EXCLUSIVE: Picture Tree International has acquired international sales rights on Uruguayan fraternal directorial duo Rafael and Bernardo Antonaccio’s second feature Butchers (Matarifes) for a launch at the European Film Market this month.
The brothers previously made waves with thriller In the Quarry (En el Pozo), which was released in Latin America, the U.S., Canada, the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan and screened widely on the festival circuit, starting with a world premiere in Sitges.
The historical thriller is set against the backdrop of the 1970s meat ban in Uruguay, during which José, a Galician immigrant, and his daughter Rosita establish a clandestine slaughterhouse to survive.
As the operation expands into a citywide black market, their ambitions collide with corrupt authorities, rival butchers and the shifting political landscape, pushing the family toward dangerous alliances and violent consequences.
Esteban Bigliardi (Society of Snow) and emerging actors Micaela del Pino and Salvador Gaetan co-star.
Germany’s Picture Tree International is handling worldwide sales excluding Uruguay on the film, which is currently in post-production. After the EFM, it is planning a summer–fall 2026 festival and theatrical rollout.
The feature is produced by Monarca Films (Uruguay) in association with Nadador Cine and La Mayor Cine, in co-production with Blurr Stories (Spain/Argentina) and Hain Cine (Argentina). Producers include Valentina Baracco, Eugenia Olascuaga, Fernanda Perez, Jonathan Monroig, Papu Curotto and Santiago Podestá.
The Antonaccio brothers say the film delves into “a little-explored episode of Uruguayan history, where survival pushes people to cross boundaries and ambition ultimately devours everything,” adding that the illicit meat trade in that era “feels almost dystopian despite being real.”
Describing the Antonaccio brothers as “emerging voices” to watch, Picture Tree International’s Managing Partner Andreas Rothbauer described the film as“a gripping, character-driven historical thriller with strong crossover appeal, grounded in true events and handled with a bold visual approach.”
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