The Other Two, the comedy series starring Heléne Yorke, Drew Tarver and Molly Shannon, is coming to a close with its third season on Max.
However, rather than being canceled, the decision was made by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, co-creators of the buzzy comedy, who said that they have run out of ways to “humiliate” Tarver.
“It is bittersweet to say goodbye to the Dubek family after three seasons, but we always knew, both creatively and personally, that this was where we wanted to end their stories,” the pair said. “And because we are quite literally out of ways to humiliate Drew Tarver, so what’s the point?”
The move comes ahead of the third-season finale, which sees Shannon’s billionaire mogul mom Pat and her ex-lover/manager Streeter (Ken Marino) strategize how to broach difficult conversations with her kids, Cary (Tarver) and Brooke (Yorke). The episode airs Thursday,...
However, rather than being canceled, the decision was made by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, co-creators of the buzzy comedy, who said that they have run out of ways to “humiliate” Tarver.
“It is bittersweet to say goodbye to the Dubek family after three seasons, but we always knew, both creatively and personally, that this was where we wanted to end their stories,” the pair said. “And because we are quite literally out of ways to humiliate Drew Tarver, so what’s the point?”
The move comes ahead of the third-season finale, which sees Shannon’s billionaire mogul mom Pat and her ex-lover/manager Streeter (Ken Marino) strategize how to broach difficult conversations with her kids, Cary (Tarver) and Brooke (Yorke). The episode airs Thursday,...
- 6/28/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s never easy for Cary on “The Other Two,” is it? The older Dubek brother (Drew Tarver) finds himself doing the yeoman’s work of television — playing a lawyer — on a long-running series called “Emily Overruled,” in Episode 4 of Season 3. But although the cast and crew of “Emily Overruled” delight in hitting their marks and going home at 5 p.m., Cary is convinced that acting should be much more and tries to inject some life into the colorless soundstage environs— a journey that required intense collaboration across multiple departments on “The Other Two.”
The show’s production design, camera, editing, and VFX teams all worked together alongside series showrunners Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider to create a rich visual metaphor for working on a long-running series: a black-and-white world in the style of “Pleasantville,” one that throws Cary off of his game until he can bring color and life...
The show’s production design, camera, editing, and VFX teams all worked together alongside series showrunners Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider to create a rich visual metaphor for working on a long-running series: a black-and-white world in the style of “Pleasantville,” one that throws Cary off of his game until he can bring color and life...
- 5/19/2023
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
Forget about the Disgusting Brothers: Welcome back to the Despicable Twins of Max’s “The Other Two.”
The long-awaited Season 3 of the hit satirical series deepens its disdain for Hollywood, with siblings Brooke (Heléne Yorke) and Cary (Drew Tarver) grappling with finding meaning in their respective rising entertainment industry careers. Cary finally gets a bit of fame after his long-awaited breakout role in indie drama “Night Nurse” airs, while Brooke keeps cornering her marketing gig. Of course, both Cary and Brooke are still in the shadow of their Justin Bieber-esque pop star younger brother ChaseDreams (Case Walker) and TV mogul mother (Molly Shannon).
Per the official Season 3 synopsis, after comparing themselves for years to their much-younger pop star brother, ChaseDreams (Walker), who is now a full adult, and their talk show host mother (Shannon), who’s now more powerful than she could have ever imagined, Brooke and Cary (Yorke...
The long-awaited Season 3 of the hit satirical series deepens its disdain for Hollywood, with siblings Brooke (Heléne Yorke) and Cary (Drew Tarver) grappling with finding meaning in their respective rising entertainment industry careers. Cary finally gets a bit of fame after his long-awaited breakout role in indie drama “Night Nurse” airs, while Brooke keeps cornering her marketing gig. Of course, both Cary and Brooke are still in the shadow of their Justin Bieber-esque pop star younger brother ChaseDreams (Case Walker) and TV mogul mother (Molly Shannon).
Per the official Season 3 synopsis, after comparing themselves for years to their much-younger pop star brother, ChaseDreams (Walker), who is now a full adult, and their talk show host mother (Shannon), who’s now more powerful than she could have ever imagined, Brooke and Cary (Yorke...
- 4/24/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Brooke and Cary are back as television’s funniest forgotten siblings in Season 3 of “The Other Two,” returning to HBO Max with two new episodes on May 4.
Drew Tarver, Heléne Yorke, Molly Shannon, Ken Marino and Case Walker star in the 10-episode season alongside recurring cast Josh Segarra, Wanda Sykes and Brandon Scott Jones.
The Season 3 logline, per HBO Max, reads: “After comparing themselves for years to their much-younger pop star brother, ChaseDreams (Walker), who is now a full adult, and their talk show host mother (Shannon), who’s now more powerful than she could have ever imagined, Brooke and Cary (Yorke and Tarver) are finally standing on their own two feet — fully ‘successful’ in their own right! And yet, they somehow find themselves comparing themselves to new people once again???”
In the new season, Cary grapples with the minor fame and desperation of being a working actor, while Brooke...
Drew Tarver, Heléne Yorke, Molly Shannon, Ken Marino and Case Walker star in the 10-episode season alongside recurring cast Josh Segarra, Wanda Sykes and Brandon Scott Jones.
The Season 3 logline, per HBO Max, reads: “After comparing themselves for years to their much-younger pop star brother, ChaseDreams (Walker), who is now a full adult, and their talk show host mother (Shannon), who’s now more powerful than she could have ever imagined, Brooke and Cary (Yorke and Tarver) are finally standing on their own two feet — fully ‘successful’ in their own right! And yet, they somehow find themselves comparing themselves to new people once again???”
In the new season, Cary grapples with the minor fame and desperation of being a working actor, while Brooke...
- 4/24/2023
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Season three of the critically acclaimed Max Original comedy series, The Other Two, debuts with two episodes Thursday, May 4 on HBO Max. The ten-episode season is created, written, directed, and executive produced by Emmy® nominated former “Saturday Night Live” co-head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider.
Season 3 logline: After comparing themselves for years to their much-younger pop star brother, ChaseDreams (Case Walker), who is now a full adult, and their talk-show host mother (Molly Shannon), who’s now more powerful than she could have ever imagined, Brooke and Cary (Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver) are finally standing on their own two feet — fully “successful” in their own right! And yet, they somehow find themselves comparing themselves to new people once again???
Season 3 cast: The series stars Drew Tarver (Cary), Heléne Yorke (Brooke), Critics Choice Nominee Molly Shannon (Pat), Ken Marino (Streeter) and Case Walker (Chase); recurring cast includes Josh Segarra...
Season 3 logline: After comparing themselves for years to their much-younger pop star brother, ChaseDreams (Case Walker), who is now a full adult, and their talk-show host mother (Molly Shannon), who’s now more powerful than she could have ever imagined, Brooke and Cary (Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver) are finally standing on their own two feet — fully “successful” in their own right! And yet, they somehow find themselves comparing themselves to new people once again???
Season 3 cast: The series stars Drew Tarver (Cary), Heléne Yorke (Brooke), Critics Choice Nominee Molly Shannon (Pat), Ken Marino (Streeter) and Case Walker (Chase); recurring cast includes Josh Segarra...
- 3/16/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
“The Other Two” duo of Drew Tarver and Heléne Yorke are back! The series, focused on the lives of brother and sister Cary and Brooke Dubek, is moving from its original home on Comedy Central over to the HBO Max streaming service. The first trailer for Season 2 dropped and, dare we say, Cary and Brooke might be acting a little bit more mature than they once were?
The comedy follows Cary and Brooke who are the “other two” older siblings of superstar Chase Dubek (Case Walker). Unfortunately, Cary and Brooke are still having a hard time breaking into the industry; the former looks to be hosting a digital E! series while the latter is participating in her mom Pat’s (Molly Shannon) new talk show.
“The Other Two” hails from former “Saturday Night Live” co-head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. Recurring cast this season includes Brandon Scott Jones, Gideon Glick,...
The comedy follows Cary and Brooke who are the “other two” older siblings of superstar Chase Dubek (Case Walker). Unfortunately, Cary and Brooke are still having a hard time breaking into the industry; the former looks to be hosting a digital E! series while the latter is participating in her mom Pat’s (Molly Shannon) new talk show.
“The Other Two” hails from former “Saturday Night Live” co-head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. Recurring cast this season includes Brandon Scott Jones, Gideon Glick,...
- 8/11/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
After a very long hiatus following its first season, “The Other Two” is finally debuting its second season later this month. On Wednesday, HBO Max — the new home of the former Comedy Central series — released the trailer for the upcoming episodes, which see siblings Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke (Heléne Yorke) play second fiddle yet again, but this time not to their famous brother, Chase Dubek (Case Walker).
Nope, now it’s their mom Pat Dubek (played by Molly Shannon) who is hogging all the spotlight from her desperate-to-be-famous kids.
Per HBO Max’s description for Season 2 of “The Other Two”: With their pop star brother, ChaseDreams (Case Walker), officially entering retirement at the ripe old age of fourteen, Brooke and Cary (Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver) must now contend with a new famous family member: their 53-year-old mother Pat (Molly Shannon), and her eponymous daytime talk show. Humiliated...
Nope, now it’s their mom Pat Dubek (played by Molly Shannon) who is hogging all the spotlight from her desperate-to-be-famous kids.
Per HBO Max’s description for Season 2 of “The Other Two”: With their pop star brother, ChaseDreams (Case Walker), officially entering retirement at the ripe old age of fourteen, Brooke and Cary (Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver) must now contend with a new famous family member: their 53-year-old mother Pat (Molly Shannon), and her eponymous daytime talk show. Humiliated...
- 8/11/2021
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
HBO Max released a trailer for the second season of “The Other Two,” premiering Aug 26.
The second season sees ChaseDreams (Case Walker) entering retirement, leaving his older siblings Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke (Heléne Yorke) to contend with a new famous family member: their mother Pat (Molly Shannon), who is now a talk show host.
The first two episodes will launch on Aug. 26, and then the next eight episodes of the season will drop two at a time up to and including on Sept. 16. The show is created, written and executive produced by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider and also executive produced by by Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer and Tony Hernandez. Eddie Michaels, Toye Adegboro and Kaylani Esparza produce. Directors for the season include Kelly, Schneider, Kim Nguyen, Mike Karnell and Charlie Gruet.
Watch the trailer below.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates Epix announced that “Fiasco,” a...
The second season sees ChaseDreams (Case Walker) entering retirement, leaving his older siblings Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke (Heléne Yorke) to contend with a new famous family member: their mother Pat (Molly Shannon), who is now a talk show host.
The first two episodes will launch on Aug. 26, and then the next eight episodes of the season will drop two at a time up to and including on Sept. 16. The show is created, written and executive produced by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider and also executive produced by by Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer and Tony Hernandez. Eddie Michaels, Toye Adegboro and Kaylani Esparza produce. Directors for the season include Kelly, Schneider, Kim Nguyen, Mike Karnell and Charlie Gruet.
Watch the trailer below.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates Epix announced that “Fiasco,” a...
- 8/11/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma and Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
I am happy to see more people vocalize demand for Latina representation onscreen and the resurging interest in solving this messed up disparity issue (Thank you Gina Rodriguez Golden Globes acceptance speech ). However, the representation issue I find ten times more urgent to address is the anguishing miniscule percentage of Latina Content Creators in film and television.
I give you 5 bomb Latina Directors who are are at the helm of brand new feature films coming out this year, women who are striking through the hostile mass media industry to escape the rule of homogeneity (white male perspective). Now that is something to celebrate. It’s not surprising that three of these are documentaries. The percentage of women directed films in documentaries is higher than in fiction. Now I can’t say with total certainty these 2 Latina directed U.S. fiction feature length films are the only ones out there this year…actually yes I can…..until someone reaches out to correct me ….and I really do hope to be corrected because only two???????
"Los 33"
Director : Patricia Riggen
Writers : Mikko Alanne, Michael John Bell, Craig Borten, Jose Rivera
Producers : Robert Katz, Edward McGurn, Mike Medavoy
Cinematographer : Checco Varese
Music : James Horner
U.S. Distributor : Tba
Cast : Rodrigo Santoro, Antonio Banderas, Cote de Pablo, James Brolin, Juliette Binoche, Gabriel Byrne, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kate del Castillo, Tenoch Huerta
Social Media: @The33Pelicula
Logline: Based on the incredible real-life story of the 33 survivors of a copper-gold mine in Chile that collapsed and trapping them 700 meters underground for 69 days until their rescue.
Add Riggen to the exclusive ranks of women who fought for and have proved they got the chops to direct big action, Hollywood type genre movies like Katheryn Bigelow, Mimi Leder. The trailer for Los 33 that dropped last week reveals an epic dramatization of the intensely emotional struggle to survive the Chilean mine disaster. The English language film carries a sweeping score by none other than James Horner (and naturally you can hear Violetta Parra’s classic song, Gracias Por La Vida). Add to that a big hero performance by Antonio Banderas who leads an ensemble cast of well known international actors (including hottie Mexican star of Güeros, Tenoch Huerta!!). Riggen, who was born in Guadalajara but moved to the states after graduating Columbia’s film school in NY, made a splash with her 2007 film, Under the Same Moon starring a back-then-virtually-unknown-in-the-u.S. Eugenio Derbez, and Kate del Castillo. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival then was picked up by Pantelion, the studio she later worked with on the Eva Mendes starrer Girl in Progress.
Domestic distribution and release stateside is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile Twentieth Century Fox will be releasing the film in Chile in August, marking the fifth anniversary of the incident, before rolling out the film throughout Latin America including Mexico. For an in-depth account of Los 33, check out current best-seller, “Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine and the Miracle That Set Them Free” by Hector Tobar.
"Endgame"
Director: Carmen Marron
Writers : Hector Salinas, Carmen Marron
Producers : Sandra Avila, Carmen Marron
Executive Producers : Hector Salinas, Betty Sullivan
Associate Producer : Bonnie Emerson
Cinematographer: Francisco Bulgarelli
Music: Brian Standefer
Cinematographer: Francisco Bulgarelli
U.S. Distributor : Tba
Cast : Rico Rodriguez, Efren Ramirez, Justina Machado, Jon Gries
Social Media: @GoForIt_Carmen
Facebook
Logline: Shot in Brownsville and inspired by true events, Endgame is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who joins the school chess team, and with the help of his coach, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, team spirit and the importance of family.
Another talented genre director (and fellow Chicana from Chicago, Heyyy) whose tenacity and talent make her primed to be our Latina Ava Duvernay success story (of course that depends on whether the public (and gatekeepers) support her to make the change to the system to demand her spot in the national mainstream). I wrote about Carmen’s tireless spirit before , mentioning her first film which she shot, wrote, directed and produced in Chicago called Go For It (which incidentally was Gina Rodriguez’s first feature role). Her latest film is Endgame starring the precocious Manny from Modern Family, Rico Rodriguez, and Efren Ramirez from cult classic Napoleon Dynamite, Endgame is one of those irresistible competition, underdog, against-all-odds stories. Ramirez portrays the galvanizing Brownsville public elementary school teacher and chess afficionado, J.J. Guajardo, who in 1989, upon seeing his 6th grade class take an interest in his chess board, began to teach them on the regular. The class excelled and entered regional competitions, going on to enter and win state championships against schools with far more resources. Echoing the positives of disrupting a broke educational status quo with simply offering access to advanced mental cognition building tools, the film echoes another real life story and seminal Chicano film, Stand & Deliver. Big difference; that movie was not directed by a Latino/a.
The film is world premiering at the Dallas International Film Festival April 12 &13. Distribution is yet to be confirmed for theatrical/VOD but stay tuned via the Facebook page.
"No Mas Bebes"
Director: Renee Tajima-Peña
Producers : Virginia Espino
Associate Producer : Kate Trumbull-Valle
Executive Producers : Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, Judith Helfland, Sally Jo Fiefer and Sandra Pedlow
U.S. Distributor : Itvs/Latino Public Broadcasting
Cinematographer: Claudio Rocha
Music: Bronwen Jones, additional music by Quetzal
Cast : Antonia Hernandez, Gloria Molina, Dolores Madrigal, Jovita Rivera, Consuelo Hermosillo
Social Media: Facebook
Logline : An investigation of the sterilization of Mexican-American women at Los Angeles County-usc Medical Center during the 1960s and 70s
Sadly, there is an appalling history in the United States of laws and policies authorizing sterilizations of poor women without their knowledge or consent for the “benefit of society”; Buck v. Bell (low-income white women in Virginia), Relf v. Weinberger (young African-American women in Alabama), and female inmates in California. This film focuses on the case of Latinas of Mexican origin in California in Madrigal v. Quilligan . Shedding light on this horrific human rights violation, the film includes interviews with women who suffered this terrible ordeal and locked the memory away, along with former medical staff and the incredible lawyer who filed this suit forty years ago, Antonia Hernandez. A long-time coming, supremely valuable and eye opening contextualization of the Chicano rights movement from the late 60s/70s as well as the current reproductive justice movement.
So kind of cheating here, Renee is not Latina per se, but a sister in the struggle to document the Latino community. Her producer is Latina, Virginia Espino, La born-and-raised historian, plus I really want to rally support for this film because it is one of those Latina stories that really needed to be told and remembered this year which marks the 40th anniversary of the lawsuit (June 19). It is ready to be unveiled and seen by as wide an audience as possible. Stay tuned to hear when the film will have its world premiere before its broadcast in the Fall on Voces, Latino Public Broadcasting’s arts and culture series on PBS.
"Now en Español"
Director: Andrea Meller
Producers : Aaron Woolf, Andrea Meller
Music: Camara Kambon
Cinematographer: Charlie Gruet
U.S. Distributor : PBS/Latino Public Broadcasting
Cast : Marabina Jaimes, Marcela Bordes, Gabriela Lopetegui, Ivette Gonzalez, Natasha Perez
Social Media: @NowenEspanol, website
Logline: Follows the trials and triumphs of the small group of Latina actresses who dub “Desperate Housewives” into Spanish.
Currently hitting the festival circuit in such reputable festivals as Santa Barbara, Chicago Latino Film Festival, CineFestival, ahead of its showing on PBS Voces, "Now en Español" is such an effective and distinct balance of humor, seriousness and insider look by Chilean-American Andrea Meller.
Profiling Marcela Bordes, Ivette Gonzalez, Marabina Jaimes, Gabriela Lopetegui and Natasha Perez, the film is quite plainspoken and sympathetic about the struggle of the actor in Hollywood. Like the comedy fiction film (also directed by a woman!) "In a World," by Lake Bell, the film offers a rare behind the scenes and insight into the voice acting industry. Few actors make make careers out of this, others pick it up for income, but in the end it is a highly distinct skill to dub millions of shows. It’s really fascinating perspective on the representation of Latinas onscreen and off. What I love most about this film on top of it being an important tool for dialogue and change, is that the filmmaker injects a whimsy tone (apropos Wisteria Lane) which makes sparking this conversation and call to action so much more effective. You have no reason to miss this as it premieres on Friday, April 24, 2015, 10:00-11:00 p.m. (check local listings) as part of Voces, Latino Public Broadcasting’s arts and culture series on PBS. To get a taste of the ladies’ charm and humor check out the trailer:
"Ovarian Psycos"
Director: Kate Trumbull-lavalle & Joanna Sokolowski
Producers :Kate Trumbull-lavalle & Joanna Sokolowski
U.S. Distributor : Itvs (broadcast)
Cinematographer: Michael Raines
Music: Jimmy Lavalle
Cast : Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade
Social Media: Facebook
Logline: Follows the story of an all woman of color bicycle brigade, the Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade. Based in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood in Eastside Los Angeles, the Ova’s are a collective of unapologetic, politicized, young Latina women who host monthly bike rides every full moon for women and women-identified riders.
Ever since I interviewed Kate during her film’s Kickstarter , I’ve been madly anticipating this, so I’m pleased to scoop that it will be ready late Fall thanks to Itvs coming in with finishing funds. Protegees of esteemed film ladies like Renee Tajima Peña and B. Ruby Rich, the ladies have spent more than two years riding with the Ovas for this documentary. Says Joanna, “There are lots of bike groups in La, but what’s unique about the Ova’s is each ride has a sociopolitical theme and ends with a group discussion. They dialogue about everything from violence against women to the gentrification of Boyle Heights”.
The Ova’s s leadership is run by the collective who work “To Serve, not to Self Serve. Credited as founder is activist and music artist, Xela de la X who formed this rad collective in 2011 with the mission to cycle for the purpose of healing, reclaim neighborhoods, and create safer streets for women on the Eastside. Currently being edited the film should be ready for the Fall if not early next year.
In case you are wondering Trumbull-lavalle is two generations apart from family in Northern Mexico. Which I only add as proof that last names and color of skin are not indicators for knowing whether someone identifies as Latino/a or not.
Which leads me to reiterate, I really hope these 5 are not the only Latina directors with films coming out this year. Calling out an A.P.B. to Latina directors with a feature length film (fiction especially) in production or post, holler at your girl...
I give you 5 bomb Latina Directors who are are at the helm of brand new feature films coming out this year, women who are striking through the hostile mass media industry to escape the rule of homogeneity (white male perspective). Now that is something to celebrate. It’s not surprising that three of these are documentaries. The percentage of women directed films in documentaries is higher than in fiction. Now I can’t say with total certainty these 2 Latina directed U.S. fiction feature length films are the only ones out there this year…actually yes I can…..until someone reaches out to correct me ….and I really do hope to be corrected because only two???????
"Los 33"
Director : Patricia Riggen
Writers : Mikko Alanne, Michael John Bell, Craig Borten, Jose Rivera
Producers : Robert Katz, Edward McGurn, Mike Medavoy
Cinematographer : Checco Varese
Music : James Horner
U.S. Distributor : Tba
Cast : Rodrigo Santoro, Antonio Banderas, Cote de Pablo, James Brolin, Juliette Binoche, Gabriel Byrne, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kate del Castillo, Tenoch Huerta
Social Media: @The33Pelicula
Logline: Based on the incredible real-life story of the 33 survivors of a copper-gold mine in Chile that collapsed and trapping them 700 meters underground for 69 days until their rescue.
Add Riggen to the exclusive ranks of women who fought for and have proved they got the chops to direct big action, Hollywood type genre movies like Katheryn Bigelow, Mimi Leder. The trailer for Los 33 that dropped last week reveals an epic dramatization of the intensely emotional struggle to survive the Chilean mine disaster. The English language film carries a sweeping score by none other than James Horner (and naturally you can hear Violetta Parra’s classic song, Gracias Por La Vida). Add to that a big hero performance by Antonio Banderas who leads an ensemble cast of well known international actors (including hottie Mexican star of Güeros, Tenoch Huerta!!). Riggen, who was born in Guadalajara but moved to the states after graduating Columbia’s film school in NY, made a splash with her 2007 film, Under the Same Moon starring a back-then-virtually-unknown-in-the-u.S. Eugenio Derbez, and Kate del Castillo. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival then was picked up by Pantelion, the studio she later worked with on the Eva Mendes starrer Girl in Progress.
Domestic distribution and release stateside is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile Twentieth Century Fox will be releasing the film in Chile in August, marking the fifth anniversary of the incident, before rolling out the film throughout Latin America including Mexico. For an in-depth account of Los 33, check out current best-seller, “Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine and the Miracle That Set Them Free” by Hector Tobar.
"Endgame"
Director: Carmen Marron
Writers : Hector Salinas, Carmen Marron
Producers : Sandra Avila, Carmen Marron
Executive Producers : Hector Salinas, Betty Sullivan
Associate Producer : Bonnie Emerson
Cinematographer: Francisco Bulgarelli
Music: Brian Standefer
Cinematographer: Francisco Bulgarelli
U.S. Distributor : Tba
Cast : Rico Rodriguez, Efren Ramirez, Justina Machado, Jon Gries
Social Media: @GoForIt_Carmen
Logline: Shot in Brownsville and inspired by true events, Endgame is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who joins the school chess team, and with the help of his coach, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, team spirit and the importance of family.
Another talented genre director (and fellow Chicana from Chicago, Heyyy) whose tenacity and talent make her primed to be our Latina Ava Duvernay success story (of course that depends on whether the public (and gatekeepers) support her to make the change to the system to demand her spot in the national mainstream). I wrote about Carmen’s tireless spirit before , mentioning her first film which she shot, wrote, directed and produced in Chicago called Go For It (which incidentally was Gina Rodriguez’s first feature role). Her latest film is Endgame starring the precocious Manny from Modern Family, Rico Rodriguez, and Efren Ramirez from cult classic Napoleon Dynamite, Endgame is one of those irresistible competition, underdog, against-all-odds stories. Ramirez portrays the galvanizing Brownsville public elementary school teacher and chess afficionado, J.J. Guajardo, who in 1989, upon seeing his 6th grade class take an interest in his chess board, began to teach them on the regular. The class excelled and entered regional competitions, going on to enter and win state championships against schools with far more resources. Echoing the positives of disrupting a broke educational status quo with simply offering access to advanced mental cognition building tools, the film echoes another real life story and seminal Chicano film, Stand & Deliver. Big difference; that movie was not directed by a Latino/a.
The film is world premiering at the Dallas International Film Festival April 12 &13. Distribution is yet to be confirmed for theatrical/VOD but stay tuned via the Facebook page.
"No Mas Bebes"
Director: Renee Tajima-Peña
Producers : Virginia Espino
Associate Producer : Kate Trumbull-Valle
Executive Producers : Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, Judith Helfland, Sally Jo Fiefer and Sandra Pedlow
U.S. Distributor : Itvs/Latino Public Broadcasting
Cinematographer: Claudio Rocha
Music: Bronwen Jones, additional music by Quetzal
Cast : Antonia Hernandez, Gloria Molina, Dolores Madrigal, Jovita Rivera, Consuelo Hermosillo
Social Media: Facebook
Logline : An investigation of the sterilization of Mexican-American women at Los Angeles County-usc Medical Center during the 1960s and 70s
Sadly, there is an appalling history in the United States of laws and policies authorizing sterilizations of poor women without their knowledge or consent for the “benefit of society”; Buck v. Bell (low-income white women in Virginia), Relf v. Weinberger (young African-American women in Alabama), and female inmates in California. This film focuses on the case of Latinas of Mexican origin in California in Madrigal v. Quilligan . Shedding light on this horrific human rights violation, the film includes interviews with women who suffered this terrible ordeal and locked the memory away, along with former medical staff and the incredible lawyer who filed this suit forty years ago, Antonia Hernandez. A long-time coming, supremely valuable and eye opening contextualization of the Chicano rights movement from the late 60s/70s as well as the current reproductive justice movement.
So kind of cheating here, Renee is not Latina per se, but a sister in the struggle to document the Latino community. Her producer is Latina, Virginia Espino, La born-and-raised historian, plus I really want to rally support for this film because it is one of those Latina stories that really needed to be told and remembered this year which marks the 40th anniversary of the lawsuit (June 19). It is ready to be unveiled and seen by as wide an audience as possible. Stay tuned to hear when the film will have its world premiere before its broadcast in the Fall on Voces, Latino Public Broadcasting’s arts and culture series on PBS.
"Now en Español"
Director: Andrea Meller
Producers : Aaron Woolf, Andrea Meller
Music: Camara Kambon
Cinematographer: Charlie Gruet
U.S. Distributor : PBS/Latino Public Broadcasting
Cast : Marabina Jaimes, Marcela Bordes, Gabriela Lopetegui, Ivette Gonzalez, Natasha Perez
Social Media: @NowenEspanol, website
Logline: Follows the trials and triumphs of the small group of Latina actresses who dub “Desperate Housewives” into Spanish.
Currently hitting the festival circuit in such reputable festivals as Santa Barbara, Chicago Latino Film Festival, CineFestival, ahead of its showing on PBS Voces, "Now en Español" is such an effective and distinct balance of humor, seriousness and insider look by Chilean-American Andrea Meller.
Profiling Marcela Bordes, Ivette Gonzalez, Marabina Jaimes, Gabriela Lopetegui and Natasha Perez, the film is quite plainspoken and sympathetic about the struggle of the actor in Hollywood. Like the comedy fiction film (also directed by a woman!) "In a World," by Lake Bell, the film offers a rare behind the scenes and insight into the voice acting industry. Few actors make make careers out of this, others pick it up for income, but in the end it is a highly distinct skill to dub millions of shows. It’s really fascinating perspective on the representation of Latinas onscreen and off. What I love most about this film on top of it being an important tool for dialogue and change, is that the filmmaker injects a whimsy tone (apropos Wisteria Lane) which makes sparking this conversation and call to action so much more effective. You have no reason to miss this as it premieres on Friday, April 24, 2015, 10:00-11:00 p.m. (check local listings) as part of Voces, Latino Public Broadcasting’s arts and culture series on PBS. To get a taste of the ladies’ charm and humor check out the trailer:
"Ovarian Psycos"
Director: Kate Trumbull-lavalle & Joanna Sokolowski
Producers :Kate Trumbull-lavalle & Joanna Sokolowski
U.S. Distributor : Itvs (broadcast)
Cinematographer: Michael Raines
Music: Jimmy Lavalle
Cast : Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade
Social Media: Facebook
Logline: Follows the story of an all woman of color bicycle brigade, the Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade. Based in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood in Eastside Los Angeles, the Ova’s are a collective of unapologetic, politicized, young Latina women who host monthly bike rides every full moon for women and women-identified riders.
Ever since I interviewed Kate during her film’s Kickstarter , I’ve been madly anticipating this, so I’m pleased to scoop that it will be ready late Fall thanks to Itvs coming in with finishing funds. Protegees of esteemed film ladies like Renee Tajima Peña and B. Ruby Rich, the ladies have spent more than two years riding with the Ovas for this documentary. Says Joanna, “There are lots of bike groups in La, but what’s unique about the Ova’s is each ride has a sociopolitical theme and ends with a group discussion. They dialogue about everything from violence against women to the gentrification of Boyle Heights”.
The Ova’s s leadership is run by the collective who work “To Serve, not to Self Serve. Credited as founder is activist and music artist, Xela de la X who formed this rad collective in 2011 with the mission to cycle for the purpose of healing, reclaim neighborhoods, and create safer streets for women on the Eastside. Currently being edited the film should be ready for the Fall if not early next year.
In case you are wondering Trumbull-lavalle is two generations apart from family in Northern Mexico. Which I only add as proof that last names and color of skin are not indicators for knowing whether someone identifies as Latino/a or not.
Which leads me to reiterate, I really hope these 5 are not the only Latina directors with films coming out this year. Calling out an A.P.B. to Latina directors with a feature length film (fiction especially) in production or post, holler at your girl...
- 4/15/2015
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
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