Fantastic Fest 2015 will include the second edition of the international co-production market Fantastic Market | Mercado Fantastico, and this year 15 projects have been selected. Read on for the full list!
The Fantastic Market | Mercado Fantastico runs September 18-20 in Austin, Texas. Fantastic Fest lead programmer Rodney Perkins and festival director Kristen Bell are heading up the effort. For more info on all of the below projects, visit FantasticFest.com/Projects.
Canana - the Mexican production outlet helmed by Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Pablo Cruz - is co-producing the market alongside filmmaker Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network. Cristina Garza, Vice President of Mundial, Canana's sales joint venture with Im Global, is sourcing projects from the region.
"The public response to this year's call for submissions was astounding," says market director Perkins. "The 15 selected projects represent a diverse mix of talent from the United States and abroad. We are extremely...
The Fantastic Market | Mercado Fantastico runs September 18-20 in Austin, Texas. Fantastic Fest lead programmer Rodney Perkins and festival director Kristen Bell are heading up the effort. For more info on all of the below projects, visit FantasticFest.com/Projects.
Canana - the Mexican production outlet helmed by Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Pablo Cruz - is co-producing the market alongside filmmaker Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network. Cristina Garza, Vice President of Mundial, Canana's sales joint venture with Im Global, is sourcing projects from the region.
"The public response to this year's call for submissions was astounding," says market director Perkins. "The 15 selected projects represent a diverse mix of talent from the United States and abroad. We are extremely...
- 8/9/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
'Las Marthas' follows two young women as they prepare to 'debut' at a Colonial Ball hosted by the elite Society of Martha Washington. The Ball is held each year in a month long celebration of George Washington's birthday. And these Mexican-Americans do not mess around when it comes to celebrating ol' Georgie's birthday. They go in. Elaborate one-of--a-kind gowns and all. Yes, Mexican-Americans celebrating the birth of a man who pretty much stretched the border a little further south to claim territories that once belonged to Mexico. This is not 'Bizarro World'. It's Laredo, Texas. What makes 'Las Marthas' unique is Chicana filmmaker Cristina Ibarra's skillful and mindful exploration of the complexities to find a fascinating coming of age story culturally steeped in history.
LatinoBuzz: If one is to judge by what's been show on film and television, it seems the border stories all have a recurring theme and there was little originality left. How did you stay away from the “other” Laredo, Texas border stories as much as possible?
Cristina Ibarra: Growing up along the Us/Mx border in El Paso, Texas I felt somewhat alienated by what I saw on television in both Mexico and the United States. Especially when it was news reports about the border region. But I didn’t really have the tools to express this discontent until I left home. Now that I am a filmmaker, I enjoy telling stories that break down some of the more common stereotypes. My producing partner, Erin Ploss-Campoamor, likes to quote novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who has this great Ted talk about the danger of perpetuating a “single story” about a culture. We feel like our film breaks down that “single story” about the border, and Latinos in particular. Which is not to say that we are dismissing the importance of films about immigration, the drug war or violence. We are simply adding a new voice to the mix. Deepening our perceptions about not just the border region and Latinos, but also reminding ourselves that as Americans, we live with multiple identities within us. My goal is to make films that embrace the nuances and contradictions of these many different stories.
LatinoBuzz: You've explored Documentaries and Narratives now, what's the biggest difference in your approach or even what are the similarities?
Cristina Ibarra: I feel like I use many of the same building blocks when it comes to story. For example, in both documentary and fiction films, we need to set up the world, connect with the protagonists, and understand their conflict. That is useful in both kinds of films, even if the production approach varies. Of course, the most striking difference is that in fiction, you have more control of the story before you go into production. You can build all of the necessary creative relationships before going into “battle,” so to speak. My documentary productions have evolved much more slowly, as I have gradually built relationships with my subjects. This kind of production is much more intimate. The relationship is a collaboration, as it develops, the story deepens. So the production process can be quite long. Documentaries work when you are able to capture and connect with a real person who is letting you into their world. But I feel like those skills translate well into narrative fiction films as well, where I often try to achieve a similar level of authenticity.
LatinoBuzz: What type of Stories do you want to keep creating?
Cristina Ibarra: Complex, nuanced stories…hybrids. I love exploring the borderland contradictions of my childhood. I enjoy working in both fiction and documentary. I want to continue to do both. But I’m also eager to experiment some day with combining the two and building a hybrid film. My childhood playgrounds were my father’s junkyards, or yonkes, one in Juarez, Mexico, the other in El Paso, Texas. I want to use his yonke as a metaphorical inspiration to mix and match used parts from my documentary and fiction work and recycle these elements into a new kind of storytelling approach. Erin and I have been talking about how we might do that in our next film 'Love & Monster Trucks'.
LatinoBuzz: How did you settle on these protagonists? Did you become close or keep a distance to allow them to be themselves?
Cristina Ibarra: As soon as I saw the colonial ball gowns that Linda Leyendecker Gutierrez designs, I was captivated. Then I was lucky, because I was able to meet many of the debutantes in Linda’s studio, when they came to get their gowns fitted. It was an incredible opportunity, because I was able to talk to these girls as they were undergoing this amazing transformation into young women. They were being taught how to present a very polished exterior. They were getting lessons in etiquette, how they speak to their elders, how to talk to the media. And here they are, meeting this strange filmmaker who is asking them to open up, and basically do the exact opposite of what they have just been taught. It was not easy. So I ended up following the two girls who opened up to me the most: Laura Garza Hovel, a legacy daughter, and Rosario Reyes, a guest representing Nuevo Laredo. And they naturally became the protagonists of the film. We just got lucky that they happened to come from two different positions in Society, because it helped create a richer and more complex coming-of-age portrait.
LatinoBuzz: Do you think perhaps, that maybe another filmmaker with a different sensibility or a different ideology might look on this Colonial Pageant and Ball in a much more negative light and shape the film in such a manner of how it may look to an outsider who is merely taking it at face value.
Cristina Ibarra: There have already been those kinds of news stories about the celebration, in which journalists portrayed the debutantes as frivolous, and questioned why their event was so expensive, considering all of the social and economic ills along the border. So the Society was very nervous about opening themselves up to criticism again. But I saw many other dimensions to the story that might not be so obvious to someone who just quickly parachutes in to cover the controversy and then leaves. My intention was always to examine this coming-of-age story in a much more intimate, complex and nuanced way. I absolutely agree that another filmmaker would bring another sensibility to the story. But it was important for me to stay true to my original intentions, even if it meant making a different kind of film than people expected.
LatinoBuzz: What type of Stories do you want to keep creating?
Cristina Ibarra: Complex, nuanced stories…hybrids. I love exploring the borderland contradictions of my childhood. I enjoy working in both fiction and documentary. I want to continue to do both. But I’m also eager to experiment some day with combining the two and building a hybrid film. My childhood playgrounds were my father’s junkyards, or 'yonkes', one in Juarez, Mexico, the other in El Paso, Texas. I want to use his yonke as a metaphorical inspiration to mix and match used parts from my documentary and fiction work and recycle these elements into a new kind of storytelling approach. Erin and I have been talking about how we might do that in our next film 'Love & Monster Trucks'.
LatinoBuzz: You have an impressive crew of notable filmmakers in their own right. How did you manage to get them to take this ride with you?
Cristina Ibarra: Sometimes the timing works out just right so that some of my best and most loved friends have been able to join me in between working on their own films. Natalia Almada, Eddie Martinez, Ray Santisteban, Craig Mardsen, Prashant Bhargava and, of course, Erin Ploss-Campoamor, all have their own stellar track records as filmmakers in their own right. Each relationship is different, but there is always love there. We each have to trust that we will bring our specific skills to the same vision. Filmmaking is a team effort for me. I love collaborating and working with friends who know what I am trying to do and love me for it.
LatinoBuzz: What is truth to you when it comes to writing?
Cristina Ibarra: Wow, this is a good question. Truth is an ideal and a principle to follow when writing. It doesn’t always look the same to every one person, but you know you have achieved it when your work connects with an audience. That spark of recognition and connection can be transformative.
LatinoBuzz: Who influences you aesthetically in both documentary and narrative?
Cristina Ibarra: All of my filmmaking friends influence my work in both forms. But there is one visionary artist, Lourdes Portillo, who has always been a beacon of light for me. She has such a wicked and brilliant sense of humor in all of her work. I also love that she is undeniably hybrid in her approach.
LatinoBuzz: I know you personally: As a Selena fan, did you hate Jennifer Lopez being cast in the movie? Did you hold that Selena lunch box of yours close to you and rock back and forth at night like a crumbling mess?
Cristina Ibarra: You are right, it is hard to please a Selena fan! I think I am in the minority here among my Chicana friends, but I actually really enjoy Jennifer Lopez as an actress, especially as Selena. She owned that role. I have some friends who worked on that film and we all love Jennifer Lopez from way back before she became J-Lo.
Watch Las Marthas for a limited time online and for local listings visit: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/las-marthas/film.html & dig: https://www.facebook.com/lasmarthasmovie for further updates!
Written by Juan Caceres . 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 [At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook .
LatinoBuzz: If one is to judge by what's been show on film and television, it seems the border stories all have a recurring theme and there was little originality left. How did you stay away from the “other” Laredo, Texas border stories as much as possible?
Cristina Ibarra: Growing up along the Us/Mx border in El Paso, Texas I felt somewhat alienated by what I saw on television in both Mexico and the United States. Especially when it was news reports about the border region. But I didn’t really have the tools to express this discontent until I left home. Now that I am a filmmaker, I enjoy telling stories that break down some of the more common stereotypes. My producing partner, Erin Ploss-Campoamor, likes to quote novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who has this great Ted talk about the danger of perpetuating a “single story” about a culture. We feel like our film breaks down that “single story” about the border, and Latinos in particular. Which is not to say that we are dismissing the importance of films about immigration, the drug war or violence. We are simply adding a new voice to the mix. Deepening our perceptions about not just the border region and Latinos, but also reminding ourselves that as Americans, we live with multiple identities within us. My goal is to make films that embrace the nuances and contradictions of these many different stories.
LatinoBuzz: You've explored Documentaries and Narratives now, what's the biggest difference in your approach or even what are the similarities?
Cristina Ibarra: I feel like I use many of the same building blocks when it comes to story. For example, in both documentary and fiction films, we need to set up the world, connect with the protagonists, and understand their conflict. That is useful in both kinds of films, even if the production approach varies. Of course, the most striking difference is that in fiction, you have more control of the story before you go into production. You can build all of the necessary creative relationships before going into “battle,” so to speak. My documentary productions have evolved much more slowly, as I have gradually built relationships with my subjects. This kind of production is much more intimate. The relationship is a collaboration, as it develops, the story deepens. So the production process can be quite long. Documentaries work when you are able to capture and connect with a real person who is letting you into their world. But I feel like those skills translate well into narrative fiction films as well, where I often try to achieve a similar level of authenticity.
LatinoBuzz: What type of Stories do you want to keep creating?
Cristina Ibarra: Complex, nuanced stories…hybrids. I love exploring the borderland contradictions of my childhood. I enjoy working in both fiction and documentary. I want to continue to do both. But I’m also eager to experiment some day with combining the two and building a hybrid film. My childhood playgrounds were my father’s junkyards, or yonkes, one in Juarez, Mexico, the other in El Paso, Texas. I want to use his yonke as a metaphorical inspiration to mix and match used parts from my documentary and fiction work and recycle these elements into a new kind of storytelling approach. Erin and I have been talking about how we might do that in our next film 'Love & Monster Trucks'.
LatinoBuzz: How did you settle on these protagonists? Did you become close or keep a distance to allow them to be themselves?
Cristina Ibarra: As soon as I saw the colonial ball gowns that Linda Leyendecker Gutierrez designs, I was captivated. Then I was lucky, because I was able to meet many of the debutantes in Linda’s studio, when they came to get their gowns fitted. It was an incredible opportunity, because I was able to talk to these girls as they were undergoing this amazing transformation into young women. They were being taught how to present a very polished exterior. They were getting lessons in etiquette, how they speak to their elders, how to talk to the media. And here they are, meeting this strange filmmaker who is asking them to open up, and basically do the exact opposite of what they have just been taught. It was not easy. So I ended up following the two girls who opened up to me the most: Laura Garza Hovel, a legacy daughter, and Rosario Reyes, a guest representing Nuevo Laredo. And they naturally became the protagonists of the film. We just got lucky that they happened to come from two different positions in Society, because it helped create a richer and more complex coming-of-age portrait.
LatinoBuzz: Do you think perhaps, that maybe another filmmaker with a different sensibility or a different ideology might look on this Colonial Pageant and Ball in a much more negative light and shape the film in such a manner of how it may look to an outsider who is merely taking it at face value.
Cristina Ibarra: There have already been those kinds of news stories about the celebration, in which journalists portrayed the debutantes as frivolous, and questioned why their event was so expensive, considering all of the social and economic ills along the border. So the Society was very nervous about opening themselves up to criticism again. But I saw many other dimensions to the story that might not be so obvious to someone who just quickly parachutes in to cover the controversy and then leaves. My intention was always to examine this coming-of-age story in a much more intimate, complex and nuanced way. I absolutely agree that another filmmaker would bring another sensibility to the story. But it was important for me to stay true to my original intentions, even if it meant making a different kind of film than people expected.
LatinoBuzz: What type of Stories do you want to keep creating?
Cristina Ibarra: Complex, nuanced stories…hybrids. I love exploring the borderland contradictions of my childhood. I enjoy working in both fiction and documentary. I want to continue to do both. But I’m also eager to experiment some day with combining the two and building a hybrid film. My childhood playgrounds were my father’s junkyards, or 'yonkes', one in Juarez, Mexico, the other in El Paso, Texas. I want to use his yonke as a metaphorical inspiration to mix and match used parts from my documentary and fiction work and recycle these elements into a new kind of storytelling approach. Erin and I have been talking about how we might do that in our next film 'Love & Monster Trucks'.
LatinoBuzz: You have an impressive crew of notable filmmakers in their own right. How did you manage to get them to take this ride with you?
Cristina Ibarra: Sometimes the timing works out just right so that some of my best and most loved friends have been able to join me in between working on their own films. Natalia Almada, Eddie Martinez, Ray Santisteban, Craig Mardsen, Prashant Bhargava and, of course, Erin Ploss-Campoamor, all have their own stellar track records as filmmakers in their own right. Each relationship is different, but there is always love there. We each have to trust that we will bring our specific skills to the same vision. Filmmaking is a team effort for me. I love collaborating and working with friends who know what I am trying to do and love me for it.
LatinoBuzz: What is truth to you when it comes to writing?
Cristina Ibarra: Wow, this is a good question. Truth is an ideal and a principle to follow when writing. It doesn’t always look the same to every one person, but you know you have achieved it when your work connects with an audience. That spark of recognition and connection can be transformative.
LatinoBuzz: Who influences you aesthetically in both documentary and narrative?
Cristina Ibarra: All of my filmmaking friends influence my work in both forms. But there is one visionary artist, Lourdes Portillo, who has always been a beacon of light for me. She has such a wicked and brilliant sense of humor in all of her work. I also love that she is undeniably hybrid in her approach.
LatinoBuzz: I know you personally: As a Selena fan, did you hate Jennifer Lopez being cast in the movie? Did you hold that Selena lunch box of yours close to you and rock back and forth at night like a crumbling mess?
Cristina Ibarra: You are right, it is hard to please a Selena fan! I think I am in the minority here among my Chicana friends, but I actually really enjoy Jennifer Lopez as an actress, especially as Selena. She owned that role. I have some friends who worked on that film and we all love Jennifer Lopez from way back before she became J-Lo.
Watch Las Marthas for a limited time online and for local listings visit: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/las-marthas/film.html & dig: https://www.facebook.com/lasmarthasmovie for further updates!
Written by Juan Caceres . 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 [At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook .
- 2/19/2014
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
Last week I offered up my top 5 fiction films to look out for in 2013, and as promised, here is my non-fiction list of films coming through the pipeline bound to make an impression and impact this year. Two are profiles of influential iconic American activists whose work and spirit have left indelible marks on their generation and reintroduction through the docs will serve to celebrate and carry on their positive influence as Latinos. The other films deal with redefining our perception of American identity, gender and human rights while wielding cinematic ingenuity and power. As these films prove, docs can be just as striking in their characterization and cinematic form as their fiction counterparts, in addition to their intrinsic educational value. Take note, all of these are seeking opportunities to engage with their audiences so again click on the links to follow and show your interest in their work so we can bring awareness and demand their exhibition.
1. Las Marthas by Cristina Ibarra, produced by Erin Ploss-Campoamor
In Laredo Texas, there exists a debutante ball held by the exclusive Society of Martha Washington that takes place every year celebrating George Washington's birthday. A 114 year-old tradition, the lavish affair presents members' daughters- all of aristocratic pedigree and lineage dating back to the foundation of Texas, who dress up in grand, colonial gowns representing characters from the American Revolution. Las Marthas follows a couple of high achieving, bi-literate and conscious young Mexican Americans going through the lengthy preparations as they enter this rite of passage that ends with a parade that draws huge crowds. What's especially remarkable about the whole patriotic event is that we are talking about a city that is 94% Latino. Laredo became part of Texas in 1848, when everything north of the Rio Grande became the United States. Many families who stayed, benefited off the oil boom and settled into an upper class aristocracy. Many generations later these are still the most prominent Laredo citizens and proud bearers of this historic tradition.
I'm so proud of this chicana sister for revealing this world. She has intuitively seized on and explored this unique legacy, which clearly demonstrates the vibrant bi-culture of Texas and shows how aptly the founding father narrative belongs to Mexican Americans. She is also working on a fiction feature titled Love and Monster Trucks about an 18-year-old Chicana artist named Impala Mata who can't wait to escape her 4x4 truck-obsessed, Texas bordertown family. Sounds so cool. Need to track that one too. Filmmakers website here
2. Cesar'S Last Fast by Richard Ray Perez, produced by Molly O'Brien
Back in the Spring on Chavez's anniversary I wrote about this documentary in progress here on the site. Cut to today and I’m happy to share it is just about ripe and ready for its premiere. Wisely and effectively entering the vast legacy by angling on Chavez's 1988 Fast for Life, the film focuses on conveying the private sacrifice and spiritual conviction behind Chavez's struggle for the humane treatment of American farm workers. With each and every day adding up that he refused to eat in protest of the rampant use and ill effects of growers spraying pesticides on farm workers, Chavez seriously risked his health and life and in turn inspired a nation. It boasts never-before-seen footage in which artists and activists came to see him, endeared in solidarity by his fortitude, including the likes of Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Kennedy family, interviews with his son Paul Chavez, Chicano filmmaker Luis Valdez, activist veteran, Dolores Huerta and Martin Sheen, along with showing the press hoopla this man was able to attract back then It’s taken years for the family to trust someone with his story so it’s telling that Rick has managed to gain their support.
Film contact <CesarsLastFast@earthlink.net>
Website, Facebook
3. Ruben Salazar: Man In The Middle by Phillip Rodriguez, produced by City Projects
On August 29 1970, just as the Chicano Moratorium March, a protest denouncing the extremely high number of Chicano soldier casualties in Vietnam (front of the line browns), was winding down, a tear gas canister was suddenly thrown by La County police into the old Silver Platter Cafe on Whittier Blvd, killing the pioneering civil rights journalist Ruben Salazar. Set to broadcast on PBS in the Fall, this documentary is the first thorough investigation into the life and mysterious death of Salazar who was raised in El Paso and went on to become a brilliant reporter covering Vietnam, the Olympics and the Chicano movement for the La Times and Kmex TV 34 television, making him the first Mexican American to cover news for mainstream outlets. In that critical and turbulent moment in the Chicano rights movement, Salazar gave voice, rationale and dignity to Chicanos’ fight to demand equality. An inquest was later regarding his untimely death made but murder charges were never brought. Instead Los Angeles County paid $700,000 to the Salazar family to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit.
Just last month, after two years of requests, Philip Rodriguez finally won the battle to uncover case details when Maldefsued Sheriff Lee Baca for withholding unredacted records regarding the 42 year old case. This new unearthed footage, photos and documents will appear in the film along with interviews with Salazar’s family, friends, colleagues as well as the deputy who threw the fatal tear gas missile, Tom Wilson. So the story goes, there had been allegedly a tip that an armed man entered the bar (hence blindly throwing tear gas while folks were in there?). For the first time we might get answers and insight surrounding the mysterious and suspicious circumstances of this leading Latino voice. As quoted on Kpcc, Phillip Rodriguez says, “I think this is one of the most important stories that has remained on the margins and that has been characterized as a regional or an ethnic story and it’s a fantastic American story”.
4. The Wildness by Wu Tsang produced by Kathy Rivkin
Although this premiered at a few noteworthy film festivals in 2012 including Austin's SXSW, Outfest in Los Angeles and Moma in NYC last December, I’m thrilled to know there is still a long life ahead towards sharing this beautiful experience with the public so it definitely deserves to be on the Watch Out For list. A dazzling requiem to the 7th & Alvarado corner bar joint, Silver Platter, specifically the transformation and haven as a Latin/Lgbt/immigrant community spurred on by the introduction of performance parties known as Wildness, produced by a fiercely talented collective including Wu Tsang, the director of the film. The intersection of stories and people borne out of that multi cultural, trans and cross-generational magic potion is fascinating and poignant to behold in this cinematic and audiovisual piece. The cinematography captures the wonderful and tragic beauty, and by personifying the bar as a majestic hostess welcoming all wayward transients, the film pulses with heart. Currently looking for distribution opportunities (repped by Cinetic). Check out the trailer below and go to the Facebook for more info.
5. Who Is Dayani Crystal? by Marc Silver, produced by Canana and Pulse
I highlighted this unique docu-drama about the discovery of a migrant found dead in the border desert and the unfolding mystery of his identity with the parallel of retracing his journey, as part of my Wtf is Latino at Sundance post. The film will open the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival this Thursday and I will be onsite to cover the audience's reaction (Don't forget to follow me on twitter for my sporadic Sff coverage). Not only is it a feat of ingenuity in the way the narrative is structured, it's an extremely urgent topic deserving a larger audience to provoke more humanity and thought into the pressing immigration reform debate. I guarantee this one will travel to many festivals in 2012 and get theatrical distribution, in no small part helped by the compassionate and driven producer and narrator, Gael Garcia Bernal. Last year, Searching for Sugarman screened in the same Day One screening slot, was subsequently snapped up by Sony Pictures and as of last week officially nominated for an Academy Award. Hmmmm. Get updates by following their twitter @DayaniCristal
Film Contact: lucas@pulsefilms.co.uk...
1. Las Marthas by Cristina Ibarra, produced by Erin Ploss-Campoamor
In Laredo Texas, there exists a debutante ball held by the exclusive Society of Martha Washington that takes place every year celebrating George Washington's birthday. A 114 year-old tradition, the lavish affair presents members' daughters- all of aristocratic pedigree and lineage dating back to the foundation of Texas, who dress up in grand, colonial gowns representing characters from the American Revolution. Las Marthas follows a couple of high achieving, bi-literate and conscious young Mexican Americans going through the lengthy preparations as they enter this rite of passage that ends with a parade that draws huge crowds. What's especially remarkable about the whole patriotic event is that we are talking about a city that is 94% Latino. Laredo became part of Texas in 1848, when everything north of the Rio Grande became the United States. Many families who stayed, benefited off the oil boom and settled into an upper class aristocracy. Many generations later these are still the most prominent Laredo citizens and proud bearers of this historic tradition.
I'm so proud of this chicana sister for revealing this world. She has intuitively seized on and explored this unique legacy, which clearly demonstrates the vibrant bi-culture of Texas and shows how aptly the founding father narrative belongs to Mexican Americans. She is also working on a fiction feature titled Love and Monster Trucks about an 18-year-old Chicana artist named Impala Mata who can't wait to escape her 4x4 truck-obsessed, Texas bordertown family. Sounds so cool. Need to track that one too. Filmmakers website here
2. Cesar'S Last Fast by Richard Ray Perez, produced by Molly O'Brien
Back in the Spring on Chavez's anniversary I wrote about this documentary in progress here on the site. Cut to today and I’m happy to share it is just about ripe and ready for its premiere. Wisely and effectively entering the vast legacy by angling on Chavez's 1988 Fast for Life, the film focuses on conveying the private sacrifice and spiritual conviction behind Chavez's struggle for the humane treatment of American farm workers. With each and every day adding up that he refused to eat in protest of the rampant use and ill effects of growers spraying pesticides on farm workers, Chavez seriously risked his health and life and in turn inspired a nation. It boasts never-before-seen footage in which artists and activists came to see him, endeared in solidarity by his fortitude, including the likes of Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Kennedy family, interviews with his son Paul Chavez, Chicano filmmaker Luis Valdez, activist veteran, Dolores Huerta and Martin Sheen, along with showing the press hoopla this man was able to attract back then It’s taken years for the family to trust someone with his story so it’s telling that Rick has managed to gain their support.
Film contact <CesarsLastFast@earthlink.net>
Website, Facebook
3. Ruben Salazar: Man In The Middle by Phillip Rodriguez, produced by City Projects
On August 29 1970, just as the Chicano Moratorium March, a protest denouncing the extremely high number of Chicano soldier casualties in Vietnam (front of the line browns), was winding down, a tear gas canister was suddenly thrown by La County police into the old Silver Platter Cafe on Whittier Blvd, killing the pioneering civil rights journalist Ruben Salazar. Set to broadcast on PBS in the Fall, this documentary is the first thorough investigation into the life and mysterious death of Salazar who was raised in El Paso and went on to become a brilliant reporter covering Vietnam, the Olympics and the Chicano movement for the La Times and Kmex TV 34 television, making him the first Mexican American to cover news for mainstream outlets. In that critical and turbulent moment in the Chicano rights movement, Salazar gave voice, rationale and dignity to Chicanos’ fight to demand equality. An inquest was later regarding his untimely death made but murder charges were never brought. Instead Los Angeles County paid $700,000 to the Salazar family to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit.
Just last month, after two years of requests, Philip Rodriguez finally won the battle to uncover case details when Maldefsued Sheriff Lee Baca for withholding unredacted records regarding the 42 year old case. This new unearthed footage, photos and documents will appear in the film along with interviews with Salazar’s family, friends, colleagues as well as the deputy who threw the fatal tear gas missile, Tom Wilson. So the story goes, there had been allegedly a tip that an armed man entered the bar (hence blindly throwing tear gas while folks were in there?). For the first time we might get answers and insight surrounding the mysterious and suspicious circumstances of this leading Latino voice. As quoted on Kpcc, Phillip Rodriguez says, “I think this is one of the most important stories that has remained on the margins and that has been characterized as a regional or an ethnic story and it’s a fantastic American story”.
4. The Wildness by Wu Tsang produced by Kathy Rivkin
Although this premiered at a few noteworthy film festivals in 2012 including Austin's SXSW, Outfest in Los Angeles and Moma in NYC last December, I’m thrilled to know there is still a long life ahead towards sharing this beautiful experience with the public so it definitely deserves to be on the Watch Out For list. A dazzling requiem to the 7th & Alvarado corner bar joint, Silver Platter, specifically the transformation and haven as a Latin/Lgbt/immigrant community spurred on by the introduction of performance parties known as Wildness, produced by a fiercely talented collective including Wu Tsang, the director of the film. The intersection of stories and people borne out of that multi cultural, trans and cross-generational magic potion is fascinating and poignant to behold in this cinematic and audiovisual piece. The cinematography captures the wonderful and tragic beauty, and by personifying the bar as a majestic hostess welcoming all wayward transients, the film pulses with heart. Currently looking for distribution opportunities (repped by Cinetic). Check out the trailer below and go to the Facebook for more info.
5. Who Is Dayani Crystal? by Marc Silver, produced by Canana and Pulse
I highlighted this unique docu-drama about the discovery of a migrant found dead in the border desert and the unfolding mystery of his identity with the parallel of retracing his journey, as part of my Wtf is Latino at Sundance post. The film will open the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival this Thursday and I will be onsite to cover the audience's reaction (Don't forget to follow me on twitter for my sporadic Sff coverage). Not only is it a feat of ingenuity in the way the narrative is structured, it's an extremely urgent topic deserving a larger audience to provoke more humanity and thought into the pressing immigration reform debate. I guarantee this one will travel to many festivals in 2012 and get theatrical distribution, in no small part helped by the compassionate and driven producer and narrator, Gael Garcia Bernal. Last year, Searching for Sugarman screened in the same Day One screening slot, was subsequently snapped up by Sony Pictures and as of last week officially nominated for an Academy Award. Hmmmm. Get updates by following their twitter @DayaniCristal
Film Contact: lucas@pulsefilms.co.uk...
- 1/17/2013
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
HollywoodNews.com: The Tribeca Film Institute (Tfi) announced the award winners for the Tfi Latin America Media Arts Fund and first-ever Heineken Voces grant at a celebration over the weekend for Latin American filmmakers during the Tribeca Film Festival. The funds, totaling $60,000, support innovative Latin American film and video artists to help them explore stories reflecting diverse cultures and gain exposure in the film industry.
The Tfi Latin America Media Arts Fund awards $10,000 grants to animation, documentary, or hybrid feature-length films in advanced development, production or post-production from filmmakers living and working in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. Grantees also receive exclusive guidance from Tfi to ensure that each film reaches completion and enters the U.S. marketplace from the best possible vantage point. The Fund is sponsored by Moviecity and Canacine.
“We are proud to support this year’s Latin America Fund and Heineken Voces winners, and...
The Tfi Latin America Media Arts Fund awards $10,000 grants to animation, documentary, or hybrid feature-length films in advanced development, production or post-production from filmmakers living and working in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. Grantees also receive exclusive guidance from Tfi to ensure that each film reaches completion and enters the U.S. marketplace from the best possible vantage point. The Fund is sponsored by Moviecity and Canacine.
“We are proud to support this year’s Latin America Fund and Heineken Voces winners, and...
- 4/23/2012
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
In a follow-up to Samuel Zimmerman's interview with Director Pablo Proenza and his wife/Producer Erin Ploss-Campoamor in the current Fangoria #285 (on-sale now), Fango's Matt Molgaard catches up with actress Lisa Vidal (of ER, and the recent Star Trek) to discuss her starring turn in Dark Mirror - which won over fans at Fango's recent Los Angeles Weekend of Horrors, and has quickly become the most watched film in the history of IFC Films Festival Direct Video-on-Demand platform.
Fangoria/Matt Molgaard: For those who haven’t seen the film; how would you describe Dark Mirror?
Lisa Vidal: I kind of see it as a psychological thriller, and I really see a real story. That’s why I loved the script when I read it. It had a real story in dealing with real issues. So you know, I just see it as this real story that turns into a rollercoaster ride,...
Fangoria/Matt Molgaard: For those who haven’t seen the film; how would you describe Dark Mirror?
Lisa Vidal: I kind of see it as a psychological thriller, and I really see a real story. That’s why I loved the script when I read it. It had a real story in dealing with real issues. So you know, I just see it as this real story that turns into a rollercoaster ride,...
- 7/15/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Matt Molgaard)
- Fangoria
Pablo Proenza and Erin Ploss-Campoamor of Cut Glass Productions have sold their film Dark Mirror, a feature length supernatural thriller, to IFC Films, which has scheduled a May 6th date for its release on "Movies on Demand" as part of "IFC in Theaters" service. The film stars Lisa Vidal, David Chisum, Christine Lakin and Lupe Ontiveros. Variety said of the film: "tour-de-force performance," "excellent!," "a spin on the genre."
Watch the trailer at -- http://www.vimeo.com/4113686
With a broadcast premiere of May 6th approaching the husband and wife creative team are fanning out next week to bring added fanbase attention to the project. Pablo will be participating on a panel about the film at Fangoria's Weekend Of Horrors (http://tinyurl.com/cg7mjp) at the La Convention Center, while Erin presses the flesh at the National Association of Latino Independent Producer's (Nalip) 10th anniversary conference (http://www.nalip.
Watch the trailer at -- http://www.vimeo.com/4113686
With a broadcast premiere of May 6th approaching the husband and wife creative team are fanning out next week to bring added fanbase attention to the project. Pablo will be participating on a panel about the film at Fangoria's Weekend Of Horrors (http://tinyurl.com/cg7mjp) at the La Convention Center, while Erin presses the flesh at the National Association of Latino Independent Producer's (Nalip) 10th anniversary conference (http://www.nalip.
- 4/14/2009
- by noreply@blogger.com (LATIN HORROR)
- Latin Horror
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