Stars: Kellan Lutz, Robin Magdhalen, Manu Intiraymi, Jeff Fahey, Chelsea Lopez, Efren Ramirez, Tonantzin Esparza | Written and Directed by Javier Reyna
Due Justice is the latest film in the never-ending line of Taken wannabes where a former badass has to go back into action to rescue their kidnapped daughter. In this case, it’s Max an attorney who, along with his boss Claire are lawyers celebrating winning their latest case when Max hears a familiar voice from across the restaurant.
It’s his brother Jerry who isn’t happy to see him, probably due to the company he’s dining with. As it turns out, Jerry was undercover for the FBI and that meeting triggered the suspicion of Ellis, Roxy and their crew. It’s not long before both Jerry and Max’s wife are dead, and his daughter abducted while he’s at the office working late.
To the...
Due Justice is the latest film in the never-ending line of Taken wannabes where a former badass has to go back into action to rescue their kidnapped daughter. In this case, it’s Max an attorney who, along with his boss Claire are lawyers celebrating winning their latest case when Max hears a familiar voice from across the restaurant.
It’s his brother Jerry who isn’t happy to see him, probably due to the company he’s dining with. As it turns out, Jerry was undercover for the FBI and that meeting triggered the suspicion of Ellis, Roxy and their crew. It’s not long before both Jerry and Max’s wife are dead, and his daughter abducted while he’s at the office working late.
To the...
- 11/23/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro announced on Monday that he has nominated 27 films for potential addition to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, all of which feature Latino filmmakers, culture and history.
“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,” Rep. Castro wrote in his nomination letter. “The continued exclusion of Latinos in the film industry affects Latinos seeking opportunities in the industry and shapes how Latinos are perceived, stereotyped, and misunderstood in American life.”
Among the films nominated by Castro are “Frida” the 2002 biopic of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo that earned Salma Hayek an Oscar nomination. Other Oscar nominated performances, such as Catalina Sandino Moreno and Demián Bichir in the immigration dramas “Maria Full of Grace” and “A Better Life,” were also included.
“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,” Rep. Castro wrote in his nomination letter. “The continued exclusion of Latinos in the film industry affects Latinos seeking opportunities in the industry and shapes how Latinos are perceived, stereotyped, and misunderstood in American life.”
Among the films nominated by Castro are “Frida” the 2002 biopic of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo that earned Salma Hayek an Oscar nomination. Other Oscar nominated performances, such as Catalina Sandino Moreno and Demián Bichir in the immigration dramas “Maria Full of Grace” and “A Better Life,” were also included.
- 8/21/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro has nominated 27 Latino-driven films for inclusion in the National Film Registry. Among the suggestions are films that brought Oscar nominations to Latino actors and artists, including Salma Hayek, as Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in “Frida” (2002); Catalina Sandino Moreno, who portrayed a desperate undocumented pregnant immigrant in “Maria Full of Grace” (2004) and Demián Bichir, who played an undocumented worker in Los Angeles in “A Better Life” (2011). All were nominated for lead acting Oscars.
Other notable titles nominated by the congressman are Peter Sollett’s coming-of-age indie “Raising Victor Vargas,” Alfonso Arau’s romantic drama “Like Water for Chocolate (1992) and Darnell Martin’s “I Like It Like That” (1994), a story of a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx.
“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,...
Other notable titles nominated by the congressman are Peter Sollett’s coming-of-age indie “Raising Victor Vargas,” Alfonso Arau’s romantic drama “Like Water for Chocolate (1992) and Darnell Martin’s “I Like It Like That” (1994), a story of a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx.
“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,...
- 8/21/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
As the ongoing WGA strike hits 100 days, the entirety of Hollywood wonders how long both that and the SAG-AFTRA strike will last. In the case of WGA, this strike is no officially longer than the 2007-2008 strike, but has a ways to go before it hits the 1988 writers’ strike 153 days, the longest in the union’s history. Disney CEO Bob Iger hopes neither strike lasts that long, though.
Continue reading Disney CEO Bob Iger Wants To “Quickly Find Solutions” To Ongoing Strikes As WGA Walkout Hits 100 Days at The Playlist.
Continue reading Disney CEO Bob Iger Wants To “Quickly Find Solutions” To Ongoing Strikes As WGA Walkout Hits 100 Days at The Playlist.
- 8/10/2023
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Edward James Olmos, his son Michael Olmos and Morris Ruskin’s MoJo Global Arts have pacted with Ecuador’s 2bLatam to make an English-language premium TV version of the YouTube phenomenon, “Mortal Glitch.” This is the first project in English for the Ecuadorian company as it seeks to expand its global reach.
To date, “Mortal Glitch” has been the only fiction series produced in Latin America for YouTube Premium. The web series has notched up to 37 million views, with 13.3 million views in Mexico, 5.1 million views in Colombia and 4.1 million views in Argentina.
Produced by 2bLatam’s production arm 2bOriginals, the web series was written and directed by Christian Moya, a partner at 2bLatam and co-founder of 2bLatam’s Enchufe.tv, the leading Spanish-language comedy channel.
“I never thought that ‘Mortal Glitch’ would have an international audience or, at least, generate curiosity among foreign producers who recognized its potential,” he said,...
To date, “Mortal Glitch” has been the only fiction series produced in Latin America for YouTube Premium. The web series has notched up to 37 million views, with 13.3 million views in Mexico, 5.1 million views in Colombia and 4.1 million views in Argentina.
Produced by 2bLatam’s production arm 2bOriginals, the web series was written and directed by Christian Moya, a partner at 2bLatam and co-founder of 2bLatam’s Enchufe.tv, the leading Spanish-language comedy channel.
“I never thought that ‘Mortal Glitch’ would have an international audience or, at least, generate curiosity among foreign producers who recognized its potential,” he said,...
- 4/19/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Stage actor and writer Sidney DuPont has gathered a group of Broadway and Off Broadway performers to launch “The Walkout Project,” a movement to urge the exclusive patronage of Black-owned businesses on July 4.
DuPont and a large ensemble that includes Hamilton’s Tamar Greene and Jared Dixon have recorded the new song and music video “Walkout,” dropping tomorrow on the holiday.
Watch a trailer below.
“Black people have lived in fear,” DuPont said in a statement. “We have been methodically, systematically, and socially conditioned to make white people feel comfortable. We have done this to elevate in the workplace, for better housing opportunities, and for the basic safety of our lives and our Black children’s lives. And yet still, we are killed, beaten, and heavily policed. The Walkout Project was created by artists to cancel out the mentality of white comfortability...
DuPont and a large ensemble that includes Hamilton’s Tamar Greene and Jared Dixon have recorded the new song and music video “Walkout,” dropping tomorrow on the holiday.
Watch a trailer below.
“Black people have lived in fear,” DuPont said in a statement. “We have been methodically, systematically, and socially conditioned to make white people feel comfortable. We have done this to elevate in the workplace, for better housing opportunities, and for the basic safety of our lives and our Black children’s lives. And yet still, we are killed, beaten, and heavily policed. The Walkout Project was created by artists to cancel out the mentality of white comfortability...
- 7/3/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series alum Jesse Garcia is set as a series regular opposite Diego Luna and Michael Peña. on Narcos: Mexico, the upcoming fourth season of Netflix’s drug trafficking drama series, Deadline has learned.
After three seasons in Colombia in the pre- and post-Pablo Escobar world, Narcos has moved to Mexico, where it explores the origins of the modern drug war by going back to its roots, beginning at a time when the Mexican trafficking world was a loose and disorganized confederation of independent growers and dealers. The new installment follows the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s as Félix Gallardo (Luna) takes the helm, unifying traffickers in order to build an empire. When DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Peña) moves his wife and young son from California to Guadalajara to take on a new post, he quickly learns that his assignment will...
After three seasons in Colombia in the pre- and post-Pablo Escobar world, Narcos has moved to Mexico, where it explores the origins of the modern drug war by going back to its roots, beginning at a time when the Mexican trafficking world was a loose and disorganized confederation of independent growers and dealers. The new installment follows the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s as Félix Gallardo (Luna) takes the helm, unifying traffickers in order to build an empire. When DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Peña) moves his wife and young son from California to Guadalajara to take on a new post, he quickly learns that his assignment will...
- 11/14/2018
- by Denise Petski and Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Latin American filmmakers have done well in the Oscar race over the last three years: Awards have gone to two Mexican directors, while films from Colombia and Chile have landed nominations. Meanwhile, revered auteurs from these region have maintained their positions on the world stage, and American-based Latino filmmakers and actors have become outspoken advocates for the need of inclusion and opportunity. But many others receive far less attention even as they toil away on the sidelines to make sure these artists receive the attention they deserve.
The unsung heroes of Latin American cinema’s success work in film journalism, distribution companies, film-oriented nonprofits, festivals, and even major studios. Behind the scenes, Latinos are paving the way for filmmakers and others who are fighting to be heard, seen, and understood. This crowd of influencers includes U.S Latinos, Latin Americans and Hispanics, all of whom are represented in the following overview.
The unsung heroes of Latin American cinema’s success work in film journalism, distribution companies, film-oriented nonprofits, festivals, and even major studios. Behind the scenes, Latinos are paving the way for filmmakers and others who are fighting to be heard, seen, and understood. This crowd of influencers includes U.S Latinos, Latin Americans and Hispanics, all of whom are represented in the following overview.
- 12/26/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Indiewire
It isn’t news to most of us that some cable networks have a target audience, whether or not we agree that their programming actually serves that target. A case in point is Lifetime, which calls itself “female-focused” though my remote hasn’t landed on the channel in years. I’ve heard good things about Witches of East End but honestly haven’t checked it out just because it’s on that Army Wives network.
That may change, now that Lifetime is testing the waters of dystopia with its pickup of the series The Lottery. I can see how it would be considered female-skewed, given that the premise is a lottery to determine who will serve as surrogates for the 100 embryos still in existence, but I’m intrigued that they’re calling it a “conspiracy thriller.” Okay, Lifetime, you have my attention.
Lifetime Greenlights Conspiracy Thriller The Lottery Project is...
That may change, now that Lifetime is testing the waters of dystopia with its pickup of the series The Lottery. I can see how it would be considered female-skewed, given that the premise is a lottery to determine who will serve as surrogates for the 100 embryos still in existence, but I’m intrigued that they’re calling it a “conspiracy thriller.” Okay, Lifetime, you have my attention.
Lifetime Greenlights Conspiracy Thriller The Lottery Project is...
- 2/12/2014
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
Check out the new teaser trailer and poster for the upcoming award-winning indie action-thriller Mission Park starring Jeremy Ray Valdez, Will Rothhaar, Walter Perez, Joseph Julian Soria, Vivica A. Fox and Sean Patrick Flanery.
In Mission Park, the ambitions of four childhood friends land them on opposite sides of the law. Rookie FBI agents Bobby (Valdez) and Julian (Rothhaar) must go undercover and face their hidden pasts in an attempt to bring down their best friends’ (Perez, Soria) criminal organization.
The film was written and directed by Bryan Ramirez, produced by Independent Spirit Award nominee Douglas Spain (Star Maps, HBO’s Band of Brothers), co-produced by David J. Phillips (Life Happens, Green Guys), and executive produced by national real estate mogul and former star of A&E’s ‘Flip This House’ Armando Montelongo. Spain and Phillips both have featured acting roles in the film as well. Mission Park is the...
In Mission Park, the ambitions of four childhood friends land them on opposite sides of the law. Rookie FBI agents Bobby (Valdez) and Julian (Rothhaar) must go undercover and face their hidden pasts in an attempt to bring down their best friends’ (Perez, Soria) criminal organization.
The film was written and directed by Bryan Ramirez, produced by Independent Spirit Award nominee Douglas Spain (Star Maps, HBO’s Band of Brothers), co-produced by David J. Phillips (Life Happens, Green Guys), and executive produced by national real estate mogul and former star of A&E’s ‘Flip This House’ Armando Montelongo. Spain and Phillips both have featured acting roles in the film as well. Mission Park is the...
- 8/5/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
San Antonio filmmaker Bryan Ramirez has dug filmmaking since he was a kid when he would spend time creating Ninja Maniacs (which I'm dying to see!). After graduating Full Sail Film School in Orlando, he stayed true to his roots and never did the 'Hollywood' thing. Instead he gathered friends in Tejas to make his first feature film debut, the award winning Mission Park which has had a successful festival run and got picked up by AMC Independent to be released in September. The crime drama stars Jeremy Ray Valdez (Walkout), Walter Perez (The Avengers), Fernanda Romero (Drag me to Hell), Joseph Julian Soria (Crank: High Voltage) and Will Rothhaar (Battle Los Angeles). It also features Vivica A. Fox, Will Estes and Sean Patrick Flanery. So, we asked Ramirez to tell us his 5 rules of making a film.
“It starts with the script, it speaks to you as you write it, let it tell the story. When writing and reading a script, the characters come to life, you see them, hear them and feel them. You have to be true to this when casting. If they offer you a big name but you don't think they'll fit your vision. They won't fit. There are other options and you must be adamant about who you want.”
“Your vision is your vision. You have be able to tell your story the way you want to tell it. It has to look and feel the way you want it to. Make sure you get a Dp who trusts your vision and assist you in bringing it to life. At the same time you have to trust your Dp, he may have an idea that will blow your mind.”
“Collaborate, but don't lose control of the set. You're the Director, a lot of times an actor will have an idea of how they want to bring a character. Hear them out, this just means that they are as deeply involved as you are and they will move mountains for you in order to bring the words to life.”
Watch the trailer for Mission Park
“Hire a seasoned Ad, and trust him 100%. Remember though, you set the pace of your crew, if you're excited to be there, know your shots, know your blocking, and know your story, they will all keep pace with you. The moment you lose control or show signs of confusion, don't know what you want or how to get it, you will lose your crews respect and the actors trust.”
“If you're just starting out and want to be a director, watch movies, a lot of movies. Then watch them with no sound, look at the shot selection, the actor's facial movement and body motions, the set, the props, even the lighting. How do all these elements help tell the story?"
For all the good stuff, check out: http://missionparkthemovie.com/
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.
“It starts with the script, it speaks to you as you write it, let it tell the story. When writing and reading a script, the characters come to life, you see them, hear them and feel them. You have to be true to this when casting. If they offer you a big name but you don't think they'll fit your vision. They won't fit. There are other options and you must be adamant about who you want.”
“Your vision is your vision. You have be able to tell your story the way you want to tell it. It has to look and feel the way you want it to. Make sure you get a Dp who trusts your vision and assist you in bringing it to life. At the same time you have to trust your Dp, he may have an idea that will blow your mind.”
“Collaborate, but don't lose control of the set. You're the Director, a lot of times an actor will have an idea of how they want to bring a character. Hear them out, this just means that they are as deeply involved as you are and they will move mountains for you in order to bring the words to life.”
Watch the trailer for Mission Park
“Hire a seasoned Ad, and trust him 100%. Remember though, you set the pace of your crew, if you're excited to be there, know your shots, know your blocking, and know your story, they will all keep pace with you. The moment you lose control or show signs of confusion, don't know what you want or how to get it, you will lose your crews respect and the actors trust.”
“If you're just starting out and want to be a director, watch movies, a lot of movies. Then watch them with no sound, look at the shot selection, the actor's facial movement and body motions, the set, the props, even the lighting. How do all these elements help tell the story?"
For all the good stuff, check out: http://missionparkthemovie.com/
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.
- 7/31/2013
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
From our Chicana from Chicago, Christine Davila:
I took in a few panels over the weekend down here at L.A. Film Fest that I really appreciated for sparking some provocative dialogue I am eager to continue throughout the Festival. I found it especially interesting how different the U.S. Latino and Black film communities are responding to their storytelling plight in talking about their respective representation in media. Meanwhile the lively Latino panel, which was perhaps the broadest in scope, was eloquent and skillfully led by L.A. Times’ Reed Johnson who brought a high level of articulation in his profesh moderating. As panel junkies know, a good moderator is key to an engaging panel and essential to keep it on point. Here are my takeaways on the three panels:us Latino Film Panel at Laff
The Blackhouse Foundation - The Art and Social Responsibility of Festival Programming – Sponsored by Bet
Moderated by Film Independent’s Lacma film curator and go-to festival moderator, Elvis Mitchell, I was particularly impressed at the messaging clarity and solidarity of the black film community’s efforts and goals for equal representation. The panelists were very tuned-in with monitoring their talent behind and in front of the camera, and in this case stressing the importance of festival curators, which was identified as one of three instrumental factors to enable their films getting out there.
Shari Frilot, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival: There was much (due) love and props given to Frilot for her ardent and tireless championing of films of color at Sundance. She pointed out how after Lee Daniel’s breakout hit, Precious which premiered at 2009 Sundance and went on to win a couple Academy Awards, the next couple years it was the black films that were the first to be sold off the mountain including the dazzling lesbian coming of age film, Pariah. She questioned why this achievement was not picked up or lauded in the mainstream media. Its indeed curious and perhaps a telling point on the cultural gatekeeper front – (shortage of black critics and journalists?) Having witnessed Shari’s highly charged and articulate arguing for gloriously imperfect, fresh and raw films I respect how she truly changes the way the film programming conversation takes place by discussing films’ drive, potential and power. I aspire to “bring it” like she does in my own programming career. Acknowledging the personal efforts she puts in to make the festival seem accessible to filmmakers of color who may not bother putting Sundance on their radar, the idea of doing a black college tour came up.
Ava DuVernay, filmmaker (Middle of Nowhere) and founder of Affrm: DuVernay’s emotion for the topic at hand along with her experience from her publicist days and current roles as filmmaker and distributor made her a stirring contributor to the conversation. Ava thanked L.A. Film Festival Director Stephanie Allain for programming Middle of Nowhere as a gala screening which elevates her film with a high profile slot within the festival. A packed house at Wednesday’s gala screening will be quite significant to the black filmmaking community given the massive 800 seat theater and checking the L.A. Film Fest website its at Rush which will make for an exciting milestone! The winner of the Best Director Award at Sundance Film Festival shared her personal observations like being stunned to see empty seats at the black film screenings at Sundance which is unheard of in the notoriously hard-to-get tickets Festival. She mentioned that while she is frequently featured on Shadow and Act, the African Diaspora blog on the Indiewire network, she has never been on Indiewire’s main page. DuVernay expressed her desire to see more films that move and operate beyond ‘black bodies’.
There was mention of films touted as successful black films when they happen to be by non-black filmmakers. I can’t help but think the room was thinking about Gimme the Loot written and directed by Adam Leon and Beasts of the Southern Wild written and directed by Benh Zeitlin. Both films have been praised and celebrated for their poignant storytelling and vivid portrayal of their black protagonists’ lifestyles – and the filmmakers happen to be white Jewish New Yorkers. And both films were quickly picked up for distribution at their respective festival premieres. I have to admit that if we are talking about presenting positive representation in films my belief is that individually, these two films offer a lot as far as image conversion for eschewing mis-representation by avoiding stereotypes about black folks. There’s nobody smoking crack or perpetuating violent crime in Gimme the Loot, and in Beasts the poetic punch of self-sufficient little Hushpuppy in the die-hard persevering displaced fictional community that alludes to the forgotten 9th Ward post-Katrina, shows a triumph of spirit against the government and society’s response efforts following the devastating natural catastrophe in the dominantly affected marginalized population.
Bradford Young, cinematographer (Middle of Nowhere, Pariah, Restless City): A Howard University alumus, the in-demand cinematographer more gently echoed Ava’s sentiment about the limited accessibility and representation of black filmmakers but I feel he gave a bit more benefit of the doubt to black films by non-black filmmakers by his eloquent word of choice to weigh the debate; “Intention”. The way he talks about his own cinematic approach is greatly influenced by the intention of the story and point of view. A NY Times article recently featured the cinematographer and made note of his full frame and close up shots in Middle of Nowhere. Indeed the luscious and texture he brings to shooting skincolor sticks out in my mind having seen it at Sundance. Bradford is one cool cat with lots of soul. All panelists agreed and were especially thankful for his eyes.
Roya Rastegar, Ph.D, Festival Programmer: Inventive cinematography, curation by more females and people of color and innovative distribution were three ways Rastegar outlined to help minority filmmakers distinguish their work and get seen by the public. I would love to get my hands on her dissertation, History of Consciousness (here’s a taste) in which she investigates the role of festivals in shaping marginalized culture. Armed with such interesting facts on the history of film festivals, (did you know Stalin created the first film festival?) Rastegar added a lot of context to the origins and current state of film festivals. She also shared the behind the scenes conversations of film programmers when talking about films of color and the rueful tendency to dismiss these films because they aren’t so called ‘good enough’. She made no hesitation in pointing out that Tribeca Film Festival did not have one single black film in competition this year.
U.S. Latino Cinema: Welcome to the Bi-Literate Future - Presented by San Antonio Film Commission and Afci (Association of Film Commissions International)
I had the privilege of participating on this panel which was prefaced by a Univision spot highlighting their new campaign efforts of reaching a bi-lingual audience. In it, an old woman recalls being prevented from speaking her language as a child in school and then we cut to today’s young U.S. Latino man who flips from Spanish to English talking about his liking alternative band, The Strokes as much as Spanish-language pop rock band, Juanes.
What it was about: Our Latino population in the U.S. is now more than ever embracing a bi-lingual, or more importantly, a bi-literate culture. Will films reflect the changing demographic of the U.S. as a bi-literate (a Spanish and English language culture) be commercially successful and be able to find an audience? And perhaps more importantly, will the studio system be able to adapt to the successful strategies many in the independent world are using to create commercially viable content?
Douglas Spain (Star Maps, Walkout, Band of Brothers) is used to wearing multiple hats and so acted as both panelist and moderator. Spain offered up his experience as an actor/producer/director as a gay latino filmmaker who has successfully worked in independent film and studio and television mediums. His quest for staying true to himself with the roles and films he is making rang resonant to all.
Ralph Lopez, San Antonio filmmaker: The producer of Wolf which premiered at this year’s SXSW talked about his aim is to create and tell stories that transcend color. Like his provocative film about the complexities faced by the victim of a bishop’s inappropriate behavior, his collaborations with director black filmmaker Ya Ke Smith comes first and foremost from a place of telling moving stories.
Gabriela Tagliavini, filmmaker (Ladies Night, Without Men, The Mule: Having had big success with Spanish language film Ladies Night in 2006, Gabriela switched languages and directed Eva Longoria in the English language film,Without Men which sold to many international territories given Longoria’s international brand name. With her upcoming film, The Mule she is looking to take advantage of the crime action genre and star Sharon Stone to offer real commentary on immigration and the dangerous toll of the U.S. Mexico border.
Luis Reyes, historian and author of the comprehensive book, Hispanics in Hollywood: The old school gent on our panel made some slightly more conventional suggestions on how to make a successful bi-literate film like “know your audience” and attaching a well known actor to your film so you can market it.
I added my two cents and in retrospect I think my thoughts coincided with Rastegar’s in the proactive vein of here’s what we can-do positive approach of encouraging budding filmmakers to utilize genre (horror and gay U.S. Latino films stand out from the stack and are sought after by festival programs). I also asked my fellow panelists if they found the U.S. Latino filmmaking community as fragmented as I see it. Unlike Black or Lgbt film organizations I feel the U.S. Latino community has much more work in becoming inclusive within our distinct bi-lingual backgrounds in order to successfully empower and advocate for our films. Organizations like Nalip and Laliff were mentioned in answer. But in my opinion and with all respect, I find Nalip a bit cliquesh and lacking a younger pulse and generation of organizers, and Laliff is too inconsistent to make fundamental cultural change. Although we touched on the question of the challenges our community faces working in Spanish versus English I’m not sure we fully stayed on point in attempting to answer the ambitious subject and interesting talking points raised. But the audience seemed more the type of wanting basic advice on how to break into filmmaking so most questions and conversations was directed to the filmmakers on the panels and in that regard it was a successful exchange.
Café Latino presented by HBO and supported by University of Guadalajara Foundation
Made evident by the participating film clips that were shown before the panel there is much genre and story diversity in the Latino films at L.A. Film Fest this year. I’m especially happy the Festival recognizes the growing influence of the Mexican documentary by having selected Reportero by Bernardo Ruiz, Caniculaby Jose Alvarez and Drought by Evererdo Gonzalez. The panel was ostensibly about the Festival’s Latin American filmmakers and how they explore their roles as storytellers in an increasingly global world. With such a high number of panelists and so many interesting topics broached however, it left one wanting more time to engage with the personable talents onstage.
Reed Johnson encouraged the panelists to chime in at will which Alejandro Brugues, director of Cuban Zombie film, Juan of the Dead took full advantage of to defend big hollywood films like The Avengers, which Gonzalez initially brought up if only to point out the David and Goliath challenge filmmakers in Mexico face having to compete for screens against these big money backed blockbusters. Brugues set himself apart from the group by defending his love for the blockbuster which inspired him to direct films. Unlike his peers’ ‘artful’ films he considers his film strictly for public entertainment (he joked that his film is actually a documentary). Yet at the same time he admits he took advantage of the Zombie genre a la Romero to infuse it with his personal observations of contemporary Cuban society – which he would not have been able to shoot in Cuba otherwise.
Meanwhile Arturo Pons who was born in Mexico but has lived and worked in Spain for the past ten years described his conception for his surreal satire, The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man not necessarily about immigration but a visual canvas with which to paint the total disorientation that confronts Mexico. Ruiz talked about seeing himself as a ‘translator’ or vessel to tell stories. Alvarez talked about how he does not think of his audience as he makes his films however he does aspire to showcase Mexico Profundo in showing the vast and vibrant indigenous artistry and folklore and deliberately resisting the the media’s monopolized perpetuation of the drug violence and corruption. Lastly, Dominga Sotomayor, the 27 year old director of Thursday till Sunday whose next film Tarde Para Morir was selected to the first ever Sundance Mahindra Screenwriters Lab, added that like Mexico, in Chile there is a growing number of filmmakers but no real venues to find their audience.
L.A. Film Festival is going on through Sunday and a bunch of added screenings have been slotted. Check out film guide and buy tickets here.
I took in a few panels over the weekend down here at L.A. Film Fest that I really appreciated for sparking some provocative dialogue I am eager to continue throughout the Festival. I found it especially interesting how different the U.S. Latino and Black film communities are responding to their storytelling plight in talking about their respective representation in media. Meanwhile the lively Latino panel, which was perhaps the broadest in scope, was eloquent and skillfully led by L.A. Times’ Reed Johnson who brought a high level of articulation in his profesh moderating. As panel junkies know, a good moderator is key to an engaging panel and essential to keep it on point. Here are my takeaways on the three panels:us Latino Film Panel at Laff
The Blackhouse Foundation - The Art and Social Responsibility of Festival Programming – Sponsored by Bet
Moderated by Film Independent’s Lacma film curator and go-to festival moderator, Elvis Mitchell, I was particularly impressed at the messaging clarity and solidarity of the black film community’s efforts and goals for equal representation. The panelists were very tuned-in with monitoring their talent behind and in front of the camera, and in this case stressing the importance of festival curators, which was identified as one of three instrumental factors to enable their films getting out there.
Shari Frilot, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival: There was much (due) love and props given to Frilot for her ardent and tireless championing of films of color at Sundance. She pointed out how after Lee Daniel’s breakout hit, Precious which premiered at 2009 Sundance and went on to win a couple Academy Awards, the next couple years it was the black films that were the first to be sold off the mountain including the dazzling lesbian coming of age film, Pariah. She questioned why this achievement was not picked up or lauded in the mainstream media. Its indeed curious and perhaps a telling point on the cultural gatekeeper front – (shortage of black critics and journalists?) Having witnessed Shari’s highly charged and articulate arguing for gloriously imperfect, fresh and raw films I respect how she truly changes the way the film programming conversation takes place by discussing films’ drive, potential and power. I aspire to “bring it” like she does in my own programming career. Acknowledging the personal efforts she puts in to make the festival seem accessible to filmmakers of color who may not bother putting Sundance on their radar, the idea of doing a black college tour came up.
Ava DuVernay, filmmaker (Middle of Nowhere) and founder of Affrm: DuVernay’s emotion for the topic at hand along with her experience from her publicist days and current roles as filmmaker and distributor made her a stirring contributor to the conversation. Ava thanked L.A. Film Festival Director Stephanie Allain for programming Middle of Nowhere as a gala screening which elevates her film with a high profile slot within the festival. A packed house at Wednesday’s gala screening will be quite significant to the black filmmaking community given the massive 800 seat theater and checking the L.A. Film Fest website its at Rush which will make for an exciting milestone! The winner of the Best Director Award at Sundance Film Festival shared her personal observations like being stunned to see empty seats at the black film screenings at Sundance which is unheard of in the notoriously hard-to-get tickets Festival. She mentioned that while she is frequently featured on Shadow and Act, the African Diaspora blog on the Indiewire network, she has never been on Indiewire’s main page. DuVernay expressed her desire to see more films that move and operate beyond ‘black bodies’.
There was mention of films touted as successful black films when they happen to be by non-black filmmakers. I can’t help but think the room was thinking about Gimme the Loot written and directed by Adam Leon and Beasts of the Southern Wild written and directed by Benh Zeitlin. Both films have been praised and celebrated for their poignant storytelling and vivid portrayal of their black protagonists’ lifestyles – and the filmmakers happen to be white Jewish New Yorkers. And both films were quickly picked up for distribution at their respective festival premieres. I have to admit that if we are talking about presenting positive representation in films my belief is that individually, these two films offer a lot as far as image conversion for eschewing mis-representation by avoiding stereotypes about black folks. There’s nobody smoking crack or perpetuating violent crime in Gimme the Loot, and in Beasts the poetic punch of self-sufficient little Hushpuppy in the die-hard persevering displaced fictional community that alludes to the forgotten 9th Ward post-Katrina, shows a triumph of spirit against the government and society’s response efforts following the devastating natural catastrophe in the dominantly affected marginalized population.
Bradford Young, cinematographer (Middle of Nowhere, Pariah, Restless City): A Howard University alumus, the in-demand cinematographer more gently echoed Ava’s sentiment about the limited accessibility and representation of black filmmakers but I feel he gave a bit more benefit of the doubt to black films by non-black filmmakers by his eloquent word of choice to weigh the debate; “Intention”. The way he talks about his own cinematic approach is greatly influenced by the intention of the story and point of view. A NY Times article recently featured the cinematographer and made note of his full frame and close up shots in Middle of Nowhere. Indeed the luscious and texture he brings to shooting skincolor sticks out in my mind having seen it at Sundance. Bradford is one cool cat with lots of soul. All panelists agreed and were especially thankful for his eyes.
Roya Rastegar, Ph.D, Festival Programmer: Inventive cinematography, curation by more females and people of color and innovative distribution were three ways Rastegar outlined to help minority filmmakers distinguish their work and get seen by the public. I would love to get my hands on her dissertation, History of Consciousness (here’s a taste) in which she investigates the role of festivals in shaping marginalized culture. Armed with such interesting facts on the history of film festivals, (did you know Stalin created the first film festival?) Rastegar added a lot of context to the origins and current state of film festivals. She also shared the behind the scenes conversations of film programmers when talking about films of color and the rueful tendency to dismiss these films because they aren’t so called ‘good enough’. She made no hesitation in pointing out that Tribeca Film Festival did not have one single black film in competition this year.
U.S. Latino Cinema: Welcome to the Bi-Literate Future - Presented by San Antonio Film Commission and Afci (Association of Film Commissions International)
I had the privilege of participating on this panel which was prefaced by a Univision spot highlighting their new campaign efforts of reaching a bi-lingual audience. In it, an old woman recalls being prevented from speaking her language as a child in school and then we cut to today’s young U.S. Latino man who flips from Spanish to English talking about his liking alternative band, The Strokes as much as Spanish-language pop rock band, Juanes.
What it was about: Our Latino population in the U.S. is now more than ever embracing a bi-lingual, or more importantly, a bi-literate culture. Will films reflect the changing demographic of the U.S. as a bi-literate (a Spanish and English language culture) be commercially successful and be able to find an audience? And perhaps more importantly, will the studio system be able to adapt to the successful strategies many in the independent world are using to create commercially viable content?
Douglas Spain (Star Maps, Walkout, Band of Brothers) is used to wearing multiple hats and so acted as both panelist and moderator. Spain offered up his experience as an actor/producer/director as a gay latino filmmaker who has successfully worked in independent film and studio and television mediums. His quest for staying true to himself with the roles and films he is making rang resonant to all.
Ralph Lopez, San Antonio filmmaker: The producer of Wolf which premiered at this year’s SXSW talked about his aim is to create and tell stories that transcend color. Like his provocative film about the complexities faced by the victim of a bishop’s inappropriate behavior, his collaborations with director black filmmaker Ya Ke Smith comes first and foremost from a place of telling moving stories.
Gabriela Tagliavini, filmmaker (Ladies Night, Without Men, The Mule: Having had big success with Spanish language film Ladies Night in 2006, Gabriela switched languages and directed Eva Longoria in the English language film,Without Men which sold to many international territories given Longoria’s international brand name. With her upcoming film, The Mule she is looking to take advantage of the crime action genre and star Sharon Stone to offer real commentary on immigration and the dangerous toll of the U.S. Mexico border.
Luis Reyes, historian and author of the comprehensive book, Hispanics in Hollywood: The old school gent on our panel made some slightly more conventional suggestions on how to make a successful bi-literate film like “know your audience” and attaching a well known actor to your film so you can market it.
I added my two cents and in retrospect I think my thoughts coincided with Rastegar’s in the proactive vein of here’s what we can-do positive approach of encouraging budding filmmakers to utilize genre (horror and gay U.S. Latino films stand out from the stack and are sought after by festival programs). I also asked my fellow panelists if they found the U.S. Latino filmmaking community as fragmented as I see it. Unlike Black or Lgbt film organizations I feel the U.S. Latino community has much more work in becoming inclusive within our distinct bi-lingual backgrounds in order to successfully empower and advocate for our films. Organizations like Nalip and Laliff were mentioned in answer. But in my opinion and with all respect, I find Nalip a bit cliquesh and lacking a younger pulse and generation of organizers, and Laliff is too inconsistent to make fundamental cultural change. Although we touched on the question of the challenges our community faces working in Spanish versus English I’m not sure we fully stayed on point in attempting to answer the ambitious subject and interesting talking points raised. But the audience seemed more the type of wanting basic advice on how to break into filmmaking so most questions and conversations was directed to the filmmakers on the panels and in that regard it was a successful exchange.
Café Latino presented by HBO and supported by University of Guadalajara Foundation
Made evident by the participating film clips that were shown before the panel there is much genre and story diversity in the Latino films at L.A. Film Fest this year. I’m especially happy the Festival recognizes the growing influence of the Mexican documentary by having selected Reportero by Bernardo Ruiz, Caniculaby Jose Alvarez and Drought by Evererdo Gonzalez. The panel was ostensibly about the Festival’s Latin American filmmakers and how they explore their roles as storytellers in an increasingly global world. With such a high number of panelists and so many interesting topics broached however, it left one wanting more time to engage with the personable talents onstage.
Reed Johnson encouraged the panelists to chime in at will which Alejandro Brugues, director of Cuban Zombie film, Juan of the Dead took full advantage of to defend big hollywood films like The Avengers, which Gonzalez initially brought up if only to point out the David and Goliath challenge filmmakers in Mexico face having to compete for screens against these big money backed blockbusters. Brugues set himself apart from the group by defending his love for the blockbuster which inspired him to direct films. Unlike his peers’ ‘artful’ films he considers his film strictly for public entertainment (he joked that his film is actually a documentary). Yet at the same time he admits he took advantage of the Zombie genre a la Romero to infuse it with his personal observations of contemporary Cuban society – which he would not have been able to shoot in Cuba otherwise.
Meanwhile Arturo Pons who was born in Mexico but has lived and worked in Spain for the past ten years described his conception for his surreal satire, The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man not necessarily about immigration but a visual canvas with which to paint the total disorientation that confronts Mexico. Ruiz talked about seeing himself as a ‘translator’ or vessel to tell stories. Alvarez talked about how he does not think of his audience as he makes his films however he does aspire to showcase Mexico Profundo in showing the vast and vibrant indigenous artistry and folklore and deliberately resisting the the media’s monopolized perpetuation of the drug violence and corruption. Lastly, Dominga Sotomayor, the 27 year old director of Thursday till Sunday whose next film Tarde Para Morir was selected to the first ever Sundance Mahindra Screenwriters Lab, added that like Mexico, in Chile there is a growing number of filmmakers but no real venues to find their audience.
L.A. Film Festival is going on through Sunday and a bunch of added screenings have been slotted. Check out film guide and buy tickets here.
- 6/20/2012
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
Blaze You Out Starts Production In New Mexico
Sandia Productions has begun principal photography of Blaze You Out, a dramatic thriller. The film is shooting for four weeks entirely in Rio Arriba County in New Mexico. This is the first feature for the Producer, former Disney executive, Alicia Keyes Touche. The film is co-written and directed by Mateo Frazier and Diego Joaquín López.
Blaze You Out stars breakout talents Veronica Diaz-Carranza (Mamitas, Taco Shop) and Melissa Cordero (Language of a Broken Heart) alongside award winning Elizabeth Pena (Jacob.s Ladder, The Incredibles, Tortilla Soup) and Jeremy Ray Valdez (Constantine, La Mission and Walkout) as well as industry veterans Raoul Trujillo (Cowboys and Aliens), Mark Adair Rios (Along Came Polly) and Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World, Princess Kaiulani).
Blaze You Out tells the story of Lupe, an aspiring DJ, and her sister Alicia; two young women struggling to make a living in the Esperanza Valley,...
Sandia Productions has begun principal photography of Blaze You Out, a dramatic thriller. The film is shooting for four weeks entirely in Rio Arriba County in New Mexico. This is the first feature for the Producer, former Disney executive, Alicia Keyes Touche. The film is co-written and directed by Mateo Frazier and Diego Joaquín López.
Blaze You Out stars breakout talents Veronica Diaz-Carranza (Mamitas, Taco Shop) and Melissa Cordero (Language of a Broken Heart) alongside award winning Elizabeth Pena (Jacob.s Ladder, The Incredibles, Tortilla Soup) and Jeremy Ray Valdez (Constantine, La Mission and Walkout) as well as industry veterans Raoul Trujillo (Cowboys and Aliens), Mark Adair Rios (Along Came Polly) and Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World, Princess Kaiulani).
Blaze You Out tells the story of Lupe, an aspiring DJ, and her sister Alicia; two young women struggling to make a living in the Esperanza Valley,...
- 9/26/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Directors of five cable movies nabbed the DGA's telefilm nominations Wednesday.
Those included Charles S. Dutton, for Sleeper Cell: American Terror, Home, which aired on Showtime; Randa Haines, for The Ron Clark Story, TNT; Walter Hill, for Broken Trail, AMC; Peter Markle, Flight 93, A&E; and Edward James Olmos, Walkout, HBO.
Nominations in other TV categories of the 59th annual DGA Awards will be announced Thursday.
Winners in all categories will be announced Feb. 3, when the DGA stages its annual awards gala at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City.
"The work of these five directors underscores the power and impact of an art form that, for more than four decades, has been a cultural touchstone connecting viewing audiences across the nation," DGA president Michael Apted said. "These five directors bring to life a wide range of characters while evoking the spirit and history of specific places and points in time. Each one of these films is a valuable addition to the rich history of directorial excellence found in movies for television."...
Those included Charles S. Dutton, for Sleeper Cell: American Terror, Home, which aired on Showtime; Randa Haines, for The Ron Clark Story, TNT; Walter Hill, for Broken Trail, AMC; Peter Markle, Flight 93, A&E; and Edward James Olmos, Walkout, HBO.
Nominations in other TV categories of the 59th annual DGA Awards will be announced Thursday.
Winners in all categories will be announced Feb. 3, when the DGA stages its annual awards gala at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City.
"The work of these five directors underscores the power and impact of an art form that, for more than four decades, has been a cultural touchstone connecting viewing audiences across the nation," DGA president Michael Apted said. "These five directors bring to life a wide range of characters while evoking the spirit and history of specific places and points in time. Each one of these films is a valuable addition to the rich history of directorial excellence found in movies for television."...
- 1/10/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MEXICO CITY -- This year's edition of Mexico's top movie showcase will have an increased presence of local pictures and a much stronger market, organizers of the Guadalajara International Film Festival said Thursday. In all, 175 features and 85 shorts will unspool at the 21st edition of the film fest; 34 of the full-length pictures and 36 of the shorts are Mexican productions. The festival opens March 24 with Carlos Saura's musical Iberia and closes March 31 with Edward James Olmos' Walkout. About 90% of the films in the lineup will be making their Mexico debuts.
- 3/16/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.