STOYAN, 1hr. 46min., Spain,

Directed by Roberto Ruiz Céspedes

Maika is a mother who suffers from the unexpected kidnapping of her son Stoyan. It has been taken by a terrifying and ancient man to the Bardo… to the Beyond. Israel is a detective investigating the murder of a young woman with a tree planted in her eye. Both stories are interwoven in a dreamlike, heartbreaking and fantastic atmosphere.
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Director Biography - Roberto Ruiz Céspedes

Roberto Ruiz Cespedes. Born in Santander (1987). Resident in Madrid. Roberto is a novelist, screenwriter and director. Diploma in Film Direction from the KINEMA film school in Bilbao (first of his class and awarded with the final year project in 2008-2011). Master's Degree in Screenwriting for Film and TV from the TAI school in Madrid (Remarkable High, 2011-2012). He has worked on 30 projects in the directing and producing department.

Roberto has written and directed 20 short films, two experimental feature films and one feature film (2021). His first commercial film is STOYAN, a psychological horror thriller starring Tristán Ulloa, Marta Milans, Carlos Mestanza, Susana Hornos, Nicolás Coronado, Max Ulloa, Mariano Venancio, Natalia Rodríguez and Paulina Gálvez.

Shot in 2020/2021. Film with Official Selection at the 5th Pitchbox 2018 and Special Mention at Sitges Pitchbox 2017. Film produced by Gold Tower Producciones, American Road Films, Hache Producciones and STOYAN A.I.E.

Her short film BROKEN BASKET, starring Belén Rueda, was selected at more than 40 festivals within the Oscars Preselection circuit, such as the Short Film Corner (Cannes), Honorable Mention by the Jury for Belén Rueda at the Queens World Film Festival (New York), among others. The film STOYAN is based on this short film. Roberto wrote and directed SIEMPRE FUI ALEX together with Sancho Ortiz de Lejarazu, a documentary short film about transsexuality in childhood. With more than 40 selections in national and international festivals, awarded to the best short film in CORTOS POR LA IGUALDAD (VALENCIA).

Roberto has published three novels. The latest MARMA RABBIT Boy (2020), published by the
Editorial Amarante. The first LOS JIMENEZ SUEÑAN COMO QUIEREN (2017)
and the second MERO FIRMAMENTO (2018), both published by Ediciones Camelot.

To date, Roberto has adapted MARMA RABBIT Boy into a feature film and is in the financing phase together with his brother and partner Iván Ruiz Céspedes. This project has been twice awarded at the II IMPULSE WORKSHOP (Government of Cantabria, November 2021), being invited with the project to the European Film Market in Berlin (2023) and the MAFIZ of the Malaga Festival (2022). The project is being pitched to professionals in the sector during this phase.

Roberto has written 20 feature films, miniseries and series on projects, in the development phase. Among all of them is the TRILOGÍA DEL NIRVANA, a set of three films with STOYAN that make up the second part and its prequel. MIRLO BLANCO: EL BODHISATTVA y MADRE HINDÚ. They are two film projects in the development phase after the imminent and expected success of STOYAN throughout this 2022. Roberto continues today writing more projects.

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CAST LIST:

Tristán Ulloa - Israel
Marta Milans - Maika
Max Ulloa - Stoyan
Carlos Mestanza - Román
Nicolás Coronado - Thera