Table of Contents

1. Key Highlights:
2. Introduction
3. From London, a New Home for Latin American Voices
4. Alive In Their Garden: Reimagining the Mirabal Sisters on Celluloid
5. Archives, Artifacts and Ethical Storytelling
6. Shot on Film: The Case for 16mm and a Celluloid-First Model
7. Casting and an International Creative Team
8. The Peanut Vendors: Reframing a Cuban Standard
9. Navigating Festivals, Distribution and Audience Expectations
10. The Wider Context: Why Regionally Rooted Stories Matter Now
11. Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
12. What to Watch: Creative, Cultural and Institutional Signals
13. FAQ

Key Highlights:

• Peanuts Entertainment, founded by Dominican actor-filmmaker Amílcar Franco in London, aims to produce culturally rooted Latin American and Caribbean stories for international audiences, starting with the Spanish-language period drama "Alive In Their Garden."
• "Alive In Their Garden" recreates the legacy of the Mirabal Sisters with family collaboration and archival access, shot entirely on 16mm film under a stated "celluloid-first" production model; the company's inaugural slate also includes "The Peanut Vendors," a re-examination of the Cuban classic "El Manisero."

Introduction

A new production company based in London has announced an explicit mission: to bring Latin American and Caribbean narratives, rooted in historical and cultural specificity, to global viewers. Peanuts Entertainment, established by Dominican actor-filmmaker Amílcar Franco, pairs a transatlantic footprint with a creative philosophy that blends archival rigor, artisanal filmmaking techniques and international casting. The company's launch centers on one flagship title — "Alive In Their Garden," a Spanish-language period drama inspired by the Mirabal Sisters — and a short-form or feature-length musical project revisiting the Cuban standard "El Manisero" under the banner "The Peanut Vendors."

Peanuts positions itself at the intersection of memory, regional identity and contemporary film practice. The company’s choices—collaboration with family descendants, on-site archival research, a celluloid-first shooting policy and a London base—reveal strategic and aesthetic priorities. Those priorities speak to wider currents in global film culture: demand for locally grounded stories on international platforms, renewed interest in film stock for texture and preservation, and the careful stewardship required when dramatizing trauma. This profile examines how Peanuts plans to navigate those currents, what its early projects reveal about its outlook, and why a London launch matters for Latin American and Caribbean visibility on screen.

From London, a New Home for Latin American Voices

Locating a production company devoted to Latin American and Caribbean stories in London may seem counterintuitive at first glance, but the choice reflects practical advantages and strategic intent. London remains one of the world's major media hubs with deep post-production infrastructure, established funding mechanisms, and proximity to European co-production partners and festivals. For a company intent on linking the U.K., Latin America and the Caribbean, the city functions as a bridge: a place where financing, talent and distribution networks converge.

Amílcar Franco brings a personal and professional transnationalism to the venture. A graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Franco has experience both in front of and behind the camera. His acting credits include upcoming work with director Gareth Evans, while his filmmaking ambitions have shifted toward producing stories that center Dominican and broader Latin American histories. Establishing Peanuts Entertainment in London allows Franco to leverage training and connections in the U.K. while drawing directly on family, community and archival resources in the Dominican Republic and neighboring countries.

Historically, diasporic founders have launched production houses in major global cities to access capital and distribution channels while telling homegrown stories. Examples include contemporary initiatives that originated in Los Angeles or Paris but focused on African, Latin American or South Asian narratives. Peanuts follows that model with an explicit cultural mission rather than a generic internationalist one: projects must be "culturally rooted" and carry authenticity anchored in collaboration with families, institutions and local crews.

The London base also signals intent to participate in European co-production markets. The U.K. offers tax incentives, experienced crews, world-class post-production houses and proximity to film festivals that open international doors. A company operating from London can pursue U.K. financing and incentives alongside funding from Latin American partners, enabling hybrid financing structures that are increasingly common for ambitious period pieces.

Alive In Their Garden: Reimagining the Mirabal Sisters on Celluloid

Peanuts Entertainment unveiled "Alive In Their Garden" as its flagship production. The film is a Spanish-language period drama inspired by the Mirabal Sisters—Patria, Minerva and María Teresa—who opposed Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship in the Dominican Republic and were assassinated on 25 November 1960. Their deaths galvanized resistance to Trujillo's regime and elevated the sisters to symbols of popular and feminist resistance. The date of their killing later became central to global remembrance: in 1999 the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Rather than pursuing a purely fictionalized account, Peanuts rooted the project in collaboration with family members and custodians of memory. Development occurred alongside Minou Tavárez Mirabal and Jaqueline Guzmán Mirabal, and with the Mirabal Sisters House Museum. That relationship granted the production team access to archival photographs, historical documentation and personal artifacts—original garments, accessories and items associated with the sisters' final journey.

Embedding the production in such primary materials has both symbolic and practical implications. Symbolically, family endorsement confers legitimacy and signals an ethical approach to representing lived trauma. Practically, access to garments and photographs informs costume design, mise-en-scène and historical accuracy. The production reportedly conducted research at the Fortaleza San Felipe in Puerto Plata, a seventeenth-century fort with deep ties to Dominican history, and recreated parts of that fort on a London soundstage.

Shot entirely on 16mm with support from Kodak and Harbor, "Alive In Their Garden" embraces a tactile image quality. The decision to record on celluloid rather than digital speaks to aesthetic intentions—grain, color latitude and archival durability—while declaring a "celluloid-first production model." That model implies prioritizing film capture and suggests a commitment to a particular cinematic texture that the creative team believes serves the story.

Choosing 16mm has tradeoffs. Compared with 35mm or 65mm, 16mm is cost-effective and lends a specific intimacy and immediacy to imagery, historically associated with documentary and independent filmmaking. The film grain and tonal characteristics of 16mm can evoke period atmosphere without resorting to digital filters. Working with film requires specific technical skills on set—light metering, film stock management and processing workflows—but also establishes a tangible archival master that, when properly stored, offers longevity beyond certain digital formats.

The production emphasized female leadership in key creative roles: a female cinematographer, editor and production designer headed the team that rebuilt the San Felipe Fort in Central London during winter conditions. That choice aligns the film’s subject—female resistance—with production practices that foreground women's creative leadership. Casting was overseen by Emmy-winning casting director Olissa Rogers, known for her work on series such as "Wednesday" and "Ted Lasso." The cast includes an international ensemble with performers from Spain, Argentina, the Dominican Republic and the U.K., notably Karl Queensborough, recognized for his stage work in "Hamilton" on the West End.

The combination of family collaboration, archival rigor, film stock and a multinational cast suggests a production aiming for both authenticity and international resonance. It also raises questions about how to dramatize political violence with care: balancing historical fidelity, avoiding sensationalism and honoring survivors' legacies. Peanuts’ close work with Mirabal family members and museum curators indicates an awareness of those responsibilities.

Archives, Artifacts and Ethical Storytelling

Using family archives and museum collections to inform dramatic recreation demands ethical clarity. Personal artifacts—garments, handbags, photographs—carry intimate associations. Displaying or reproducing such items for a film requires consent, contextualization and, where appropriate, restitution or shared authorship in how the materials are interpreted.

Peanuts’ collaboration with Minou Tavárez Mirabal and Jaqueline Guzmán Mirabal, plus access to the Mirabal Sisters House Museum, places curatorial knowledge at the center of the creative process. That access reduces the risk of exploitation and gives descendants the power to approve how material culture appears on screen. It also forms part of a broader movement in historical filmmaking toward participatory curation—bringing communities and descendants into creative decision-making rather than marginalizing them.

The filmmakers’ work at Fortaleza San Felipe underscores another facet of ethical representation: spatial memory. Historic sites are repositories of layered meanings. Recreating a fort on a London soundstage required not only technical artistry but decisions about what aspects of the site to foreground. The film’s production notes describe a detailed re-creation of the San Felipe Fort; pairing those sets with family artifacts suggests a layered approach to authenticity: the physical space, the personal objects and the oral histories inform each other.

Such practices mirror similar approaches in other historical films where descendant involvement improved fidelity and moral standing. Recent examples include films where indigenous communities participated in scripting and production, producing work that both recognized historical trauma and respected cultural sovereignty. When descendants are collaborators rather than subjects, films gain depth and often achieve wider acceptance among communities they portray.

Shot on Film: The Case for 16mm and a Celluloid-First Model

Peanuts’ stated "celluloid-first" policy and its choice of 16mm for "Alive In Their Garden" speaks to contemporary debates about film aesthetics, preservation and distribution. Film stock continues to attract directors and cinematographers who value its color rendition, dynamic range and archival stability. Kodak’s involvement—supporting the production with stock and processing—aligns with the company’s efforts to sustain celluloid in a digital-dominant industry.

Advantages of 16mm include:

• A distinctive grain structure and tonal quality that suggests historical texture.
• Lower costs relative to larger gauge stocks while still achieving a filmic look.
• Portability and practical optics for on-location or compact-set shooting.
• A physical negative that, when processed and archived correctly, presents robust preservation capabilities.

Challenges include:

• Limited camera and lab availability compared with digitized workflows, though dedicated film labs persist.
• The need for precise light management and longer setup times for film exposure control.
• Higher costs per minute of footage compared with digital capture, once stock purchase and processing are included.
• Workflow integration between celluloid dailies and digital post-production, often requiring telecine or high-resolution scanning.

Adopting a celluloid-first approach is as much an aesthetic choice as a preservation strategy. It signals a desire to produce images that age gracefully and to root the film physically in the medium that dominated the era being portrayed. For an historical drama like "Alive In Their Garden," 16mm can offer an immediacy and texture that aids immersion.

The backing of companies like Kodak and Harbor suggests support for independent projects maintaining film ecosystems. Kodak has supplied stock for independent and studio productions alike, while labs and process houses have adapted to service small-scale, celluloid-based productions. Peanuts’ choice thus positions the company as part of a network that values craft, analog processes and the long-term stewardship of film masters.

Casting and an International Creative Team

Casting decisions for historically anchored narratives have consequences for authenticity, interpretation and reception. Peanuts employed Emmy-winning casting director Olissa Rogers to assemble an international ensemble. Rogers’ experience with both stage and screen projects—particularly those that involve diverse casts—supports the project’s multinational ambitions.

Karl Queensborough, noted for his work in "Hamilton" on the West End, appears among the cast. Inclusion of performers from Spain, Argentina and the Dominican Republic indicates that the production sought linguistic fluency and cultural specificity rather than imposing a single national perspective on a Dominican story.

Selecting a female cinematographer, production designer and editor signals an intentional alignment between subject and practice. Feminist film scholarship and industry analyses have long argued that women in leadership roles contribute distinct perspectives to narratives about women’s lives and political activism. For a film centered on women whose lives and deaths spurred resistance, having women in charge of image, design and rhythm allows for interpretative choices that foreground interiority, relational dynamics and embodied experiences.

Casting across geographies also carries logistical considerations—work permits, translation and dialect coaching, and balancing local casting with international names to attract festival programmers and distributors. Peanuts’ approach appears to merge local specificity with international marketability, a common strategy for films seeking festival traction and global sales.

The Peanut Vendors: Reframing a Cuban Standard

Alongside "Alive In Their Garden," Peanuts Entertainment listed "The Peanut Vendors" among its first completed productions. The project revisits "El Manisero" ("The Peanut Vendor"), an iconic Cuban song composed by Moisés Simons in the late 1920s that helped introduce Cuban son rhythms to international audiences. "El Manisero" has a complex cultural history: emblematic of Afro-Cuban musical innovation but also a piece that traveled through global music markets often detached from its cultural contexts.

Peanuts’ version features narration by three-time Olivier Award winner Alex Jennings, vocals by performer Christine Allado, and a new arrangement by composer Marcin Mazurek. The project positions music as a site of cultural conversation—retracing the song’s historical journey while adding contemporary creative layers.

Revisiting a classic like "El Manisero" offers opportunities and obligations. Opportunities include foregrounding the song’s origins, amplifying Afro-Cuban contributions to global culture and reintroducing the piece through a contemporary lens. Obligations encompass ethical handling of cultural source material, crediting and compensatory practices for the communities from which the music emerged, and contextualizing the song’s migration through colonial and commercial circuits.

Music-driven cinematic projects can traverse formats—short film, feature documentary, hybrid performance film—and appeal to festival programmers who value cross-genre work. The involvement of recognized performers and composers enhances the project's visibility and underscores Peanuts’ willingness to engage with a cultural archive beyond narrative cinema.

Navigating Festivals, Distribution and Audience Expectations

Peanuts Entertainment’s early slate—an archival-based period drama and a music-rooted project—appeals to international festivals and streamers that prioritize auteur-driven, culturally specific content. Festivals provide visibility, critical evaluation and sales opportunities. A film like "Alive In Their Garden" could seek premieres at festivals with historical drama and human-rights programming: Berlin (Berlinale), Venice, Toronto, Telluride, or specialty festivals focusing on Latin American cinema.

Festival programmers increasingly look for stories that combine local authenticity with universal themes. The Mirabal Sisters' story resonates beyond Dominican borders: it deals with gender-based political violence, resistance to authoritarian regimes and the politics of memory—subjects that festivals and cultural institutions often showcase.

Distribution pathways might include:

• Art-house theatrical releases in Latin America, Spain and select international markets.
• Streaming platform deals for non-theatrical windows; major streamers have shown an appetite for regional-language period dramas that travel internationally.
• Educational and institutional licensing for museums, universities and human-rights organizations, especially because of the film’s historical subject matter.
• Hybrid release strategies: festival premiere, theatrical rollout in target territories, then platform licensing.

The London base simplifies access to European sales agents and distributors, while family and museum collaborations improve the project's appeal to cultural institutions and academic curators. Securing festival premieres and sales requires a coherent festival and sales strategy that aligns with production completion timelines and market windows.

The Wider Context: Why Regionally Rooted Stories Matter Now

The appetite for regionally grounded narratives with international reach is not new, but it has intensified. Streaming platforms and global festivals have expanded opportunities for films that might have previously been confined to national circuits. Titles such as "Roma," "The Motorcycle Diaries," or series like "Narcos" have demonstrated the appetite for stories told in local languages that still engage global audiences.

That said, international exposure brings attendant risks: narratives can be reframed to meet perceived global tastes, subtleties lost in translation, and cultural signifiers commodified for entertainment. Peanuts’ emphasis on family collaboration, museum partnerships and archival fidelity suggests an awareness of those pitfalls. The company’s commitment to producing content that is “culturally rooted” implies an editorial stance: authenticity is not incidental but central to market strategy.

The decision to foreground women's creative leadership, use film stock for visual texture and involve archival materials reflects a broader trend: contemporary filmmakers balancing form and ethics. Audiences increasingly expect historical dramatizations to be both aesthetically rigorous and responsible in their portrayals. Films that negotiate those expectations can find long-term cultural resonance, attracting audiences who value craft and historical fidelity.

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

Peanuts Entertainment faces the pragmatic challenges any new production company encounters: financing, distribution, talent retention and building a sustainable slate. For projects that rely on celluloid, additional challenges include maintaining relationships with film labs and ensuring proper archival storage. For historical dramas tied to living legacies, negotiations with descendants and institutions must remain collaborative and sensitive.

Opportunities are substantial. Global markets are more receptive to non-English-language content than they were a decade ago. A company that can demonstrate both cultural authenticity and production quality stands a good chance of attracting festival attention and international sales. Peanuts’ early engagement with music and history suggests a willingness to diversify formats—drama, musical documentary, hybrid shorts—that can reach different audiences and revenue streams.

Longer-term, Peanuts could build co-production pipelines between the U.K., Spain and Latin American nations. Such pipelines allow the company to pool resources, qualify for diverse funding schemes and maintain creative roots in the regions it represents. Co-productions also distribute risk while enlarging market access.

The company’s projects may also contribute to public memory—reintroducing the Mirabal Sisters' story to audiences less familiar with mid-twentieth century Caribbean history and reframing the global genealogy of songs like "El Manisero." When done responsibly, such work deepens international understanding and strengthens cultural diplomacy.

What to Watch: Creative, Cultural and Institutional Signals

Several signs will indicate Peanuts’ trajectory in the months and years ahead:

• Festival selection and reception for "Alive In Their Garden" and "The Peanut Vendors": critical reviews, awards and programming choices will determine market momentum.
• Distribution deals: whether the projects secure theatrical, streaming or institutional releases will show how the company converts cultural capital into reach.
• Continued family and museum partnerships: sustained relationships with the Mirabal family and custodians of cultural heritage signal a durable ethical framework.
• Investment in celluloid pipelines: ongoing commitments to film stock and labs reflect a long-term production identity rather than a one-off stylistic experiment.
• Slate expansion: announcements of additional projects, co-productions and collaborations with Latin American and Caribbean creators will indicate whether Peanuts can scale while staying true to its mission.

Peanuts’ stated ambitions align with an industry environment that values specificity and craftsmanship. Delivering on that promise will require the company to navigate commercial realities without compromising on archive-driven, culturally anchored storytelling.

FAQ

Q: Who founded Peanuts Entertainment and why London? A: Peanuts Entertainment was founded by Dominican actor-filmmaker Amílcar Franco. The company launched in London to leverage the city’s production infrastructure, financing networks and festival access while producing stories rooted in Latin American and Caribbean cultures. Franco’s training at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and his dual career as actor and filmmaker inform the company’s transatlantic approach.

Q: What is "Alive In Their Garden" about? A: "Alive In Their Garden" is a Spanish-language period drama inspired by the legacy of the Mirabal Sisters, Dominican women who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo and were assassinated on 25 November 1960. The project was developed in collaboration with family members and the Mirabal Sisters House Museum and seeks to dramatize the sisters’ lives and resistance.

Q: How did the filmmakers work with the Mirabal family and museum? A: Peanuts collaborated directly with Minou Tavárez Mirabal and Jaqueline Guzmán Mirabal and gained access to archival photographs, documentation and personal artifacts. The family and museum involvement guided research and helped ensure that artifacts and narratives were treated with sensitivity and accuracy.

Q: Why was the film shot on 16mm film? A: The production adopted a "celluloid-first" model and shot "Alive In Their Garden" entirely on 16mm with support from Kodak and Harbor. The choice reflects an aesthetic preference for the grain, color and texture of celluloid, as well as a preservation-minded approach that produces a physical negative for archival purposes.

Q: Who is in the creative team and cast? A: The production featured a female cinematographer, editor and production designer. Casting was led by Emmy-winning casting director Olissa Rogers. The international ensemble includes performers from Spain, Argentina, the Dominican Republic and the U.K., including actor Karl Queensborough. Amílcar Franco leads Peanuts as its founder and producer.

Q: What is "The Peanut Vendors" project? A: "The Peanut Vendors" revisits the Cuban song "El Manisero" ("The Peanut Vendor"), a seminal piece in the global history of Cuban music. The project includes narration by Alex Jennings, vocals by Christine Allado, and a new arrangement by Marcin Mazurek. It explores the song’s cultural journey and legacy.

Q: How will Peanuts distribute its films? A: Distribution plans typically involve festival premieres to attract critical attention and sales, followed by theatrical releases in target territories and licensing to streaming platforms. Cultural institutions and educational licensing may also be part of a multi-pronged strategy, particularly for historically significant subjects.

Q: What ethical considerations guided the production? A: Peanuts prioritized family collaboration, archival research and museum partnerships to ensure respectful representation. Access to personal artifacts and site-specific research informed costume and set design. The company’s structure suggests an intent to center descendant voices and museum curators in storytelling decisions.

Q: How does Peanuts’ model compare with other companies producing regional stories? A: Like other diasporic or regionally focused companies, Peanuts combines a global base with local partnerships. Its distinctive features include a "celluloid-first" production policy, early emphasis on family and museum collaborations, and intentional female leadership in key creative roles.

Q: Where can audiences expect to see these films? A: Exact release windows depend on festival outcomes and sales deals. Audiences should watch festival lineups and trade announcements for premiere dates. Given the projects’ festival-friendly profiles, they are likely to debut on festival circuits before wider theatrical or streaming releases.

Q: What could Peanuts’ launch mean for Latin American and Caribbean cinema? A: Peanuts’ work could increase visibility for Dominican and Caribbean narratives on international stages, encourage ethically grounded archival storytelling, and promote collaborations that preserve and reinterpret regional cultural heritage. If successful, Peanuts could model how diasporic companies balance local authenticity with global reach.

Q: How can interested viewers learn more or support the projects? A: Tracking film festival schedules, following Peanuts Entertainment’s official channels and watching trade outlets for sales and release announcements will provide updates. Supporting cultural institutions like the Mirabal Sisters House Museum and programming that centers regional history also strengthens the ecosystem that sustains these stories.

Peanuts Entertainment’s debut stakes a claim for cinematic projects that demand craft and custodianship as much as cross-border ambition. By centering archival access, female creative leadership and a celluloid-first aesthetic, the company frames its films as artifacts—works that not only narrate history but also carry material traces of their making. The company’s success will depend on finding the balance between ethical representation and market realities, but its opening moves suggest a clear set of priorities that align artistic intent with cultural responsibility.