The Dominican film “ZUMECA” produced by Cacique Films and sponsored by Grupo SID, won two awards at the Slamdance Film Festival, achieving the Grand Jury Prize and Best Actress for Angela Cano.
The film directed by the also actor David Maler premiered within the framework of this prestigious circuit, after entering the “Breakouts” section of the Slamdance Film Festival 2026 and becoming the first Dominican film to achieve this feat.
The jury declared that “Through the eyes of an intercultural love story set in pre-colonial times, Zumeca seems to have been unearthed from the earth itself, resulting in a poetic and uncompromising exploration of our tribal origins. DavidMaler proves to be a new and unique vision within global cinema.”
Director David Maler stated: “It is impossible to summarize what the process of this film has been, I can only say that ZUMECA has all my heart. I have no words to thank each and every one of the people who made this project, which at first glance seemed (and was) impossible. From the bottom of my heart I tell you that this film belongs to everyone who made it possible. And it was only possible because they went the extra mile. I dedicated the award to my country, the Dominican Republic, because I am what I am, and I tell what I tell thanks to it. I am sure that this is only the beginning of Zumeca, our collective memory that we take to the world, but that I hope we will also recover and empower ourselves with it.”
José Miguel Bonetti Du-Breil, executive of Grupo SID, highlighted: “This project stems from our firm commitment to culture and the preservation of our roots. In 2019, we sponsored the publication of the book Zumeca, authored by Lucía Amelia Cabral, convinced of the value of this story for our identity. Today, we are filled with pride to see it transcend to the big screen and share its narrative richness with all those who have the opportunity to discover it.”
It is worth noting that Slamdance, known for being the starting point for filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan, Bong Joon-ho, Ari Aster, and Sean Baker, among others, has praised the artistic vision of “Zumeca”, adding the Dominican film to its exclusive selection of only five global films in this category. “Zumeca” is supported by Grupo SID in the person of Ligia Bonetti and Jose Miguel Bonetti Du-Breil, who was present at Slamdance, and has the general production of Cacique Films (Nashla Bogaert, Gilberto Morillo and David Maler).
