Márquez Abella Starts Filming Am I The Wave?
Director Alejandra Márquez Abella has begun shooting the English-language feature adapted from Francisco Goldman's novel Say Her Name.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Film — General
Alejandra Márquez Abella has started rolling cameras on Am I The Wave?, an English-language feature based on Francisco Goldman's novel Say Her Name. The film stars Manuel García-Rulfo and Renata Vaca and is set between Brooklyn and Mexico City.
Why it matters
The project adapts a literary work drawn from a real-life romance, and its financing combines a Mexican federal grant, a Jalisco State tax credit and tourism board support, and separate sales arrangements for domestic and international markets. The structure reflects how independent, cross-border feature films are assembled.
Márquez Abella's previous feature The Good Girls (2018) earned 14 Ariel Award nominations, the Mexican Academy's top film honor. The new project's budget and release timing have not been disclosed.
The players
Alejandra Márquez Abella
Mexican director of The Good Girls, who is directing Am I The Wave? and co-wrote its screenplay.
Francisco Goldman
American novelist whose book Say Her Name is the basis for the film and who co-wrote the screenplay.
FilmNation Entertainment
Independent sales company handling international distribution rights for the film outside the United States.
The details
Márquez Abella co-wrote the screenplay with Scott B. Smith and Goldman, and the story is inspired by Goldman's real-life romance with Mexican writer Aura Estrada. Financing was arranged by UTA Independent Film Group, which will handle the domestic sale, while FilmNation Entertainment is handling sales for the rest of the world.
Timeline
Production on Am I The Wave? began with the start of filming, reported in a November 6, 2026 announcement.
Industry Dynamics
The production is funded in part through EFICINE, Mexico's federal film incentive program, and a Jalisco State tax credit, a pattern that lets Mexican-linked filmmakers shoot English-language features with local public support. Its split sales structure, with UTA handling domestic rights and FilmNation handling the rest of the world, reflects how independent films are packaged for separate territories.
No release window, streaming platform, or theatrical distributor has been announced, so viewers cannot yet determine where or when to watch. Access will depend on how UTA and FilmNation place the film once it is completed.
The takeaway
Independent films increasingly depend on layered financing and split territorial sales, so a film's path to audiences is often set long before it is finished. Following the sales agents' announcements is the most reliable way to track when this project reaches viewers.
Further reading
Explore more Film — General coverage for context on how independent features are financed and sold.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Deadline.
