of the most anticipated debuts in Locarno’s 2026 lineup, offering a quiet, unsettling, and beautifully realized portrait of a girl on the verge - of adolescence, of an eclipse, and of something she may not yet have words for.

Source: Variety