Cine70 Films

Overview

Cine70 Films is a Lima-based audiovisual production company founded in 1970, making it one of the longest-operating production companies in Peru. Headquartered at Angamos Oeste 537, Miraflores, Lima, the company employs approximately 14 people and generates an estimated $3.8 to $4 million in annual revenue. Cine70 Films operates across advertising, commercial production, and feature film production, with a presence in both Peru and Argentina.

The company is best known in Peruvian cinema for producing three of the top five highest-grossing domestic films in Peruvian box office history. Director Ricardo Maldonado, a partner at Cine70, directed Asu Mare (2013), Asu Mare 2 (2014), and Calichin, all of which achieved significant commercial success. Asu Mare became the most successful Peruvian film of all time, drawing over 2.3 million spectators in its first three weeks and breaking 13 box office records previously held by Hollywood studio releases in Peru.

Production History and Box Office Performance

Asu Mare (2013), produced by Tondero Producciones and distributed by New Century Films, was made on a budget of approximately $800,000 and grossed 60.9 million PEN (approximately $18 million) at the Peruvian box office. The film surpassed Ice Age: Continental Drift as the highest-grossing film in Peruvian cinema history. Its sequel, Asu Mare 2, narrowly beat the original's record. Both films were directed by Ricardo Maldonado and starred Carlos Alcantara, adapting his stand-up comedy material for the screen.

Cine70 Films partnered with Tondero Producciones, Peru's largest entertainment company, on these theatrical features. Tondero handles talent representation for over 70 celebrities and operates in both Peru and Spain. The Cine70-Tondero partnership demonstrates how Peruvian commercial cinema has developed through collaboration between established production companies rather than through the individual filmmaker model common in US independent cinema.

Advertising and Commercial Work

The majority of Cine70 Films' revenue comes from advertising and commercial production, not feature films. The company has produced campaigns for major Peruvian brands including Auna, and its directors have won over 40 international advertising awards including Cannes Lions, New York Festivals, London International Awards, Effies, and Clios. Ricardo Maldonado directed the "Peru, Nebraska" mockumentary for the Marca Peru country brand campaign, which won multiple Grand Prix and gold prizes at major international advertising festivals and became one of the most awarded works in the history of Peruvian advertising.

The company's advertising work funds its feature film projects, following a model common in Latin American production where commercial revenue cross-subsidizes narrative film production. This is different from the US or European independent film models where feature films are financed through equity, pre-sales, or grants.

Peruvian Film Market Context

Peru's theatrical market is modest by regional standards. The dominant commercial multiplex chains are Cineplanet and UVK Multicines, which program primarily Hollywood studio releases alongside major Peruvian commercial productions. Independent and arthouse cinema in Lima screens at venues including the Lima Independiente film festival and the Lima Contemporary Art Museum (MALI) film program.

Peru has a growing independent film scene supported by the Ministerio de Cultura's film fund and DAFO (Direccion del Audiovisual, la Fonografia y los Nuevos Medios), which provides production and distribution support for Peruvian cinema. Director Claudia Llosa's The Milk of Sorrow won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2009, establishing Peru as a source of internationally recognized arthouse cinema. However, the domestic commercial market remains dominated by comedy and genre films like Asu Mare rather than arthouse cinema.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Cine70 Films is a production company, not a distributor. Filmmakers seeking Peruvian theatrical distribution should approach distribution companies like Tondero (which handles commercial Peruvian releases) or look to international sales agents for broader distribution. Cine70 Films may be relevant as a production partner for filmmakers seeking to shoot in Peru or co-produce with Peruvian talent, particularly in the commercial or advertising space.

For international filmmakers seeking Peruvian theatrical distribution, Peru is typically acquired as a standalone territory or as part of a broader South American rights package in international sales deals. The domestic Peruvian distribution landscape is thin compared to Brazil (Imagem Filmes) or Argentina (Aqua Films), with fewer dedicated arthouse distributors.

For Peruvian filmmakers with international aspirations, connecting with international sales agents with relationships at Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto remains the most effective pathway to global distribution. Cine70 Films' model of commercial production cross-subsidizing feature film work may be relevant for Peruvian directors who also work in advertising.

See Also

For broader Latin American distribution context, see Aqua Films (Argentina) and Imagem Filmes (Brazil) in this directory. For international sales covering Latin America, see Latido Films. To model the revenue from a Peruvian theatrical release, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.