The 2023 InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema Film Festival is kicking off with conversations “Spy Kids” director Robert Rodriguez, as well as insights from Sundance Film Festival curators Ana Souza and Diana Sánchez Maciel. Additionally, attendees can look forward to a diverse selection of 24 short films.
Scheduled for Sept. 22-23 at Hollywood’s Academy Linwood Dunn Theater, the 2023 installment of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles’ annual festival will highlight four distinct short film programs. Attendees can engage in audience Q&a sessions and participate in four live panel discussions. The festival will also include a diverse showcase of 24 short films spanning various genres, including narrative live action, documentaries, and animated films.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be back in 2023 with filmmakers representing 12 countries at the Festival,” Nfmla programming director Bojana Sandic and executive director and co-founder Larry Laboe said in a joint statement to TheWrap. “It really is a testament to the talent that...
Scheduled for Sept. 22-23 at Hollywood’s Academy Linwood Dunn Theater, the 2023 installment of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles’ annual festival will highlight four distinct short film programs. Attendees can engage in audience Q&a sessions and participate in four live panel discussions. The festival will also include a diverse showcase of 24 short films spanning various genres, including narrative live action, documentaries, and animated films.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be back in 2023 with filmmakers representing 12 countries at the Festival,” Nfmla programming director Bojana Sandic and executive director and co-founder Larry Laboe said in a joint statement to TheWrap. “It really is a testament to the talent that...
- 9/15/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Conversations with Spy Kids helmer Robert Rodriguez, Sundance Film Festival curators Ana Souza and Diana Sánchez Maciel, and 24 short films are among the programming slated for this year’s InFocus: Latinx & Hispanic Cinema Film Festival.
Taking place Sept. 22-23 at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood, the 2023 edition of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles’ annual fest will feature four short programs, with audience Q&a sessions and four live panels, alongside a showcase of 24 short films from narrative live action to documentary and animated film.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be back in 2023 with filmmakers representing 12 countries at the Festival,” said Nfmla programming director Bojana Sandic and executive director and co-founder Larry Laboe in a joint statement. “It really is a testament to the talent that exists on a global scale and reflects our essential goal of creating a truly inclusive program. When everyone is represented, our industry can thrive.
Taking place Sept. 22-23 at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood, the 2023 edition of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles’ annual fest will feature four short programs, with audience Q&a sessions and four live panels, alongside a showcase of 24 short films from narrative live action to documentary and animated film.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be back in 2023 with filmmakers representing 12 countries at the Festival,” said Nfmla programming director Bojana Sandic and executive director and co-founder Larry Laboe in a joint statement. “It really is a testament to the talent that exists on a global scale and reflects our essential goal of creating a truly inclusive program. When everyone is represented, our industry can thrive.
- 9/14/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Humanitas, the organization that annually honors film and television writers whose work best explores the human condition, has revealed its 2023 winners.
Among the prizewinners is Craig Mazin, who scripted Season 1 The Last of Us episode “Long Long Time” that starred Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. Mazin won in the Drama Teleplay category, beating out fellow semifinalists that included Peter Gould who was up for the series-finale episode of Better Call Saul.
Other Humanitas category winners in TV included Amy Sherman-Palladino for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Comedy Teleplay), and Tony Phelan & Joan Rater for the pilot of A Small Light in Limited Series.
On the movie side, winners included Tyler Perry for his Tyler Perry: A Jazzman’s Blues in the Drama Feature Film category, over Rebecca Lenkiewicz for She Said and Michael Reilly & Keith Beauchamp and Chinonye Chukwu for Till. Cooper Raiff won Comedy Feature Film for his indie Cha Cha Real Smooth,...
Among the prizewinners is Craig Mazin, who scripted Season 1 The Last of Us episode “Long Long Time” that starred Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. Mazin won in the Drama Teleplay category, beating out fellow semifinalists that included Peter Gould who was up for the series-finale episode of Better Call Saul.
Other Humanitas category winners in TV included Amy Sherman-Palladino for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Comedy Teleplay), and Tony Phelan & Joan Rater for the pilot of A Small Light in Limited Series.
On the movie side, winners included Tyler Perry for his Tyler Perry: A Jazzman’s Blues in the Drama Feature Film category, over Rebecca Lenkiewicz for She Said and Michael Reilly & Keith Beauchamp and Chinonye Chukwu for Till. Cooper Raiff won Comedy Feature Film for his indie Cha Cha Real Smooth,...
- 8/16/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
AT&T and Tribeca have chosen “Color Book” as the winner of the 2023 AT&T Presents: Untold Stories event. Writer/director David Fortune and producer Kiah Clingman competed amongst four other finalists to win $1 million and receive year-round mentorship to produce their feature film.
The film concerns a devoted father learning to raise his son — who has Down Syndrome — following the passing of the family matriarch. While adjusting to their new reality, the duo embark on a journey through Metro Atlanta to attend their first baseball game. The Atlanta-set picture is like Fortune’s prior films in that it finds power in normalizing the themes of compassion and intimacy set in inner-city communities.
The event took place at this year’s Tribeca Festival giving emerging filmmakers including David Fortune, Maria Mealla, Miguel Angel Caballero, Moon Molson and Selyna Warren and Marissa Read, the opportunity to present their stories to an expert...
The film concerns a devoted father learning to raise his son — who has Down Syndrome — following the passing of the family matriarch. While adjusting to their new reality, the duo embark on a journey through Metro Atlanta to attend their first baseball game. The Atlanta-set picture is like Fortune’s prior films in that it finds power in normalizing the themes of compassion and intimacy set in inner-city communities.
The event took place at this year’s Tribeca Festival giving emerging filmmakers including David Fortune, Maria Mealla, Miguel Angel Caballero, Moon Molson and Selyna Warren and Marissa Read, the opportunity to present their stories to an expert...
- 6/9/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
The Tribeca Film Festival has announced the finalists and jury for its sixth-annual Untold Stories competition, where five up-and-coming filmmakers will pitch their ideas for a chance to turn their project into a film that will debut at next year’s festival in New York City.
Former CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin will moderate the jury panel, which includes “Antwone Fisher” star Derek Luke, “Sons of Anarchy” star Mo McRae” and AT&T chief marketing and growth officer Kellyn Smith Kenny.
The winner will receive a $1 million grant for their project, as well as year-long mentorship during production. Last year’s Untold Stories winner, “Smoking Tigers,” will be screened in competition at this year’s Tribeca on June 10.
Also Read:
‘The Expanse’ Prequel Game, Hideo Kojima Documentary and More Coming to Tribeca Festival
Directed by Korean-American filmmaker Shelly Yo, “Smoking Tigers” is set in Los Angeles in the early 2000s and follows...
Former CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin will moderate the jury panel, which includes “Antwone Fisher” star Derek Luke, “Sons of Anarchy” star Mo McRae” and AT&T chief marketing and growth officer Kellyn Smith Kenny.
The winner will receive a $1 million grant for their project, as well as year-long mentorship during production. Last year’s Untold Stories winner, “Smoking Tigers,” will be screened in competition at this year’s Tribeca on June 10.
Also Read:
‘The Expanse’ Prequel Game, Hideo Kojima Documentary and More Coming to Tribeca Festival
Directed by Korean-American filmmaker Shelly Yo, “Smoking Tigers” is set in Los Angeles in the early 2000s and follows...
- 5/25/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Since 2017, AT&T and the Tribeca Festival have provided financing and support to filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds through the Untold Stories program, with the winner receiving $1 million, as well as mentorship and guidance, to turn their pitch into a feature film that gets a guaranteed screening at the following year’s Tribeca Festival.
But this year, the 2022 winners, So Young Shelly Yo and Guo Guo, are taking their victory lap even further, becoming the first Untold Stories winners to have their movie, Smoking Tigers, in the festival’s U.S. narrative competition.
“It’s in competition completely on its own merits,” Tribeca Festival director and vp, programming Cara Cusumano tells The Hollywood Reporter of Smoking Tigers‘ breakthrough competition placement. “It was just really an exciting discovery for the team. I think the world that’s evoked and the characters feel extremely lived-in and there was an authenticity to it that really spoke to us all.
But this year, the 2022 winners, So Young Shelly Yo and Guo Guo, are taking their victory lap even further, becoming the first Untold Stories winners to have their movie, Smoking Tigers, in the festival’s U.S. narrative competition.
“It’s in competition completely on its own merits,” Tribeca Festival director and vp, programming Cara Cusumano tells The Hollywood Reporter of Smoking Tigers‘ breakthrough competition placement. “It was just really an exciting discovery for the team. I think the world that’s evoked and the characters feel extremely lived-in and there was an authenticity to it that really spoke to us all.
- 5/25/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Indeed, actor Lena Waithe and her company Hillman Grad, and 271 Films have named the filmmakers chosen to participate in the third season of their program, Rising Voices.
Those set for Rising Voices Season 3 are Ana Verde, Candace Ho, Hannah Bang, Jackie! Zhou, James Rogers III, Joey Xuetong Zhao, Justin Kim WooSŏk, Larry Owens, Maria Alvarez and Miguel Angel Caballero.
Through the program, created to uncover, invest in and share stories created by Bipoc filmmakers across the U.S., each will be given a production budget of up to 100,000 to create a short film that will go on to premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June. The theme for this year’s films, The Future of Work, comes at a time of immense change within workplaces across the globe, in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
Participants will be compensated 5,000 for writing their original script and 5,000 for directing. They’ll be...
Those set for Rising Voices Season 3 are Ana Verde, Candace Ho, Hannah Bang, Jackie! Zhou, James Rogers III, Joey Xuetong Zhao, Justin Kim WooSŏk, Larry Owens, Maria Alvarez and Miguel Angel Caballero.
Through the program, created to uncover, invest in and share stories created by Bipoc filmmakers across the U.S., each will be given a production budget of up to 100,000 to create a short film that will go on to premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June. The theme for this year’s films, The Future of Work, comes at a time of immense change within workplaces across the globe, in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
Participants will be compensated 5,000 for writing their original script and 5,000 for directing. They’ll be...
- 1/12/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
This year’s fall festival circuit has been everything, everywhere, all at once, it seems.
The 2022 Film Independent Forum announced that “Everything Everywhere All at Once” writer/directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, also known as Daniels, will kick off the conference with a keynote.
Opening night on October 24 will also include a screening of A24’s “The Inspection,” followed by a Q&a with director Elegance Bratton, Gamechanger’s CEO/producer Effie T. Brown, and producer Chester Algernal Gordon.
The Film Independent Forum event starts October 24 at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Los Angeles. The conference will continue with virtual sessions and panels to be enjoyed by global audiences October 25 through 27. The full program will take place over the course of four days, October 24 through 27.
The Film Independent Forum hosts independent filmmakers and content creators, with the 2022 lineup returning in a hybrid format of both in-person and virtual events.
The 2022 Film Independent Forum announced that “Everything Everywhere All at Once” writer/directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, also known as Daniels, will kick off the conference with a keynote.
Opening night on October 24 will also include a screening of A24’s “The Inspection,” followed by a Q&a with director Elegance Bratton, Gamechanger’s CEO/producer Effie T. Brown, and producer Chester Algernal Gordon.
The Film Independent Forum event starts October 24 at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Los Angeles. The conference will continue with virtual sessions and panels to be enjoyed by global audiences October 25 through 27. The full program will take place over the course of four days, October 24 through 27.
The Film Independent Forum hosts independent filmmakers and content creators, with the 2022 lineup returning in a hybrid format of both in-person and virtual events.
- 9/27/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Five-week business education scheme for Latinx filmmakers is supported by TelevisaUnivision’s ViX
The Academy has partnered with Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (Laliff) on the 2022 Academy Film Accelerator to provide Latinx filmmakers with education, resources and mentorship as they navigate the entertainment industry.
The five-week progamme starts this month and falls under the auspices of Aperture 2025, the Academy’s ongoing to inclusion, representation and equity drive. It is supported by ViX, the new Spanish-language streaming platform from TelevisaUnivision that launched this year in 19 countries including the US and Latin America.
Accelerator participants are: Miguel Angel Caballero, Lorena Durán,...
The Academy has partnered with Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (Laliff) on the 2022 Academy Film Accelerator to provide Latinx filmmakers with education, resources and mentorship as they navigate the entertainment industry.
The five-week progamme starts this month and falls under the auspices of Aperture 2025, the Academy’s ongoing to inclusion, representation and equity drive. It is supported by ViX, the new Spanish-language streaming platform from TelevisaUnivision that launched this year in 19 countries including the US and Latin America.
Accelerator participants are: Miguel Angel Caballero, Lorena Durán,...
- 6/1/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Moving Bangladesh wins $20,000 Sloan Fast Track Grant.
Projects from the UK, Bangladesh, Greece and Trinidad & Tobago were among 15 selected for Film Independent’s 19th Fast Track Film Finance Market that took place online from November 15-18, the organisation said on Friday.
The four-day programme connected participating filmmakers with financiers, production companies, agents, managers and other film industry professionals from, among others, A24, Decal, Maven Screen Media, Searchlight Pictures, Venice Film Festival, and Hollywood agencies.
Recent Fast Track projects completed include Bing Liu’s 2019 Oscar-nominated documentary Minding The Gap; Hikari’s 2019 Berlinale jury prize and audience award-winning debut 37 Seconds; Kirill Mikhanovsky...
Projects from the UK, Bangladesh, Greece and Trinidad & Tobago were among 15 selected for Film Independent’s 19th Fast Track Film Finance Market that took place online from November 15-18, the organisation said on Friday.
The four-day programme connected participating filmmakers with financiers, production companies, agents, managers and other film industry professionals from, among others, A24, Decal, Maven Screen Media, Searchlight Pictures, Venice Film Festival, and Hollywood agencies.
Recent Fast Track projects completed include Bing Liu’s 2019 Oscar-nominated documentary Minding The Gap; Hikari’s 2019 Berlinale jury prize and audience award-winning debut 37 Seconds; Kirill Mikhanovsky...
- 11/19/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Imagen Foundation crowned the past year’s best Latino stars and television, film titles on Thursday at the 35th annual Imagen Awards.
The annual awards show, which has gone virtual this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, seeks to award Hollywood titles that highlight stories that reflect the Latino community and Latino stars who have shined on screen. The Imagen Awards also seeks to promote, diversity, equity and inclusion in storytelling.
Diego Luna, Jennifer Lopez and Isabela Merced were among the stars taking home awards at the virtual ceremony. Dora and the Lost City of Gold took home a total of three awards during Thursday’s awards show, hosted by Aida Rodriguez.
Sergio, Hustlers and Law & Order: Svu were also among the winners at Thursday’s virtual awards ceremony, which streamed live on The Young Turks YouTube channel.
Read the complete list of winners for the 2020 Imagen Awards below.
The annual awards show, which has gone virtual this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, seeks to award Hollywood titles that highlight stories that reflect the Latino community and Latino stars who have shined on screen. The Imagen Awards also seeks to promote, diversity, equity and inclusion in storytelling.
Diego Luna, Jennifer Lopez and Isabela Merced were among the stars taking home awards at the virtual ceremony. Dora and the Lost City of Gold took home a total of three awards during Thursday’s awards show, hosted by Aida Rodriguez.
Sergio, Hustlers and Law & Order: Svu were also among the winners at Thursday’s virtual awards ceremony, which streamed live on The Young Turks YouTube channel.
Read the complete list of winners for the 2020 Imagen Awards below.
- 9/25/2020
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (Nfmla) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have teamed once again for the annual Nfmla Film Festival InFocus: Latinx & Hispanic Cinema Festival — but this time it’s virtual. The fest is set for September 25-26 which aligns with Hispanic Heritage Month which kicks off September 15 and continues through October 15.
With Seed&Spark as the platform, this year’s program includes two shorts programs and a presentation of Varda Bar-Kar’s documentary Fandango at the Wall which is executive produced by Quincy Jones and Carlos Santana. The docu was recently acquired by HBO.
The fest will also feature emerging filmmakers from the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Spain, Chile, and the Dominican Republic including the world premieres of Alberto Belli’s After Life Vacation, Kate Romero’s Chronology, and Alyssa Toledo’s Lift Off.
“This year’s slate contains a lot of powerful common...
With Seed&Spark as the platform, this year’s program includes two shorts programs and a presentation of Varda Bar-Kar’s documentary Fandango at the Wall which is executive produced by Quincy Jones and Carlos Santana. The docu was recently acquired by HBO.
The fest will also feature emerging filmmakers from the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Spain, Chile, and the Dominican Republic including the world premieres of Alberto Belli’s After Life Vacation, Kate Romero’s Chronology, and Alyssa Toledo’s Lift Off.
“This year’s slate contains a lot of powerful common...
- 9/14/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Outfest has unveiled their lineup for the 17th annual Outfest Fusion — or the more official title: Outfest 2020: Culture. Film. Music. Story. The fest will run March 6-10 and include screenings, performances, panels, galas, workshops, and world premieres in Los Angeles.
Outfest Fusion brings together one of the largest, inclusive and diverse cross-sections of the Lgbtq+ community and its allies. The fest is a space the next generation of storytellers and cultural ambassadors are discovered. This year, Outfest Fusion 2020 will feature more than 60 films, including 11 World Premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 12 West Coast Premieres, 13 Los Angeles Premieres and 1 International Premiere.
Films featured this year include El Principe (The Prince) directed by Sebastián Muñoz’s El Principe (The Prince) which won the Queer Lion at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. The fest will also feature the L.A. premiere of Andrew Ahn’s Driveways which stars Hong Chau and Golden...
Outfest Fusion brings together one of the largest, inclusive and diverse cross-sections of the Lgbtq+ community and its allies. The fest is a space the next generation of storytellers and cultural ambassadors are discovered. This year, Outfest Fusion 2020 will feature more than 60 films, including 11 World Premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 12 West Coast Premieres, 13 Los Angeles Premieres and 1 International Premiere.
Films featured this year include El Principe (The Prince) directed by Sebastián Muñoz’s El Principe (The Prince) which won the Queer Lion at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. The fest will also feature the L.A. premiere of Andrew Ahn’s Driveways which stars Hong Chau and Golden...
- 2/20/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
'Love, Concord', had its World Premiere last summer at the HBO New York International Latino Film Festival and quickly became one of the most endeared films selected with staff and audiences alike. A bitter sweet film about surviving your last year of high school and finding first love and then receiving your first broken heart courtesy of said first love, the characters in filmmaker Gus Guardado Jr's semi-autobiographical 'Love, Concord' are multidimensional and never cynical about what lies ahead in life. It's about that special time in a teenagers life, where some will grow together and some will grow apart. Some will move on and others get left behind. Funny and heartwarming, Guardado has crafted a genuinely universal story where the characters just happen to be Latino and shied away from falling into stereotypical pitfalls that plague so many American-Latino films. Starring Jorge Diaz (East Los High) & introducing the delightful Angelina Leon, 'Love, Concord' is now out on DVD.
LatinoBuzz: Which filmmakers made you want to do "this"?
Gus: Well obviously John Hughes made me want to make 'Love, Concord' as he's a clear influence in the film. But Robert Rodriguez is also a big reason I wanted to do this. His book 'Rebel Without a Crew' was a huge motivating force. It doesn't hurt that he was the only mainstream Latino filmmaker at the time when I read the book which was the summer of 97! Another major influence is Alexander Payne, his movie 'Election' was such a hilarious movie but with a deep and heartfelt message. That's what I hoped to achieve with 'Love, Concord'. Tell a silly story with toilet humor moments, but also have a deep message about how difficult finding one's voice and someone to love in high school can be.
LatinoBuzz: You worked as a high school video production teacher, at what point did you decide it was time to make 'Love, Concord'? And what was that process?
Gus: Well actually I still am a high school video teacher, but it was when I was fired from being a video teacher at my alma mater Saint Mary's College of California and couldn't find full time work due to the great recession that I decided it was time to make my own opportunity and make a feature film. What helped was that I had already written a second draft of the screenplay by the time I was fired and that I managed to save a lot of money by living within in my means when I got my first professional job teaching. So that mixed a lot of grassroots fund raising like hosting a comedy night, selling almost my entire library of DVDs, and doing an Indiegogo campaign is what allowed me to raise the modest budget I had. I also called out every favor I could from friends and family, so that saved us a ton of money too. Another way we did the film so affordably was we used a lot of my Dp, Producer, and 1st Ad's connections to get crew members who either volunteered or worked for cheap. These were educated and trained filmmakers who either did the job for the experience or to help out a friend. I even had a lot of former students from St. Mary's as crew or be extras all because they believed in not only the project, but in wanting to help their teacher reach his dream.
LatinoBuzz: How important was it to have Concord, CA be a part of the story? And did you get the community to support you?
Gus: It was incredibly important to shoot in Concord. Mainly because I grew up there and for the story to ring true I couldn't imagine shooting it anywhere else. Also, because growing up loving movies and realizing at an early age I wanted to be a filmmaker, I had always hoped a movie would someday be made about my home town. But no one ever did one, so I saw it as a fitting opportunity that my first feature film be made about and in my home town. Lastly, it was just practical to shoot in Concord and the surrounding cities because I live in Pittsburg, the neighboring city to Concord.
LatinoBuzz: The film is affectionately influenced by the likes of John Hughes, Cameron Crowe, Amy Heckerling etc - pick a film to remake and who do you cast? Go.
Gus: Oh this is a tough one for several reasons. First I'm not a big fan of remakes, I feel that once a great movie is made, why mess with it? Also having now made a feature film that I had to painstakingly write from scratch, it's almost kinda like cheating in a way. But I suppose if I was for some reason forced to remake an 80's movie at gun point, I'd pick 'Better Off Dead'. I love John Hughes' work too much to ever want to attempt to redo it, but 'Better Off Dead' is so funny! And I very much empathized with John Cusack's character as I was pretty much beat up by girls in high school. Plus I just love the random humor in it, like the moving diner dish the mom serves, and the hilarious Asian race car driver who talks like a sports announcer. Brilliant! Who would I cast for it? Well obviously Jorge Diaz as the star because this role requires a humorous personality, but one which also needs you to feel pity for which, as we see in 'Love, Concord' he did extremely well. I'd love to work with Miguel Angel Caballero again so perhaps he'd be great for the Cusack's funny druggie friend 'Charles De Mar' as people haven't exploited Miguel's amazing comical timing enough yet. The man just nails it in 'Love, Concord' and seeing him play a quirky stoner would be a great gift to audiences. I'd love to cast Angelina Leon as she just has to be in all my movies from now on as she's just too talented not to be. Oh, and if the sky's the limit I would obviously cast Salma Hayek, if only to be able to meet her. She's a teenage crush so of course I'd find a role for her, haha.
LatinoBuzz: I love Gerry & Melinda as characters. They were, at heart two great kids. Do you feel making films featuring Latino characters is something you inherently want to do?
Gus: I do inherently want to make films with Latino characters. It's kind of my dogma now to make movies that don't have negatively stereotypical Latino characters, ie: the Cholo, the drug dealer, the jaintor, the border crosser, etc. I want American audiences to be exposed to the amazing positive Latino characters that I have actually met and lived with, etc. Latinos are the largest minority group in this country, and we're going to eventually overtake Anglos to be the majority of this country and if we as Latinos continue to make movies with these pathetic one dimensional Latino characters we're just shooting ourselves in the foot. We need to show young audiences, both Latino or otherwise, that Latinos are more than the glorified losers Hollywood makes us out to be most of the time.
LatinoBuzz: Did you intend to break a certain mold there is as far as Latino filmmaking?
Gus: I wouldn't say I'm trying to break a certain mold as an "overall" Latino filmmaker. Because there are so many amazingly talented international Latino filmmakers, making envelope pushing films. But I hesitantly would say that yes, I guess I am trying to break the American Latino filmmaking mold. Again, I'm just tired of Latino films or filmmakers choosing to focus on the negative stereotypes for their stories. I won't name names because unfortunately you write what you know, and perhaps some of those filmmakers are making and telling personal stories. But knowing how hard it is to not only make a film, but get it released to a large audience, my question at this point in my life is: "Do we really need another La gang war movie?", "Do we really need another Latino drug dealer with a heart of gold movie?"
LatinoBuzz: Are there any trends in filmmaking you deplore?
Gus: Well I'd say negative Latino stereotypes but I don't want to sound like a broken record. I think one major trend in filmmaking I deplore right now is the dumbing down of stories. I really think a combination of lazy writers and Hollywood not respecting audiences' intelligence that has made for some really lame storytelling in movies. I was at the movies seeing a drama, and there was this ridiculous plot twist which was done to squeeze in a plot point for the character, rather than find a creative and believable way to further the story. And when it happened, I literally laughed out loud. And I was the only person who did, because it was meant to be a dramatic moment, but it was so predictable and lazy that I couldn't help it.
That and 3D. Sure popcorn movies like Avatar are fun to watch in 3D, but redoing neo-classics like the Lion King in 3D is just annoying. 3D does not make those movies any better. They're just ways the studios want to cash in on the trend, and as an Indie filmmakers it's annoying. But who knows, for the ability to make more indie films I might sell out and make 'Love, Concord' 3D, haha.
LatinoBuzz: Your lead actors went to St Marys like yourself - was that a coincidence?
Gus: Yes and no. I met Angelina at St. Mary's because she was assigned to me as my Ta. And when I did a mock audition one day in class, the person I booked to come audition flaked on me. So I asked Angelina to fill in as she mentioned having taken theater classes. And she blew me away! After that audition I was convinced she was my Melinda. As for Jorge, I actually shot a student film for a St. Mary's student and he was cast in it. However, he played a bed stricken catatonic character so I didn't really have a lasting memory of him. About three years later my producer Virginia (Saenz McCarthy) re-introduced me to him because she had met him in her Sundance Travel course at St. Marys. She was sure he'd be great for the role of Gerry and she was right. He auditioned first and again blew me away, did a call back audition with Angelina another with Miguel and then we cast him. So Jorge was sort of a coincidence, but Angelina definitely wasn't. What can I say, St. Mary's turns out some smart and talented peeps!
LatinoBuzz: Whatever happened to the real life Melinda?
Gus: Well there's no real Melinda, however, the person who most influenced the character of Melinda is a teacher coincidentally enough at the same high school district that I teach at.We lost touch, but we're on speaking terms which is better than most high school romances. I suppose. Plus I hear she's a great teacher, which is not surprising. She always had a knack for explaining things to people even when we were in high school.
LatinoBuzz: What's the next project for you?
Gus: Well I'm finally writing another narrative feature film, now that Love, Concord has distribution I can focus on the next projects. My problem is I have a lot of ideas swimming in my head and it's hard for me to decide which one I potentially want to spend the next three years of my life devoted to. But the leading contender has another high school setting. The American high school experience is such fertile ground for story telling that I can't help but want to go back to it. However, to prove I'm not a one trick pony I'm also considering a story about a character's experience dealing with the Great Recession (you write what you know). Lastly,my co-producer Jimmy Freeman has a great documentary idea I want to help him produce so we may be starting that this summer! Either way the experience of doing ;Love, Concord' has taught me that I won't rest until I make another feature. It's a lot of hard work, especially for indie filmmakers, but with some luck and persistence, it's so rewarding.
For info on how to pick up a copy of 'Love, Concord' give them a 'Like' here.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
LatinoBuzz: Which filmmakers made you want to do "this"?
Gus: Well obviously John Hughes made me want to make 'Love, Concord' as he's a clear influence in the film. But Robert Rodriguez is also a big reason I wanted to do this. His book 'Rebel Without a Crew' was a huge motivating force. It doesn't hurt that he was the only mainstream Latino filmmaker at the time when I read the book which was the summer of 97! Another major influence is Alexander Payne, his movie 'Election' was such a hilarious movie but with a deep and heartfelt message. That's what I hoped to achieve with 'Love, Concord'. Tell a silly story with toilet humor moments, but also have a deep message about how difficult finding one's voice and someone to love in high school can be.
LatinoBuzz: You worked as a high school video production teacher, at what point did you decide it was time to make 'Love, Concord'? And what was that process?
Gus: Well actually I still am a high school video teacher, but it was when I was fired from being a video teacher at my alma mater Saint Mary's College of California and couldn't find full time work due to the great recession that I decided it was time to make my own opportunity and make a feature film. What helped was that I had already written a second draft of the screenplay by the time I was fired and that I managed to save a lot of money by living within in my means when I got my first professional job teaching. So that mixed a lot of grassroots fund raising like hosting a comedy night, selling almost my entire library of DVDs, and doing an Indiegogo campaign is what allowed me to raise the modest budget I had. I also called out every favor I could from friends and family, so that saved us a ton of money too. Another way we did the film so affordably was we used a lot of my Dp, Producer, and 1st Ad's connections to get crew members who either volunteered or worked for cheap. These were educated and trained filmmakers who either did the job for the experience or to help out a friend. I even had a lot of former students from St. Mary's as crew or be extras all because they believed in not only the project, but in wanting to help their teacher reach his dream.
LatinoBuzz: How important was it to have Concord, CA be a part of the story? And did you get the community to support you?
Gus: It was incredibly important to shoot in Concord. Mainly because I grew up there and for the story to ring true I couldn't imagine shooting it anywhere else. Also, because growing up loving movies and realizing at an early age I wanted to be a filmmaker, I had always hoped a movie would someday be made about my home town. But no one ever did one, so I saw it as a fitting opportunity that my first feature film be made about and in my home town. Lastly, it was just practical to shoot in Concord and the surrounding cities because I live in Pittsburg, the neighboring city to Concord.
LatinoBuzz: The film is affectionately influenced by the likes of John Hughes, Cameron Crowe, Amy Heckerling etc - pick a film to remake and who do you cast? Go.
Gus: Oh this is a tough one for several reasons. First I'm not a big fan of remakes, I feel that once a great movie is made, why mess with it? Also having now made a feature film that I had to painstakingly write from scratch, it's almost kinda like cheating in a way. But I suppose if I was for some reason forced to remake an 80's movie at gun point, I'd pick 'Better Off Dead'. I love John Hughes' work too much to ever want to attempt to redo it, but 'Better Off Dead' is so funny! And I very much empathized with John Cusack's character as I was pretty much beat up by girls in high school. Plus I just love the random humor in it, like the moving diner dish the mom serves, and the hilarious Asian race car driver who talks like a sports announcer. Brilliant! Who would I cast for it? Well obviously Jorge Diaz as the star because this role requires a humorous personality, but one which also needs you to feel pity for which, as we see in 'Love, Concord' he did extremely well. I'd love to work with Miguel Angel Caballero again so perhaps he'd be great for the Cusack's funny druggie friend 'Charles De Mar' as people haven't exploited Miguel's amazing comical timing enough yet. The man just nails it in 'Love, Concord' and seeing him play a quirky stoner would be a great gift to audiences. I'd love to cast Angelina Leon as she just has to be in all my movies from now on as she's just too talented not to be. Oh, and if the sky's the limit I would obviously cast Salma Hayek, if only to be able to meet her. She's a teenage crush so of course I'd find a role for her, haha.
LatinoBuzz: I love Gerry & Melinda as characters. They were, at heart two great kids. Do you feel making films featuring Latino characters is something you inherently want to do?
Gus: I do inherently want to make films with Latino characters. It's kind of my dogma now to make movies that don't have negatively stereotypical Latino characters, ie: the Cholo, the drug dealer, the jaintor, the border crosser, etc. I want American audiences to be exposed to the amazing positive Latino characters that I have actually met and lived with, etc. Latinos are the largest minority group in this country, and we're going to eventually overtake Anglos to be the majority of this country and if we as Latinos continue to make movies with these pathetic one dimensional Latino characters we're just shooting ourselves in the foot. We need to show young audiences, both Latino or otherwise, that Latinos are more than the glorified losers Hollywood makes us out to be most of the time.
LatinoBuzz: Did you intend to break a certain mold there is as far as Latino filmmaking?
Gus: I wouldn't say I'm trying to break a certain mold as an "overall" Latino filmmaker. Because there are so many amazingly talented international Latino filmmakers, making envelope pushing films. But I hesitantly would say that yes, I guess I am trying to break the American Latino filmmaking mold. Again, I'm just tired of Latino films or filmmakers choosing to focus on the negative stereotypes for their stories. I won't name names because unfortunately you write what you know, and perhaps some of those filmmakers are making and telling personal stories. But knowing how hard it is to not only make a film, but get it released to a large audience, my question at this point in my life is: "Do we really need another La gang war movie?", "Do we really need another Latino drug dealer with a heart of gold movie?"
LatinoBuzz: Are there any trends in filmmaking you deplore?
Gus: Well I'd say negative Latino stereotypes but I don't want to sound like a broken record. I think one major trend in filmmaking I deplore right now is the dumbing down of stories. I really think a combination of lazy writers and Hollywood not respecting audiences' intelligence that has made for some really lame storytelling in movies. I was at the movies seeing a drama, and there was this ridiculous plot twist which was done to squeeze in a plot point for the character, rather than find a creative and believable way to further the story. And when it happened, I literally laughed out loud. And I was the only person who did, because it was meant to be a dramatic moment, but it was so predictable and lazy that I couldn't help it.
That and 3D. Sure popcorn movies like Avatar are fun to watch in 3D, but redoing neo-classics like the Lion King in 3D is just annoying. 3D does not make those movies any better. They're just ways the studios want to cash in on the trend, and as an Indie filmmakers it's annoying. But who knows, for the ability to make more indie films I might sell out and make 'Love, Concord' 3D, haha.
LatinoBuzz: Your lead actors went to St Marys like yourself - was that a coincidence?
Gus: Yes and no. I met Angelina at St. Mary's because she was assigned to me as my Ta. And when I did a mock audition one day in class, the person I booked to come audition flaked on me. So I asked Angelina to fill in as she mentioned having taken theater classes. And she blew me away! After that audition I was convinced she was my Melinda. As for Jorge, I actually shot a student film for a St. Mary's student and he was cast in it. However, he played a bed stricken catatonic character so I didn't really have a lasting memory of him. About three years later my producer Virginia (Saenz McCarthy) re-introduced me to him because she had met him in her Sundance Travel course at St. Marys. She was sure he'd be great for the role of Gerry and she was right. He auditioned first and again blew me away, did a call back audition with Angelina another with Miguel and then we cast him. So Jorge was sort of a coincidence, but Angelina definitely wasn't. What can I say, St. Mary's turns out some smart and talented peeps!
LatinoBuzz: Whatever happened to the real life Melinda?
Gus: Well there's no real Melinda, however, the person who most influenced the character of Melinda is a teacher coincidentally enough at the same high school district that I teach at.We lost touch, but we're on speaking terms which is better than most high school romances. I suppose. Plus I hear she's a great teacher, which is not surprising. She always had a knack for explaining things to people even when we were in high school.
LatinoBuzz: What's the next project for you?
Gus: Well I'm finally writing another narrative feature film, now that Love, Concord has distribution I can focus on the next projects. My problem is I have a lot of ideas swimming in my head and it's hard for me to decide which one I potentially want to spend the next three years of my life devoted to. But the leading contender has another high school setting. The American high school experience is such fertile ground for story telling that I can't help but want to go back to it. However, to prove I'm not a one trick pony I'm also considering a story about a character's experience dealing with the Great Recession (you write what you know). Lastly,my co-producer Jimmy Freeman has a great documentary idea I want to help him produce so we may be starting that this summer! Either way the experience of doing ;Love, Concord' has taught me that I won't rest until I make another feature. It's a lot of hard work, especially for indie filmmakers, but with some luck and persistence, it's so rewarding.
For info on how to pick up a copy of 'Love, Concord' give them a 'Like' here.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
- 6/26/2013
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
All are first features by wildly original voices who are remixing potent multi-cultural heritage and inventing their own unique brand of genre. So much talent! Makes this Chicanita so proud!
Let’s start with numero uno:
1. Water & Power – from Chicano wordsmith warrior and Culture Clash iconoclast, Richard J. Montoya and produced by Mark Roberts. This is the screen adaptation of Montoya's 2006 play originally performed at the Mark Taper Forum in La. Rife with The City of Angels' legends, haunts and lore, the Chicano noir tale (how cool is that?) takes place over the course of one fateful night. An intense story centered on twin brothers nicknamed “Water” played by Enrique Murciano and “Power” played by Nicolas Gonzalez who were born and raised on the East Side streets playground - one grows up to be a senator and the other a high ranking cop. The young gifted musical artist and composer Gingger Shankar (Circumstance, Charlie Wilson's War) has contributed music to the film. The project participated in the 2007 Sundance Institute screenwriters & directors lab. A madly prolific playwright (a regular Berkeley and Yale Repertory Theatre collaborator), I got a chance to see Montoya's uproarious American history redux play, American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose last fall (read the La Weekly feature review here). An uncompromising artist with a thundering voice all over the culture pop pulse, Montoya's first feature film tops my list of films to watch out for in 2013. Can. Not. Wait.
Like the Facebook page to stay on top of future premiere announcements and here's a pic on Mark Roberts website
Film contact: <mark@robertsdavid.com>
2. Pardon – written and directed by R.F. Rodriguez and produced by his production company BadMansSon. A story that deals with a cholo ex-con who returns to his barrio in Highland Park and sets to go on the straight and narrow but soon finds himself pulled by his old gang familia may sound familiar, but never has it been as emotionally excavated and depicted with such sensitivity and complexity. Hector Atreyu Ruizis Saul Sanchez whose driving motivation is the chance to reunite with his estranged daughter. Guided by a sympathetic parole officer, played by Tracey Heggins (from the 2008 indie African-American gem (Medicine for Melancholy), Saul tackles catch-22 circumstances towards his mission and confronts growing uneasiness from his vatos who continue to test if he's still down. At its core the film is an exploration about fatherhood and home, in particular highlighting the social phenomenon of absentee fathers because they are behind bars, an issue predominantly afflicting Latino families and communities.
Rodriguez, a USC film school grad, made the feature before graduating, having fleshed the story further out of the short film he made of the same name. His project mentor, Patricia Cardoso (Real Women Have Curves) encouraged him to do more with it and this is the amazing result. With earnest and raw performances, the moving and powerfully directed film marks this a sign of a true filmmaker talent discovery.
Website, Twitter
Film contact <contact@badmansson.com>
3. Recommended By Enrique written and directed by Daniel Garcia and Rania Attieh and produced by their NY based company En Passant Films. Shot in border town Del Rio, Texas (the U.S. side of the Rio Grande) with an offbeat hipster cast of young non-professionals plucked locally, the quirky, mystical tale is about an aspiring actress and an old cowboy who each arrive into town with respective plans and expectations, only to end up waiting for something to happen. Forced to wait out their time, they've nothing to do but explore the bewitching town and its people. Lino Varela plays the Cowboy and Sarah Swinwood, a Canadian newcomer actress nails the airhead wannabe star.
This is the second feature film from Texas native Daniel Garcia and Lebanese born Rania. Their first film, Ok, Enough, Goodbye screened at San Francisco International Film Festival among other world wide festivals, and the duo were included in 2011's Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Undertones of a Twilight Zone type of dimension and the spellbinding pull of the dusty town are perfect captured - as anyone who's been in these strange little Texas towns can attest. An unexpected, unpredictable and ultimately lyrical film, this definitely gets my recommendation.
Website, Facebook
Film contact < info@recommendedbyenrique.com>
4. Vincent & Luzy (Fka On the Run) written and directed by Alberto Barboza and produced by Cinético Productions. A charming, hip and modern fairy tale love story between a soulful graffiti artist,Vincent, played by Miguel Angel Caballero, and sexy tattoo artist, Luz, or Luzy played by Iliana Carter Ramirez. The film captures and romanticizes the happening, multi-culti rockabilly/emo scene and counter culture of Boyle Heights and Echo Parque, and features lots of home grown talent and spots like Self Help Graphics, the community visual arts mission center. The posters created by Vincent in the film are designed by La native, rising street artist, El Mac (Miles MacGregor). You'll recognize some of his murals around La like this one on Hollywood and Wilton, one of my favorites. He just did the album cover for No Doubt.
An eclectic soundtrack featuring local Vallenato band, Very Be Careful, Hermanos Herrera, Irene Diaz, Doghouse Lords and more. The cast also includes ol' G', Sal Lopez (American Me) and Lupe Ontiveros in what may be her last film role before she passed away last year (she also has a small role in Water & Power).
Fresh, exuberant and inhabiting a distinct, heightened magical street reality, Vincent & Luzy might be the first film to truly reflect this young, vibrant artist subculture, making this one a hot to track.
Film contact: info@CineticoProductions.com
Website
5. Blaze You Out – written and directed by Mateo Frazier and Diego Joaquin Lopez and produced by Alicia J. Keyes. Set in the rarely seen mystic world of New Mexico, this young female driven thriller is uniquely atmospheric. Starring the rising young talent, Veronica Diaz Carranza (Mamitas) along with Elizabeth Pena, Q'orianka Kilcher and Raoul Trujillo, all who ignite the screen. Diaz stars as Lupe, a DJ who is forced to venture into her town's heroin trade underworld in order to save her younger sister Alicia's life. To do so she must confront mysterious occult figures and harness the power within her to connect with the divine that surrounds her.
I was thrilled to hear that Lionsgate picked up the film at Afm a couple months ago. Lionsgate/Grindstone will release the film July 2013. 6 Sales is handling rights to rest of world. Intense and wicked and unlike anything else this is a film to look forward to. In the meantime, check out the press kit, pics and more on their site.
Website, Facebook
Must Mention
Chavez – written and directed by Diego Luna and produced by Canana Films, Mr. Mudd and backed by Participant Media. The biography of an iconic Chicano figure, labor rights activist Cesar Chavez, and Luna, who is an international name talent, has obviously been given major press coverage ever since it was first announced so it doesn't really fit my 'Discovery' profile. That said, it is a highly anticipated and eagerly awaited film. I truly hope the film opens wide and mainstream - although Participant will likely need a partner to make this happen in the U.S. Michael Peña, the Puerto Rican actor catapulting towards leading man roles and more regularly Hollywood roles (he's also in Gangster Squad opening this weekend), embodies a young Chavez. It wasn’t quite ready for Sundance so it’s possible the film will bow at a high profile festival like Cannes or Toronto. Although I'm hoping Stephanie Allain, director of Film Independent's La Film Festival will go hard after the film to wrangle what would be a fitting La gala premiere. Diego Luna proved his salt as the filmmaker of Abel, an eloquent and heart-stirring portrait of a little delusional boy who pretends to be the man of the house since his father left. Peña recently shared his approach was to be truthful to Cesar the Man not necessarily the legend or myth generated by his colossal perseverance and labor rights feats. All eyes will be on the representation of such a querido and influential figure. My bet? All in. I trust the filmmakers and cast will deliver a resonant and accomplished cinematic film worthy of the inspiring civil rights story, and more importantly re-introduce Chavez to mobilize our millennial generation.
Do you have a hot independent American Latino film recommendation I should track? Holler at your girl. Email me at chicanafromchicago@gmail.com
Next up, Non-Fiction American Latino films to track in 2013...
Let’s start with numero uno:
1. Water & Power – from Chicano wordsmith warrior and Culture Clash iconoclast, Richard J. Montoya and produced by Mark Roberts. This is the screen adaptation of Montoya's 2006 play originally performed at the Mark Taper Forum in La. Rife with The City of Angels' legends, haunts and lore, the Chicano noir tale (how cool is that?) takes place over the course of one fateful night. An intense story centered on twin brothers nicknamed “Water” played by Enrique Murciano and “Power” played by Nicolas Gonzalez who were born and raised on the East Side streets playground - one grows up to be a senator and the other a high ranking cop. The young gifted musical artist and composer Gingger Shankar (Circumstance, Charlie Wilson's War) has contributed music to the film. The project participated in the 2007 Sundance Institute screenwriters & directors lab. A madly prolific playwright (a regular Berkeley and Yale Repertory Theatre collaborator), I got a chance to see Montoya's uproarious American history redux play, American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose last fall (read the La Weekly feature review here). An uncompromising artist with a thundering voice all over the culture pop pulse, Montoya's first feature film tops my list of films to watch out for in 2013. Can. Not. Wait.
Like the Facebook page to stay on top of future premiere announcements and here's a pic on Mark Roberts website
Film contact: <mark@robertsdavid.com>
2. Pardon – written and directed by R.F. Rodriguez and produced by his production company BadMansSon. A story that deals with a cholo ex-con who returns to his barrio in Highland Park and sets to go on the straight and narrow but soon finds himself pulled by his old gang familia may sound familiar, but never has it been as emotionally excavated and depicted with such sensitivity and complexity. Hector Atreyu Ruizis Saul Sanchez whose driving motivation is the chance to reunite with his estranged daughter. Guided by a sympathetic parole officer, played by Tracey Heggins (from the 2008 indie African-American gem (Medicine for Melancholy), Saul tackles catch-22 circumstances towards his mission and confronts growing uneasiness from his vatos who continue to test if he's still down. At its core the film is an exploration about fatherhood and home, in particular highlighting the social phenomenon of absentee fathers because they are behind bars, an issue predominantly afflicting Latino families and communities.
Rodriguez, a USC film school grad, made the feature before graduating, having fleshed the story further out of the short film he made of the same name. His project mentor, Patricia Cardoso (Real Women Have Curves) encouraged him to do more with it and this is the amazing result. With earnest and raw performances, the moving and powerfully directed film marks this a sign of a true filmmaker talent discovery.
Website, Twitter
Film contact <contact@badmansson.com>
3. Recommended By Enrique written and directed by Daniel Garcia and Rania Attieh and produced by their NY based company En Passant Films. Shot in border town Del Rio, Texas (the U.S. side of the Rio Grande) with an offbeat hipster cast of young non-professionals plucked locally, the quirky, mystical tale is about an aspiring actress and an old cowboy who each arrive into town with respective plans and expectations, only to end up waiting for something to happen. Forced to wait out their time, they've nothing to do but explore the bewitching town and its people. Lino Varela plays the Cowboy and Sarah Swinwood, a Canadian newcomer actress nails the airhead wannabe star.
This is the second feature film from Texas native Daniel Garcia and Lebanese born Rania. Their first film, Ok, Enough, Goodbye screened at San Francisco International Film Festival among other world wide festivals, and the duo were included in 2011's Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Undertones of a Twilight Zone type of dimension and the spellbinding pull of the dusty town are perfect captured - as anyone who's been in these strange little Texas towns can attest. An unexpected, unpredictable and ultimately lyrical film, this definitely gets my recommendation.
Website, Facebook
Film contact < info@recommendedbyenrique.com>
4. Vincent & Luzy (Fka On the Run) written and directed by Alberto Barboza and produced by Cinético Productions. A charming, hip and modern fairy tale love story between a soulful graffiti artist,Vincent, played by Miguel Angel Caballero, and sexy tattoo artist, Luz, or Luzy played by Iliana Carter Ramirez. The film captures and romanticizes the happening, multi-culti rockabilly/emo scene and counter culture of Boyle Heights and Echo Parque, and features lots of home grown talent and spots like Self Help Graphics, the community visual arts mission center. The posters created by Vincent in the film are designed by La native, rising street artist, El Mac (Miles MacGregor). You'll recognize some of his murals around La like this one on Hollywood and Wilton, one of my favorites. He just did the album cover for No Doubt.
An eclectic soundtrack featuring local Vallenato band, Very Be Careful, Hermanos Herrera, Irene Diaz, Doghouse Lords and more. The cast also includes ol' G', Sal Lopez (American Me) and Lupe Ontiveros in what may be her last film role before she passed away last year (she also has a small role in Water & Power).
Fresh, exuberant and inhabiting a distinct, heightened magical street reality, Vincent & Luzy might be the first film to truly reflect this young, vibrant artist subculture, making this one a hot to track.
Film contact: info@CineticoProductions.com
Website
5. Blaze You Out – written and directed by Mateo Frazier and Diego Joaquin Lopez and produced by Alicia J. Keyes. Set in the rarely seen mystic world of New Mexico, this young female driven thriller is uniquely atmospheric. Starring the rising young talent, Veronica Diaz Carranza (Mamitas) along with Elizabeth Pena, Q'orianka Kilcher and Raoul Trujillo, all who ignite the screen. Diaz stars as Lupe, a DJ who is forced to venture into her town's heroin trade underworld in order to save her younger sister Alicia's life. To do so she must confront mysterious occult figures and harness the power within her to connect with the divine that surrounds her.
I was thrilled to hear that Lionsgate picked up the film at Afm a couple months ago. Lionsgate/Grindstone will release the film July 2013. 6 Sales is handling rights to rest of world. Intense and wicked and unlike anything else this is a film to look forward to. In the meantime, check out the press kit, pics and more on their site.
Website, Facebook
Must Mention
Chavez – written and directed by Diego Luna and produced by Canana Films, Mr. Mudd and backed by Participant Media. The biography of an iconic Chicano figure, labor rights activist Cesar Chavez, and Luna, who is an international name talent, has obviously been given major press coverage ever since it was first announced so it doesn't really fit my 'Discovery' profile. That said, it is a highly anticipated and eagerly awaited film. I truly hope the film opens wide and mainstream - although Participant will likely need a partner to make this happen in the U.S. Michael Peña, the Puerto Rican actor catapulting towards leading man roles and more regularly Hollywood roles (he's also in Gangster Squad opening this weekend), embodies a young Chavez. It wasn’t quite ready for Sundance so it’s possible the film will bow at a high profile festival like Cannes or Toronto. Although I'm hoping Stephanie Allain, director of Film Independent's La Film Festival will go hard after the film to wrangle what would be a fitting La gala premiere. Diego Luna proved his salt as the filmmaker of Abel, an eloquent and heart-stirring portrait of a little delusional boy who pretends to be the man of the house since his father left. Peña recently shared his approach was to be truthful to Cesar the Man not necessarily the legend or myth generated by his colossal perseverance and labor rights feats. All eyes will be on the representation of such a querido and influential figure. My bet? All in. I trust the filmmakers and cast will deliver a resonant and accomplished cinematic film worthy of the inspiring civil rights story, and more importantly re-introduce Chavez to mobilize our millennial generation.
Do you have a hot independent American Latino film recommendation I should track? Holler at your girl. Email me at chicanafromchicago@gmail.com
Next up, Non-Fiction American Latino films to track in 2013...
- 1/10/2013
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
Before heading stateside to join Ridley Scott's star-studded "The Counselor," Javier Bardem is set to add another sinister portrayal to his resume, taking on the supporting role of a neo-Nazi in an adaptation of his brother, Carlos Bardem's novel "Alacrán Enamorado," roughly translated as "Scorpion In Love."
To be helmed by African-Spanish helmer Santiago Zannou ("The One-Handed Trick") from a screenplay adapted by Carlos Bardem himself, the film is rooted in urban multicultural Spain today and centers on the "Romeo & Juliet"-esque tale of a young neo-Nazi nicknamed the 'Scorpion' (Alex Gonzalez) who falls for a Latin American immigrant (Judith Diakhate). Zannou -- a director who specializes in tales of immigration, new urban tribes and identity conflicts -- describes the film as "a fable that shows that love and trust can save us from the path to auto-desctruction." Here's an extended synopsis:
Julián is a young, angry Neo-Nazi.
To be helmed by African-Spanish helmer Santiago Zannou ("The One-Handed Trick") from a screenplay adapted by Carlos Bardem himself, the film is rooted in urban multicultural Spain today and centers on the "Romeo & Juliet"-esque tale of a young neo-Nazi nicknamed the 'Scorpion' (Alex Gonzalez) who falls for a Latin American immigrant (Judith Diakhate). Zannou -- a director who specializes in tales of immigration, new urban tribes and identity conflicts -- describes the film as "a fable that shows that love and trust can save us from the path to auto-desctruction." Here's an extended synopsis:
Julián is a young, angry Neo-Nazi.
- 5/9/2012
- by Simon Dang
- The Playlist
This morning the official 2012 Cannes Film Festival line-up was announced after the selection committee saw 1,779 films submitted from 26 different countries. Of those, 54 have been chosen (so far) including the opening night film which will be Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom and the closing night film comes from the late Claude Miller's Therese D. starring Audrey Tautou. Looking over the list the most universally recognized names are among a stacked competition list that includes the likes of Wes Anderson, Jacques Audiard, Leos Carax, David Cronenberg, Lee Daniels, Andrew Dominik, Matteo Garrone, Michael Haneke, John Hillcoat, Sangsoo Hong, Sangsoo Im, Abbas Kiarostami, Ken Loach, Cristian Mungiu, Jeff Nichols, Alain Resnais, Walter Salles and Thomas Vinterberg. Those names alone should pique any film fans interest and that's just the competition. Go exploring further and you'll find David Cronenberg's son Brandon Cronenberg along with the likes of Xavier Dolan, Bernardo Bertolucci, Fatih Akin...
- 4/19/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
In addition to City Of Gardens, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, and a few other films, Alex Meraz is also working on a movie entitled On The Run.
Details on On The Run are presently rather scarce, as it is an in-production movie, but the film's IMDb page indicates that it is written by Alberto Barboza and it co-stars Miguel Angel Caballero, Mina Olivera, and Iliana Carter, among others.
The Meraz Effect, an Alex Meraz fansite, has gotten the first bit of further details on the project, including the fact that Mera ////...
Details on On The Run are presently rather scarce, as it is an in-production movie, but the film's IMDb page indicates that it is written by Alberto Barboza and it co-stars Miguel Angel Caballero, Mina Olivera, and Iliana Carter, among others.
The Meraz Effect, an Alex Meraz fansite, has gotten the first bit of further details on the project, including the fact that Mera ////...
- 8/10/2010
- by thetwilightexaminer
- Twilight Examiner
In addition to City Of Gardens, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, and a few other films, Alex Meraz is also working on a movie entitled On The Run.
Details on On The Run are presently rather scarce, as it is an in-production movie, but the film's IMDb page indicates that it is written by Alberto Barboza and it co-stars Miguel Angel Caballero, Mina Olivera, and Iliana Carter, among others.
The Meraz Effect, an Alex Meraz fansite, has gotten the first bit of further details on the project, including the fact that Mera ////...
Details on On The Run are presently rather scarce, as it is an in-production movie, but the film's IMDb page indicates that it is written by Alberto Barboza and it co-stars Miguel Angel Caballero, Mina Olivera, and Iliana Carter, among others.
The Meraz Effect, an Alex Meraz fansite, has gotten the first bit of further details on the project, including the fact that Mera ////...
- 8/10/2010
- by thetwilightexaminer
- Twilight Examiner
Recently, we spoke with In Joon Hwang, Brand Manager for Tekken 6, on all the latest developments in BandaiNamco’s top selling fighter game. In the interview below, Hwang shared his perspective on the Tekken franchise, updates to the game and his feelings towards the Street Fighter franchise. [jambovideo id="149402" /] In Joon Hwang discusses the latest change and updates to Tekken franchise. Tekken 6 takes a giant leap ahead of Tekken 5, introducing a new Action-Adventure (Scenario) mode. Instead of simply playing through the traditional Arena setup, there is a larger level-based adventure made that takes gameplay into “the streets” of Tekken. The game introduces 6 new playable characters: Alisa Bosconovitch, Bob, Lars Alexandersson, Leo, Miguel Caballero Rojo and Zafina. The Scenario mode begins with Lars and a cyborg named Alisa (she can remove her head and use it as a weapon or use her chainsaw arms). From there, gamers will be able ...
- 10/15/2009
- by The Game Room
- BuzzFocus.com
Alright all you Dolce&Gabbana sporting, Prêt-à-Porter hating fashionistas. Vbs.TV’s Behind the Seams will surely turn your stomachs because high fashion it is not. As the tagline goes, “Behind the Seams picks all the little lint balls of genius off the big gray, astonishingly dumb sweater that is the fashion industry and sews them into petite-siez mini documentaries.” If you are thinking dog hair, as in made from real dog, yes, actual canine sweaters; bullet-proof cabana shirts; Japanese Hairhats; or that pudding eating, New Coke drinking, Bill Cosby you are on the right track. If you were thinking it was something else, like I did, don’t worry, you are actually in for some good times. Episode 1, titled “Bogota’s Bulletproof Tailor,” brings us to one of the safest and most family friendly destinations in the world: Bogata Columbia. Sure they’ve got a little bit of a...
- 8/13/2009
- by Jake Weaver
- Tilzy.tv
Could Watchmen walk among us today? If we're talking about a costumed adventurer like Rorschach or Nite Owl, the answer is a resounding yes. Here are five innovations that can make you a real-life superman. 1. Designer bulletproof clothing by Miguel Caballero You don't have to wear tights to be a badass. Thanks to this Colombian designer you can dress like Rorschach and still be bulletproof. Try the trench coat,...
Well-spoken, intelligent, fair-minded, fit, dapper…and now bullet proof? Can this guy be for real? You read right. The seemingly standard, conventional, conservative suit that President Obama donned before catapulting The United States into a new era was, in fact, bullet proof. Though the secret service has not officially confirmed details of the inaugural garment, informed sources suspect it was created by Colombian clothing designer Miguel Caballero who specializes in business appropriate bullet-proof clothing. ‘C’mon’, you say, ‘unfounded hearsay perpetuated by silly bloggers! There’s no such thing as a bullet-proof suit!’ Luckily, Vbs.TV Correspondent Ryan Duffy takes a bullet to prove the existence and efficacy of just such attire. In an interview at Caballero’s Colombian studio, the magic work was explored through an inspection of the unique attire requested by big names such as Steven Seagal. Talk about a cliffhanger! Stay tuned to see the thrill of this wizard at work.
- 1/23/2009
- by Jamison Tilsner
- Tilzy.tv
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