Kino Lorber Snaps Up U.S. Rights to Chilean Mystery Drama ‘The Meltdown’

Independent distributor Kino Lorber has landed the U.S. distribution rights to The Meltdown , the latest film from acclaimed Chilean filmmaker Manuela Martelli. The deal comes on the heels of the movie’s world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where critics praised its atmospheric storytelling and exploration of historical themes.

The Meltdown (El Deshielo) is Martelli’s second feature following her well-received debut Chile ’76. Set in 1992 post-dictatorship Chile, the mystery drama follows nine-year-old Inés as she stays with her grandparents at their isolated hotel near an Andean ski resort while her parents travel. There, she befriends Hanna, a teenage German skier. When Hanna vanishes without a trace, what begins as a search quickly evolves into an investigation that exposes long-buried secrets and lingering tensions rooted in Chile’s turbulent recent history.

The cast includes Maya O’Rourke, Maia Rae Domagala, Saskia Rosendahl, Jakub Gierszal, Paulina Urrutia and Mauricio Pesutic. Martelli penned the screenplay herself, continuing her examination of Chile’s past and collective memory. The film is positioned as the second installment in a planned trilogy that will chronicle different moments in the country’s journey from dictatorship toward democracy.

The production involves multiple partners: Chile’s Ronda Cine and Wood Producciones, U.S.-based Cinema Inutile, Spain’s Elastica Films, and Mexico’s Piano. Les Films du Losange handles worldwide sales.

Reviewers have lauded the film’s restrained approach, evocative cinematography and complex narrative structure, highlighting how it weaves mystery with political undertones. The story unfolds through a child’s perspective, offering an intimate look at a nation still wrestling with its authoritarian ghosts.

With Kino Lorber bringing the film stateside, The Meltdown joins a growing list of international titles in the distributor’s catalog while cementing Martelli’s reputation as a major voice in contemporary Latin American filmmaking.