Costa Rican director Neto Villalobos Brenes's new film "Love Is the Monster" (Amor es el Monstruo), starring Chilean actress Paulina García, will have its world premiere in the Centerpiece strand of the Toronto International Film Festival on 15 September. The dystopian thriller marks a stark departure from Villalobos Brenes's earlier comedies, exploring themes of family, love, ageing and class inequality, and follows García's character as she is forced into extreme choices to protect those she loves.

Filmed in Costa Rica's South Pacific region, the film casts García as a grandmother rebuilding a bond with her six-year-old granddaughter after being cut off by her own daughter, only for the child to be kidnapped for ransom. Villalobos Brenes has said the story was inspired by his late mother, who drew strength from her granddaughter as her health declined. The cast also includes Natalia Regidor, Gloriana Vargas and Ericka Reikendorf, with García previously winning a Silver Bear for best actress at the Berlin Film Festival for her role in "Gloria". The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively premiering the film's poster and trailer.