Film Factory Entertainment has acquired international sales rights to director Lucia Puenzo’s crime thriller Pepita the Gunslinger (Pepita La Pistolera), starring Argentine star Luisana Lopilato.
The organization is taking the project to the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin, where it is screening an exclusive first promo for buyers.
Pepita the Gunslinger, directed by Puenzo, who won the Cannes Critics Week Grand Prix for XXY, is being touted as a visceral neo-noir thriller based on the true story of Margarita Di Tullio, a notorious figure in Argentina’s 1980s criminal underworld.
Di Tullio became a media legend after killing three men in a violent act of self-defense to protect his family. The incident sparked a national media storm and earned her the nickname “Pepita the Gunslinger.”
The film’s hook is the gap between the public narrative and the woman behind it. A press release describes Pepita as far from being an “innocent and vulnerable” person. Instead, she is portrayed as the most glamorous madam in Mar del Plata, a professional thief and determined to stand up against a corrupt system.
Set in the harsh winter of 1985 in Mar del Plata, the story follows Margarita as she uses her pregnancy as a shield to build a secret nightlife empire around the cabaret Nacis, positioned as a place of refuge and autonomy for women in a world dominated by men.
As horror spreads after a series of murders blamed on Loco de la Ruta (the “Highway Madman”), Margarita discovers that the real monster is a web of collusion between the police and the judiciary.
The film is described as a visceral neo-noir thriller that explores themes of intense motherhood, systemic corruption, and revolution from the margins.
The film is a notable collaboration between Zeppelin Studios, historical filmmakers, Pampa Films, Life is One, and Remake.
The supporting cast includes Alberto Ajaca, Claudio Torcatil, Charo López, Marcelo Subiotto, and Esteban Viliardi.
“‘Pepita the Gunslinger’ combines extraordinary cinematic dynamism with a fascinating true story,” said Film Factory CEO Vicente Canales, adding that Puenzo’s interpretation of the character’s “moral ambiguity” and Lopilato’s performance “ensure it is a film that will garner high interest in the global market.”
Producers said the film aims to address themes that run through Puenzo’s work, including political organization, historical memory, and female solidarity. Film Factory positions Pepita the Gunslinger as a key Latin American title for 2026.
