EXCLUSIVE: Almodóvar’s company also working on new title by Lucrecia Martel.

Three years after The Last of Summer la Boyita, Agustín Almodóvar’s company El Deseo is returning to producing features not directed by Pedro.

Relatos salvajes (Wild Tales) will be the Madrid-based company’s next feature, co-produced with Argentina’s K&S (Kramer and Sigman).

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Wild Tales is the new film by Damián Szifrón, who scored a hit with On Probation in 2005 and is known for creating several popular Argentinian TV series such as Los Simuladores and Hermanos & Detectives.

The film will portray several contemporary situations with a caustic tone, similar to Robert Altman’s Short Cuts

Agustín Almodóvar said: “We are proud to support the next project by Damián. We are huge fans of On Probation and have wanted to work with him since its release.

“When we read the script to Wild Tales, we found everything that we’re looking for in a project - originality and risk combined with talent.

“He is a satirical genius and every story in the film will shock the audience.”

Pre-production kicks off this week and shooting is scheduled for April 8 with an estimated $3.3m budget.

“It’s a film for a select audience and we know that the strong personality of Szifrón makes it hard to label,” added Almodóvar.

“But we believe it may have international impact due to its quality and originality”.

Almodóvar also welcomed working with K&A. He said: “They have a great record with films like Burnt Money (2000) and Chronicle of an Escape (2006). We trust their expertise and share their passion for innovation in cinema”.

New Lucrecia Martel project

El Deseo is also preparing another film in Argentina, Zama, the new title from Cannes favourite Lucrecia Martel, along with Lita Stantic.

Zama is based on a classic Argentinean best seller, written by Antonio Di Benedetto in 1956. Set during the final period of Spanish rule in Argentina, “it has a bigger budget than is usual for Martel and finance had yet to be completed”.

El Deseo has co-produced Martel’s previous two films, The Holy Girl (2004) and The Headless Woman (2008).

Almodóvar added: “We admire Lucrecia’s unique style and are proud to be part of a new high in her career following her most intimate films.”