Federico Borgia’s Prince Is To World Premiere At The BFI London Film Festival
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Carl Roberts 
Federico Borgia will showcase his darkly comic solo feature debut, “Prince,” at the 70th BFI London Film Festival.
Prince, the darkly humorous solo feature debut by Uruguayan filmmaker Federico Borgia, will premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival this October. The story is set against the fading seaside luxury of Punta del Este. The Uruguayan-Argentine co-production is a sharp, stylish, and absurdist exploration of inheritance, class, domestic friction, and existential confusion. It stars Roberto Suárez (The Saint), Maitina De Marco (27 Nights), and Esteban Bigliardi (Society of the Snow, The Delinquents).
THE PREMISE
At the heart of the film is Jaime (Suárez), a former lover turned live-in butler to Isabel (De Marco). Isabel is an affluent Argentine woman. Jaime has shared two decades with her in an expansive coastal villa. Their peculiar domestic routine revolves around Isabel’s prize-winning Afghan Hound, Prince. When Isabel dies unexpectedly in her swimming pool, her will reveals an absurd condition. She leaves her entire luxury estate to Prince, with Jaime appointed as his guardian. Meanwhile, Isabel’s human relatives can only claim the property once the dog dies.
The fragile arrangement starts to unravel when Isabel’s estranged son and granddaughter move in, determined to find a way to oust the dog. Jaime fights to protect Prince from subtle but growing threats while also confronting Diego, his own estranged son, and the past he has long avoided. Tensions escalate inside the estate; flickering pool lights illuminate simmering resentments, and competing claims to the property turn the villa into a claustrophobic pressure cooker.
FEDERICO BORGIA
Marking Borgia’s first solo feature following his acclaimed co-directed films Clever (2015) and The Champion of the World (2019)—both co-directed with Guillermo Madeiro—Prince showcases the filmmaker’s distinctive cinematic voice and stylized production design. The director draws heavily on his own experience living in Punta del Este. This resort town is defined by extreme seasonal contrasts. In this town, high-society glamour gives way to months of empty silence. Stark divisions also separate service workers from property owners.
Rather than leaning on simple satire, the film finds humor and tenderness in the characters’ pettiness and desperation. Rooted in an idea Borgia has carried for decades, stemming from a childhood fascination with show dogs, Prince looks closely at loneliness and the absurd lengths people go to to find something to anchor themselves to.
BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL SCREENINGS
Thursday, October 8 at ICA, Screen 5 — P&I
Thursday, October 8, 6:15 pm at ICA, Screen 1 — World Premiere
Friday, October 9, 1:30 pm at BFI Southbank, Screen NFT3
Prince will have its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival this October.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
