Kino Lorber Announces the North American
Theatrical Release of the Gripping Mexican Border Thriller
IDENTIFYING FEATURES by Fernanda Valadez
The Gotham Award and Sundance Winner,
Opens on Kino Marquee and Virtual Cinemas Nationwide
on Friday, January 22
Kino Lorber is proud to announce the North American virtual theatrical release of the acclaimed and gripping Mexican border thriller Identifying Features (Sin señas particulares), directed and co-written by Fernanda Valadez, co-produced and co-written by Astrid Rondero, and including a largely female cast and crew.
Winner of Gotham Award for Best International Feature, the film opens on Kino Marquee and virtual cinemas nationwide—including Film at Lincoln Center and BAM in New York City, and the Laemmle theaters in Los Angeles—on Friday, January 22, 2021.
”Combines stunning cinematography, evocative sound design
and hints of magical realism to create a visionary work of devastating power.”
—Anjana Janardhan, Sight & Sound
“On every level, this is impressively accomplished cinema.”
—Wendy Ide, Screen Daily
“A confident, accomplished and distinctive feature directorial debut.”
—Dennis Harvey, Variety
Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Audience and Screenplay awards at the Sundance Film Festival, among many other accolades at numerous international film festivals including Morelia, San Sebastian, Thessaloniki, Zurich, and Stockholm, Identifying Features tells the story of middle-aged Magdalena (Mercedes Hernandez), who has lost contact with her son after he took off with a friend from their town of Guanajuato to cross the border into the U.S., in hopes of finding work. Desperate to find out what happened to him — and to know whether or not he’s even alive —she embarks on an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous journey to discover the truth.
At the same time, a young man named Miguel (David Illescas) has returned to Mexico after being deported from the U.S., and eventually his path converges with Magdalena’s. From this simple but urgent premise, director Fernanda Valadez has crafted in her striking debut feature a lyrical, suspenseful slow burn, constructed equally of moments of beauty and horror, and which leads to a startling, shattering conclusion.
