A heart-melting social drama set against a magnificent backdrop. 15-year-old orphan Martín works as a shoeshine boy in La Paz, where he lives, along with Sobras, one of his few friends, with a girlfriend of his deceased mother, the domestic servant Gladys. Gradually, a special relationship develops between Martín and one of his best customers, the lonely tailor Señor Novoa. Driven by his imagination and Gladys’ stories, the young man begins to suspect Señor Novoa of being his biological father. One day, Martín persuades Sombra to steal the tailor’s beloved dog – not in order to collect a reward for “finding” him, but instead just to have the chance to be closer to his supposed father more often.

“THE DOG THIEF is a gloomy yet heartwarming journey of finding one’s place in the world through the eyes of a lone child deducing what he wants from life.” (Loud and Clear Reviews; Edgar Ortega)

Vinko Tomičić Salinas is a Chilean screenwriter, director and producer. His first short film, DURMIENTE, was selected for Ficunam in Mexico City – as well for the film festivals in Guadalajara, Cali, São Paulo and Vancouver. His short film AICHA screened at Biarritz, Guadalajara, Chicago, and within the Locarno Academy Screenings 2019. In 2014, he founded the production company Calamar Cine. His first solo feature film as a director, THE DOG THIEF, was developed at the Cannes Cinefondation Residency and the Venice Biennale College Cinema program. It premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.

Filmography: 2014 DURMIENTE (short film), 2016 COCKROACH (co-director: Francisco Hevia), 2018 AICHA (short film), 2024 THE DOG THIEF