Luis Mandoki has discovered a new treasure…

The 62-year-old Mexican filmmaker is set to direct the crime thriller Tesoro, written by actress and producer Sandy Baumann.

Tesoro is the touching story of a Mexican woman who risks her life to cross the U.S. border so she can earn enough money to afford a life-saving operation for her father and then finds her path home blocked by a deadly crime family.

The script was selected as one of 10 nationwide for the Latino Producers Academy and also advanced to the second level of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, as well as the Women in Film with Sundance Institute Film Intensive.

The cast will be announced next week.

Mandoki’s film credits include 2001’s Angel Eyes, starring Jennifer Lopez; When a Man Loves a Woman, with Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia; and Trapped.

He has Dancing with Sancho Panza in pre-production.