by FilmInk Staff
ESSENTIAL FILM GROUP BOARDS SALES
Alyla Browne, Elsa Pataky, Michael Caton, Stephen Peacocke, Martin Sacks and Aswan Reid lead the cast of Australian feature CHIQUITA, which has commenced production in Byron Bay, Australia. Umbrella will release the film in the 2027 summer school holiday corridor.
Written and directed by Kiah Roache-Turner, based on a story by Mark Morrissey, the feature is produced by Blake Northfield and Michelle Krumm for Bronte Studios and Mark Morrissey for First Option Pictures.
Set against the spectacular Australian landscape and the rarely explored world of endurance horse riding, CHIQUITA is an uplifting family adventure about two outsiders; a rebellious teenage girl and a mistreated rescue horse who form an unlikely bond at a pivotal moment in their lives.
Alyla Browne, (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Sting), leads an ensemble cast including international star Elsa Pataky, (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Interceptor and the Fast & Furious franchise); renowned Australian actor Michael Caton, (The Castle and Last Cab to Darwin); Stephen Peacocke, (The Newsreader, Five Bedrooms and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot); Martin Sacks (Dustfall, The Survivors, Wentworth) and rising Australian actor Aswan Reid, (The New Boy and Beast of War).
CHIQUITA sees writer-director Kiah Roache-Turner bring his distinctive visual energy to a sweeping, character-driven family adventure. “What I love about CHIQUITA is that underneath this big, cinematic adventure is a really simple relationship between a girl and a horse,” said Roache-Turner. “They’re both outsiders, they’re both pretty wild, and neither of them has much interest in doing what they’re told. Somehow they find each other. That gives us the heart of the movie, and then we get to surround it with galloping horses, endurance racing and these huge Australian landscapes. It’s a proper big screen family film with real scale.”
Bronte Studios’ Blake Northfield and Michelle Krumm said the combination of an emotional family story, internationally recognised cast and Australian setting gives the film the potential to connect with audiences globally. “From the beginning, we saw CHIQUITA as an Australian story with the ability to travel,” said Northfield and Krumm. “It has all the ingredients of a great family adventure with an extraordinary young protagonist, humour, heart, horses and a spectacular landscape but underneath that is a deeply relatable story about grief, family and finding where you belong. With this cast, Kiah’s vision and Essential Film Group taking the film to the international market, we’re incredibly excited about the audience this film can reach.”
For First Option Pictures’ Mark Morrissey, who originated the story and produces the film, the appeal of CHIQUITA was in taking the familiar relationship between a young person and a horse and placing it within a contemporary Australian story. “The starting point for CHIQUITA was the world of endurance riding and the extraordinary level of trust that has to exist between horse and rider,” said Morrissey. “We wanted to build a contemporary Australian story around that relationship one with real stakes, humour and complicated family dynamics. Kiah has taken that idea and given it tremendous energy and scale, and we’ve been fortunate to assemble a cast that can bring both the emotion and the humour of the story to life.”
Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content Louise Gough said, “With a talented cast and creative team led by Kiah Roache-Turner, CHIQUITA is a spirited, uplifting family film that explores resilience, connection and self-discovery. With its stunning Australian landscape and the power of connection between a young girl and her horse, it is a heartfelt story with the universal appeal to resonate with audiences both locally and internationally.”
Joining Roache-Turner is an accomplished team of Australian screen creatives, including director of photography Jonathan Baker, first assistant director Jamie Crooks, production designer Tylah Pratt, costume designer Tracey Rose, hair and makeup designer Nele Pandis, and editor Gabriella Muir. Sandra Tahmasby Baxter serves as Head of Production for Bronte Studios.
Chiquita is a Chiquita Productions production. Major production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Screen NSW. Local distribution by Umbrella. International sales by Essential Film Group. Additional financing from Obsidian Creek Capital.
