Escandalo boards Garaje's 'Chronicle'

SITGES, Spain -- New Barcelona-based production company Cine de Garaje has inked with Escandalo Films to co-produce Garaje's first feature, "Chronicle Beyond the Border." Garaje was founded by Luis de la Madrid and Brazil-born Andre Cruz Shirawa. "Chronicle" marks the directorial debut of Shirawa, a prolific music-vid helmer. Added to co-production equity from Catalan pubcaster TV3, and subsidies from the Icaa Film Institute and Icic Catalan film board, Escandalo's boarding "Chronicle" reps an effective greenlight for the movie. Written by Shirawa and Aurora Sulli, "Chronicle" follows a woman, Hannah, as she flees with her 9-year-old son from a disaster that has devastated their country. They are eventually interned in a refugee camp guarded by soldiers and security cameras that holds a sinister surprise. "Chronicle" will be exec-produced by Antonia Nava, the longtime VP of sales and co-productions at Filmax before she ankled to establish her own company. The director of sales hit "The Nun," a Filmax production, and editor on more than 20 features, including Guillermo del Toro's "The Devil's Backbone," De la Madrid edited and edited or oversaw post-production on many Filmax features including Brad Anderson's "The Machinist," and Jaume Balaguero's "The Nameless" and "Darkness." "Garaje aims to generate sci-fi and fantasy contents: 'Chronicle' is our flagship," De la Madrid said at Sitges. Escandalo produced Sitges opener "Eva" and upcoming Martin Freeman starrer "Animals." The co-production equity on "Chronicle" marks further growth at Escandalo which, from its first feature, 2007's "Me," has seen big success focussing on lead or solo producing first features by former students of Barcelona's Escac film school. On "Chronicle," in a departure, Escandalo puts up minority equity. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com