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
Prime Video got off to a fast start this summer with the release of The Boys season 3 on June 3. Now, as we enter the dog days, Prime Video is set to keep the warm weather good times rolling with a new twist on an old classic. That’s right, Amazon’s list of new releases for August 2022 is highlighted by some good old-fashioned baseball.
A League of Their Own, the TV adaptation of Penny Marshall’s 1992 movie, is set to premiere on Aug. 12. Like the movie before it, the series will dramatize the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League which saw women playing America’s pastime while the major leagues were on pause for World War II. Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) co-created the show and will star as catcher Carson Shaw.
Other Prime Video Originals of note this month include season 2 of British comedy The Outlaws on and the Ron Howard-directed Thirteen Lives,...
A League of Their Own, the TV adaptation of Penny Marshall’s 1992 movie, is set to premiere on Aug. 12. Like the movie before it, the series will dramatize the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League which saw women playing America’s pastime while the major leagues were on pause for World War II. Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) co-created the show and will star as catcher Carson Shaw.
Other Prime Video Originals of note this month include season 2 of British comedy The Outlaws on and the Ron Howard-directed Thirteen Lives,...
- 8/1/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: Kate Del Castillo, the Mexican actress who stars in Telemundo’s hit drama La Reina del Sur, has signed with Buchwald.
One of the highest rated Spanish-language series in the world, La Reina del Sur adapts the bestseller by Spanish novelist Arturo Perez-Reverte. In the crime drama, which recently wrapped filming for Season 3, Del Castillo plays Teresa Mendonza, a woman from Mexico who becomes the most powerful drug trafficker in southern Spain.
Castillo recently completed a two-series deal with Telemundo. Her production company, Cholawood, has a first-look development deal with Boomdog, the Mexico City-based division of Endemol Shine North America.
The actress starred opposite Will Smith as the villain in Sony’s Bad Boys for Life, also recently featuring on NBC’s sitcom Mr. Mayor, from creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, and the Netflix animated series Maya and the Three, created by Jorge R. Gutiérrez. She gained notoriety...
One of the highest rated Spanish-language series in the world, La Reina del Sur adapts the bestseller by Spanish novelist Arturo Perez-Reverte. In the crime drama, which recently wrapped filming for Season 3, Del Castillo plays Teresa Mendonza, a woman from Mexico who becomes the most powerful drug trafficker in southern Spain.
Castillo recently completed a two-series deal with Telemundo. Her production company, Cholawood, has a first-look development deal with Boomdog, the Mexico City-based division of Endemol Shine North America.
The actress starred opposite Will Smith as the villain in Sony’s Bad Boys for Life, also recently featuring on NBC’s sitcom Mr. Mayor, from creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, and the Netflix animated series Maya and the Three, created by Jorge R. Gutiérrez. She gained notoriety...
- 3/21/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Eva Longoria’s prestige project “Flamin’ Hot,” about the inventor of the spicy Cheetos snack, has found its stars in actors Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez.
An award-winning actor and prolific TV director, Longoria is ramping up to a feature directorial era with the Searchlight project, which tells the inspirational story of Richard Montañez. A janitor at Frito Lay, Montañez took inspiration from his Mexican American heritage to create the wildly popular snack Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Garcia will play Montañez and Gonzalez will portray his wife Judy. Additionally, Linda Yvette Chavez has taken a pass on the script from writer Lewis Colick (“October Sky”). Chavez is the acclaimed creator of the Netflix original series “Gentefied,” and also adapted the upcoming directorial debut from America Ferrera, the Netflix original “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.”
Longoria said it has been “my biggest priority to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically.
An award-winning actor and prolific TV director, Longoria is ramping up to a feature directorial era with the Searchlight project, which tells the inspirational story of Richard Montañez. A janitor at Frito Lay, Montañez took inspiration from his Mexican American heritage to create the wildly popular snack Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Garcia will play Montañez and Gonzalez will portray his wife Judy. Additionally, Linda Yvette Chavez has taken a pass on the script from writer Lewis Colick (“October Sky”). Chavez is the acclaimed creator of the Netflix original series “Gentefied,” and also adapted the upcoming directorial debut from America Ferrera, the Netflix original “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.”
Longoria said it has been “my biggest priority to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically.
- 5/4/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Jesse Garcia from Quinceañera will play Richard Montanez, the architect of the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto, and Annie Gonzalez of Gentefied will portray his wife, Judy, in Eva Longoria feature directorial debut Flamin’ Hot from Searchlight Pictures and Franklin Entertainment.
As Deadline first told you about the movie, Flamin’ Hot tells the true life story of Richard Montanez, the Frito Lay janitor who took inspiration from his Mexican American heritage to create Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the snack that disrupted the food industry and became a pop culture phenomenon. Desperate Housewives actress and Telenovela, Grand Hotel, and Devious Maids EP Longoria beat out several directors for the job after impressing Franklin and Searchlight with her authentic approach to the project.
Said Longoria in a statement, “It has been my biggest priority to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically. I am so happy to have two extremely talented and...
As Deadline first told you about the movie, Flamin’ Hot tells the true life story of Richard Montanez, the Frito Lay janitor who took inspiration from his Mexican American heritage to create Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the snack that disrupted the food industry and became a pop culture phenomenon. Desperate Housewives actress and Telenovela, Grand Hotel, and Devious Maids EP Longoria beat out several directors for the job after impressing Franklin and Searchlight with her authentic approach to the project.
Said Longoria in a statement, “It has been my biggest priority to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically. I am so happy to have two extremely talented and...
- 5/4/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has launched a series of virtual panels aimed at addressing issues of race and gender equity in conversations led by Whoopi Goldberg, Lee Daniels and others.
The series called “Academy Dialogues: It Starts With Us” is part of the Academy Aperture 2025 equity and inclusion initiative and is a step toward the Oscars’ continued push for more diversity. The series kicked off with a virtual chat between Goldberg and civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson that was held on July 21 and is available online now.
Other panelists included in the series are Victoria Alonso, Lisa Cortés, Debra Martin Chase, Carmen Cuba, DeVon Franklin, Nadia Hallgren, Taraji P. Henson, Franklin Leonard, Delroy Lindo, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Bao Nguyen, Dawn Porter, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Ivette Rodriguez, Bird Runningwater, Misan Sagay, Bryan Stevenson, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Ligiah Villalobos, Lulu Wang, Emil Wilbekin and Roger Ross Williams.
Also Read: Oscars...
The series called “Academy Dialogues: It Starts With Us” is part of the Academy Aperture 2025 equity and inclusion initiative and is a step toward the Oscars’ continued push for more diversity. The series kicked off with a virtual chat between Goldberg and civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson that was held on July 21 and is available online now.
Other panelists included in the series are Victoria Alonso, Lisa Cortés, Debra Martin Chase, Carmen Cuba, DeVon Franklin, Nadia Hallgren, Taraji P. Henson, Franklin Leonard, Delroy Lindo, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Bao Nguyen, Dawn Porter, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Ivette Rodriguez, Bird Runningwater, Misan Sagay, Bryan Stevenson, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Ligiah Villalobos, Lulu Wang, Emil Wilbekin and Roger Ross Williams.
Also Read: Oscars...
- 8/20/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Whoopi Goldberg, Lee Daniels, Marvel executive Victoria Alonso and more Hollywood heavyweights are on board for a new virtual conversation series from the the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The series, titled “Academy Dialogues: It Starts With Us,” is part of the group’s Aperture 2025 equity and inclusion initiative. Topics will include race, ethnicity, gender, history, opportunity and the art of filmmaking.
“With our ‘Academy Dialogues’ series, the Academy is creating a space for our members — and the public — to talk about inclusion in a way that is timely, relevant and allows for a meaningful exchange on how to bring systemic change to Hollywood,” said Lorenza Muñoz, exec VP of member relations and awards. “These conversations may be uncomfortable for some, but they are necessary to broaden the stories that are getting told and increase opportunities for those who have been excluded.”
First up is a chat with...
The series, titled “Academy Dialogues: It Starts With Us,” is part of the group’s Aperture 2025 equity and inclusion initiative. Topics will include race, ethnicity, gender, history, opportunity and the art of filmmaking.
“With our ‘Academy Dialogues’ series, the Academy is creating a space for our members — and the public — to talk about inclusion in a way that is timely, relevant and allows for a meaningful exchange on how to bring systemic change to Hollywood,” said Lorenza Muñoz, exec VP of member relations and awards. “These conversations may be uncomfortable for some, but they are necessary to broaden the stories that are getting told and increase opportunities for those who have been excluded.”
First up is a chat with...
- 8/20/2020
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is taking part of its Academy Aperture 2025 initiative public by expanding its in-house conversation series “Academy Dialogues: It Starts With Us” to include access not only for their entire membership but also the public — which, of course, includes a larger swath of the non-member industry members as well.
Aimed to provide discussions on race, ethnicity, gender, history, opportunity and the art of filmmaking, the series notably included one edition in July featuring AMPAS board member Whoopi Goldberg interviewing civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson on the “Power of Narrative.” It is available for view now on YouTube, but AMPAS is ramping up the volume, as it were, as these issues move front and center in a more urgent way, not only for the Academy...
Aimed to provide discussions on race, ethnicity, gender, history, opportunity and the art of filmmaking, the series notably included one edition in July featuring AMPAS board member Whoopi Goldberg interviewing civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson on the “Power of Narrative.” It is available for view now on YouTube, but AMPAS is ramping up the volume, as it were, as these issues move front and center in a more urgent way, not only for the Academy...
- 8/20/2020
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
A year ago at the Sundance Film Festival, a group of Latinx industry execs kept asking each other the same question: Where are the Latinos?
With only a few movies at the festival by U.S.-born Latinos and the lack of our voices represented in the stories being told, we realized how little progress we’ve made in Hollywood. We vented our frustration on panels and on social media, but by the end of the festival, it was clear that we had to do more than just complain if we really wanted to help our community move forward.
A year later, La Collab was born: In partnership with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, we launched a collective impact effort with the support of more than 60 allies and partners to double by 2030 the representation of Latinos in Hollywood, both in front and behind the camera.
We can’t do this alone.
With only a few movies at the festival by U.S.-born Latinos and the lack of our voices represented in the stories being told, we realized how little progress we’ve made in Hollywood. We vented our frustration on panels and on social media, but by the end of the festival, it was clear that we had to do more than just complain if we really wanted to help our community move forward.
A year later, La Collab was born: In partnership with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, we launched a collective impact effort with the support of more than 60 allies and partners to double by 2030 the representation of Latinos in Hollywood, both in front and behind the camera.
We can’t do this alone.
- 1/24/2020
- by Beatriz Acevedo
- The Wrap
In the early ’90s, there was an up-and-coming comedian who could morph in and out of characters at the drop of a dime. If you looked at the U.S. box office, you might say i’m talking about “Ace Ventura” and “The Mask” star Jim Carrey. But in Latin America, the man with the elastic face and an unlimited resevoir of charisma was Eugenio Derbez, who in 1992 got his first variety sketch show and rose to fame with Spanish speaking audiences. Derbez is now starring in “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” Paramount’s adaptation of the Nickelodeon children’s show. How did Derbez go from sketch comedy to American movie star? TheWrap has tracked his evolution below.
‘Al Derecho Y Al Derbez’ (1993-1995)
Derbez birthed many of his recurring alter egos in his first short-lived crack at a sketch comedy show. ‘Al derecho y al derbez’ introduced...
‘Al Derecho Y Al Derbez’ (1993-1995)
Derbez birthed many of his recurring alter egos in his first short-lived crack at a sketch comedy show. ‘Al derecho y al derbez’ introduced...
- 8/15/2019
- by Omar Sanchez
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Kate del Castillo, whose wildly popular run as Teresa Mendoza in Telemundo’s La Reina del Sure series even drew the headline-making attention of El Chapo, will return to the New York stage this summer in the Off Broadway production of Isaac Gomez’s the way she spoke, directed by Jo Bonney as the next Audible Theater production at the Minetta Lane Theatre.
Previews begin Monday, July 8, with opening night set for Thursday, July 18. The Minetta Lane, in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, is home base for Audible’s live performances, with productions recorded and released by Audible as audio plays.
the way she spoke follows an actress who enters a theater, picks up a script, and begins to read a story that reveals “disturbing and haunting accounts of the murder of thousands of women in Juarez, Mexico and one playwright’s journey of discovery and responsibility.” According to Audible’s description,...
Previews begin Monday, July 8, with opening night set for Thursday, July 18. The Minetta Lane, in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, is home base for Audible’s live performances, with productions recorded and released by Audible as audio plays.
the way she spoke follows an actress who enters a theater, picks up a script, and begins to read a story that reveals “disturbing and haunting accounts of the murder of thousands of women in Juarez, Mexico and one playwright’s journey of discovery and responsibility.” According to Audible’s description,...
- 5/3/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Mexico’s famed “Tres Amigos” have made a name for themselves in Hollywood and beyond, directing their way to a bevy of Oscars. Less well known: the emerging wave of female auteurs from Mexico.
The directors range from Patricia Riggen and Issa Lopez, both busy with Hollywood projects and gaining their own international recognition, to women from indigenous communities, such as María Sojob, a Tzotzil native, and Elizabeth Piña, of Otomí Hñätho descent. The latter two are making their first documentaries. Also part of this wave: Tatiana Huezo and Variety director to watch Alejandra Marquez Abella.
“It’s just marvelous what’s happening now; there are more female directors in features, and even more making short films,” says Maria Novaro, freshly installed head of Mexican Film Institute (Imcine) and who fought against chauvinism early in her directing career. She is best-known for 1991’s uplifting dance drama “Danzon.”
According to the latest findings from Imcine,...
The directors range from Patricia Riggen and Issa Lopez, both busy with Hollywood projects and gaining their own international recognition, to women from indigenous communities, such as María Sojob, a Tzotzil native, and Elizabeth Piña, of Otomí Hñätho descent. The latter two are making their first documentaries. Also part of this wave: Tatiana Huezo and Variety director to watch Alejandra Marquez Abella.
“It’s just marvelous what’s happening now; there are more female directors in features, and even more making short films,” says Maria Novaro, freshly installed head of Mexican Film Institute (Imcine) and who fought against chauvinism early in her directing career. She is best-known for 1991’s uplifting dance drama “Danzon.”
According to the latest findings from Imcine,...
- 3/7/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo, who stars in the Netflix political drama Ingobernable and La Reina del Sur on Telemundo, has been added to the cast of Sony’s Bad Boys for Life sequel starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
Smith and Lawrence are returning Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett who, along with Miami Pd’s elite Ammo team, attempt to take down Armando Armas, head of a drug cartel.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are directing the pic from a script by Joe Carnahan, Peter Craig, and Chris Bremmer.
Previoulsy announced cast includes Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Jacob Scipio, Paola Nuñez, Latin music superstar Nicky Jam, and DJ Khaled.
The pic, which is currently filming, is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Doug Belgrad, and Smith. Barry Waldman, Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, and James Lassiter are executive producers. Bad Boys for Life is slated to...
Smith and Lawrence are returning Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett who, along with Miami Pd’s elite Ammo team, attempt to take down Armando Armas, head of a drug cartel.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are directing the pic from a script by Joe Carnahan, Peter Craig, and Chris Bremmer.
Previoulsy announced cast includes Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, Jacob Scipio, Paola Nuñez, Latin music superstar Nicky Jam, and DJ Khaled.
The pic, which is currently filming, is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Doug Belgrad, and Smith. Barry Waldman, Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, and James Lassiter are executive producers. Bad Boys for Life is slated to...
- 2/20/2019
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Following the box-office splash of Overboard, Lionsgate has set a TV deal with producer and star Eugenio Derbez and producing partner Benjamin Odell’s 3Pas Studios. Under the deal, 3Pas will produce English and Spanish-language series for Lionsgate’s TV group as well as its streaming platforms, including recently launched premium Ott service Pantaya.
The arrangement expands Lionsgate’s existing relationship with 3Pas, which already includes a first-look feature film deal with the Company’s Pantelion Films label. In addition to Overboard, which last weekend opened with $14.75 million, best of any Pantelion title, Derbez has starred in and produced Pantelion’s Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S., and How to Be A Latin Lover.
“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with the incomparable comedic genius Eugenio Derbez and his 3Pas Studios into the television business,” said Chris Selak, Lionsgate Executive Vice President...
The arrangement expands Lionsgate’s existing relationship with 3Pas, which already includes a first-look feature film deal with the Company’s Pantelion Films label. In addition to Overboard, which last weekend opened with $14.75 million, best of any Pantelion title, Derbez has starred in and produced Pantelion’s Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S., and How to Be A Latin Lover.
“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with the incomparable comedic genius Eugenio Derbez and his 3Pas Studios into the television business,” said Chris Selak, Lionsgate Executive Vice President...
- 5/9/2018
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Nbff kicks off opening night with Sundance hit “American Animals.” The British-American true crime drama, written and directed by Bart Layton, starring Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner and Jared Abrahamson, will be followed by a gala reception at the Fashion Island shopping mall.
The fest will end its eight-day run with the West Coast premiere of “All Square,” director John Hyams’ dramedy about a small-time bookie (Michael Kelly) who comes up with a scheme to take bets on Little League games.
Following the screening, the fest, in partnership with Schiefer ChopShop and Via Lido Plaza, will host the closing-night celebration. The outdoor event will feature a hosted bar by Tito’s Vodka, Oban Whiskey and Guinness, with culinary tastings from top local restaurants.
In between those bookends, Nbff will host the U.S. premieres of the Italian feature “Wife and Husband,” the Chinese film “End of Summer,” the Japanese award-winning film “3 Ft.
The fest will end its eight-day run with the West Coast premiere of “All Square,” director John Hyams’ dramedy about a small-time bookie (Michael Kelly) who comes up with a scheme to take bets on Little League games.
Following the screening, the fest, in partnership with Schiefer ChopShop and Via Lido Plaza, will host the closing-night celebration. The outdoor event will feature a hosted bar by Tito’s Vodka, Oban Whiskey and Guinness, with culinary tastings from top local restaurants.
In between those bookends, Nbff will host the U.S. premieres of the Italian feature “Wife and Husband,” the Chinese film “End of Summer,” the Japanese award-winning film “3 Ft.
- 4/26/2018
- by Peter Caranicas
- Variety Film + TV
ABC has put in development The Classic, an hourlong family drama produced by Mandalay Sports Media, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara and her Latin We, and Delirio Films. 20th Century Fox TV, which also produces Modern Family, is the studio. Written by Todd E. Kessler (The Good Wife, Nashville) and to be directed by Patricia Riggen (Under The Same Moon), The Classic is inspired by the upcoming Delirio Films documentary of the same name. The series is set in East Los…...
- 11/7/2016
- Deadline TV
Starz is tripling down on diverse projects with female voices. The pay cable network announced Monday that it is developing “Dirty Girls Social Club,” based on Alisa Valdes’ best-selling novel, “Pussy Valley,” from playwright Katori Hall, and “Teresa,” based on a highly-rated, award-winning Mexican telenovela.
Read More: How The Outstanding New Starz Series ‘The Girlfriend Experience’ Gives Us A Female TV Antihero For The Ages
The new Starz projects were revealed during the network’s portion of the Television Critics Association press tour.
“Dirty Girls Social Club” is a half-hour series following six diverse professional women living in New York City who have known each other since college. Ten year later, through the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives, they still can only count on each other. Ligiah Villalobos (“Under the Same Moon”) will serve as showrunner. Anne Thomopoulos (“Rome”) and Lucia Cottone will serve as executive producers.
Read More: How The Outstanding New Starz Series ‘The Girlfriend Experience’ Gives Us A Female TV Antihero For The Ages
The new Starz projects were revealed during the network’s portion of the Television Critics Association press tour.
“Dirty Girls Social Club” is a half-hour series following six diverse professional women living in New York City who have known each other since college. Ten year later, through the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives, they still can only count on each other. Ligiah Villalobos (“Under the Same Moon”) will serve as showrunner. Anne Thomopoulos (“Rome”) and Lucia Cottone will serve as executive producers.
- 8/1/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
The film Miracles from Heaven is released in the UK on Friday 10 June. It's the story of a family when one of their daughters develops a rare disease. Jennifer Garner puts in a terrific performance the mother, Christy Beam, who has a fierce love for her daughter, but struggles with her own faith. Along the way, encouragement, and humour, are provided by a supporting cast including Queen Latifah and John Caroll Lynch.
The film is a real emotional roller-coaster, and will most likely bring you to tears, but in a hopeful, life-affirming way.
Shadowlocked has an exclusive, pre-recorded interview with the director, Patricia Riggen (The 33), and one of the supporting actors, popular Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez, who plays Dr. Nurko in the film.
(May contain mild or generalised spoilers.)
Patricia Riggen: “At that time, I took the – then – risk of casting an unknown, you know – a big star in the comedy television world – but unknown, unproved star for films, that's what they used to tell me... And of course, he was the best bet, and Eugenio you know, took on that role back then, and just did such an amazing job with completely different character from what he was always typecasted to be.”
Journalist: “Are you just saying that because he's sitting next to you?”
[laughter]
PR: “No, I would say exactly the same...
Now I gave him a...[role that is] eminent, doctor, Harvard, professor, number one doctor in the country, probably in the world. And I'm casting a comedian to do it, you know! But I know Eugenio had the qualities, and I think the biggest quality I found was his heart. His huge sense of compassion to his patient. You know.
And that's something I saw from Dr. Nurko when I met him, and heard it from the little girl and the mom, and that's I think the biggest quality. Overall, he did an amazing job with the character, but the compassion, the heart he shows the girl, is just making that character just shine and be so well-received with the audience.”
Journalist: “How did you prepare for the role? You said you met with the real doctor?”
Eugenio Derbez: “Well, yeah, I met with Dr. Nurko first on...through Skype, and then personally...”
Journalist: “When you said you first met him on Skype, did he know you were also from Mexico? So, you're like a big Mexican star, calling this guy up on...”
PR: “It's like, Will Ferrell calling Dr. Nurko...but bigger!”
Ed: “But it was hard because Patricia was afraid: 'What if Dr. Nurko is not...probably, he's not happy that you're gonna portray him, because...probably, you're a comedian and he's so serious, you know, and he's an eminence...' But the minute she called him, he was like a fan, right! 'Oh, Eugenio, yes, that's great! Awesome!' So, he was really happy. [Continuing the anecdote:] Uh, hang up...”
[laughter]
PR: “And he's very happy now.”
Ed: “Very.”
PR: “I talked to him this morning. He's so thrilled. He saw the movie. He loved his character. He's just so thankful.”
Ed: “And full of hair. That too. He had no hair, so...[whereas Eugenio Derbez, who portrayed him oncreen, does].”
[laughter]
"Yes, everyone cries their eyes out, but everyone comes out so happy, and so moved in a good way..."
Ed: “So, I was trained, hopefully well-trained, at the hospital. And then the challenge for me was to find this balance between being funny...but at the same time, but she was always asking me, 'Okay, you have the funny part, but I want to see your eyes, that you're worried about that girl...I want to see everything happening through your eyes.' So it was very, very, very hard to find this balance.”
Journalist: “Yeah, because you're so fun, but also you want to portray... Because I often, watching it, I often look to you to know what was going on. So I would actually look at you, and think, 'What's he doing? How is he reacting?”
PR: “He's a doctor. He has to be believable, and we have to understand everything.”
Journalist: “Just as a point of reference, what was the name of the Mexican doctor that you said you worked with?”
PR: “Doctor Hose Garza. Another specialist in the field, and he's based in Atlanta. We shot the movie in Atlanta, so we had to have a local doctor that was advising us. He advised me through the entire process, you know, in screenplay, in all the props, everything, all the processes, giving him all the instructions that he needed, everything, he was with us through the whole time. So we would be very faithful to the truth, to reality, the medical reality.”
Journalist: “How are you feeling doing a real character? Is it the first time for you...”
Ed: “Yes. And it was even harder, because Dr. Nurko showed up at the set. So I was working on set when Dr. Nurko arrived, and it was a lot of pressure having him watching me... And I was like, 'Am I funny enough? Am I too funny? How am I doing?' And he was like, 'No, no, no, perfect. That's the kind of things I do with the patients.' So, everything is exactly like he does...”
PR: “...They have to play, be funny, be playful... And that's when I decided Eugenio, because he knew exactly what to do, because he's a professional entertainer... And that's when we really found exactly why Eugenio was perfect for this character. Because just casting a serious medical doctor would not have been the perfect person...”
"So a story like this, of this suffering, has to make you grow as a person."
Journalist: “Is the faith element of this story something that drew either one of you to this project?”
PR: “Uh huh. Also, I think, well, good stories are good stories, right? I was raised in a Mexican family, a Catholic family, and faith is part of my being. And I understand also as a mother, that faith plays an important part in when you go through very difficult circumstances, particularly something like this. So I was very respectful of that in the story, and made sure that the story of Christy Beam [Jennifer Garner], and how her journey of faith also, goes along at the same time as the journey of the struggle to find a cure for her daughter. So it has that other storyline going through, of how she...sometimes happens to people, that they lose their faith, and then you know, thankfully they get it back, in this case with a very happy ending.”
Journalist: “How did this story come to you? Had the producers seen The 33 [a film that Patricia Riggen directed about the trapped Chilean miners]?”
PR: “Uh huh. Yeah. They had seen The 33, and also Under the Same Moon. And I was just coming out of The 33; I had just finished that movie, and this one came about. And I wasn't sure I should work, because I was so tired, but then I thought, 'It's completely different than the other one. It's, you know, in a safe environment, I'm not gonna be in a mine, I'm gonna be in a building, I can drive a car to work, that's air-conditioned, you know, and an elevator, so... And, I don't have to wear a hard hat and boots. And also, I don't have to deal with 33 men!"
[laughter]
PR: "And I thought, this is beautiful, it's [a story of] a woman, it's [a story of] a girl, you know, it's something that I'm very familiar with, I'm the daughter of a doctor, I was raised with hospitals in my world, and doctors, and I just have...I'm very familiar with the subject matter, unfortunately. And so I thought, 'Okay, I'll do it. It's easy, it's small. Let's take it.' And then of course I realised, nothing is easy, and nothing is small! And this movie has had great...great challenges, and I'm very happy with the result.”
"I think it all has a good reason behind it, that it makes it worth it. Because everyone has invested so much of their own tears into this."
Journalist: “What was the biggest challenge?”
PR: “Probably one of the biggest challenges in this movie is finding a balance between the drama and making an entertaining movie. So, you know, when I first got the script, it was really all about a sick child. And I thought, 'Who's gonna wanna see a movie about a sick child?'... That's when I started bringing a lot of things into it: all the fun stuff, happiness, lightness, [the character of] Angela [(Queen Latifah)] came into this story, because she had to come in with a light and fun. Because we have to balance the pain. That's, I think, the biggest challenge for a director.
And at the same time, be truthful to what the medical reality of these families are. It is painful, but we have to make a watchable movie. And, I think it's been achieved. I'm very happy with how I see people['s] reaction. Yes, everyone cries their eyes out, but everyone comes out so happy, and so moved in a good way, and thankfully I think it's right there, I think it has the right balance.
It was tough to work with the actors, because, you know, they had to deliver really, really heart-wrenching performances. It was very hard for Jennifer [Garner, who played the mother] and for Kylie [Rogers, who played the daughter] to go through all that pain as they were delivering these characters to us, and to maybe...they're pushing them to go to that place. But...I think it all has a good reason behind it, that it makes it worth it. Because everyone has invested so much of their own tears into this.”
Journalist: “Before you go, will you two be working together again, do you have any plans to?”
PR: “Are you gonna hire me now, because...?”
Ed: “I sent you a script! Remember?”
PR: “No!”
[laughter]
PR: “I think, whenever I have an opportunity of a character that fits, that Eugenio fits into those shoes, I will always call him, because we have a good...very productive, beautiful, trust relationship.”
Ed: “Uh huh. Always. Yeah. Yeah. And I love the way she directs. And I don't have to say this, it's not because she's here, but of all the directors that I've worked with, she is the best. The most accurate, the most precise director I have worked with. She's amazing.”
Journalist: “...One thing I really like was the pizza highlight of the film, when they sacrifice [pizza in solidarity with the girl, who can't eat it] and [then finally] have pizza in the end. Was that your idea?”
PR: “Yes.”
Journalist: “I really like that. It's small, but it is...”
PR: “Yes, and you know why it was so important also to keep that scene at the end? Because everybody was like, 'Let's cut it'. No! Because where you show everyone's changed. Everyone has changed. It's like, let's return, you know. So a story like this, of this suffering, has to make you grow as a person. And it made all these members of this family grow. Even in little things, you can see the change. Christy now praying, you know, all of these things now happen in that scene.”
A list of UK cinemas showing Miracles from Heaven can be found here.
The film is a real emotional roller-coaster, and will most likely bring you to tears, but in a hopeful, life-affirming way.
Shadowlocked has an exclusive, pre-recorded interview with the director, Patricia Riggen (The 33), and one of the supporting actors, popular Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez, who plays Dr. Nurko in the film.
(May contain mild or generalised spoilers.)
Patricia Riggen: “At that time, I took the – then – risk of casting an unknown, you know – a big star in the comedy television world – but unknown, unproved star for films, that's what they used to tell me... And of course, he was the best bet, and Eugenio you know, took on that role back then, and just did such an amazing job with completely different character from what he was always typecasted to be.”
Journalist: “Are you just saying that because he's sitting next to you?”
[laughter]
PR: “No, I would say exactly the same...
Now I gave him a...[role that is] eminent, doctor, Harvard, professor, number one doctor in the country, probably in the world. And I'm casting a comedian to do it, you know! But I know Eugenio had the qualities, and I think the biggest quality I found was his heart. His huge sense of compassion to his patient. You know.
And that's something I saw from Dr. Nurko when I met him, and heard it from the little girl and the mom, and that's I think the biggest quality. Overall, he did an amazing job with the character, but the compassion, the heart he shows the girl, is just making that character just shine and be so well-received with the audience.”
Journalist: “How did you prepare for the role? You said you met with the real doctor?”
Eugenio Derbez: “Well, yeah, I met with Dr. Nurko first on...through Skype, and then personally...”
Journalist: “When you said you first met him on Skype, did he know you were also from Mexico? So, you're like a big Mexican star, calling this guy up on...”
PR: “It's like, Will Ferrell calling Dr. Nurko...but bigger!”
Ed: “But it was hard because Patricia was afraid: 'What if Dr. Nurko is not...probably, he's not happy that you're gonna portray him, because...probably, you're a comedian and he's so serious, you know, and he's an eminence...' But the minute she called him, he was like a fan, right! 'Oh, Eugenio, yes, that's great! Awesome!' So, he was really happy. [Continuing the anecdote:] Uh, hang up...”
[laughter]
PR: “And he's very happy now.”
Ed: “Very.”
PR: “I talked to him this morning. He's so thrilled. He saw the movie. He loved his character. He's just so thankful.”
Ed: “And full of hair. That too. He had no hair, so...[whereas Eugenio Derbez, who portrayed him oncreen, does].”
[laughter]
"Yes, everyone cries their eyes out, but everyone comes out so happy, and so moved in a good way..."
Ed: “So, I was trained, hopefully well-trained, at the hospital. And then the challenge for me was to find this balance between being funny...but at the same time, but she was always asking me, 'Okay, you have the funny part, but I want to see your eyes, that you're worried about that girl...I want to see everything happening through your eyes.' So it was very, very, very hard to find this balance.”
Journalist: “Yeah, because you're so fun, but also you want to portray... Because I often, watching it, I often look to you to know what was going on. So I would actually look at you, and think, 'What's he doing? How is he reacting?”
PR: “He's a doctor. He has to be believable, and we have to understand everything.”
Journalist: “Just as a point of reference, what was the name of the Mexican doctor that you said you worked with?”
PR: “Doctor Hose Garza. Another specialist in the field, and he's based in Atlanta. We shot the movie in Atlanta, so we had to have a local doctor that was advising us. He advised me through the entire process, you know, in screenplay, in all the props, everything, all the processes, giving him all the instructions that he needed, everything, he was with us through the whole time. So we would be very faithful to the truth, to reality, the medical reality.”
Journalist: “How are you feeling doing a real character? Is it the first time for you...”
Ed: “Yes. And it was even harder, because Dr. Nurko showed up at the set. So I was working on set when Dr. Nurko arrived, and it was a lot of pressure having him watching me... And I was like, 'Am I funny enough? Am I too funny? How am I doing?' And he was like, 'No, no, no, perfect. That's the kind of things I do with the patients.' So, everything is exactly like he does...”
PR: “...They have to play, be funny, be playful... And that's when I decided Eugenio, because he knew exactly what to do, because he's a professional entertainer... And that's when we really found exactly why Eugenio was perfect for this character. Because just casting a serious medical doctor would not have been the perfect person...”
"So a story like this, of this suffering, has to make you grow as a person."
Journalist: “Is the faith element of this story something that drew either one of you to this project?”
PR: “Uh huh. Also, I think, well, good stories are good stories, right? I was raised in a Mexican family, a Catholic family, and faith is part of my being. And I understand also as a mother, that faith plays an important part in when you go through very difficult circumstances, particularly something like this. So I was very respectful of that in the story, and made sure that the story of Christy Beam [Jennifer Garner], and how her journey of faith also, goes along at the same time as the journey of the struggle to find a cure for her daughter. So it has that other storyline going through, of how she...sometimes happens to people, that they lose their faith, and then you know, thankfully they get it back, in this case with a very happy ending.”
Journalist: “How did this story come to you? Had the producers seen The 33 [a film that Patricia Riggen directed about the trapped Chilean miners]?”
PR: “Uh huh. Yeah. They had seen The 33, and also Under the Same Moon. And I was just coming out of The 33; I had just finished that movie, and this one came about. And I wasn't sure I should work, because I was so tired, but then I thought, 'It's completely different than the other one. It's, you know, in a safe environment, I'm not gonna be in a mine, I'm gonna be in a building, I can drive a car to work, that's air-conditioned, you know, and an elevator, so... And, I don't have to wear a hard hat and boots. And also, I don't have to deal with 33 men!"
[laughter]
PR: "And I thought, this is beautiful, it's [a story of] a woman, it's [a story of] a girl, you know, it's something that I'm very familiar with, I'm the daughter of a doctor, I was raised with hospitals in my world, and doctors, and I just have...I'm very familiar with the subject matter, unfortunately. And so I thought, 'Okay, I'll do it. It's easy, it's small. Let's take it.' And then of course I realised, nothing is easy, and nothing is small! And this movie has had great...great challenges, and I'm very happy with the result.”
"I think it all has a good reason behind it, that it makes it worth it. Because everyone has invested so much of their own tears into this."
Journalist: “What was the biggest challenge?”
PR: “Probably one of the biggest challenges in this movie is finding a balance between the drama and making an entertaining movie. So, you know, when I first got the script, it was really all about a sick child. And I thought, 'Who's gonna wanna see a movie about a sick child?'... That's when I started bringing a lot of things into it: all the fun stuff, happiness, lightness, [the character of] Angela [(Queen Latifah)] came into this story, because she had to come in with a light and fun. Because we have to balance the pain. That's, I think, the biggest challenge for a director.
And at the same time, be truthful to what the medical reality of these families are. It is painful, but we have to make a watchable movie. And, I think it's been achieved. I'm very happy with how I see people['s] reaction. Yes, everyone cries their eyes out, but everyone comes out so happy, and so moved in a good way, and thankfully I think it's right there, I think it has the right balance.
It was tough to work with the actors, because, you know, they had to deliver really, really heart-wrenching performances. It was very hard for Jennifer [Garner, who played the mother] and for Kylie [Rogers, who played the daughter] to go through all that pain as they were delivering these characters to us, and to maybe...they're pushing them to go to that place. But...I think it all has a good reason behind it, that it makes it worth it. Because everyone has invested so much of their own tears into this.”
Journalist: “Before you go, will you two be working together again, do you have any plans to?”
PR: “Are you gonna hire me now, because...?”
Ed: “I sent you a script! Remember?”
PR: “No!”
[laughter]
PR: “I think, whenever I have an opportunity of a character that fits, that Eugenio fits into those shoes, I will always call him, because we have a good...very productive, beautiful, trust relationship.”
Ed: “Uh huh. Always. Yeah. Yeah. And I love the way she directs. And I don't have to say this, it's not because she's here, but of all the directors that I've worked with, she is the best. The most accurate, the most precise director I have worked with. She's amazing.”
Journalist: “...One thing I really like was the pizza highlight of the film, when they sacrifice [pizza in solidarity with the girl, who can't eat it] and [then finally] have pizza in the end. Was that your idea?”
PR: “Yes.”
Journalist: “I really like that. It's small, but it is...”
PR: “Yes, and you know why it was so important also to keep that scene at the end? Because everybody was like, 'Let's cut it'. No! Because where you show everyone's changed. Everyone has changed. It's like, let's return, you know. So a story like this, of this suffering, has to make you grow as a person. And it made all these members of this family grow. Even in little things, you can see the change. Christy now praying, you know, all of these things now happen in that scene.”
A list of UK cinemas showing Miracles from Heaven can be found here.
- 6/10/2016
- Shadowlocked
April has arrived and a new batch of movies are coming to Netflix like The Princess Bride and The Shawshank Redemption. It also means we’re losing a few titles, this month we’re losing Amistad, Hotel Rwanda, and 2 Fast 2 Furious just to name a few. On the TV side of things, season 2 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt arrives, so if you enjoyed the first season, you should be good to binge the new season.
On the Amazon Prime front, check out below to see what you’ll be able to stream for free and what’s going to have a cost. Let’s watch!
All Title Dates are Subject to Change
Netflix U.S. Release Dates Only
Available 4/1
16 Blocks (2006)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Anthony Bourdain: Parks Unknown: Season 5
The Ascent of Woman: A 10,000 Year Story
Beat Bobby Flay: Season 1
Best in Show (2000)
Bob’s Burgers:...
On the Amazon Prime front, check out below to see what you’ll be able to stream for free and what’s going to have a cost. Let’s watch!
All Title Dates are Subject to Change
Netflix U.S. Release Dates Only
Available 4/1
16 Blocks (2006)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Anthony Bourdain: Parks Unknown: Season 5
The Ascent of Woman: A 10,000 Year Story
Beat Bobby Flay: Season 1
Best in Show (2000)
Bob’s Burgers:...
- 4/1/2016
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
Here's what's new or newish for home viewing over the past two weeks for DVDs, BluRays, or Streaming. Now you can...
• see if the Pinkett-Smiths had any reason to be upset about the lack of Oscar interest in Concussion (hint: no)
• stab your eyes out while watching Daddy's Home
• find out if The Hateful Eight is Tarantino's worst (hint: yes)
• discover the stuff they left out of Pt 1 in order to make another billion with Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt 2
• watch Juliet Stevenson be Mother Teresa in The Letters
• endure yet another Paranormal Activity movie because they will never stop making those
• use Point Break (2015) discs for coasters because who needs a remake when Point Break (1991) is still such a knockout?!
Reader's Choice Streaming
We kicked off the biweekly reader's choice series with Gattaca (1997) and Cruel Intentions (1999). Time for another on Wednesday April 6th only I'm forcing a move away from...
• see if the Pinkett-Smiths had any reason to be upset about the lack of Oscar interest in Concussion (hint: no)
• stab your eyes out while watching Daddy's Home
• find out if The Hateful Eight is Tarantino's worst (hint: yes)
• discover the stuff they left out of Pt 1 in order to make another billion with Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt 2
• watch Juliet Stevenson be Mother Teresa in The Letters
• endure yet another Paranormal Activity movie because they will never stop making those
• use Point Break (2015) discs for coasters because who needs a remake when Point Break (1991) is still such a knockout?!
Reader's Choice Streaming
We kicked off the biweekly reader's choice series with Gattaca (1997) and Cruel Intentions (1999). Time for another on Wednesday April 6th only I'm forcing a move away from...
- 3/29/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
In April, fire up Netflix and prepare to binge-watch hit movies like "The Princess Bride" and "The Shawshank Redemption" as they're added (finally!) to Netflix streaming. Also new to streaming: Stanley Kubrick classics "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) and "A Clockwork Orange" (1971).
Also, say hello to Netflix Originals "The Ranch," starring Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, and Sam Elliott; Season 2 of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"; and Ricky Gervais's "Special Correspondents."
Here's the complete list of what's new on Netflix in April 2016. Of course, titles and release dates are always subject to change.
Available April 1, 2016
"16 Blocks" (2006)
"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)
"A Clockwork Orange" (1971)
"Anthony Bourdain": Parts Unknown": Season 5
"The Ascent of Woman": A 10,000 Year Story
"Beat Bobby Flay": Season 1
"Best in Show" (2000)
"Bob's Burgers": Season 5
"Boogie Nights" (1997)
"Breathe" (2014)
"Chaplin" (1992)
"Charlie and "The Chocolate Factory" (2005)
"Codegirl" (2015)
"Colegas" (2012)
"Cujo" (1983)
"Cutthroat Kitchen": Seasons 34
"Deep Impact" (1998)
"Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in Pyongyang...
Also, say hello to Netflix Originals "The Ranch," starring Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, and Sam Elliott; Season 2 of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"; and Ricky Gervais's "Special Correspondents."
Here's the complete list of what's new on Netflix in April 2016. Of course, titles and release dates are always subject to change.
Available April 1, 2016
"16 Blocks" (2006)
"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)
"A Clockwork Orange" (1971)
"Anthony Bourdain": Parts Unknown": Season 5
"The Ascent of Woman": A 10,000 Year Story
"Beat Bobby Flay": Season 1
"Best in Show" (2000)
"Bob's Burgers": Season 5
"Boogie Nights" (1997)
"Breathe" (2014)
"Chaplin" (1992)
"Charlie and "The Chocolate Factory" (2005)
"Codegirl" (2015)
"Colegas" (2012)
"Cujo" (1983)
"Cutthroat Kitchen": Seasons 34
"Deep Impact" (1998)
"Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in Pyongyang...
- 3/22/2016
- by Sharon Knolle
- Moviefone
A missed opportunity to tell what should be a captivating real-life disaster tale that is instead plodding, scattershot, and lacking in dramatic impetus. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
In 2010, as you may recall from the news, 33 men were trapped thousands of feet underground when the Chilean gold mine they were working in collapsed. They had minimal supplies, and, at first, no way of even letting those aboveground know that they were still alive. When they finally emerged 69 days later, it was the result of a global effort, and was seen on TV around the planet by more than a billion people. Basically, it’s The Martian times 33, except real. So it’s a shame that The 33 is a missed opportunity to tell what should be a...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
In 2010, as you may recall from the news, 33 men were trapped thousands of feet underground when the Chilean gold mine they were working in collapsed. They had minimal supplies, and, at first, no way of even letting those aboveground know that they were still alive. When they finally emerged 69 days later, it was the result of a global effort, and was seen on TV around the planet by more than a billion people. Basically, it’s The Martian times 33, except real. So it’s a shame that The 33 is a missed opportunity to tell what should be a...
- 1/27/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Mountains May Depart: Riggen Reenacts Devastating Chilean Mining Collapse
Mexican director Patricia Riggen makes a curious departure with her third feature, The 33, a studio backed reenactment of the infamous Chilean mining collapse projected worldwide by the media. The world watched in eerie anticipation as thirty-three men waited patiently to be excavated from the bowels of the earth, stuck for an astounding sixty-nine days together in a mining shelter reservoir with a space allotted for thirty. It was one of the most notable world news headlines in 2010, and with all of the men eventually brought to safety in mid-October, they also provided inspiration for Halloween group themed costumes everywhere. If such a move was moderately silly (or tactless) at the time, this Hollywood treatment seems equally exploitative as it mines for thrills akin to the glut of disaster themed studio extravaganzas of the 1970s. Riggen seems committed to humanizing these...
Mexican director Patricia Riggen makes a curious departure with her third feature, The 33, a studio backed reenactment of the infamous Chilean mining collapse projected worldwide by the media. The world watched in eerie anticipation as thirty-three men waited patiently to be excavated from the bowels of the earth, stuck for an astounding sixty-nine days together in a mining shelter reservoir with a space allotted for thirty. It was one of the most notable world news headlines in 2010, and with all of the men eventually brought to safety in mid-October, they also provided inspiration for Halloween group themed costumes everywhere. If such a move was moderately silly (or tactless) at the time, this Hollywood treatment seems equally exploitative as it mines for thrills akin to the glut of disaster themed studio extravaganzas of the 1970s. Riggen seems committed to humanizing these...
- 11/13/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Chicago – When a disaster strikes, often the most unlikely people will become the primary responders. This is the premise for “The 33,” a new feature film about the Chilean mining collapse in 2010, which trapped 33 men for 69 days. The film goes deep inside the event, and is directed with due respect by Patricia Riggen.
Ms. Riggen was born in Mexico, and initially studied journalism, until completing her Masters degree in directing and screenwriting at Columbia University in New York City. While in school, she completed two short documentaries, “The Cornfield” (2002) and the film-festival-award-winning “Family Portrait” (2004). Her narrative film debut was the popular “Under the Same Moon” (2007), featuring America Ferrara. She directed “Lemonade Mouth” in 2011 for the Disney Channel, and “Girl in Progress” (2012) before landing the assignment for “The 33.”
Patricia Riggen at the 51st Chicago International Film Fesitval
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
Patricia Riggen spoke with HollywoodChicago.
Ms. Riggen was born in Mexico, and initially studied journalism, until completing her Masters degree in directing and screenwriting at Columbia University in New York City. While in school, she completed two short documentaries, “The Cornfield” (2002) and the film-festival-award-winning “Family Portrait” (2004). Her narrative film debut was the popular “Under the Same Moon” (2007), featuring America Ferrara. She directed “Lemonade Mouth” in 2011 for the Disney Channel, and “Girl in Progress” (2012) before landing the assignment for “The 33.”
Patricia Riggen at the 51st Chicago International Film Fesitval
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
Patricia Riggen spoke with HollywoodChicago.
- 11/11/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Read More: Attention, Screenwriters: 5 Lessons from the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab Film Independent has announced the screenwriters selected for its 17th annual Screenwriting Lab. The Lab is an intensive four-week program designed to help writers improve their craft and take their current scripts to the next level in a creative environment. During the Lab, Fellows participate in individualized story sessions, are advised on the craft and business of screenwriting and are introduced to established screenwriters, producers and film professionals who serve as guest speakers and creative advisors. This year's creative advisors include Maya Forbes ("Infinitely Polar Bear"), Ligiah Villalobos ("Under the Same Moon") and David N. Weiss ("Shrek 2"). Guest speakers include past Fellows Ana Lily Amirpour ("A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night") and Siân Heder ("Orange is the New Black"). Past Screenwriting Lab projects include...
- 9/22/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The intensive four-week program allows participants to take their scripts to the next level through story sessions and meetings with established screenwriters, producers and film professionals. This year's creative advisors are Maya Forbes ("Infinitely Polar Bear"), Ligiah Villalobos ("Under the Same Moon") and David N. Weiss ("Shrek 2"). Guest speakers include past Film Independent fellows Ana Lily Amirpour ("A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night") and Siân Heder ("Orange is the New Black"). For the fourth year, Film Independent will also be presenting the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television Screenwriting Fellowship, which this year goes to Tom Huang, who will be awarded a $10,000 grant to develop his script, "Dealing with Dad," through the Screenwriting Lab. The 2015 Screenwriting Lab participants and their projects are: Title: "Dealing with Dad " ...
- 9/22/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Tom Huang will be awarded the Loyola Marymount University School Of Film And Television Screenwriting Fellowship, granting him $10,000 to develop his script for the Screenwriting Lab.
The Lmu Film and Television alumnus, among seven writers and six projects selected, is one of the chosen participants for Film Independent’s 17th annual Screenwriting Lab.
This is the fourth year Film Independent will present the Lmu School of Film and Television Screenwriting Fellowship.
The workshop is a four-week programme designed to help writers by providing individualised story sessions and connecting them with industry professionals. This year’s creative advisors include Maya Forbes from Infinitely Polar Bear, Ligiah Villalobos for Under The Same Moon and David N Weiss from Shrek 2.
2015 Screenwriting Lab participants and their projects are: Thomas Huang for Dealing With Dad; Linda Yvette Chavez for Fieras, Puja Maewal for Jaya; Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs for The Midwestern; Q. Terah Jackson for Rustin; and Ani Simon-Kennedy for The...
The Lmu Film and Television alumnus, among seven writers and six projects selected, is one of the chosen participants for Film Independent’s 17th annual Screenwriting Lab.
This is the fourth year Film Independent will present the Lmu School of Film and Television Screenwriting Fellowship.
The workshop is a four-week programme designed to help writers by providing individualised story sessions and connecting them with industry professionals. This year’s creative advisors include Maya Forbes from Infinitely Polar Bear, Ligiah Villalobos for Under The Same Moon and David N Weiss from Shrek 2.
2015 Screenwriting Lab participants and their projects are: Thomas Huang for Dealing With Dad; Linda Yvette Chavez for Fieras, Puja Maewal for Jaya; Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs for The Midwestern; Q. Terah Jackson for Rustin; and Ani Simon-Kennedy for The...
- 9/22/2015
- ScreenDaily
My experience last November at Los Cabos International Film Festival was fabulous! Set up to promote film coproduction and financing among Mexico, U.S., and Canada, the festival allowed all of us to be very close and connected to our peers in the business – international sales agents, writers of all kinds, programmers and filmmakers. There we met the bright new talent, so idealistic and yet so knowledgeable and educated about film in the world. To be able to see films, concentrate on creating business and still have time to mingle -- this is what makes a festival a happy experience.
Among the many people I met there, was Ben Odell, partner at 3Pas Studios, the newly launched production company that he and Mexico’s most beloved and renowned comic star and director, Eugenio Derbez, founded on the strength and success of the $100 million dollar grossing comedy, "Instructions Not Included".
The success of this film also allowed the film’s producer Monica Lozano to establish Alebrije Distribución a new distribution company which will acquire distribution rights for the Latin and North American markets.
Monica has had her hand in 23 productions since her first film, "Amores Perros". Her most recent success was "Instructions Not Included", the Us$ 5.5 million film that became the highest grossing Spanish language film of all time in the U.S., and the second highest grossing film in any language in Mexico.
But to return to Ben and his new company, the subject of this blog: 3Pas in Spanish means three steps, but is also a play on words, something Mexicans like a lot. Tres Pas sounds like tripas, which in English means guts, or tripe. Personally, I too love tripas. Deliciosas!
I Finally met Ben at Los Cabos Film Festival. I say I "finally" met him, because we have so many friends in common and ever since I have been following Latino films and writing my book on Latin America and the film business, I had often heard of Ben as the head of production for Pantelion, U.S.'s only sustained and successful Latino film distributor.
Last September, when Strategic Partners’ Laura Mackenzie in Halifax invited me to moderate a panel on “The Games Maker”, an Argentinean-Canadian-Italian coproduction, Ben’s name was prominent as the one who made the match between Argentina’s Juan Pablo Buscarini and Canada’s Tina Pehme and Kim Roberts.
I always had him pictured as my other friend whose last name is Odell, a slight and wiry, dark haired type. How surprised I was to see this big, handsome blond who exuded warmth and a good-willed wit and storytelling skill. Love at first sight! And I am sure I am not the only one who is smitten with him.
I wish I could convey his spirit, humor and strength as he recounted his life and career(s) to me in the hour we spent together in his new spacious, airy and bright Santa Monica office where Ben Shalom-Martinez was the third person in the new company, manning a phone system not yet working.
I told Ben I had read his mini bio in IMDb, and it made me want to know how he had gotten into the Latino side of the business. I expected him to reveal that, in fact, and in spite of his name, he was Latino.
One year out of college, Ben said, "I worked in editing with the Maysles Brothers. I was a P.A. on the first film John Turturro directed called “Mac”, and I was a reader for Art Linson. And that was my degree in Liberal Arts in Film. I wanted to be a screenwriter but I didn’t feel I had enough life experience. A family friend offered me a job in commercial production in Colombia. It was 1992 and my dad said: “if you love all things Latino, go learn Spanish and become an expert in the Latino market. It’s going to need people that understand it. No one was really talking about its importance then but that piece of advice changed my life. I moved to Colombia to learn Spanish and start what would be a life long journey in all things Latino, from U.S. Latino to Latin America. It’s not a single market but there is a connectivity between all of it.”
Ben grew up in Pennsylvania and when he was six years old, neighbors, who had old friends from Colombia, did an exchange of one of their children with a Colombian child. “My father ended up basically adopting that child for the year he lived with our neighbors and from that grew a friendship with this Colombian family.”
When he was 12 years old the whole Colombian family moved to Philadelphia. “I wanted them to adopt me. They were crazy, emotional, passionate, loving. It was a warmth and lust for life I hadn’t really experienced in suburban white America. And then I realized there was a whole country full of them.” At 15 he went with a friend to Colombia and loved it.
His father eventually married someone from that family. So Ben's connection to Colombia, if not to all of Latin America was very organic. Colombia is not part of the "U.S. Latino market" per se, but Colombia and the rest of Latin America share certain characteristics and commonalities — views on life and death, family, spirituality -- that end up working their way into storytelling that are shared throughout the U.S. Latino market and Latin America along with a larger emotional scale in the tone of their storytelling.
Odell lived in Colombia from 1992 to 2000. He also worked as a freelance journalist before becoming a Spanish language television writer and screenwriter there.
When he was in Colombia working in commercials, he met Tom Quinn, a journalist Iiving there for 25 years, working for Time Magazine and running an English language rag called The Colombian Post. In his youth ,Tom had run with the likes of Hunter S. Thompson. He had lots of adventures and lots of stories of those days.
Ben asked Tom what was the most compelling story they could make into a movie that wasn’t about narcotrafficking, and Tom said one word: “Emeralds.” Colombia supplies 60% of the world's emeralds. The mines in the Emerald Zone have strong drug laundering connections as well, as one might guess. The land is leased by the government to the three or four mining companies and they control everything with no supervision by the government.
The society is totally feudal. Workers labor for the companies for 28 days of the month and on the last two days they are allowed to keep whatever they find. Victor Carranza ran everything. He was The Don, violent and scary. A small man, about 5'2". He died in prison worth over a billion dollars.
Ben thought this was a great story to develop into a movie, and so he went back to New York to the contacts he had made including an exec at Tribeca Films. “They all said the same thing, great story but you are not a writer. Go write the script and then we’ll talk.” Ben returned to Colombia to do research.
In the meanwhile he began writing for Colombian TV. He had never written a feature film script, nor did he speak Spanish. He had, however, taken a course in feature film screenwriting with Robert McKee. And he had a girlfriend who was bilingual. He knew about Colombian TV and he saw the potential for legitimizing the story first as a TV show and then making it into a feature later.
Tom Quinn was very well known in Colombia as he was the Time News correspondent there at a moment when the magazine had a lot of power; the drug wars were one of its most consistent cover stories. They pitched it to Rti TV, and structured it like "The Fugitive".
There is a drug, called Burandanga, scientifically known as Scopolamine. It comes from a plant that grows wild in Colombia. The drugged one loses control of his or her will. He once heard a story about a man in a bar who wakes up in jail accused of a murder he can’t remember. This became the basis of the story. The lead goes into the Emerald Zone and drugged by burundanga, he kills one on the wrong side in a war going on there. He wakes up with no recollection and a full on civil war going on around him. He can't get out of the Emerald Zone until he finds the man who drugged him. The title of this series that Tom and he pitched and in 1998 created was "Fuego verde", like the 1954 Hollywood movie, “ Green Fire” starring Grace Kelly and Stewart Grainger.
As a television writer, he eventually created and wrote over 300 hours of Spanish-language narrative television including “Fuego Verde” -- the first-ever action series. It was one of the highest rated series on Colombian television. He also co-wrote the Colombian political satire feature film, “ Golpe de estadio”, which was nominated for Spain's Academy Award, the Goya in 1999, and was Colombia's nomination to the Oscar in 2000. It is still one of the highest grossing Colombian films of all time.
In the film, "Golpe de estadio", (Golpe de Estado means “Coup d'état”but it also could mean “Coup d’ Stadium”), an oil company has set up a camp for geological research in a small village in Colombia that has been named New Texas. It becomes the target of the guerrillas who are constantly clashing with police in the area. The confrontation is put on hold however during the TV transmission of the world Cup qualifiers. The two sides declare a sort of truce so that they can all watch the match between Colombia and Argentina on the only working TV in the town. Colombia wins the game, 5 to 0, (a victory, in real life, infamous in the annals of world cup) and of course the Colombian police and guerrilla find themselves cheering for the same team.
"Golpe" was released in theaters in 1999 while the drug wars and war between the guerrillas and the government were moving into peace talks. It came out during the war, and Ben naively believed it could make tangible impact on the country. Instead they received death threats. It was a very volatile time.
He left Colombia and put together a business plan to make movies for Latino audiences. He was too green and he was way ahead of his time so instead he went to film school at Columbia University.
He went to film school thinking it was only to network and realized he knew nothing about film writing or production. "Going to film school's more valuable if a student already has some experience," Ben says.
"Confess", a feature length film he produced in his second year of film school (2005) was one of his thesis projects. It was made for a couple of hundred thousand dollars. Ali Larter and Melissa Leo starred in it (way before she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Role in “The Fighter”). The movie was about a disgruntled computer hacker of mixed race, who struggles to adjust to life after a jaunt in prison. He takes his anger online forcing confessions out of those who slighted him. Eventually his focus becomes political. “It had all the trappings of a first time filmmaker. But conceptually it was scratching the surface of trends that wouldn’t appear online until years later. This was several years before YouTube took hold, which is a lifetime in human years.”
"For my second film, we had Scorsese as an executive producer. When we started preproduction we quickly discovered that one of our two investors really didn’t have the money. He signed a contract to invest while he was still trying to raise the funds“
At this point in our discussion Ben and I went off on a tangent...Money that falls out at the last minute is such a common story. Do these guys think the money will come just because they have "bet" on it, using the film as collateral?... Do they just want to go for the ride, as far as they can go?... are they sociopaths, liars, gamblers, on drugs or what? I remember when I worked at Ifa (until it became ICM); at the Motion Picture Division's meetings that Mike Medavoy held every week, agents would sometimes report on someone wanting to invest in film, and once Mike said "No. Not him. He has a very bad reputation, and his money is not good. We don't want that kind of money." But young producers know very little about vetting financial prospects.
This digression is only to illustrate the fact that that in this person-to-person business it is important to know who you are dealing with.
But Odell’s luck was going to change. Just a few weeks after the implosion of the film, he got an email from Jim McNamara. NBC had bought McNamara's Telemundo for Us$ 3 billion . McNamara had been CEO of New World, a position once held by Harry Sloan and Jon Feltheimer. Feltheimer went off to Sony TV which had a majority stake in Telemundo. McNamara, who had just been president of Universal TV worldwide, was brought in to run Telemundo
After leaving Telemundo, he went back to Feltheimer, in the early days of building Lionsgate, to discuss his new idea. At the time -- this was 2006 -- there were two Spanish language networks, 600 Spanish language radio stations, 2,000 Spanish language newspapers, and no one was making movies in Spanish. Felt liked it and they made a deal. Panamax was born.
McNamara knew of Odell when he was buying TV series for Telemundo. He bought a lot of the TV shows Odell had written.
Panamax’ made a six picture deal with Lionsgate. Odell became President of Production at Panamax Films and produced many feature films and TV movies both in Spanish and in English for the Hispanic market.
On one of their first scouting trips, Odell and McNamara went to see a play called “Latinologues” written by Rick Najera. In it, there was a Mexican actor named Eugenio Derbez. Derbez was known only for Spanish language TV at the time. He wrote, directed, produced and starred in his own shows for Televisa. These shows also played on Univision in the U.S. and were building a huge fan base in both countries as well as much of the Spanish-speaking world.
Latinologues was made up of multiple monologues from different actors playing roles as Latino archetypes. Derbez did three or four different characters. “When he came on stage,” recalls Odell, “He was electrifying, hilarious, magnetic. And then I met him afterwards. He was the humblest man, quiet, and a bit shy. I realized what an amazing talent he was, he had that ‘it factor’ – when he turned it on, it turned on the room.”
At the time Odell and McNamara were packaging a project called "Under the Same Moon" and suggested Derbez for a role. They flew the director, Patricia Riggen, to N.Y. to meet him. While Lionsgate ended up not financing the project, Derbez stayed in the picture. “Looking back, I think a significant part of why that movie did $20 million in box office between U.S. and Mexico, was Eugenio. He was already a mega star. No one really knew it in the general market because they weren’t paying attention to the success of his shows. Hollywood tends to ignore the Spanish speaking market, but the U.S. is the second biggest Spanish speaking country in the world and Eugenio has built a huge following there.”
Ben also made the art house Spanish language thriller, "Padre Nuestro" in 2007 which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. IFC changed the title to “Sangre de mi Sangre” for its U.S. release. It also played at New Directors/ New Films at Museum of Modern Art in New York in the Spring of 2007, received two Independent Spirit Awards nominations, for Best First Feature (for which Odell was nominated) and Best Screenplay. Odell also produced “Un Cuento Chino” aka “Chinese Take-Out” (a Spanish/ Argentinean co-production), starring Argentina’s most popular actor, Ricardo Darin (“El Secreto de los Ojos”), written and directed by Sebastián Borensztein. In Spanish, referring to a story as a cuento chino is equivalent to calling it a tall tale.
“Chino” was the top grossing Argentinean film of 2011 and one of the highest grossing Argentinean films of all times. In its international release it has broken box office records for Latin American films in both Latin America and Europe. It won the Argentinean Academy Award for best feature and the Goya, the Spanish Academy Award, for Best Latin American Film. It won numerous festivals including the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the Rome Film Festival.
When Odell was developing the script with Borensztein in 2009, he sent the script to Derbez, who immediately expressed interested in remaking it. “I loved the original story and movie,” Derbez said. “There is a heartfelt relationship that develops between these two very different people set around a whimsical, comical and magical world.”
Odell was also an executive producer on the English language 3D family thriller, “ The Games Maker”, starring Joseph Fiennes and Ed Asner. Made as a coproduction with Disney Latin America, the movie was produced in Argentina by Pampa Films and directed by Juan Pablo Buscarini, one of the producers of “Un Cuento Chino”. It was released widely across Latin America in the summer of 2014 and continues its theatrical release around the world.
Several years into Panamax’s deal with Lionsgate, a joint venture was created between Panamax, Televisa and Lionsgate called Pantelion Films. McNamara became chairman of Pantelion and Ben became President of Production.
Under the new deal he produced the 2012 coming of age comedy “Girl in Progress”, directed by “Under the Same Moon” director Patricia Riggen and staring Eva Mendes, Eugenio Derbez, Mathew Modine and Patricia Arquette
His most recent film was the inspirational true story, “Spare Parts”, starring George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis and Marisa Tomei which was released in January 2015.
While Eugenio was making his breakout film "Instructions not Included” neither he nor Ben had any idea it would be so big. “Instructions Not Included,” was released in 2013 by Pantelion and grossed $44.5 million, making it the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S. It grossed another $55 million overseas making it the number one Spanish language movie in the world.
The two realized, this was The One Time In A Career To Capitalize, and they decided to go together, to focus on brand-building, based on Eugenio's popularity and to go beyond his own work, in English and Spanish. Together they formed 3pas Studios which signed a first-look deal with Pantelion in August 2014.
They are in development on many feature films including “Un Cuento Chino”, a remake of the French comedy, “The Valet” and an untitled original script about an aging Latin lover from writers Chris Spain and Jon Zack (“The Perfect Storm”) which Derbez will star in and produce with Ben.
“We are developing multiple projects with an eye to shooting one at the end of 2015,” Odell said.
Meantime, Eugenio Derbez just filmed roles in Warner Brothers’ “Geostorm” with Gerard Butler and Sony Pictures “ Miracles from Heaven” with Jennifer Garner, and Queen Latifah. The latter was directed by Patricia Riggen who directed Derbez in both “Under the Same Moon” and “Girl in Progress”.
Ben is sure that his producing partner will go way beyond his current core Latino market “He is so lovable to watch. He has a magic about him that is undeniable and transcends language and culture.”...
Among the many people I met there, was Ben Odell, partner at 3Pas Studios, the newly launched production company that he and Mexico’s most beloved and renowned comic star and director, Eugenio Derbez, founded on the strength and success of the $100 million dollar grossing comedy, "Instructions Not Included".
The success of this film also allowed the film’s producer Monica Lozano to establish Alebrije Distribución a new distribution company which will acquire distribution rights for the Latin and North American markets.
Monica has had her hand in 23 productions since her first film, "Amores Perros". Her most recent success was "Instructions Not Included", the Us$ 5.5 million film that became the highest grossing Spanish language film of all time in the U.S., and the second highest grossing film in any language in Mexico.
But to return to Ben and his new company, the subject of this blog: 3Pas in Spanish means three steps, but is also a play on words, something Mexicans like a lot. Tres Pas sounds like tripas, which in English means guts, or tripe. Personally, I too love tripas. Deliciosas!
I Finally met Ben at Los Cabos Film Festival. I say I "finally" met him, because we have so many friends in common and ever since I have been following Latino films and writing my book on Latin America and the film business, I had often heard of Ben as the head of production for Pantelion, U.S.'s only sustained and successful Latino film distributor.
Last September, when Strategic Partners’ Laura Mackenzie in Halifax invited me to moderate a panel on “The Games Maker”, an Argentinean-Canadian-Italian coproduction, Ben’s name was prominent as the one who made the match between Argentina’s Juan Pablo Buscarini and Canada’s Tina Pehme and Kim Roberts.
I always had him pictured as my other friend whose last name is Odell, a slight and wiry, dark haired type. How surprised I was to see this big, handsome blond who exuded warmth and a good-willed wit and storytelling skill. Love at first sight! And I am sure I am not the only one who is smitten with him.
I wish I could convey his spirit, humor and strength as he recounted his life and career(s) to me in the hour we spent together in his new spacious, airy and bright Santa Monica office where Ben Shalom-Martinez was the third person in the new company, manning a phone system not yet working.
I told Ben I had read his mini bio in IMDb, and it made me want to know how he had gotten into the Latino side of the business. I expected him to reveal that, in fact, and in spite of his name, he was Latino.
One year out of college, Ben said, "I worked in editing with the Maysles Brothers. I was a P.A. on the first film John Turturro directed called “Mac”, and I was a reader for Art Linson. And that was my degree in Liberal Arts in Film. I wanted to be a screenwriter but I didn’t feel I had enough life experience. A family friend offered me a job in commercial production in Colombia. It was 1992 and my dad said: “if you love all things Latino, go learn Spanish and become an expert in the Latino market. It’s going to need people that understand it. No one was really talking about its importance then but that piece of advice changed my life. I moved to Colombia to learn Spanish and start what would be a life long journey in all things Latino, from U.S. Latino to Latin America. It’s not a single market but there is a connectivity between all of it.”
Ben grew up in Pennsylvania and when he was six years old, neighbors, who had old friends from Colombia, did an exchange of one of their children with a Colombian child. “My father ended up basically adopting that child for the year he lived with our neighbors and from that grew a friendship with this Colombian family.”
When he was 12 years old the whole Colombian family moved to Philadelphia. “I wanted them to adopt me. They were crazy, emotional, passionate, loving. It was a warmth and lust for life I hadn’t really experienced in suburban white America. And then I realized there was a whole country full of them.” At 15 he went with a friend to Colombia and loved it.
His father eventually married someone from that family. So Ben's connection to Colombia, if not to all of Latin America was very organic. Colombia is not part of the "U.S. Latino market" per se, but Colombia and the rest of Latin America share certain characteristics and commonalities — views on life and death, family, spirituality -- that end up working their way into storytelling that are shared throughout the U.S. Latino market and Latin America along with a larger emotional scale in the tone of their storytelling.
Odell lived in Colombia from 1992 to 2000. He also worked as a freelance journalist before becoming a Spanish language television writer and screenwriter there.
When he was in Colombia working in commercials, he met Tom Quinn, a journalist Iiving there for 25 years, working for Time Magazine and running an English language rag called The Colombian Post. In his youth ,Tom had run with the likes of Hunter S. Thompson. He had lots of adventures and lots of stories of those days.
Ben asked Tom what was the most compelling story they could make into a movie that wasn’t about narcotrafficking, and Tom said one word: “Emeralds.” Colombia supplies 60% of the world's emeralds. The mines in the Emerald Zone have strong drug laundering connections as well, as one might guess. The land is leased by the government to the three or four mining companies and they control everything with no supervision by the government.
The society is totally feudal. Workers labor for the companies for 28 days of the month and on the last two days they are allowed to keep whatever they find. Victor Carranza ran everything. He was The Don, violent and scary. A small man, about 5'2". He died in prison worth over a billion dollars.
Ben thought this was a great story to develop into a movie, and so he went back to New York to the contacts he had made including an exec at Tribeca Films. “They all said the same thing, great story but you are not a writer. Go write the script and then we’ll talk.” Ben returned to Colombia to do research.
In the meanwhile he began writing for Colombian TV. He had never written a feature film script, nor did he speak Spanish. He had, however, taken a course in feature film screenwriting with Robert McKee. And he had a girlfriend who was bilingual. He knew about Colombian TV and he saw the potential for legitimizing the story first as a TV show and then making it into a feature later.
Tom Quinn was very well known in Colombia as he was the Time News correspondent there at a moment when the magazine had a lot of power; the drug wars were one of its most consistent cover stories. They pitched it to Rti TV, and structured it like "The Fugitive".
There is a drug, called Burandanga, scientifically known as Scopolamine. It comes from a plant that grows wild in Colombia. The drugged one loses control of his or her will. He once heard a story about a man in a bar who wakes up in jail accused of a murder he can’t remember. This became the basis of the story. The lead goes into the Emerald Zone and drugged by burundanga, he kills one on the wrong side in a war going on there. He wakes up with no recollection and a full on civil war going on around him. He can't get out of the Emerald Zone until he finds the man who drugged him. The title of this series that Tom and he pitched and in 1998 created was "Fuego verde", like the 1954 Hollywood movie, “ Green Fire” starring Grace Kelly and Stewart Grainger.
As a television writer, he eventually created and wrote over 300 hours of Spanish-language narrative television including “Fuego Verde” -- the first-ever action series. It was one of the highest rated series on Colombian television. He also co-wrote the Colombian political satire feature film, “ Golpe de estadio”, which was nominated for Spain's Academy Award, the Goya in 1999, and was Colombia's nomination to the Oscar in 2000. It is still one of the highest grossing Colombian films of all time.
In the film, "Golpe de estadio", (Golpe de Estado means “Coup d'état”but it also could mean “Coup d’ Stadium”), an oil company has set up a camp for geological research in a small village in Colombia that has been named New Texas. It becomes the target of the guerrillas who are constantly clashing with police in the area. The confrontation is put on hold however during the TV transmission of the world Cup qualifiers. The two sides declare a sort of truce so that they can all watch the match between Colombia and Argentina on the only working TV in the town. Colombia wins the game, 5 to 0, (a victory, in real life, infamous in the annals of world cup) and of course the Colombian police and guerrilla find themselves cheering for the same team.
"Golpe" was released in theaters in 1999 while the drug wars and war between the guerrillas and the government were moving into peace talks. It came out during the war, and Ben naively believed it could make tangible impact on the country. Instead they received death threats. It was a very volatile time.
He left Colombia and put together a business plan to make movies for Latino audiences. He was too green and he was way ahead of his time so instead he went to film school at Columbia University.
He went to film school thinking it was only to network and realized he knew nothing about film writing or production. "Going to film school's more valuable if a student already has some experience," Ben says.
"Confess", a feature length film he produced in his second year of film school (2005) was one of his thesis projects. It was made for a couple of hundred thousand dollars. Ali Larter and Melissa Leo starred in it (way before she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Role in “The Fighter”). The movie was about a disgruntled computer hacker of mixed race, who struggles to adjust to life after a jaunt in prison. He takes his anger online forcing confessions out of those who slighted him. Eventually his focus becomes political. “It had all the trappings of a first time filmmaker. But conceptually it was scratching the surface of trends that wouldn’t appear online until years later. This was several years before YouTube took hold, which is a lifetime in human years.”
"For my second film, we had Scorsese as an executive producer. When we started preproduction we quickly discovered that one of our two investors really didn’t have the money. He signed a contract to invest while he was still trying to raise the funds“
At this point in our discussion Ben and I went off on a tangent...Money that falls out at the last minute is such a common story. Do these guys think the money will come just because they have "bet" on it, using the film as collateral?... Do they just want to go for the ride, as far as they can go?... are they sociopaths, liars, gamblers, on drugs or what? I remember when I worked at Ifa (until it became ICM); at the Motion Picture Division's meetings that Mike Medavoy held every week, agents would sometimes report on someone wanting to invest in film, and once Mike said "No. Not him. He has a very bad reputation, and his money is not good. We don't want that kind of money." But young producers know very little about vetting financial prospects.
This digression is only to illustrate the fact that that in this person-to-person business it is important to know who you are dealing with.
But Odell’s luck was going to change. Just a few weeks after the implosion of the film, he got an email from Jim McNamara. NBC had bought McNamara's Telemundo for Us$ 3 billion . McNamara had been CEO of New World, a position once held by Harry Sloan and Jon Feltheimer. Feltheimer went off to Sony TV which had a majority stake in Telemundo. McNamara, who had just been president of Universal TV worldwide, was brought in to run Telemundo
After leaving Telemundo, he went back to Feltheimer, in the early days of building Lionsgate, to discuss his new idea. At the time -- this was 2006 -- there were two Spanish language networks, 600 Spanish language radio stations, 2,000 Spanish language newspapers, and no one was making movies in Spanish. Felt liked it and they made a deal. Panamax was born.
McNamara knew of Odell when he was buying TV series for Telemundo. He bought a lot of the TV shows Odell had written.
Panamax’ made a six picture deal with Lionsgate. Odell became President of Production at Panamax Films and produced many feature films and TV movies both in Spanish and in English for the Hispanic market.
On one of their first scouting trips, Odell and McNamara went to see a play called “Latinologues” written by Rick Najera. In it, there was a Mexican actor named Eugenio Derbez. Derbez was known only for Spanish language TV at the time. He wrote, directed, produced and starred in his own shows for Televisa. These shows also played on Univision in the U.S. and were building a huge fan base in both countries as well as much of the Spanish-speaking world.
Latinologues was made up of multiple monologues from different actors playing roles as Latino archetypes. Derbez did three or four different characters. “When he came on stage,” recalls Odell, “He was electrifying, hilarious, magnetic. And then I met him afterwards. He was the humblest man, quiet, and a bit shy. I realized what an amazing talent he was, he had that ‘it factor’ – when he turned it on, it turned on the room.”
At the time Odell and McNamara were packaging a project called "Under the Same Moon" and suggested Derbez for a role. They flew the director, Patricia Riggen, to N.Y. to meet him. While Lionsgate ended up not financing the project, Derbez stayed in the picture. “Looking back, I think a significant part of why that movie did $20 million in box office between U.S. and Mexico, was Eugenio. He was already a mega star. No one really knew it in the general market because they weren’t paying attention to the success of his shows. Hollywood tends to ignore the Spanish speaking market, but the U.S. is the second biggest Spanish speaking country in the world and Eugenio has built a huge following there.”
Ben also made the art house Spanish language thriller, "Padre Nuestro" in 2007 which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. IFC changed the title to “Sangre de mi Sangre” for its U.S. release. It also played at New Directors/ New Films at Museum of Modern Art in New York in the Spring of 2007, received two Independent Spirit Awards nominations, for Best First Feature (for which Odell was nominated) and Best Screenplay. Odell also produced “Un Cuento Chino” aka “Chinese Take-Out” (a Spanish/ Argentinean co-production), starring Argentina’s most popular actor, Ricardo Darin (“El Secreto de los Ojos”), written and directed by Sebastián Borensztein. In Spanish, referring to a story as a cuento chino is equivalent to calling it a tall tale.
“Chino” was the top grossing Argentinean film of 2011 and one of the highest grossing Argentinean films of all times. In its international release it has broken box office records for Latin American films in both Latin America and Europe. It won the Argentinean Academy Award for best feature and the Goya, the Spanish Academy Award, for Best Latin American Film. It won numerous festivals including the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the Rome Film Festival.
When Odell was developing the script with Borensztein in 2009, he sent the script to Derbez, who immediately expressed interested in remaking it. “I loved the original story and movie,” Derbez said. “There is a heartfelt relationship that develops between these two very different people set around a whimsical, comical and magical world.”
Odell was also an executive producer on the English language 3D family thriller, “ The Games Maker”, starring Joseph Fiennes and Ed Asner. Made as a coproduction with Disney Latin America, the movie was produced in Argentina by Pampa Films and directed by Juan Pablo Buscarini, one of the producers of “Un Cuento Chino”. It was released widely across Latin America in the summer of 2014 and continues its theatrical release around the world.
Several years into Panamax’s deal with Lionsgate, a joint venture was created between Panamax, Televisa and Lionsgate called Pantelion Films. McNamara became chairman of Pantelion and Ben became President of Production.
Under the new deal he produced the 2012 coming of age comedy “Girl in Progress”, directed by “Under the Same Moon” director Patricia Riggen and staring Eva Mendes, Eugenio Derbez, Mathew Modine and Patricia Arquette
His most recent film was the inspirational true story, “Spare Parts”, starring George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis and Marisa Tomei which was released in January 2015.
While Eugenio was making his breakout film "Instructions not Included” neither he nor Ben had any idea it would be so big. “Instructions Not Included,” was released in 2013 by Pantelion and grossed $44.5 million, making it the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S. It grossed another $55 million overseas making it the number one Spanish language movie in the world.
The two realized, this was The One Time In A Career To Capitalize, and they decided to go together, to focus on brand-building, based on Eugenio's popularity and to go beyond his own work, in English and Spanish. Together they formed 3pas Studios which signed a first-look deal with Pantelion in August 2014.
They are in development on many feature films including “Un Cuento Chino”, a remake of the French comedy, “The Valet” and an untitled original script about an aging Latin lover from writers Chris Spain and Jon Zack (“The Perfect Storm”) which Derbez will star in and produce with Ben.
“We are developing multiple projects with an eye to shooting one at the end of 2015,” Odell said.
Meantime, Eugenio Derbez just filmed roles in Warner Brothers’ “Geostorm” with Gerard Butler and Sony Pictures “ Miracles from Heaven” with Jennifer Garner, and Queen Latifah. The latter was directed by Patricia Riggen who directed Derbez in both “Under the Same Moon” and “Girl in Progress”.
Ben is sure that his producing partner will go way beyond his current core Latino market “He is so lovable to watch. He has a magic about him that is undeniable and transcends language and culture.”...
- 8/5/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The Nhmc MediaCon is an entertainment conference uniquely designed to advance the image and careers of Latinos in media, and this year the event will take place on July 9, 2015 at the Sheraton Hilton in Universal City.
Here is an in depth piece on Nhmc MediaCon published by LatinHeat
This year the 4th Annual Nhmc MediaCon will turn its focus on writers, from pitching the idea to securing a literary agent to monetizing your content on the internet. MediaCon is a one-of-a-kind event that convenes national media advocates, industry executives, celebrity talent and media insiders to discuss the role Latinos are playing in trends and emerging issues in the entertainment industry.
The panel session Literary Managers: The Path to Representation will be followed by a special networking session with the panelist which include Tracey Murray, Literary Partner/Manager, Industry Entertainment Partners; Eddie Gamarra, Literary Manager/Producer, The Gotham Group; Jairo Alvarado, Literary Manager/Producer, Circle of Confusion; Geoff Silverman, Literary Partner/Manager, Cartel Management and moderator Ligiah Villalobos, Writer/Producer ("Go Diego Go," "Under the Same Moon")
The Executive Producer Panel speakers are "Bordertown" (Fox) Supervising Producer Valentina Garza; Virgil Williams, Co-Executive Producer ("Criminal Minds"), Rashad Raifani, Executive Producer ("Allegiance") and will take inside the world of developing the show, producing and monetizing your project on the internet.
Rounding out the full spectrum of the writer’s journey is a look at the future of digital content distribution, the internet. Speaking on this topic will be Doug Greiff, MiTu, a multi-channel network on YouTube, which exclusively targets Latino audiences; Stacie de Armas, Nielsens’ VP of Strategic Initiatives & Consumer Engagement; and Omar Ponce, writer/director, MiTu.
For more information and to register Click Here
About Nhmc: The National Hispanic Media Coalition (Nhmc) is a media advocacy and civil rights organization for the advancement of Latinos, working towards a media that is fair and inclusive of Latinos, and towards universal, affordable, and open access to communications.
The Nhmc is one of the biggest advocates for Latinos in the entertainment industry. One of their most successful programs is the Nhmc Television Writers Program. Created in 2003 and is an intensive scriptwriters workshop that prepares Latinos for writing jobs at major television networks. Modeled after the previously successful Hispanic Film Project, the program is a direct response to the lack of diverse writers in primetime network TV. To take Nhmc TV Writers Program graduates to the next level, Nhmc has also created the Nhmc Pitching Lab and the Latino Scene Showcase.
Here is an in depth piece on Nhmc MediaCon published by LatinHeat
This year the 4th Annual Nhmc MediaCon will turn its focus on writers, from pitching the idea to securing a literary agent to monetizing your content on the internet. MediaCon is a one-of-a-kind event that convenes national media advocates, industry executives, celebrity talent and media insiders to discuss the role Latinos are playing in trends and emerging issues in the entertainment industry.
The panel session Literary Managers: The Path to Representation will be followed by a special networking session with the panelist which include Tracey Murray, Literary Partner/Manager, Industry Entertainment Partners; Eddie Gamarra, Literary Manager/Producer, The Gotham Group; Jairo Alvarado, Literary Manager/Producer, Circle of Confusion; Geoff Silverman, Literary Partner/Manager, Cartel Management and moderator Ligiah Villalobos, Writer/Producer ("Go Diego Go," "Under the Same Moon")
The Executive Producer Panel speakers are "Bordertown" (Fox) Supervising Producer Valentina Garza; Virgil Williams, Co-Executive Producer ("Criminal Minds"), Rashad Raifani, Executive Producer ("Allegiance") and will take inside the world of developing the show, producing and monetizing your project on the internet.
Rounding out the full spectrum of the writer’s journey is a look at the future of digital content distribution, the internet. Speaking on this topic will be Doug Greiff, MiTu, a multi-channel network on YouTube, which exclusively targets Latino audiences; Stacie de Armas, Nielsens’ VP of Strategic Initiatives & Consumer Engagement; and Omar Ponce, writer/director, MiTu.
For more information and to register Click Here
About Nhmc: The National Hispanic Media Coalition (Nhmc) is a media advocacy and civil rights organization for the advancement of Latinos, working towards a media that is fair and inclusive of Latinos, and towards universal, affordable, and open access to communications.
The Nhmc is one of the biggest advocates for Latinos in the entertainment industry. One of their most successful programs is the Nhmc Television Writers Program. Created in 2003 and is an intensive scriptwriters workshop that prepares Latinos for writing jobs at major television networks. Modeled after the previously successful Hispanic Film Project, the program is a direct response to the lack of diverse writers in primetime network TV. To take Nhmc TV Writers Program graduates to the next level, Nhmc has also created the Nhmc Pitching Lab and the Latino Scene Showcase.
- 6/30/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Last week during the nominations announcement for the second edition of the Premios Platino of Iberoamerican Cinema, the organizers brought together a stellar lineup of talent to let the press know which films made it to the final list of nominees. Among them was Mexican actress Kate del Castillo, who is one of the most prominent Latin American stars working both in the U.S. and back home today. While she had been a recurrent face in numerous shows and films, Del Castillo became a household name among the U.S. Latino community thanks to films like “Under the Same Moon” and TV series like “La Reina del Sur.”
Non-Spanish speaking audiences were also able to witness her skills in popular TV shows like “Weeds” and more recently voicing a character in the animated feature “The Book of Life.” Her eclectic career has allowed her to take risks and often step out of familiar roles to take on something unexpected like the horror film “Visitantes,” released in Mexico last year.
Due to her important place as a trailblazer paving the way for Latinos, and Iberoamericans in general (a term that includes Spain and Portugal) within the entertainment industry, Kate del Castillo will have the honor of presenting Antonio Banderas with a special award for his multiple achievements throughout his career.
We sat down with Del Castillo to talk about what the Premios Platino are and why they are needed, her multiple upcoming projects, and her dream of being part of a film screening at the Cannes Film Festival some day.
Aguilar: There are many national film awards across Latin America and the Iberian peninsula already, but do you believe the Premios Platino come to fill a void in the region? If so, what's that void?
Kate Del Castillo: They come to fill a void that in all honesty had taken to long to filled. It was about time. With need unity among us, all Iberoamericans, which doesn’t yet exist - that's the void. It’s incredible, we want to advance and see progress individually and that can’t be done. We can’t get out of the hole if we don’t help each other out. We have to support one another, and support platforms like this. I believe Premios Platino is a gigantic platform to start fostering this unity.
Aguilar: One could argue that it’s hard for Iberoamerican films to be successful in the U.S because of the language barrier, but these films also have a hard time getting exposure in their own countries and countries that share the same language.
Kate Del Castillo: That’s what’s incredible and it’s because we are often “malinchistas.” We don’t support our own cinema, our homegrown talent, and not only the cinema of our individual countries, but we also don’t support the cinema of other Iberoamerican countries. We usually prefer to go see American blockbusters, which is not to say they are bad or that we shouldn’t support them, but I believe that all of us, specially exhibitors, should support our cinema and make them a priority on the screens.
Aguilar: We need to see our own stories and be interested in the. Right?
Kate Del Castillo: Absolutely, there is so much talent in our countries.It’s a terrible thing to make films that are never seen or experienced by audiences. Often times nobody knows about them, even though they are great films. They are not promoted and that’s really sad.
Aguilar: You’ve worked extensively both in Mexico and the U.S., and you’ve achieved great success in Hollywood. What would you say is the main difference between the two industries?
Kate Del Castillo: Neither of them is better than the other from my point of view, but clearly one has more money than the other because it has much more support. In Mexico we need much more support, but really a lot more, from the government. Sadly the Mexican government has never cared for cinema, and cinema is the window to the world. Therefore, what the rest of the world knows about Mexico is what they see on films and the bad news they see on TV. We need to make films that are worthy of who we really are as Mexicans. We also need to make cinema that reflects the diversity in the region, so that Americans and Europeans know who Mexicans are, who Salvadorians are, who Cubans are, etc. We need to do it now, and all we really need is support because we have the talent.
Aguilar: Unfortunately, sometimes when talent from the region finds success in the U.S or other markets they stop working in their native language and they rarely go back to make films in their homelands. However, you've found a balance between the two sides in your career.
Kate Del Castillo: I go back much less than what I used to, but I recently did I film in Mexico titled “Visitantes” (Visitors) evidently in Spanish, and I’ve done a few other things here in the U.S that are also in Spanish. I will never stop working on Spanish-language projects because that’s my language, and because I’m a Latina and Mexican before anything else. However, they have to be projects that catch my attention whether they are here on in Mexico. All I want is to be involved in projects that are interesting to me, projects that are a challenge wherever they may happen, in Spain, in China, or in Hollywood.
Aguilar: How difficult was it for you to get opportunities and find success working int he American entertainment industry? Is it still a challenge?
Kate Del Castillo: I’m still fighting to get the things I want and to do the projects I want to do. I think it will always be a fight or a challenge, but not being in my comfort zone keeps me very excited and happy. You have to constantly be doing something and not just wait for someone to call you with an opportunity, you have to develop your own projects.
Aguilar: With the achievements and recognition of trailblazers like Salma Hayek, Demian Bichir, Eugenio Derbez, and yourself, would you say more doors are opening for Iberoamerican talent and our films?
Kate Del Castillo: Totally, every time talented people like them become popular or are recognized is a good thing. Someone might say, “I didn’t know this actress before, but now I do” and when those films get exposure because of them that is also great. But sadly most films only get exposure if they win an award or were in a festival, which is really difficult because those things cost money! Submitting your film to a festival or campaigning for an Oscar or a Golden Globe is very expensive. Most people don’t know that, but all those events require a lot of money. If you have a small independent film, it’s very hard to get the attention of people in those circles. There is tons of talent like I said, what we lack is support to promote the films, which means we need more money. That’s why we need to support each other and unite.
Aguilar: You are right. It's hard for films to travel even within the region. We rarely get to see what other Spanish-speaking countries are making.
Kate Del Castillo: We don’t even know our own cinema in the region. They were just asking me if I knew anything about Paraguayan cinema, and I felt embarrassed but I unfortunately haven’t seen any because they don’t travel. We really need to join forces and these awards are a great platform for that. They did incredibly well last year and there was a big audience watching them. They are being noticed and hopefully this year is even better. We need stars, like Antonio Banderas who will be there this year, to be present and support so that the global press becomes more interested in our cinema.
Aguilar: Tell me about you are doing. Any upcoming projects we should watch out for?
Kate Del Castillo: I just finished working on a TV show, and I came back very tired. I’m also trying to develop a couple of my own projects, and I’m going to start promoting the film “Los 33.” Then I’m going to work on another film, right before I leave to work on a new series for Netflix.
Aguilar: Seems like you are unbelievably busy and you still found time to stop by the Hola Mexico Film Festival earlier this month to support “Visitantes.”
Kate Del Castillo: Yes, I’m very happy because “Visitantes” has done very well. It’s a film that means a lot to me because I returned to Mexico after a long time to work on a truly Mexican production. I’m very proud of everyone’s work in that film.
Aguilar: With some many projects ahead there might be an Oscar or another big festival award in the future for you.
Kate Del Castillo: Wow [Laughs] Can you imagine? I was at the Cannes Film Festival recently, and as an actor you never stop dreaming and thinking, “I’d love to be back here with a film” and competing with incredibly talented people. And it would be even more amazing if it was a film in Spanish. Is not all about working with Hollywood stars and famous directors, being present there with a Spanish-language film would make so proud. One can always fantasize about it, hopefully one day.
Non-Spanish speaking audiences were also able to witness her skills in popular TV shows like “Weeds” and more recently voicing a character in the animated feature “The Book of Life.” Her eclectic career has allowed her to take risks and often step out of familiar roles to take on something unexpected like the horror film “Visitantes,” released in Mexico last year.
Due to her important place as a trailblazer paving the way for Latinos, and Iberoamericans in general (a term that includes Spain and Portugal) within the entertainment industry, Kate del Castillo will have the honor of presenting Antonio Banderas with a special award for his multiple achievements throughout his career.
We sat down with Del Castillo to talk about what the Premios Platino are and why they are needed, her multiple upcoming projects, and her dream of being part of a film screening at the Cannes Film Festival some day.
Aguilar: There are many national film awards across Latin America and the Iberian peninsula already, but do you believe the Premios Platino come to fill a void in the region? If so, what's that void?
Kate Del Castillo: They come to fill a void that in all honesty had taken to long to filled. It was about time. With need unity among us, all Iberoamericans, which doesn’t yet exist - that's the void. It’s incredible, we want to advance and see progress individually and that can’t be done. We can’t get out of the hole if we don’t help each other out. We have to support one another, and support platforms like this. I believe Premios Platino is a gigantic platform to start fostering this unity.
Aguilar: One could argue that it’s hard for Iberoamerican films to be successful in the U.S because of the language barrier, but these films also have a hard time getting exposure in their own countries and countries that share the same language.
Kate Del Castillo: That’s what’s incredible and it’s because we are often “malinchistas.” We don’t support our own cinema, our homegrown talent, and not only the cinema of our individual countries, but we also don’t support the cinema of other Iberoamerican countries. We usually prefer to go see American blockbusters, which is not to say they are bad or that we shouldn’t support them, but I believe that all of us, specially exhibitors, should support our cinema and make them a priority on the screens.
Aguilar: We need to see our own stories and be interested in the. Right?
Kate Del Castillo: Absolutely, there is so much talent in our countries.It’s a terrible thing to make films that are never seen or experienced by audiences. Often times nobody knows about them, even though they are great films. They are not promoted and that’s really sad.
Aguilar: You’ve worked extensively both in Mexico and the U.S., and you’ve achieved great success in Hollywood. What would you say is the main difference between the two industries?
Kate Del Castillo: Neither of them is better than the other from my point of view, but clearly one has more money than the other because it has much more support. In Mexico we need much more support, but really a lot more, from the government. Sadly the Mexican government has never cared for cinema, and cinema is the window to the world. Therefore, what the rest of the world knows about Mexico is what they see on films and the bad news they see on TV. We need to make films that are worthy of who we really are as Mexicans. We also need to make cinema that reflects the diversity in the region, so that Americans and Europeans know who Mexicans are, who Salvadorians are, who Cubans are, etc. We need to do it now, and all we really need is support because we have the talent.
Aguilar: Unfortunately, sometimes when talent from the region finds success in the U.S or other markets they stop working in their native language and they rarely go back to make films in their homelands. However, you've found a balance between the two sides in your career.
Kate Del Castillo: I go back much less than what I used to, but I recently did I film in Mexico titled “Visitantes” (Visitors) evidently in Spanish, and I’ve done a few other things here in the U.S that are also in Spanish. I will never stop working on Spanish-language projects because that’s my language, and because I’m a Latina and Mexican before anything else. However, they have to be projects that catch my attention whether they are here on in Mexico. All I want is to be involved in projects that are interesting to me, projects that are a challenge wherever they may happen, in Spain, in China, or in Hollywood.
Aguilar: How difficult was it for you to get opportunities and find success working int he American entertainment industry? Is it still a challenge?
Kate Del Castillo: I’m still fighting to get the things I want and to do the projects I want to do. I think it will always be a fight or a challenge, but not being in my comfort zone keeps me very excited and happy. You have to constantly be doing something and not just wait for someone to call you with an opportunity, you have to develop your own projects.
Aguilar: With the achievements and recognition of trailblazers like Salma Hayek, Demian Bichir, Eugenio Derbez, and yourself, would you say more doors are opening for Iberoamerican talent and our films?
Kate Del Castillo: Totally, every time talented people like them become popular or are recognized is a good thing. Someone might say, “I didn’t know this actress before, but now I do” and when those films get exposure because of them that is also great. But sadly most films only get exposure if they win an award or were in a festival, which is really difficult because those things cost money! Submitting your film to a festival or campaigning for an Oscar or a Golden Globe is very expensive. Most people don’t know that, but all those events require a lot of money. If you have a small independent film, it’s very hard to get the attention of people in those circles. There is tons of talent like I said, what we lack is support to promote the films, which means we need more money. That’s why we need to support each other and unite.
Aguilar: You are right. It's hard for films to travel even within the region. We rarely get to see what other Spanish-speaking countries are making.
Kate Del Castillo: We don’t even know our own cinema in the region. They were just asking me if I knew anything about Paraguayan cinema, and I felt embarrassed but I unfortunately haven’t seen any because they don’t travel. We really need to join forces and these awards are a great platform for that. They did incredibly well last year and there was a big audience watching them. They are being noticed and hopefully this year is even better. We need stars, like Antonio Banderas who will be there this year, to be present and support so that the global press becomes more interested in our cinema.
Aguilar: Tell me about you are doing. Any upcoming projects we should watch out for?
Kate Del Castillo: I just finished working on a TV show, and I came back very tired. I’m also trying to develop a couple of my own projects, and I’m going to start promoting the film “Los 33.” Then I’m going to work on another film, right before I leave to work on a new series for Netflix.
Aguilar: Seems like you are unbelievably busy and you still found time to stop by the Hola Mexico Film Festival earlier this month to support “Visitantes.”
Kate Del Castillo: Yes, I’m very happy because “Visitantes” has done very well. It’s a film that means a lot to me because I returned to Mexico after a long time to work on a truly Mexican production. I’m very proud of everyone’s work in that film.
Aguilar: With some many projects ahead there might be an Oscar or another big festival award in the future for you.
Kate Del Castillo: Wow [Laughs] Can you imagine? I was at the Cannes Film Festival recently, and as an actor you never stop dreaming and thinking, “I’d love to be back here with a film” and competing with incredibly talented people. And it would be even more amazing if it was a film in Spanish. Is not all about working with Hollywood stars and famous directors, being present there with a Spanish-language film would make so proud. One can always fantasize about it, hopefully one day.
- 6/3/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
If you don't believe awards season runs 365 days a year look no further than the news today that Alcon Entertainment has acquired the U.S. rights to "The 33." Based on the Copiapó mining accident in 2010, the new drama centers on 33 minters who were trapped for 69 days in a collapsed copper-gold mine in Northern Chile. Their plight captured the attention of the world and, surprise, Hollywood came calling. Independently financed by Phoenix Pictures and Half Circle, "33" is being distributed in Chile by 20th Century Fox, but not in the U.S. The news Alcon came on board and Warner Bros. will distribute makes this a somewhat unusual story. Alcon announced that WB will release "The 33" on Nov. 13 which is smack dab in the middle of Oscar season. Warner Bros. marketing and publicity teams have three other films that are expected to be awards players; Scott Cooper's "Black Mass," Jeff Nichols...
- 4/28/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
The La-based company has acquired North America and most international rights to the Chilean mine collapse survival story and will channel the Us release via its Warner Bros output deal on November 13.
Warner Bros will distribute The 33 across the bulk of international markets. Good Universe, whom lead producer Mike Medavoy initially hired some time ago to sell international, continues to service the closed deals.
Fox International holds Latin American rights and will kick off in Chile on August 6 to mark the fifth anniversary of the San Jose mine collapse that took place in the Atacama Desert in the north of the country.
Chinese distribution will be set by Alcon and Alan Zhang, the film’s Chinese executive producer who invested in the project.
Patricia Riggen directed the drama starring Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, Mario Casas, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rodrigo Santoro, Gabriel Byrne and James Brolin. The producers sought out Riggen after they saw her work on...
Warner Bros will distribute The 33 across the bulk of international markets. Good Universe, whom lead producer Mike Medavoy initially hired some time ago to sell international, continues to service the closed deals.
Fox International holds Latin American rights and will kick off in Chile on August 6 to mark the fifth anniversary of the San Jose mine collapse that took place in the Atacama Desert in the north of the country.
Chinese distribution will be set by Alcon and Alan Zhang, the film’s Chinese executive producer who invested in the project.
Patricia Riggen directed the drama starring Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, Mario Casas, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rodrigo Santoro, Gabriel Byrne and James Brolin. The producers sought out Riggen after they saw her work on...
- 4/28/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
I am happy to see more people vocalize demand for Latina representation onscreen and the resurging interest in solving this messed up disparity issue (Thank you Gina Rodriguez Golden Globes acceptance speech ). However, the representation issue I find ten times more urgent to address is the anguishing miniscule percentage of Latina Content Creators in film and television.
I give you 5 bomb Latina Directors who are are at the helm of brand new feature films coming out this year, women who are striking through the hostile mass media industry to escape the rule of homogeneity (white male perspective). Now that is something to celebrate. It’s not surprising that three of these are documentaries. The percentage of women directed films in documentaries is higher than in fiction. Now I can’t say with total certainty these 2 Latina directed U.S. fiction feature length films are the only ones out there this year…actually yes I can…..until someone reaches out to correct me ….and I really do hope to be corrected because only two???????
"Los 33"
Director : Patricia Riggen
Writers : Mikko Alanne, Michael John Bell, Craig Borten, Jose Rivera
Producers : Robert Katz, Edward McGurn, Mike Medavoy
Cinematographer : Checco Varese
Music : James Horner
U.S. Distributor : Tba
Cast : Rodrigo Santoro, Antonio Banderas, Cote de Pablo, James Brolin, Juliette Binoche, Gabriel Byrne, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kate del Castillo, Tenoch Huerta
Social Media: @The33Pelicula
Logline: Based on the incredible real-life story of the 33 survivors of a copper-gold mine in Chile that collapsed and trapping them 700 meters underground for 69 days until their rescue.
Add Riggen to the exclusive ranks of women who fought for and have proved they got the chops to direct big action, Hollywood type genre movies like Katheryn Bigelow, Mimi Leder. The trailer for Los 33 that dropped last week reveals an epic dramatization of the intensely emotional struggle to survive the Chilean mine disaster. The English language film carries a sweeping score by none other than James Horner (and naturally you can hear Violetta Parra’s classic song, Gracias Por La Vida). Add to that a big hero performance by Antonio Banderas who leads an ensemble cast of well known international actors (including hottie Mexican star of Güeros, Tenoch Huerta!!). Riggen, who was born in Guadalajara but moved to the states after graduating Columbia’s film school in NY, made a splash with her 2007 film, Under the Same Moon starring a back-then-virtually-unknown-in-the-u.S. Eugenio Derbez, and Kate del Castillo. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival then was picked up by Pantelion, the studio she later worked with on the Eva Mendes starrer Girl in Progress.
Domestic distribution and release stateside is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile Twentieth Century Fox will be releasing the film in Chile in August, marking the fifth anniversary of the incident, before rolling out the film throughout Latin America including Mexico. For an in-depth account of Los 33, check out current best-seller, “Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine and the Miracle That Set Them Free” by Hector Tobar.
"Endgame"
Director: Carmen Marron
Writers : Hector Salinas, Carmen Marron
Producers : Sandra Avila, Carmen Marron
Executive Producers : Hector Salinas, Betty Sullivan
Associate Producer : Bonnie Emerson
Cinematographer: Francisco Bulgarelli
Music: Brian Standefer
Cinematographer: Francisco Bulgarelli
U.S. Distributor : Tba
Cast : Rico Rodriguez, Efren Ramirez, Justina Machado, Jon Gries
Social Media: @GoForIt_Carmen
Facebook
Logline: Shot in Brownsville and inspired by true events, Endgame is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who joins the school chess team, and with the help of his coach, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, team spirit and the importance of family.
Another talented genre director (and fellow Chicana from Chicago, Heyyy) whose tenacity and talent make her primed to be our Latina Ava Duvernay success story (of course that depends on whether the public (and gatekeepers) support her to make the change to the system to demand her spot in the national mainstream). I wrote about Carmen’s tireless spirit before , mentioning her first film which she shot, wrote, directed and produced in Chicago called Go For It (which incidentally was Gina Rodriguez’s first feature role). Her latest film is Endgame starring the precocious Manny from Modern Family, Rico Rodriguez, and Efren Ramirez from cult classic Napoleon Dynamite, Endgame is one of those irresistible competition, underdog, against-all-odds stories. Ramirez portrays the galvanizing Brownsville public elementary school teacher and chess afficionado, J.J. Guajardo, who in 1989, upon seeing his 6th grade class take an interest in his chess board, began to teach them on the regular. The class excelled and entered regional competitions, going on to enter and win state championships against schools with far more resources. Echoing the positives of disrupting a broke educational status quo with simply offering access to advanced mental cognition building tools, the film echoes another real life story and seminal Chicano film, Stand & Deliver. Big difference; that movie was not directed by a Latino/a.
The film is world premiering at the Dallas International Film Festival April 12 &13. Distribution is yet to be confirmed for theatrical/VOD but stay tuned via the Facebook page.
"No Mas Bebes"
Director: Renee Tajima-Peña
Producers : Virginia Espino
Associate Producer : Kate Trumbull-Valle
Executive Producers : Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, Judith Helfland, Sally Jo Fiefer and Sandra Pedlow
U.S. Distributor : Itvs/Latino Public Broadcasting
Cinematographer: Claudio Rocha
Music: Bronwen Jones, additional music by Quetzal
Cast : Antonia Hernandez, Gloria Molina, Dolores Madrigal, Jovita Rivera, Consuelo Hermosillo
Social Media: Facebook
Logline : An investigation of the sterilization of Mexican-American women at Los Angeles County-usc Medical Center during the 1960s and 70s
Sadly, there is an appalling history in the United States of laws and policies authorizing sterilizations of poor women without their knowledge or consent for the “benefit of society”; Buck v. Bell (low-income white women in Virginia), Relf v. Weinberger (young African-American women in Alabama), and female inmates in California. This film focuses on the case of Latinas of Mexican origin in California in Madrigal v. Quilligan . Shedding light on this horrific human rights violation, the film includes interviews with women who suffered this terrible ordeal and locked the memory away, along with former medical staff and the incredible lawyer who filed this suit forty years ago, Antonia Hernandez. A long-time coming, supremely valuable and eye opening contextualization of the Chicano rights movement from the late 60s/70s as well as the current reproductive justice movement.
So kind of cheating here, Renee is not Latina per se, but a sister in the struggle to document the Latino community. Her producer is Latina, Virginia Espino, La born-and-raised historian, plus I really want to rally support for this film because it is one of those Latina stories that really needed to be told and remembered this year which marks the 40th anniversary of the lawsuit (June 19). It is ready to be unveiled and seen by as wide an audience as possible. Stay tuned to hear when the film will have its world premiere before its broadcast in the Fall on Voces, Latino Public Broadcasting’s arts and culture series on PBS.
"Now en Español"
Director: Andrea Meller
Producers : Aaron Woolf, Andrea Meller
Music: Camara Kambon
Cinematographer: Charlie Gruet
U.S. Distributor : PBS/Latino Public Broadcasting
Cast : Marabina Jaimes, Marcela Bordes, Gabriela Lopetegui, Ivette Gonzalez, Natasha Perez
Social Media: @NowenEspanol, website
Logline: Follows the trials and triumphs of the small group of Latina actresses who dub “Desperate Housewives” into Spanish.
Currently hitting the festival circuit in such reputable festivals as Santa Barbara, Chicago Latino Film Festival, CineFestival, ahead of its showing on PBS Voces, "Now en Español" is such an effective and distinct balance of humor, seriousness and insider look by Chilean-American Andrea Meller.
Profiling Marcela Bordes, Ivette Gonzalez, Marabina Jaimes, Gabriela Lopetegui and Natasha Perez, the film is quite plainspoken and sympathetic about the struggle of the actor in Hollywood. Like the comedy fiction film (also directed by a woman!) "In a World," by Lake Bell, the film offers a rare behind the scenes and insight into the voice acting industry. Few actors make make careers out of this, others pick it up for income, but in the end it is a highly distinct skill to dub millions of shows. It’s really fascinating perspective on the representation of Latinas onscreen and off. What I love most about this film on top of it being an important tool for dialogue and change, is that the filmmaker injects a whimsy tone (apropos Wisteria Lane) which makes sparking this conversation and call to action so much more effective. You have no reason to miss this as it premieres on Friday, April 24, 2015, 10:00-11:00 p.m. (check local listings) as part of Voces, Latino Public Broadcasting’s arts and culture series on PBS. To get a taste of the ladies’ charm and humor check out the trailer:
"Ovarian Psycos"
Director: Kate Trumbull-lavalle & Joanna Sokolowski
Producers :Kate Trumbull-lavalle & Joanna Sokolowski
U.S. Distributor : Itvs (broadcast)
Cinematographer: Michael Raines
Music: Jimmy Lavalle
Cast : Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade
Social Media: Facebook
Logline: Follows the story of an all woman of color bicycle brigade, the Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade. Based in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood in Eastside Los Angeles, the Ova’s are a collective of unapologetic, politicized, young Latina women who host monthly bike rides every full moon for women and women-identified riders.
Ever since I interviewed Kate during her film’s Kickstarter , I’ve been madly anticipating this, so I’m pleased to scoop that it will be ready late Fall thanks to Itvs coming in with finishing funds. Protegees of esteemed film ladies like Renee Tajima Peña and B. Ruby Rich, the ladies have spent more than two years riding with the Ovas for this documentary. Says Joanna, “There are lots of bike groups in La, but what’s unique about the Ova’s is each ride has a sociopolitical theme and ends with a group discussion. They dialogue about everything from violence against women to the gentrification of Boyle Heights”.
The Ova’s s leadership is run by the collective who work “To Serve, not to Self Serve. Credited as founder is activist and music artist, Xela de la X who formed this rad collective in 2011 with the mission to cycle for the purpose of healing, reclaim neighborhoods, and create safer streets for women on the Eastside. Currently being edited the film should be ready for the Fall if not early next year.
In case you are wondering Trumbull-lavalle is two generations apart from family in Northern Mexico. Which I only add as proof that last names and color of skin are not indicators for knowing whether someone identifies as Latino/a or not.
Which leads me to reiterate, I really hope these 5 are not the only Latina directors with films coming out this year. Calling out an A.P.B. to Latina directors with a feature length film (fiction especially) in production or post, holler at your girl...
I give you 5 bomb Latina Directors who are are at the helm of brand new feature films coming out this year, women who are striking through the hostile mass media industry to escape the rule of homogeneity (white male perspective). Now that is something to celebrate. It’s not surprising that three of these are documentaries. The percentage of women directed films in documentaries is higher than in fiction. Now I can’t say with total certainty these 2 Latina directed U.S. fiction feature length films are the only ones out there this year…actually yes I can…..until someone reaches out to correct me ….and I really do hope to be corrected because only two???????
"Los 33"
Director : Patricia Riggen
Writers : Mikko Alanne, Michael John Bell, Craig Borten, Jose Rivera
Producers : Robert Katz, Edward McGurn, Mike Medavoy
Cinematographer : Checco Varese
Music : James Horner
U.S. Distributor : Tba
Cast : Rodrigo Santoro, Antonio Banderas, Cote de Pablo, James Brolin, Juliette Binoche, Gabriel Byrne, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kate del Castillo, Tenoch Huerta
Social Media: @The33Pelicula
Logline: Based on the incredible real-life story of the 33 survivors of a copper-gold mine in Chile that collapsed and trapping them 700 meters underground for 69 days until their rescue.
Add Riggen to the exclusive ranks of women who fought for and have proved they got the chops to direct big action, Hollywood type genre movies like Katheryn Bigelow, Mimi Leder. The trailer for Los 33 that dropped last week reveals an epic dramatization of the intensely emotional struggle to survive the Chilean mine disaster. The English language film carries a sweeping score by none other than James Horner (and naturally you can hear Violetta Parra’s classic song, Gracias Por La Vida). Add to that a big hero performance by Antonio Banderas who leads an ensemble cast of well known international actors (including hottie Mexican star of Güeros, Tenoch Huerta!!). Riggen, who was born in Guadalajara but moved to the states after graduating Columbia’s film school in NY, made a splash with her 2007 film, Under the Same Moon starring a back-then-virtually-unknown-in-the-u.S. Eugenio Derbez, and Kate del Castillo. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival then was picked up by Pantelion, the studio she later worked with on the Eva Mendes starrer Girl in Progress.
Domestic distribution and release stateside is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile Twentieth Century Fox will be releasing the film in Chile in August, marking the fifth anniversary of the incident, before rolling out the film throughout Latin America including Mexico. For an in-depth account of Los 33, check out current best-seller, “Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine and the Miracle That Set Them Free” by Hector Tobar.
"Endgame"
Director: Carmen Marron
Writers : Hector Salinas, Carmen Marron
Producers : Sandra Avila, Carmen Marron
Executive Producers : Hector Salinas, Betty Sullivan
Associate Producer : Bonnie Emerson
Cinematographer: Francisco Bulgarelli
Music: Brian Standefer
Cinematographer: Francisco Bulgarelli
U.S. Distributor : Tba
Cast : Rico Rodriguez, Efren Ramirez, Justina Machado, Jon Gries
Social Media: @GoForIt_Carmen
Logline: Shot in Brownsville and inspired by true events, Endgame is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who joins the school chess team, and with the help of his coach, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, team spirit and the importance of family.
Another talented genre director (and fellow Chicana from Chicago, Heyyy) whose tenacity and talent make her primed to be our Latina Ava Duvernay success story (of course that depends on whether the public (and gatekeepers) support her to make the change to the system to demand her spot in the national mainstream). I wrote about Carmen’s tireless spirit before , mentioning her first film which she shot, wrote, directed and produced in Chicago called Go For It (which incidentally was Gina Rodriguez’s first feature role). Her latest film is Endgame starring the precocious Manny from Modern Family, Rico Rodriguez, and Efren Ramirez from cult classic Napoleon Dynamite, Endgame is one of those irresistible competition, underdog, against-all-odds stories. Ramirez portrays the galvanizing Brownsville public elementary school teacher and chess afficionado, J.J. Guajardo, who in 1989, upon seeing his 6th grade class take an interest in his chess board, began to teach them on the regular. The class excelled and entered regional competitions, going on to enter and win state championships against schools with far more resources. Echoing the positives of disrupting a broke educational status quo with simply offering access to advanced mental cognition building tools, the film echoes another real life story and seminal Chicano film, Stand & Deliver. Big difference; that movie was not directed by a Latino/a.
The film is world premiering at the Dallas International Film Festival April 12 &13. Distribution is yet to be confirmed for theatrical/VOD but stay tuned via the Facebook page.
"No Mas Bebes"
Director: Renee Tajima-Peña
Producers : Virginia Espino
Associate Producer : Kate Trumbull-Valle
Executive Producers : Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, Judith Helfland, Sally Jo Fiefer and Sandra Pedlow
U.S. Distributor : Itvs/Latino Public Broadcasting
Cinematographer: Claudio Rocha
Music: Bronwen Jones, additional music by Quetzal
Cast : Antonia Hernandez, Gloria Molina, Dolores Madrigal, Jovita Rivera, Consuelo Hermosillo
Social Media: Facebook
Logline : An investigation of the sterilization of Mexican-American women at Los Angeles County-usc Medical Center during the 1960s and 70s
Sadly, there is an appalling history in the United States of laws and policies authorizing sterilizations of poor women without their knowledge or consent for the “benefit of society”; Buck v. Bell (low-income white women in Virginia), Relf v. Weinberger (young African-American women in Alabama), and female inmates in California. This film focuses on the case of Latinas of Mexican origin in California in Madrigal v. Quilligan . Shedding light on this horrific human rights violation, the film includes interviews with women who suffered this terrible ordeal and locked the memory away, along with former medical staff and the incredible lawyer who filed this suit forty years ago, Antonia Hernandez. A long-time coming, supremely valuable and eye opening contextualization of the Chicano rights movement from the late 60s/70s as well as the current reproductive justice movement.
So kind of cheating here, Renee is not Latina per se, but a sister in the struggle to document the Latino community. Her producer is Latina, Virginia Espino, La born-and-raised historian, plus I really want to rally support for this film because it is one of those Latina stories that really needed to be told and remembered this year which marks the 40th anniversary of the lawsuit (June 19). It is ready to be unveiled and seen by as wide an audience as possible. Stay tuned to hear when the film will have its world premiere before its broadcast in the Fall on Voces, Latino Public Broadcasting’s arts and culture series on PBS.
"Now en Español"
Director: Andrea Meller
Producers : Aaron Woolf, Andrea Meller
Music: Camara Kambon
Cinematographer: Charlie Gruet
U.S. Distributor : PBS/Latino Public Broadcasting
Cast : Marabina Jaimes, Marcela Bordes, Gabriela Lopetegui, Ivette Gonzalez, Natasha Perez
Social Media: @NowenEspanol, website
Logline: Follows the trials and triumphs of the small group of Latina actresses who dub “Desperate Housewives” into Spanish.
Currently hitting the festival circuit in such reputable festivals as Santa Barbara, Chicago Latino Film Festival, CineFestival, ahead of its showing on PBS Voces, "Now en Español" is such an effective and distinct balance of humor, seriousness and insider look by Chilean-American Andrea Meller.
Profiling Marcela Bordes, Ivette Gonzalez, Marabina Jaimes, Gabriela Lopetegui and Natasha Perez, the film is quite plainspoken and sympathetic about the struggle of the actor in Hollywood. Like the comedy fiction film (also directed by a woman!) "In a World," by Lake Bell, the film offers a rare behind the scenes and insight into the voice acting industry. Few actors make make careers out of this, others pick it up for income, but in the end it is a highly distinct skill to dub millions of shows. It’s really fascinating perspective on the representation of Latinas onscreen and off. What I love most about this film on top of it being an important tool for dialogue and change, is that the filmmaker injects a whimsy tone (apropos Wisteria Lane) which makes sparking this conversation and call to action so much more effective. You have no reason to miss this as it premieres on Friday, April 24, 2015, 10:00-11:00 p.m. (check local listings) as part of Voces, Latino Public Broadcasting’s arts and culture series on PBS. To get a taste of the ladies’ charm and humor check out the trailer:
"Ovarian Psycos"
Director: Kate Trumbull-lavalle & Joanna Sokolowski
Producers :Kate Trumbull-lavalle & Joanna Sokolowski
U.S. Distributor : Itvs (broadcast)
Cinematographer: Michael Raines
Music: Jimmy Lavalle
Cast : Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade
Social Media: Facebook
Logline: Follows the story of an all woman of color bicycle brigade, the Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade. Based in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood in Eastside Los Angeles, the Ova’s are a collective of unapologetic, politicized, young Latina women who host monthly bike rides every full moon for women and women-identified riders.
Ever since I interviewed Kate during her film’s Kickstarter , I’ve been madly anticipating this, so I’m pleased to scoop that it will be ready late Fall thanks to Itvs coming in with finishing funds. Protegees of esteemed film ladies like Renee Tajima Peña and B. Ruby Rich, the ladies have spent more than two years riding with the Ovas for this documentary. Says Joanna, “There are lots of bike groups in La, but what’s unique about the Ova’s is each ride has a sociopolitical theme and ends with a group discussion. They dialogue about everything from violence against women to the gentrification of Boyle Heights”.
The Ova’s s leadership is run by the collective who work “To Serve, not to Self Serve. Credited as founder is activist and music artist, Xela de la X who formed this rad collective in 2011 with the mission to cycle for the purpose of healing, reclaim neighborhoods, and create safer streets for women on the Eastside. Currently being edited the film should be ready for the Fall if not early next year.
In case you are wondering Trumbull-lavalle is two generations apart from family in Northern Mexico. Which I only add as proof that last names and color of skin are not indicators for knowing whether someone identifies as Latino/a or not.
Which leads me to reiterate, I really hope these 5 are not the only Latina directors with films coming out this year. Calling out an A.P.B. to Latina directors with a feature length film (fiction especially) in production or post, holler at your girl...
- 4/15/2015
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
Despite the numerous opportunities out there, most aspiring filmmakers looking for support and mentorship know that the Sundance Institute’s January Screenwriters Lab and June Directing Lab have been two of the most important talent development initiatives in the independent film world for over 30 years. The great quality of the projects that have been workshopped and propelled through these programs have given us some of the most iconic films and filmmakers in recent memory.
But the institute’s commitment to provide opportunities for new voices that represent an eclectic array of background and experiences goes even further with other, lesser known, initiatives that have the potential to become turning points in the artists' careers. Of these, one of the most exciting programs is the Screenwriters Intensive, which is part the Sundance Institute's Diversity Initiative. This is of course a resource that is not only valuable, but crucial as we try to become a more inclusive society that is appreciative and welcoming of stories that exist beyond the mainstream, homogenous noise.
The Screenwriters Intensive is a 1 1/2 day workshop for writers whose work has been encountered by the institute as part of their outreach for the Labs and which they find especially promising. The writers of 10 projects take part in a program whose elements include a hands-on writing workshop led by creative advisor Joan Tewkesbury (“Nashville”), a screening of a recent Sundance film followed by a candid conversation with the filmmaker, a reception with Sundance staff and the extended Sundance community, and one-on-one meetings with two creative advisors to get feedback on their script. With the Intensive, the Sundance Institute aims to present participants with creative tools that they can take back to their own work, provide a space for dialogue and information sharing about the creative process of making a film (and all of the joys and challenges therein), and foster community among storytellers and an ongoing connection with Sundance.
This year the film screened was Rick Famuyiwa’s “Dope,” which premiered earlier this year in Park City and won a Special Jury Prize for Editing. Following the screening Famuyiwa shared anecdotes about the film’s production and the perseverance needed to stand by the core values of his project in spite of outside opposition. Later that evening, during a casual and highly interactive reception, the fellows had the chance to discuss their latest breakthroughs and newly found questions regarding their personal projects with the institute’s staff and other members of the independent film community. Chatting with them, and having witnessed some of the poignant exercises Ms. Tewkesbury uses in the past, there is not doubt in my mind that this was a groundbreaking experience for the entire group.
The following morning the fellows returned to the institute’s L.A offices to have on-on-one conversations with two advisors from a group of talented and achieved professionals that included Kyle Patrick Alvarez (“The Stanford Prison Expriemnt”), Patricia Cardoso (“Real Women Have Curves“),the aforementioned director Rick Famuyiwa (“Dope”), Deena Goldstone (“Identity Theft”), Tanya Hamilton (“Night Catches Us”), Felicia Henderson (“Gossip Girl”), Elgin James (“Little Birds”), Craig Johnson (“The Skeleton Twins”), Kyle Killen (“The Beaver”), Adam Bhala Lough (“Bomb the System”), Joan Tewkesbury herself, and Ligiah Villalobos (“Under the Same Moon”).
The Screenwriters Intensive fellows come from uniquely different backgrounds, and their projects bring original stories that are sure to showcase new and inventive perspectives on the world. Get to know them and their stories as they are on their way to giving us a great batch of new independent films.
To learn more about the Sundance Institute's programs visit Here
Tara Anaise
Project: "Bombay Stories"
Tara Anaïse is an award-winning writer/director whose first feature, "Dark Mountain," was released by Gravitas Ventures in August of 2014. Other recent work includes the upcoming thriller "Housekeeping," on which she’s a producer, and which is set to be released by Lions Gate in late March of 2015. Her short films have screened at festivals worldwide. Tara is currently developing several new projects, including a post-apocalyptic road movie with a female lead who drives a muscle car and kicks a**, and a romantic drama set in Mumbai in both 1968 and the present day that’s loosely based on her own family’s history. She holds an Mfa in film production from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania. She can make a mean pumpkin mezcal cocktail and according to an Amazonian curandero, her spirit animal is the black jaguar. She lives and works in Los Angeles
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
"Bombay Stories" is a drama centered around an Indian man returning to the city of his birth after decades of living abroad. When tragedy strikes, he recalls the summer of 1968—at that time, he was twenty-one and having a heartbreaking affair with a married woman right before leaving Bombay, and his entire family, behind for his new home in New York. It’s a story about the complexities of familial relationships and the question of whether or not it’s possible to return home.
It’s very loosely inspired by my own family’s history—my father’s side fled Sindh during the Partition of India in 1947 and rebuilt their lives in Mumbai (which at the time was called Bombay). Then my father left Mumbai (of his own volition) for the U.S. And then I fled the east coast for Los Angeles. I like to say I come from a long line of fleers.
The project is in the development stage. Currently working on a rewrite of the script and I’m planning on directing.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
Don’t take the easy way out. There are certain things I know about my characters and I can write them easily and I can write them well. But the most interesting aspects of a character come from the places we know the least. Don’t be afraid to go down the path that’s half in shadow, this is the kind of exploration that leads to the heart of the thing. I’ll definitely be using Joan’s writing exercises to further develop all of my characters. I’ve never done anything like what we did during her seminar. She had us make lists of things drawn from our own personal experiences – three times in your life you’ve known something was wrong but did it anyway, three places to which you never want to return, three times you’ve felt lost, and so on—and then take one item from each list, put the items on our protagonist, and quickly write a short story about the whole thing. It’s a concrete way to use instances from one’s own life to get to the root of the character.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Going into day two was exciting but nerve-wracking. I woke up at 5am wondering how my advisors were going to react to my script (I tend to expect the worst.) Luckily, no one ripped my script up into tiny pieces and threw it back at me. Adam and Tanya were both really great. They had good things to say about the script, along with insightful suggestions for improving it, which I’m going to explore in the next draft. We talked about the writing process. We talked about production. We talked about navigating the industry. Getting advice from two talented, experienced filmmakers who’d been through this many times before was incredibly helpful, not just for this project, but for my career as a filmmaker as well.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
The first thing I’m going to do is take some time to really get at the heart of each and every character. Then I’ll tackle the rewrite and when the script is ready, I’ll reach out to producers.
Shelby Farrell
Project: "Deidra and Laney Rob A Train"
Shelby Farrell is a screenwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. She is a graduate of Emory University where she was awarded the Kikag screenwriter award and the American Film Institute Conservatory where she finished an Mfa in screenwriting. She was recently featured in the Tracking Board's 2014 Young and Hungry List. She currently writes interactive games for Pocket Gems and is in preproduction for her feature "Deidra and Laney Rob A Train." She is repped by Gersh and Principato-Young.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
"Deidra and Laney Rob A Train" is a dramedy about two teenage sisters who start robbing freight trains to support their family after their mother goes to jail. This script was my thesis screenplay for AFI and was featured on the Tracking Board's 2014 Young and Hungry List. Sydney Freeland (Sundance Alumni, "Drunktown's Finest") is attached to direct. Currently our reps are approaching select producers with the project, and we are really excited to see where it goes from here.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
All of the writers and I were pushed to find inspiration from our own past experiences during writing exercises. Through this process, I think we all realized that our screenplays are more autobiographical than we perhaps wanted to believe. Not that I've ever robbed a train, but I could.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Having professional advisors is always a blessing. Their feedback was especially useful in this stage because so many people I work with have read multiple drafts. Having fresh eyes on the script really gave me a new perspective. Also since the advisors are independent filmmakers and Sundance alums they really know what we are going through at this stage of development. I also got great advice on what's coming in the next few months as we get this story off the page.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
As far as this project goes, I feel like the script is in a really good place, but I also know that rewrites never end, and I'm excited to use the notes I received for future drafts. I'm also planning on using the writing exercises we learned in Joan Tewkesbury's workshop as I develop my newer projects. Joan taught us some character development tools that can be applied to any project in any stage.
Jared Frieder
Project: "Three Months"
Jared Frieder is a graduate of the Columbia University fiction writing program and his stories can be found in The Collective Press and The Newer York. His screenplay, "Three Months," has taken the top screenwriting prizes at the Austin Film Festival, the Screencraft Comedy Screenplay Contest, and the Big Bear International Film Festival Screenplay Contest. "Three Months" was also chosen for the 2014 Outfest Screenwriting Lab and was the featured script on The Black List online last November. He is currently developing his animated half-hour pilot, "Marathoners," with Bento Box Entertainment. He was accepted to USC’s Screenwriting Mfa on the Edward Volpe Endowed Scholarship before leaving to work on the ABC Family drama, "Chasing Life."
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
My project, "Three Months," tells the coming-of-age story of Caleb Kahn, a queer Ziggy Stardust-loving teenager from Miami who is exposed to HIV the weekend of his high school graduation and has to wait three months to be tested for the disease. It's a comedy, it's a love story, it's a tale of resilience, and it's a deconstruction of how people in crisis sludge through great periods of waiting. The screenplay has been a passion project of mine and I am very grateful to the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition, the Screencraft Comedy Screenplay Contest, and the Big Bear International Film Festival Screenplay Contest for awarding "Three Months" their respective grand prizes. I've also been spoiled by the Outfest Screenwriting Lab and the Sundance Intensive for allowing the script to be workshopped with their brilliant advisors (and some of my all-time heroes.)
After Austin, one of the festival judges (screenwriting phenom, producing master, and all around baller, Oren Uziel) came on board to help bring the script to the screen, along with my management company, Haven Entertainment. We're in the beginning stages of seeing this story come alive and it's pretty much the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
The most important lesson I learned from the Intensive's first day is that Joan Tewkesbury is my spirit animal. The second most important lesson I learned from Ms. Tewkesbury (sweetly nicknamed Tewks by the generous souls of Sundance) is that I tend to use jokes as a means of concealing truth and authenticity (something my protagonist does as well. Let's just say I was channeling.) She helped me crack the comedy facade and delve deeper into character, getting in touch with Caleb's fears, insecurities, and dreams. I'm confident that Tewk's direction will not only take Caleb and "Three Months" to the next level, but also elevate my storytelling in the future. And for that, I will forever be in Ms. Tewkesbury's debt.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Sitting down with Kyle Killen was intimidating at first (he's a certifiable story genius who wrote "The Beaver" and created shows like "Lone Star.") But Kyle tapped into my protagonist in ways that previous advisors couldn't. He helped me dissect Caleb, bringing out deeper layers of his character. We then discussed and determined the most effective way of braiding these emotional undercurrents into the narrative. It's safe to say that my mind was blown.
Kyle Alvarez (esteemed director and fast friend) took a different approach and guided me through "Three Months" from a director's perspective, helping me think about casting, locations, and how aspects of the script would translate on screen. Having mentors come at the project from different angles was really enlightening. Again, I feel incredibly spoiled and grateful.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
Post-Intensive, I'm taking another pass at "Three Months" (because apparently you're never done writing, or that's what they keep telling me.) I'm stoked to take my Sundance notes and weave them through the script where I see fit. Then it's off to the producers for feedback and hopefully the hunt for a director and cast will commence. Also, there will be thank you notes. Lots and lots of thank you notes: to Sundance, to Tewks, to the Kyles, and to the universe for giving me this opportunity.
David J. Lee
Project: "Found"
David J. Lee spent years as an It professional who dreamed of becoming a performer. He finally made the leap and began working as a professional actor who curiously kept getting offers to direct. Finally he gave in, dropped it all, and proceeded to pursue his Mfa in Film Production at USC where, of course, everyone became more interested in his writing. Dave received USC’s First Film Screenwriting Award in 2013, and his thesis script, "Found," was a top 50 Academy Nicholl semi-finalist. His university-produced short, "Paulie," directed by Andrew Nackman, went on to win the Best Film, Audience Award, and Best Writer prizes at the 2014 NBC Universal Short Cuts Festival. Dave was a 2014 Cape New Writers Fellow; he is working on the feature version of "Paulie" while making eyes at the TV world.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
My feature film script is a crime thriller called “Found”. It’s the story of a night worker at a storage facility whose odd, illicit habit of breaking into storage lockers – and her talent for understanding people's lives through their belongings – force her into action when she discovers evidence of a child abduction in one of the units.
“Found" was my thesis script at USC and was a top-50 Nicholl semi-finalist in 2013. Prior to being accepted into the 2015 Sundance Intensive, it had been selected for the 2014 Cape New Writers Fellowship.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
Obviously, at this point I'm many drafts into my script, which means that I'm in a much different mindset than I was when I was originally coming up with the story. It’s a very analytical, left-brain process. Joan Tewkesbury led us through a series of writing exercises which brought me back to that original creative place, which helped me get a new perspective on my characters.
I guess if you’re looking for a specific lesson, it would be, “If you need a fresh perspective, don’t be afraid to put your characters in seemingly irrelevant situations, just to see how they play out, because you’ll be surprised at the relevant places you end up. At the very least, you often end up learning something new about your characters."
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
I was amazed and honored at how much time each advisor had put into their notes. Time is gold for these folks, and they gave us so much of it. It seemed that most of them had received tremendous support from the Sundance Labs or from programs similar to them when they were younger, so they were all there that day out of a desire to give back.
It’s valuable to receive notes from professionals in that these are folks who have more experience than you and a valuable perspective from having worked within the system, and I received some fantastic, insightful feedback that day. At the same time, they’re only perspectives. A note from a working professional may warrant extra consideration, but ultimately, if it doesn’t resonate with you, then it just doesn’t. In the end you weigh those comments against all the other feedback you’ve received over time.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
Keep writing. I’m encouraged by the attention this script has received. When I get it to a place where I’m happy with, then I’ll start looking into getting it made.
Channing Godfrey Peoples
Project: "Miss Juneteenth"
Channing Godfrey Peoples received her Mfa from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Originally from Texas, she spent her childhood in community theater and has been storytelling ever since. Her films are character driven stories that focus on the resilience of the human spirit, often featuring African-American women at a turning point in their lives. At USC, Channing was awarded funding to direct her documentary, “Carry Me Home”, about the celebratory aspects of African-American Funeral Traditions.
Her narrative Thesis Film, “Red”, is a King Family Foundation Recipient, Jury Award Winner for Directing at the Directors Guild of America Student Film Awards, Panavision New Filmmakers Grant Recipient and nominated for Best Short at Pan African Film Festival and the Africa Movie Academy Awards. Channing won “Best Director” at the Nevada International Film Festival and was honored at the Lois Weber Film Festival in Texas. She wrote, directed and starred in “Red”, which is currently on the festival circuit, most recently screening at Champs-Élysées Film Festival in Paris, France. Channing served as a Time Warner Artist-in-Residence at Howard University in Washington DC. She believes in community involvement and mentors children interested in the arts. Channing is developing her first feature film, “Miss Juneteenth."
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
In Texas, slaves were informed they were free, two long years after 1863's Emancipation Proclamation declared American slaves free. That day was June 19 th, 1865, also known as “Juneteenth”. Today, many communities celebrate the Juneteenth holiday with beauty pageants acknowledging young African-American women who are the descendants of slaves. My story, "Miss Juneteenth," is about one of these women.
Turquoise Jones is a former beauty queen, “Miss Juneteenth 1999”, who lost her pageant's top prize of a college scholarship when an unplanned pregnancy lands her back home tending bar at an aging juke joint. Today, she is a single mother to a teenage girl, who she struggles to keep from going down the same wrong path that she took. She has enrolled her disinterested daughter in this year’s Miss Juneteenth pageant and is fighting to keep her in it.
The project is in development and is based in my hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. Neil Creque Williams ("David’s Reverie") is attached as Producer.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
On our first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab, Joan Tewkesbury lead an incredible writing workshop that challenged me to look deeper into the emotional journey of my story. I was seeking a way to take my script to a deeper emotional level and the workshop certainly aided that endeavor. The lesson for me was to connect to my characters through personal experience and emotion and not be resistant to other possibilities for my story.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
The advisors were incredible and I am in awe of their insight and accomplishments. I was delighted to receive feedback from professionals whose work I have long admired. They provided constructive feedback and challenged me to think of the script in new ways. I also enjoyed exchanging ideas with the other fellows at the Intensive and I was delighted to be surrounded by such diverse talent.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
I am now revisiting the script with a renewed intensity. I will be directing my film, "Miss Juneteenth," so my producer, Neil Creque Williams and I have identified our locations and begun preliminary casting. Our next step is crowdfunding and to continue to apply for support.
Maya Perez
Project: "Umwana"
Maya Perez is a screenwriter and fiction writer. She is a consulting producer for the Emmy Award- winning television series "On Story: Presented by Austin Film Festival," now entering its fifth season on PBS, and co-editor of the book On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft (University of Texas Press, October 2013). She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College and is a Michener fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. She grew up in Kenya, Zambia, and the United States and lives in Austin, Texas.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
My project is a feature script, "Umwana," a domestic drama about an American teen who goes to rural Zambia to meet and live with her father and his family. More foreign to her than the cultural differences is the experience of being a member of a family.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
It was great to be reminded of the importance of specificity when depicting characters, and also, how to pull from personal experience without making your characters reflections of yourself. In the workshop we were assigned numerous writing exercises and, though initially intimidating, it was stimulating to be assured there's no limit to the new stories we can quickly craft from scratch. We often think of time as the enemy, in that we don't have enough of it in which to do the work. But sometimes I think I give myself too much time. Some of my better, more visceral writing has been generated under the gun, so to speak.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
One of my advisors hit me with a barrage of questions as soon as I sat down - What is Cassie feeling here? What does Joseph look like? Is it what she expected? What if this happened? What if that happened? So many questions that I started doubting the story's weight altogether. But she kept on and wouldn't let up, so I just wrote them all down until I finally had an answer and then another and eventually realized I know exactly what this story and these characters are about. I had to be sort of beaten down and thrown off balance in order to find the railing. It was terrific. Another advisor - who fortunately came right after - grabbed my shoulders and said he would stalk me until I made this film. He offered to make introductions to agents, managers, producers, and to be there for every draft and question I might have along the way. It was an invaluable experience, to sit down with these talented, professional writers who had read my script so closely and had such constructive questions and encouragement. It felt as though they were as invested in its success as I am.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
My proposed new opening to the script was met with enthusiasm, so I'll make that change, do another revision on the script, and then submit it for the Screenwriters Lab. It was a finalist last year, so hopefully it will go through this year and I'll be able to take advantage of a full week at the Lab to prepare it for production. One of my advisors generously sent me the look book he's using for his current project, and I'm making one of those for "Umwana" as well as researching what shooting on location in Zambia will entail.
Rodrigo Reyes
Project: "Charlie"
Rodrigo Reyes was born in Mexico City in 1983. Supported by the Mexican Ministry of Film, his acclaimed 2012 feature documentary "Purgatorio" featured visceral and intimate portraits of the Us- Mexico border. The film premiered in competition at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival and Guadalajara International Film Festival, touring more than 40 festivals including MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight, and winning several jury prizes including the Michael Moore Award for Best Documentary at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. "Purgatorio" has been released theatrically on over 100 screens throughout Mexico, touring Latin America, Spain, and over 30 American cities. In 2013 Filmmaker Magazine named Rodrigo one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film, and in 2014 he was awarded the Tribeca Film Institute Heineken Voices Grant for his upcoming documentary "Sanson And Me," as well as the Canon Filmmaker Award for his hybrid peach picker portrait "Lupe Under The Sun," currently in post-production. Rodrigo attended Uc San Diego, as well as colleges in Madrid and Mexico City, earning a degree in International Studies. He currently lives in California’s Central Valley where he works as an interpreter in the California Superior Court.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
"Charlie" is a story about a mother and son living in the heartland of America, who hide a dark secret that is tearing them apart, threatening them with destruction. It’s a twisted, existential fairy-tale that tackles estrangement, loneliness and violence in a unique way. Aside from Sundance, the film has received the support of Nalip’s Latino Media Market.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
I was surprised by some of the tools used in the labs. There was an element of tapping into the subconscious using semi-dada techniques that really clicked with me. The key was coming in with an open mind.
Before the Labs, I felt the project was close to a final draft. That has since been atomized and torn apart at the hinges, which is fantastic, actually. The Intensive helped me pull away from the rut I didn’t know I was in and look at my script with a naked, honest perspective.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Often as independent filmmakers we feel threatened by the industry, their perspectives are senses as criticisms instead of critiques. The Lab did a great job of inviting you to a conversation, not a lecture or a dictate. I felt I could take the advice that honestly connected with me and integrate it with my script, while also fielding key questions to the advisors in a safe space.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
It’s all in my hands now. I have to integrate the conversations, critiques and perspectives gleaned from this process into a new draft.
Luke Uriah Slendebroek
Project: “Sophia/Gordita”
Luke Uriah Slendebroek is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television Mfa directing program. While at UCLA, Luke's films have been awarded The Hollywood Foreign Press Award, The Four Sister’s Award, The Carroll Sax Award in Motion Picture and Television Production, the Edie and Lew Wasserman Film Production Fellowship, and two Motion Picture Association of America Awards. Luke has directed a short documentary for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and he has directed a short film for the Oscar-winning producer and director Robert "Bobby" Moresco as part of an interdisciplinary collaboration at UCLA. He has also directed a number of industrial films for Fortune 500 companies. Luke's films favor the underdogs, involve fantastical worlds, and tend to explore that brief period between childhood and adulthood.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
“Sophia/Gordita” is a coming of age western based on the incredible true story of teenage madam that served the migrant farming communities of the midwest.
Aleksandar Marinovich has stepped on board to help produce the film. Currently we are raising money to finance the film with a goal of shooting in September, 2016.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
The Sundance Intensive was an amazing and immersive experience. The writing techniques I learned during the two days will be crucial as I dive into the next draft of my screenplay entitled “Sophia/Gordita”. Through this workshop, I feel confident to tackle the issues of my screenplay and to dig deeper into motivations that drive my lead character, Sophia.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Patricia Cardoso and Ligiah Villalobos were incredibly generous to offer their guidence and direction on my screenplay “Sophia/Gordita”. Their feedback, although at times challenging, pushed me to dig deeper into the character of Sophia. What really drives her to make the choices in act one that sends her life into a downward spiral during the subsequent acts? As I work through these issues, the outcome will hopefully be a character that no one has ever seen before on the screen, an anti-hero for a new generation.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
I plan on doing another rewrite utilizing the tools and techniques I learned from the Intensive. After the next draft, I will get more feedback from my producer and my film collective, Vices of Reason. Once I get a draft that I’m comfortable with, I’m going to get the script in the hands of anyone that’s willing to read it as well as continue to raise money to finance the film.
Vivian Tse
Project: "These Animals"
Vivian Tse is a filmmaker making both narrative and documentary films. She was a Colonist at the 2013 Nantucket Screenwriting Colony with her feature script "Joe Boy," which was also selected for the 2014 Ifp Transatlantic Partners Program. Tse participated in the 2014 Pov Hackathon with the transmedia documentary film "The Angola Project." Originally from San Francisco, she graduated from the University of Southern California.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
"These Animals" is the story of an astronaut's last year on Earth after she agrees to crew a one-way mission to Mars. It's about what the last year of someone's life would be like if she made a decision with stakes that high, what happens to her family and the people around her, the people she loves and who love her.
We're currently in the development stage, trying to put the financing together. Sundance and the A3 foundation was kind enough to give us a grant. And we're in post on a short version of the project which we shot late last year.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
It took a bit of processing but the most rewarding lesson, or at least the one that stuck with me most, was using yourself to dig deeper into your character's journey. Which sounds obvious and certainly its something you're already doing as a writer with everything you write, but you can always go deeper. learning that there is always more to dig up, more of you to add, which is horrifying and invigorating at the same time.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
The advisors were amazing. They're very passionate - it's great. i found it invaluable, even when I didn't agree with the notes. it lets you know how people are reading, understanding and thinking about your story. their perspective was so helpful and it helps to look at my characters and my story in a new way. writing can be very isolating so it's always great to talk to someone who is doing what you're doing. and they share their war stories, telling you to reimagine a scene because they did something similar and it went to shit so don't forget to think about this or that, or that space ships are expensive so maybe try to stay out of a ship as a location. i don't have any space ships in the film but you get my point.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
A re-write for one, casting, financing the rest of the film. Keep pushing forward, hustling, like everyone does, until you make your film.
Diego Velasco & Carolina Paiz
Project: "Los Invadidos"
Diego Velasco and Carolina Paiz, a husband and wife writing team, are currently working on "Los Invadidos," a thriller which Velasco will also direct.
Writer/director Diego Velasco was born in the Us and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Diego’s short, "Cédula Ciudadano," got him invited into the Fox Searchlab program after winning the Los Angeles Latino Film Festival. In 2003, Diego moved to Los Angeles and formed Open Studios with his wife, a production company meant to make the films they wanted to see in the world. In 2010, Diego made his feature debut with "La Hora Cero" (The Zero Hour). Set in Caracas during the 24-hours of a controversial medical strike, the film followed La Parca, a tattooed hit-man, as he takes an elite hospital hostage in an attempt to save his wounded girlfriend and her child. The film became the highest grossing Venezuelan film of its time. It has won over 35 awards at International festivals and secured distribution in five continents. Currently it has been optioned for an English language remake. In November of 2011, Diego was featured as one the Ten Mover and Reshapers of Latin American Cinema by Variety Magazine.
Growing up in Guatemala during the civil war, Carolina Paiz spent much of her time indoors, reading and watching television, escapes which later provided the foundation for her career as a writer for film and TV. At 15, she left Guatemala for Kent, a boarding school in Connecticut, where she was the first non- native English speaker to be awarded the Robert S. Hillyard award for her achievements in creative writing. Carolina went on to study English and Latin American Studies at Tulane University. The short stories she wrote there were later published by the Caribbean Writer. One of these, Sleep Comes Suddenly, was honored with the Canute A. Brodhurst Award. In 2006, she landed a position as a staff writer on ABC’s "Grey’s Anatomy." She later went on to write on NBC’s "Lipstick Jungle," CBS’s "The Defenders," Fox’s "Gang Related" and currently, Fox’s "Runner." She also developed a series for Fox, "Queen Of the South," based on the hugely successful Spanish novel. Between television projects, Carolina co- wrote and produced the Venezuelan feature "La Hora Cero," the highest grossing Venezuelan film in history.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
The film follows a couple that has just lost their only child and now find themselves on different sides of the spiritual debate. They’re forced to face their problems when they inherit a remote farm in the Venezuelan plains. Hoping for a new start, they soon learn the farm has been invaded by squatters and that there’s more to reality than what you can see…
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
The first day was revelatory. By doing exhaustive and highly personal writing exercises that we then shared with the entire class, we both realized that we hadn't fully tapped into our own fears and desires in writing the characters in our feature. We realized there was far more of us in these characters than we'd anticipated and that embracing that would actually deepen them. Rewriting the script now, the characters have come to life by simply putting ourselves in their shoes.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Our advisors were completely different and had very different points of view on the script, yet both sets of notes complimented each other quite well at the end of the day. Their points of view were enlightening. We had exhausted our resources by asking for notes from every trusted friend and colleague that we knew, and we'd gotten to the point we were afraid they'd stop taking our calls for fear that we'd make them read the script again. We were desperate for fresh eyes from people that didn't know us, didn't know the project, and had no emotional stake in any of it. But what made it truly amazing was the fact that we got to dive in with such skilled writers, and such generous people, and that they truly took the time to give us deep and insightful notes.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
We are currently rewriting the script as per what we've learned and hope to begin our search for financing soon!
But the institute’s commitment to provide opportunities for new voices that represent an eclectic array of background and experiences goes even further with other, lesser known, initiatives that have the potential to become turning points in the artists' careers. Of these, one of the most exciting programs is the Screenwriters Intensive, which is part the Sundance Institute's Diversity Initiative. This is of course a resource that is not only valuable, but crucial as we try to become a more inclusive society that is appreciative and welcoming of stories that exist beyond the mainstream, homogenous noise.
The Screenwriters Intensive is a 1 1/2 day workshop for writers whose work has been encountered by the institute as part of their outreach for the Labs and which they find especially promising. The writers of 10 projects take part in a program whose elements include a hands-on writing workshop led by creative advisor Joan Tewkesbury (“Nashville”), a screening of a recent Sundance film followed by a candid conversation with the filmmaker, a reception with Sundance staff and the extended Sundance community, and one-on-one meetings with two creative advisors to get feedback on their script. With the Intensive, the Sundance Institute aims to present participants with creative tools that they can take back to their own work, provide a space for dialogue and information sharing about the creative process of making a film (and all of the joys and challenges therein), and foster community among storytellers and an ongoing connection with Sundance.
This year the film screened was Rick Famuyiwa’s “Dope,” which premiered earlier this year in Park City and won a Special Jury Prize for Editing. Following the screening Famuyiwa shared anecdotes about the film’s production and the perseverance needed to stand by the core values of his project in spite of outside opposition. Later that evening, during a casual and highly interactive reception, the fellows had the chance to discuss their latest breakthroughs and newly found questions regarding their personal projects with the institute’s staff and other members of the independent film community. Chatting with them, and having witnessed some of the poignant exercises Ms. Tewkesbury uses in the past, there is not doubt in my mind that this was a groundbreaking experience for the entire group.
The following morning the fellows returned to the institute’s L.A offices to have on-on-one conversations with two advisors from a group of talented and achieved professionals that included Kyle Patrick Alvarez (“The Stanford Prison Expriemnt”), Patricia Cardoso (“Real Women Have Curves“),the aforementioned director Rick Famuyiwa (“Dope”), Deena Goldstone (“Identity Theft”), Tanya Hamilton (“Night Catches Us”), Felicia Henderson (“Gossip Girl”), Elgin James (“Little Birds”), Craig Johnson (“The Skeleton Twins”), Kyle Killen (“The Beaver”), Adam Bhala Lough (“Bomb the System”), Joan Tewkesbury herself, and Ligiah Villalobos (“Under the Same Moon”).
The Screenwriters Intensive fellows come from uniquely different backgrounds, and their projects bring original stories that are sure to showcase new and inventive perspectives on the world. Get to know them and their stories as they are on their way to giving us a great batch of new independent films.
To learn more about the Sundance Institute's programs visit Here
Tara Anaise
Project: "Bombay Stories"
Tara Anaïse is an award-winning writer/director whose first feature, "Dark Mountain," was released by Gravitas Ventures in August of 2014. Other recent work includes the upcoming thriller "Housekeeping," on which she’s a producer, and which is set to be released by Lions Gate in late March of 2015. Her short films have screened at festivals worldwide. Tara is currently developing several new projects, including a post-apocalyptic road movie with a female lead who drives a muscle car and kicks a**, and a romantic drama set in Mumbai in both 1968 and the present day that’s loosely based on her own family’s history. She holds an Mfa in film production from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania. She can make a mean pumpkin mezcal cocktail and according to an Amazonian curandero, her spirit animal is the black jaguar. She lives and works in Los Angeles
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
"Bombay Stories" is a drama centered around an Indian man returning to the city of his birth after decades of living abroad. When tragedy strikes, he recalls the summer of 1968—at that time, he was twenty-one and having a heartbreaking affair with a married woman right before leaving Bombay, and his entire family, behind for his new home in New York. It’s a story about the complexities of familial relationships and the question of whether or not it’s possible to return home.
It’s very loosely inspired by my own family’s history—my father’s side fled Sindh during the Partition of India in 1947 and rebuilt their lives in Mumbai (which at the time was called Bombay). Then my father left Mumbai (of his own volition) for the U.S. And then I fled the east coast for Los Angeles. I like to say I come from a long line of fleers.
The project is in the development stage. Currently working on a rewrite of the script and I’m planning on directing.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
Don’t take the easy way out. There are certain things I know about my characters and I can write them easily and I can write them well. But the most interesting aspects of a character come from the places we know the least. Don’t be afraid to go down the path that’s half in shadow, this is the kind of exploration that leads to the heart of the thing. I’ll definitely be using Joan’s writing exercises to further develop all of my characters. I’ve never done anything like what we did during her seminar. She had us make lists of things drawn from our own personal experiences – three times in your life you’ve known something was wrong but did it anyway, three places to which you never want to return, three times you’ve felt lost, and so on—and then take one item from each list, put the items on our protagonist, and quickly write a short story about the whole thing. It’s a concrete way to use instances from one’s own life to get to the root of the character.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Going into day two was exciting but nerve-wracking. I woke up at 5am wondering how my advisors were going to react to my script (I tend to expect the worst.) Luckily, no one ripped my script up into tiny pieces and threw it back at me. Adam and Tanya were both really great. They had good things to say about the script, along with insightful suggestions for improving it, which I’m going to explore in the next draft. We talked about the writing process. We talked about production. We talked about navigating the industry. Getting advice from two talented, experienced filmmakers who’d been through this many times before was incredibly helpful, not just for this project, but for my career as a filmmaker as well.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
The first thing I’m going to do is take some time to really get at the heart of each and every character. Then I’ll tackle the rewrite and when the script is ready, I’ll reach out to producers.
Shelby Farrell
Project: "Deidra and Laney Rob A Train"
Shelby Farrell is a screenwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. She is a graduate of Emory University where she was awarded the Kikag screenwriter award and the American Film Institute Conservatory where she finished an Mfa in screenwriting. She was recently featured in the Tracking Board's 2014 Young and Hungry List. She currently writes interactive games for Pocket Gems and is in preproduction for her feature "Deidra and Laney Rob A Train." She is repped by Gersh and Principato-Young.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
"Deidra and Laney Rob A Train" is a dramedy about two teenage sisters who start robbing freight trains to support their family after their mother goes to jail. This script was my thesis screenplay for AFI and was featured on the Tracking Board's 2014 Young and Hungry List. Sydney Freeland (Sundance Alumni, "Drunktown's Finest") is attached to direct. Currently our reps are approaching select producers with the project, and we are really excited to see where it goes from here.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
All of the writers and I were pushed to find inspiration from our own past experiences during writing exercises. Through this process, I think we all realized that our screenplays are more autobiographical than we perhaps wanted to believe. Not that I've ever robbed a train, but I could.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Having professional advisors is always a blessing. Their feedback was especially useful in this stage because so many people I work with have read multiple drafts. Having fresh eyes on the script really gave me a new perspective. Also since the advisors are independent filmmakers and Sundance alums they really know what we are going through at this stage of development. I also got great advice on what's coming in the next few months as we get this story off the page.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
As far as this project goes, I feel like the script is in a really good place, but I also know that rewrites never end, and I'm excited to use the notes I received for future drafts. I'm also planning on using the writing exercises we learned in Joan Tewkesbury's workshop as I develop my newer projects. Joan taught us some character development tools that can be applied to any project in any stage.
Jared Frieder
Project: "Three Months"
Jared Frieder is a graduate of the Columbia University fiction writing program and his stories can be found in The Collective Press and The Newer York. His screenplay, "Three Months," has taken the top screenwriting prizes at the Austin Film Festival, the Screencraft Comedy Screenplay Contest, and the Big Bear International Film Festival Screenplay Contest. "Three Months" was also chosen for the 2014 Outfest Screenwriting Lab and was the featured script on The Black List online last November. He is currently developing his animated half-hour pilot, "Marathoners," with Bento Box Entertainment. He was accepted to USC’s Screenwriting Mfa on the Edward Volpe Endowed Scholarship before leaving to work on the ABC Family drama, "Chasing Life."
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
My project, "Three Months," tells the coming-of-age story of Caleb Kahn, a queer Ziggy Stardust-loving teenager from Miami who is exposed to HIV the weekend of his high school graduation and has to wait three months to be tested for the disease. It's a comedy, it's a love story, it's a tale of resilience, and it's a deconstruction of how people in crisis sludge through great periods of waiting. The screenplay has been a passion project of mine and I am very grateful to the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition, the Screencraft Comedy Screenplay Contest, and the Big Bear International Film Festival Screenplay Contest for awarding "Three Months" their respective grand prizes. I've also been spoiled by the Outfest Screenwriting Lab and the Sundance Intensive for allowing the script to be workshopped with their brilliant advisors (and some of my all-time heroes.)
After Austin, one of the festival judges (screenwriting phenom, producing master, and all around baller, Oren Uziel) came on board to help bring the script to the screen, along with my management company, Haven Entertainment. We're in the beginning stages of seeing this story come alive and it's pretty much the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
The most important lesson I learned from the Intensive's first day is that Joan Tewkesbury is my spirit animal. The second most important lesson I learned from Ms. Tewkesbury (sweetly nicknamed Tewks by the generous souls of Sundance) is that I tend to use jokes as a means of concealing truth and authenticity (something my protagonist does as well. Let's just say I was channeling.) She helped me crack the comedy facade and delve deeper into character, getting in touch with Caleb's fears, insecurities, and dreams. I'm confident that Tewk's direction will not only take Caleb and "Three Months" to the next level, but also elevate my storytelling in the future. And for that, I will forever be in Ms. Tewkesbury's debt.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Sitting down with Kyle Killen was intimidating at first (he's a certifiable story genius who wrote "The Beaver" and created shows like "Lone Star.") But Kyle tapped into my protagonist in ways that previous advisors couldn't. He helped me dissect Caleb, bringing out deeper layers of his character. We then discussed and determined the most effective way of braiding these emotional undercurrents into the narrative. It's safe to say that my mind was blown.
Kyle Alvarez (esteemed director and fast friend) took a different approach and guided me through "Three Months" from a director's perspective, helping me think about casting, locations, and how aspects of the script would translate on screen. Having mentors come at the project from different angles was really enlightening. Again, I feel incredibly spoiled and grateful.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
Post-Intensive, I'm taking another pass at "Three Months" (because apparently you're never done writing, or that's what they keep telling me.) I'm stoked to take my Sundance notes and weave them through the script where I see fit. Then it's off to the producers for feedback and hopefully the hunt for a director and cast will commence. Also, there will be thank you notes. Lots and lots of thank you notes: to Sundance, to Tewks, to the Kyles, and to the universe for giving me this opportunity.
David J. Lee
Project: "Found"
David J. Lee spent years as an It professional who dreamed of becoming a performer. He finally made the leap and began working as a professional actor who curiously kept getting offers to direct. Finally he gave in, dropped it all, and proceeded to pursue his Mfa in Film Production at USC where, of course, everyone became more interested in his writing. Dave received USC’s First Film Screenwriting Award in 2013, and his thesis script, "Found," was a top 50 Academy Nicholl semi-finalist. His university-produced short, "Paulie," directed by Andrew Nackman, went on to win the Best Film, Audience Award, and Best Writer prizes at the 2014 NBC Universal Short Cuts Festival. Dave was a 2014 Cape New Writers Fellow; he is working on the feature version of "Paulie" while making eyes at the TV world.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
My feature film script is a crime thriller called “Found”. It’s the story of a night worker at a storage facility whose odd, illicit habit of breaking into storage lockers – and her talent for understanding people's lives through their belongings – force her into action when she discovers evidence of a child abduction in one of the units.
“Found" was my thesis script at USC and was a top-50 Nicholl semi-finalist in 2013. Prior to being accepted into the 2015 Sundance Intensive, it had been selected for the 2014 Cape New Writers Fellowship.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
Obviously, at this point I'm many drafts into my script, which means that I'm in a much different mindset than I was when I was originally coming up with the story. It’s a very analytical, left-brain process. Joan Tewkesbury led us through a series of writing exercises which brought me back to that original creative place, which helped me get a new perspective on my characters.
I guess if you’re looking for a specific lesson, it would be, “If you need a fresh perspective, don’t be afraid to put your characters in seemingly irrelevant situations, just to see how they play out, because you’ll be surprised at the relevant places you end up. At the very least, you often end up learning something new about your characters."
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
I was amazed and honored at how much time each advisor had put into their notes. Time is gold for these folks, and they gave us so much of it. It seemed that most of them had received tremendous support from the Sundance Labs or from programs similar to them when they were younger, so they were all there that day out of a desire to give back.
It’s valuable to receive notes from professionals in that these are folks who have more experience than you and a valuable perspective from having worked within the system, and I received some fantastic, insightful feedback that day. At the same time, they’re only perspectives. A note from a working professional may warrant extra consideration, but ultimately, if it doesn’t resonate with you, then it just doesn’t. In the end you weigh those comments against all the other feedback you’ve received over time.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
Keep writing. I’m encouraged by the attention this script has received. When I get it to a place where I’m happy with, then I’ll start looking into getting it made.
Channing Godfrey Peoples
Project: "Miss Juneteenth"
Channing Godfrey Peoples received her Mfa from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Originally from Texas, she spent her childhood in community theater and has been storytelling ever since. Her films are character driven stories that focus on the resilience of the human spirit, often featuring African-American women at a turning point in their lives. At USC, Channing was awarded funding to direct her documentary, “Carry Me Home”, about the celebratory aspects of African-American Funeral Traditions.
Her narrative Thesis Film, “Red”, is a King Family Foundation Recipient, Jury Award Winner for Directing at the Directors Guild of America Student Film Awards, Panavision New Filmmakers Grant Recipient and nominated for Best Short at Pan African Film Festival and the Africa Movie Academy Awards. Channing won “Best Director” at the Nevada International Film Festival and was honored at the Lois Weber Film Festival in Texas. She wrote, directed and starred in “Red”, which is currently on the festival circuit, most recently screening at Champs-Élysées Film Festival in Paris, France. Channing served as a Time Warner Artist-in-Residence at Howard University in Washington DC. She believes in community involvement and mentors children interested in the arts. Channing is developing her first feature film, “Miss Juneteenth."
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
In Texas, slaves were informed they were free, two long years after 1863's Emancipation Proclamation declared American slaves free. That day was June 19 th, 1865, also known as “Juneteenth”. Today, many communities celebrate the Juneteenth holiday with beauty pageants acknowledging young African-American women who are the descendants of slaves. My story, "Miss Juneteenth," is about one of these women.
Turquoise Jones is a former beauty queen, “Miss Juneteenth 1999”, who lost her pageant's top prize of a college scholarship when an unplanned pregnancy lands her back home tending bar at an aging juke joint. Today, she is a single mother to a teenage girl, who she struggles to keep from going down the same wrong path that she took. She has enrolled her disinterested daughter in this year’s Miss Juneteenth pageant and is fighting to keep her in it.
The project is in development and is based in my hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. Neil Creque Williams ("David’s Reverie") is attached as Producer.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
On our first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab, Joan Tewkesbury lead an incredible writing workshop that challenged me to look deeper into the emotional journey of my story. I was seeking a way to take my script to a deeper emotional level and the workshop certainly aided that endeavor. The lesson for me was to connect to my characters through personal experience and emotion and not be resistant to other possibilities for my story.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
The advisors were incredible and I am in awe of their insight and accomplishments. I was delighted to receive feedback from professionals whose work I have long admired. They provided constructive feedback and challenged me to think of the script in new ways. I also enjoyed exchanging ideas with the other fellows at the Intensive and I was delighted to be surrounded by such diverse talent.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
I am now revisiting the script with a renewed intensity. I will be directing my film, "Miss Juneteenth," so my producer, Neil Creque Williams and I have identified our locations and begun preliminary casting. Our next step is crowdfunding and to continue to apply for support.
Maya Perez
Project: "Umwana"
Maya Perez is a screenwriter and fiction writer. She is a consulting producer for the Emmy Award- winning television series "On Story: Presented by Austin Film Festival," now entering its fifth season on PBS, and co-editor of the book On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft (University of Texas Press, October 2013). She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College and is a Michener fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. She grew up in Kenya, Zambia, and the United States and lives in Austin, Texas.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
My project is a feature script, "Umwana," a domestic drama about an American teen who goes to rural Zambia to meet and live with her father and his family. More foreign to her than the cultural differences is the experience of being a member of a family.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
It was great to be reminded of the importance of specificity when depicting characters, and also, how to pull from personal experience without making your characters reflections of yourself. In the workshop we were assigned numerous writing exercises and, though initially intimidating, it was stimulating to be assured there's no limit to the new stories we can quickly craft from scratch. We often think of time as the enemy, in that we don't have enough of it in which to do the work. But sometimes I think I give myself too much time. Some of my better, more visceral writing has been generated under the gun, so to speak.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
One of my advisors hit me with a barrage of questions as soon as I sat down - What is Cassie feeling here? What does Joseph look like? Is it what she expected? What if this happened? What if that happened? So many questions that I started doubting the story's weight altogether. But she kept on and wouldn't let up, so I just wrote them all down until I finally had an answer and then another and eventually realized I know exactly what this story and these characters are about. I had to be sort of beaten down and thrown off balance in order to find the railing. It was terrific. Another advisor - who fortunately came right after - grabbed my shoulders and said he would stalk me until I made this film. He offered to make introductions to agents, managers, producers, and to be there for every draft and question I might have along the way. It was an invaluable experience, to sit down with these talented, professional writers who had read my script so closely and had such constructive questions and encouragement. It felt as though they were as invested in its success as I am.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
My proposed new opening to the script was met with enthusiasm, so I'll make that change, do another revision on the script, and then submit it for the Screenwriters Lab. It was a finalist last year, so hopefully it will go through this year and I'll be able to take advantage of a full week at the Lab to prepare it for production. One of my advisors generously sent me the look book he's using for his current project, and I'm making one of those for "Umwana" as well as researching what shooting on location in Zambia will entail.
Rodrigo Reyes
Project: "Charlie"
Rodrigo Reyes was born in Mexico City in 1983. Supported by the Mexican Ministry of Film, his acclaimed 2012 feature documentary "Purgatorio" featured visceral and intimate portraits of the Us- Mexico border. The film premiered in competition at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival and Guadalajara International Film Festival, touring more than 40 festivals including MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight, and winning several jury prizes including the Michael Moore Award for Best Documentary at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. "Purgatorio" has been released theatrically on over 100 screens throughout Mexico, touring Latin America, Spain, and over 30 American cities. In 2013 Filmmaker Magazine named Rodrigo one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film, and in 2014 he was awarded the Tribeca Film Institute Heineken Voices Grant for his upcoming documentary "Sanson And Me," as well as the Canon Filmmaker Award for his hybrid peach picker portrait "Lupe Under The Sun," currently in post-production. Rodrigo attended Uc San Diego, as well as colleges in Madrid and Mexico City, earning a degree in International Studies. He currently lives in California’s Central Valley where he works as an interpreter in the California Superior Court.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
"Charlie" is a story about a mother and son living in the heartland of America, who hide a dark secret that is tearing them apart, threatening them with destruction. It’s a twisted, existential fairy-tale that tackles estrangement, loneliness and violence in a unique way. Aside from Sundance, the film has received the support of Nalip’s Latino Media Market.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
I was surprised by some of the tools used in the labs. There was an element of tapping into the subconscious using semi-dada techniques that really clicked with me. The key was coming in with an open mind.
Before the Labs, I felt the project was close to a final draft. That has since been atomized and torn apart at the hinges, which is fantastic, actually. The Intensive helped me pull away from the rut I didn’t know I was in and look at my script with a naked, honest perspective.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Often as independent filmmakers we feel threatened by the industry, their perspectives are senses as criticisms instead of critiques. The Lab did a great job of inviting you to a conversation, not a lecture or a dictate. I felt I could take the advice that honestly connected with me and integrate it with my script, while also fielding key questions to the advisors in a safe space.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
It’s all in my hands now. I have to integrate the conversations, critiques and perspectives gleaned from this process into a new draft.
Luke Uriah Slendebroek
Project: “Sophia/Gordita”
Luke Uriah Slendebroek is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television Mfa directing program. While at UCLA, Luke's films have been awarded The Hollywood Foreign Press Award, The Four Sister’s Award, The Carroll Sax Award in Motion Picture and Television Production, the Edie and Lew Wasserman Film Production Fellowship, and two Motion Picture Association of America Awards. Luke has directed a short documentary for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and he has directed a short film for the Oscar-winning producer and director Robert "Bobby" Moresco as part of an interdisciplinary collaboration at UCLA. He has also directed a number of industrial films for Fortune 500 companies. Luke's films favor the underdogs, involve fantastical worlds, and tend to explore that brief period between childhood and adulthood.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
“Sophia/Gordita” is a coming of age western based on the incredible true story of teenage madam that served the migrant farming communities of the midwest.
Aleksandar Marinovich has stepped on board to help produce the film. Currently we are raising money to finance the film with a goal of shooting in September, 2016.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
The Sundance Intensive was an amazing and immersive experience. The writing techniques I learned during the two days will be crucial as I dive into the next draft of my screenplay entitled “Sophia/Gordita”. Through this workshop, I feel confident to tackle the issues of my screenplay and to dig deeper into motivations that drive my lead character, Sophia.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Patricia Cardoso and Ligiah Villalobos were incredibly generous to offer their guidence and direction on my screenplay “Sophia/Gordita”. Their feedback, although at times challenging, pushed me to dig deeper into the character of Sophia. What really drives her to make the choices in act one that sends her life into a downward spiral during the subsequent acts? As I work through these issues, the outcome will hopefully be a character that no one has ever seen before on the screen, an anti-hero for a new generation.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
I plan on doing another rewrite utilizing the tools and techniques I learned from the Intensive. After the next draft, I will get more feedback from my producer and my film collective, Vices of Reason. Once I get a draft that I’m comfortable with, I’m going to get the script in the hands of anyone that’s willing to read it as well as continue to raise money to finance the film.
Vivian Tse
Project: "These Animals"
Vivian Tse is a filmmaker making both narrative and documentary films. She was a Colonist at the 2013 Nantucket Screenwriting Colony with her feature script "Joe Boy," which was also selected for the 2014 Ifp Transatlantic Partners Program. Tse participated in the 2014 Pov Hackathon with the transmedia documentary film "The Angola Project." Originally from San Francisco, she graduated from the University of Southern California.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
"These Animals" is the story of an astronaut's last year on Earth after she agrees to crew a one-way mission to Mars. It's about what the last year of someone's life would be like if she made a decision with stakes that high, what happens to her family and the people around her, the people she loves and who love her.
We're currently in the development stage, trying to put the financing together. Sundance and the A3 foundation was kind enough to give us a grant. And we're in post on a short version of the project which we shot late last year.
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
It took a bit of processing but the most rewarding lesson, or at least the one that stuck with me most, was using yourself to dig deeper into your character's journey. Which sounds obvious and certainly its something you're already doing as a writer with everything you write, but you can always go deeper. learning that there is always more to dig up, more of you to add, which is horrifying and invigorating at the same time.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
The advisors were amazing. They're very passionate - it's great. i found it invaluable, even when I didn't agree with the notes. it lets you know how people are reading, understanding and thinking about your story. their perspective was so helpful and it helps to look at my characters and my story in a new way. writing can be very isolating so it's always great to talk to someone who is doing what you're doing. and they share their war stories, telling you to reimagine a scene because they did something similar and it went to shit so don't forget to think about this or that, or that space ships are expensive so maybe try to stay out of a ship as a location. i don't have any space ships in the film but you get my point.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
A re-write for one, casting, financing the rest of the film. Keep pushing forward, hustling, like everyone does, until you make your film.
Diego Velasco & Carolina Paiz
Project: "Los Invadidos"
Diego Velasco and Carolina Paiz, a husband and wife writing team, are currently working on "Los Invadidos," a thriller which Velasco will also direct.
Writer/director Diego Velasco was born in the Us and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Diego’s short, "Cédula Ciudadano," got him invited into the Fox Searchlab program after winning the Los Angeles Latino Film Festival. In 2003, Diego moved to Los Angeles and formed Open Studios with his wife, a production company meant to make the films they wanted to see in the world. In 2010, Diego made his feature debut with "La Hora Cero" (The Zero Hour). Set in Caracas during the 24-hours of a controversial medical strike, the film followed La Parca, a tattooed hit-man, as he takes an elite hospital hostage in an attempt to save his wounded girlfriend and her child. The film became the highest grossing Venezuelan film of its time. It has won over 35 awards at International festivals and secured distribution in five continents. Currently it has been optioned for an English language remake. In November of 2011, Diego was featured as one the Ten Mover and Reshapers of Latin American Cinema by Variety Magazine.
Growing up in Guatemala during the civil war, Carolina Paiz spent much of her time indoors, reading and watching television, escapes which later provided the foundation for her career as a writer for film and TV. At 15, she left Guatemala for Kent, a boarding school in Connecticut, where she was the first non- native English speaker to be awarded the Robert S. Hillyard award for her achievements in creative writing. Carolina went on to study English and Latin American Studies at Tulane University. The short stories she wrote there were later published by the Caribbean Writer. One of these, Sleep Comes Suddenly, was honored with the Canute A. Brodhurst Award. In 2006, she landed a position as a staff writer on ABC’s "Grey’s Anatomy." She later went on to write on NBC’s "Lipstick Jungle," CBS’s "The Defenders," Fox’s "Gang Related" and currently, Fox’s "Runner." She also developed a series for Fox, "Queen Of the South," based on the hugely successful Spanish novel. Between television projects, Carolina co- wrote and produced the Venezuelan feature "La Hora Cero," the highest grossing Venezuelan film in history.
Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.
The film follows a couple that has just lost their only child and now find themselves on different sides of the spiritual debate. They’re forced to face their problems when they inherit a remote farm in the Venezuelan plains. Hoping for a new start, they soon learn the farm has been invaded by squatters and that there’s more to reality than what you can see…
Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?
The first day was revelatory. By doing exhaustive and highly personal writing exercises that we then shared with the entire class, we both realized that we hadn't fully tapped into our own fears and desires in writing the characters in our feature. We realized there was far more of us in these characters than we'd anticipated and that embracing that would actually deepen them. Rewriting the script now, the characters have come to life by simply putting ourselves in their shoes.
Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?
Our advisors were completely different and had very different points of view on the script, yet both sets of notes complimented each other quite well at the end of the day. Their points of view were enlightening. We had exhausted our resources by asking for notes from every trusted friend and colleague that we knew, and we'd gotten to the point we were afraid they'd stop taking our calls for fear that we'd make them read the script again. We were desperate for fresh eyes from people that didn't know us, didn't know the project, and had no emotional stake in any of it. But what made it truly amazing was the fact that we got to dive in with such skilled writers, and such generous people, and that they truly took the time to give us deep and insightful notes.
Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?
We are currently rewriting the script as per what we've learned and hope to begin our search for financing soon!
- 4/6/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Antonio Banderas brings the story of the Chilean mining disaster to the big screen in a trailer for The 33.
The forthcoming movie dramatises the true-life events surrounding 33 miners becoming trapped in a San José mine in 2010.
Banderas portrays the public face of the trapped miners' 'Super Mario' Sepúlveda, who recorded video logs throughout the siege.
An international cast is featured in The 33, including French Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche, Chile's Cote de Pablo and Irish Oscar nominee Gabriel Byrne.
Under the Same Moon's Patricia Riggen brings the story of the miners to the big screen in The 33.
The 33 will be released in the Us later this year. A UK release is yet to be set.
Watch our round-up of the 20 biggest blockbuster movies of 2015:...
The forthcoming movie dramatises the true-life events surrounding 33 miners becoming trapped in a San José mine in 2010.
Banderas portrays the public face of the trapped miners' 'Super Mario' Sepúlveda, who recorded video logs throughout the siege.
An international cast is featured in The 33, including French Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche, Chile's Cote de Pablo and Irish Oscar nominee Gabriel Byrne.
Under the Same Moon's Patricia Riggen brings the story of the miners to the big screen in The 33.
The 33 will be released in the Us later this year. A UK release is yet to be set.
Watch our round-up of the 20 biggest blockbuster movies of 2015:...
- 4/2/2015
- Digital Spy
Today we have the first trailer for "The 33," which is about a group of trapped Chilean miners and stars Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, James Brolin, Gabriel Byrne, and Lou Diamond Phillips. Plot: The story revolves around a 2010 accident, which left thirty three Chilean miners stuck 2,200 feet underground for sixty nine days as rescuers worked on innovative drilling techniques to get them out. The new movie is directed by Patricia Riggen (Girl in Progress, Under the Same Moon). It's set to hit theaters in Chile on August 6th. A Us release date has yet to be set. Trailer:...
- 4/1/2015
- WorstPreviews.com
It's been five years since the world was captivated by the ongoing tragedy of 33 Chilean miners who were trapped a half-mile underground after an accident in a mine caused it to collapse. After 69 days, every single one of the trapped miners was rescued for a happy ending. Not long after, a feature film was put into the works, and now the first international trailer for that film has arrived. The 33 is based on that story, and while it takes place in Chile, the entire film is in English (which is annoying). Antonio Banderas, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rodrigo Santoro and Juliette Binoche star in the film, and it looks pretty decent. Here's the first international trailer for Patricia Riggen's The 33 from 20th Century Fox Chile: The 33 is directed by Patricia Riggen (Under the Same Moon) and written by Mikko Alanne and Jose Rivera. The film follows the...
- 3/31/2015
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Mexican actor, director, writer and producer Eugenio Derbez, the star of Pantelion Films' breakout hit Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S., has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Pantelion Films, the collaboration between next generation global content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: Lgf) and Mexican media corporation Grupo Televisa, the parties announced today. Derbez, through his newly-launched 3Pas ('tripas") Studios production company, a partnership with former Pantelion President of Production Benjamin Odell, will focus on Spanish and English-language films targeted at Latino and crossover audiences in the Us.
Pantelion Films CEO Paul Presburger said:
"We are thrilled to take our longstanding relationship with Eugenio to the next level. He is a true auteur in every sense of the word, and he has an amazing ability to tap into the shared passions of Latino and American audiences. Teaming up with such an enormous talent cements...
Pantelion Films CEO Paul Presburger said:
"We are thrilled to take our longstanding relationship with Eugenio to the next level. He is a true auteur in every sense of the word, and he has an amazing ability to tap into the shared passions of Latino and American audiences. Teaming up with such an enormous talent cements...
- 9/5/2014
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
Eugenio Derbez, writer, director and star of hit Spanish-language comedy Instructions Not Included, has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Lionsgate/Grupo Televisa’s Pantelion Films, staying in business with the label that released his record-setting Spanish-language pic last year. The pact was made via Derbez’s newly launched 3PasStudios, a partnership with former Pantelion president of production Benjamin Odell. 3Pas will focus on Spanish- and English-language films targeted at Latino and crossover audiences in the U.S.
Instructions Not Included became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S. when it opened last year. Pantelion also is behind biopic Cantinflas which has pulled in $3.6M since it opened last weekend in 382 theaters.
Derbez’s credits include Under The Same Moon, also among the highest-grossing Spanish language films released in the U.S. He and Odell first worked together on Sangre de Mi Sangre in 2006, starring Derbez, which...
Instructions Not Included became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S. when it opened last year. Pantelion also is behind biopic Cantinflas which has pulled in $3.6M since it opened last weekend in 382 theaters.
Derbez’s credits include Under The Same Moon, also among the highest-grossing Spanish language films released in the U.S. He and Odell first worked together on Sangre de Mi Sangre in 2006, starring Derbez, which...
- 9/5/2014
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
Jorge Diaz, who recently caught Hollywood’s attention with his performance as one of the Hispanic leads in “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,” has joined the cast of the Chilean miner movie “The 33,” TheWrap has learned. Patricia Riggen (“Under the Same Moon”) is directing the indie drama, which chronicles the headline-grabbing accident that saw 33 miners in Chile trapped underground for 69 days in 2010. Also Read: ‘Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones’ Review: How Do You Say ‘Shaky-Cam’ in Spanish? Diaz will play real-life engineer Igor Proestakis, who helped design a solution that ultimately aided in rescuing the miners. The 24-year-old Chilean engineer.
- 2/5/2014
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Ben Silverman’s Latino love affair continues. The Electus founder has sold telenovela Loteria to NBC, part of his studio’s three-for-one pact with the network. Under the Same Moon’s Ligiah Villalobos will pen the script, about a Mexican-American mogul who is killed in a suspicious car crash and cuts his kids out of his will. The question at the center of the potential series is whether the car crash was an accident or a plot by one of them to kill him. Loteria joins Babylon, from Dracula’s Dan Knauf, about an exclusive club of magical women who control high society
read more...
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- 12/20/2013
- by Lacey Rose
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Earlier this year production company Pantelion scored its first major U.S. theatrical hit with the release of Eugenio Derbez' Instructions Not Included, a heartfelt comedy about a father who reconnects with his young daughter. Written, directed, and starring Derbez himself the PG-13 film has grossed close to $35 million playing as a limited release in under 1,000 screens. The success has been overwhelming in all main markets (Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Dallas), becoming not only the highest grossing Spanish-language film in the U.S. but the biggest Mexican film opening weekend ever in Mexico with $11.6 million.
Certainly, the success of the film can be attributed to Derbez' loyal following that knows him from his work in Mexican television and in films like Under the Same Moon. The actor's charismatic image makes him the poster child for Mexican comedy, an asset that prove to strike a chord with Latino audiences both in his home country and in the U.S. Instructions' presentation as a family film and the publicity efforts by the studio behind it, which is in turn backed by Lionsgate and Televisa, worked splendidly to attract their targeted audience and hopefully open up a market that has long been ignored.
Pantelion had two other releases this year so far. Back in May the studio released a historical/ war film entitled Cinco de Mayo: The Battle, which retells the events of the fateful day when the seemingly weaker Mexican army repelled a French invasion in 1862. A film like this was the first of its kind in Mexico in terms of production value and resources employed to produce a work of such magnitude. Starring Mexican star Kuno Becker (Goal!, Goal II) in the role of national hero General Ignacio Zaragoza, the film opened on May 3rd both in Mexico and the U.S.
Read a review for the film Here
Read an interview with Kuno Becker on the film Here
Pulling Strings, the other Pantelion release, opened on October 4th and its a bilingual romantic comedy. The film stars Mexican soap opera actor Jaime Camil and comedian Omar Chaparro. The film has clearly benefited from the recent success of Derbez' film and it has become Pantelion's second consecutive hit grossing over $2.5 million so far, a solid number for any film opening in limited release.
It seems like Hollywood is finally trying to fill up the gap by creating content targeted to the vastly underserved Latino market, who ironically is one of the groups who most regularly goes to the movies.
Read more on the subject on Variety's article Hollywood Gets 'Instructions' from Latino Audiences...
Certainly, the success of the film can be attributed to Derbez' loyal following that knows him from his work in Mexican television and in films like Under the Same Moon. The actor's charismatic image makes him the poster child for Mexican comedy, an asset that prove to strike a chord with Latino audiences both in his home country and in the U.S. Instructions' presentation as a family film and the publicity efforts by the studio behind it, which is in turn backed by Lionsgate and Televisa, worked splendidly to attract their targeted audience and hopefully open up a market that has long been ignored.
Pantelion had two other releases this year so far. Back in May the studio released a historical/ war film entitled Cinco de Mayo: The Battle, which retells the events of the fateful day when the seemingly weaker Mexican army repelled a French invasion in 1862. A film like this was the first of its kind in Mexico in terms of production value and resources employed to produce a work of such magnitude. Starring Mexican star Kuno Becker (Goal!, Goal II) in the role of national hero General Ignacio Zaragoza, the film opened on May 3rd both in Mexico and the U.S.
Read a review for the film Here
Read an interview with Kuno Becker on the film Here
Pulling Strings, the other Pantelion release, opened on October 4th and its a bilingual romantic comedy. The film stars Mexican soap opera actor Jaime Camil and comedian Omar Chaparro. The film has clearly benefited from the recent success of Derbez' film and it has become Pantelion's second consecutive hit grossing over $2.5 million so far, a solid number for any film opening in limited release.
It seems like Hollywood is finally trying to fill up the gap by creating content targeted to the vastly underserved Latino market, who ironically is one of the groups who most regularly goes to the movies.
Read more on the subject on Variety's article Hollywood Gets 'Instructions' from Latino Audiences...
- 10/23/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Aside from directing visually striking adventure movies like Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth and Pacific Rim, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro has also developed a reputation in animation as a producer. Having worked on Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots and Legends of the Guardians, del Toro is gathering together a star-studded voice cast for his newest animated endeavor Book of Life. THR reports Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna and Christina Applegate have signed on to topline the film, while Ice Cube, Ron Perlman, Cheech Marin, and Danny Trejo will co-star along with Kate del Castillo (Under the Same Moon, Hector Elizondo (Last Man Standing, opera singer Placido Domingo, Ana de la Reguera (Nacho Libre), Eugenio Derbez (Instructions Not Included), stand-up comedian Gabriel Iglesias, and radio personality Ricardo .El Mandril. Sanchez. You may have noticed much of this cast is made up of Hispanic performers, which is a savvy move...
- 10/17/2013
- cinemablend.com
Horton easily won the Easter boxoffice hunt.
Fox's animated feature "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" repeated atop the domestic boxoffice this weekend, posting a modest 44% drop from opening grosses to earn an estimated $25.1 million with a $86.5 million cume. That outdistanced the $20 million bow by Lionsgate's urban comedy Meet the Browns.
Elsewhere over the busy holiday frame, the Fox-distributed New Regency horror film Shutter collected $10.7 million in a third-place debut, and Paramount's high school comedy Drillbit Taylor bit into $10.2 million while opening in fourth.
The weekend for Summit Entertainment's mixed-martial arts drama Never Back Down featured a decline of just 44% to kick up $4.9 million in sixth place and shape a $16.8 million cume. Universal's sci-fi thriller Doomsday fell a bigger 56% to slip from the top 10, with $2.2 million over its sophomore session yielding a 10-day cume of $8.9 million.
Lionsgate's heist adventure The Bank Job is proving surprisingly leggy, taking eighth place with $4.1 million over its third session. The tiny 19% drop from its previous weekend followed an even smaller 15% dip over its second frame, with "Job" now grabbing $19.4 million in 17-day loot.
In a notable limited opening this weekend, Under the Same Moon from Fox Searchlight and the Weinstein Co. grossed $2.6 million from 266 runs for an enviable average of $9,774 per engagement and a $3.3 million cume since bowing Wednesday. The America Ferrera starrer -- which finished in 10th place on the frame -- set a new record for a domestic opening by a Spanish-language film, outpacing a $1.6 million bow by Lionsgate's Ladron que roba a ladron in August.
Industrywide, the weekend represented a big 16% downtick from last year's non-Easter frame with $114 million in collective boxoffice, according to Nielsen EDI data. The session also underperformed the April 6-8, 2007, Easter frame by 8%.
Fox's animated feature "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" repeated atop the domestic boxoffice this weekend, posting a modest 44% drop from opening grosses to earn an estimated $25.1 million with a $86.5 million cume. That outdistanced the $20 million bow by Lionsgate's urban comedy Meet the Browns.
Elsewhere over the busy holiday frame, the Fox-distributed New Regency horror film Shutter collected $10.7 million in a third-place debut, and Paramount's high school comedy Drillbit Taylor bit into $10.2 million while opening in fourth.
The weekend for Summit Entertainment's mixed-martial arts drama Never Back Down featured a decline of just 44% to kick up $4.9 million in sixth place and shape a $16.8 million cume. Universal's sci-fi thriller Doomsday fell a bigger 56% to slip from the top 10, with $2.2 million over its sophomore session yielding a 10-day cume of $8.9 million.
Lionsgate's heist adventure The Bank Job is proving surprisingly leggy, taking eighth place with $4.1 million over its third session. The tiny 19% drop from its previous weekend followed an even smaller 15% dip over its second frame, with "Job" now grabbing $19.4 million in 17-day loot.
In a notable limited opening this weekend, Under the Same Moon from Fox Searchlight and the Weinstein Co. grossed $2.6 million from 266 runs for an enviable average of $9,774 per engagement and a $3.3 million cume since bowing Wednesday. The America Ferrera starrer -- which finished in 10th place on the frame -- set a new record for a domestic opening by a Spanish-language film, outpacing a $1.6 million bow by Lionsgate's Ladron que roba a ladron in August.
Industrywide, the weekend represented a big 16% downtick from last year's non-Easter frame with $114 million in collective boxoffice, according to Nielsen EDI data. The session also underperformed the April 6-8, 2007, Easter frame by 8%.
- 3/23/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amid an unexpected feeding frenzy at the Sundance Film Festival, indie mogul Harvey Weinstein continued to gobble up a smorgasbord of films. In the wake of deals for Grace Is Gone and a co-buy with Lionsgate of Teeth, the Weinstein Co., partnering with First Look Studios, bought worldwide rights to the Justin Theroux-directed romantic comedy Dedication for $4 million. Then, partnering with Fox Searchlight, it took world rights on the Mexican heart-tugger La Misma Luna for $5 million-$6 million.
"It's like Bloomingdale's before Christmas," said ThinkFilm's Mark Urman, who plunked down a hefty sum -- more than $2.5 million -- for the docu In the Shadow of the Moon. "It's a stronger collection of films. It's ironic that Sundance wanting to focus on films that were less commercial has made the festival more of a market than ever."
Paramount Vantage, which seemed to be staying out of the spotlight, announced Tuesday the acquisition of worldwide rights to two films, How She Move, for which it paid slightly $3 million in partnership with MTV Films, and Son of Rambow, the fest's biggest buy so far at about $7 million. Those two purchases were notable because neither film features any recognizable actors.
After the Cinetic Media party Monday night at Zoom, a number of deep-pocketed buyers, from Sony Pictures Classics to Lionsgate, jumped into yet another bidding war over the Mexican film Luna, directed by Patricia Riggen. The bilingual, border-crossing drama about a boy searching for his mother, eventually sold at dawn Tuesday to Searchlight and the Weinstein Co.
Weinstein and Searchlight president Peter Rice partnered on Zach Braff's 2004 Sundance pickup Garden State. Searchlight will take the lead in North America and South America, while the two companies will pick and choose which will handle international territories on a case-by-case basis, they said. They will split the global pot 50-50.
The film has the potential to reach Latin American moviegoers and a wide crossover audience not only in the U.S. but around the world, producer Ram Bergman said. "Harvey was passionate about the picture," he said. "He got the movie. The combination of Fox domestic and Weinstein international is the best of both worlds."
Luna stars recent Golden Globe winner America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) as well as Adrian Alonso (The Legend of Zorro). Written by Ligiah Villalobos, Riggen and Villalobos produced the film along with Gerardo Barrera, Norman Dreyfuss and Bergman.
"It's like Bloomingdale's before Christmas," said ThinkFilm's Mark Urman, who plunked down a hefty sum -- more than $2.5 million -- for the docu In the Shadow of the Moon. "It's a stronger collection of films. It's ironic that Sundance wanting to focus on films that were less commercial has made the festival more of a market than ever."
Paramount Vantage, which seemed to be staying out of the spotlight, announced Tuesday the acquisition of worldwide rights to two films, How She Move, for which it paid slightly $3 million in partnership with MTV Films, and Son of Rambow, the fest's biggest buy so far at about $7 million. Those two purchases were notable because neither film features any recognizable actors.
After the Cinetic Media party Monday night at Zoom, a number of deep-pocketed buyers, from Sony Pictures Classics to Lionsgate, jumped into yet another bidding war over the Mexican film Luna, directed by Patricia Riggen. The bilingual, border-crossing drama about a boy searching for his mother, eventually sold at dawn Tuesday to Searchlight and the Weinstein Co.
Weinstein and Searchlight president Peter Rice partnered on Zach Braff's 2004 Sundance pickup Garden State. Searchlight will take the lead in North America and South America, while the two companies will pick and choose which will handle international territories on a case-by-case basis, they said. They will split the global pot 50-50.
The film has the potential to reach Latin American moviegoers and a wide crossover audience not only in the U.S. but around the world, producer Ram Bergman said. "Harvey was passionate about the picture," he said. "He got the movie. The combination of Fox domestic and Weinstein international is the best of both worlds."
Luna stars recent Golden Globe winner America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) as well as Adrian Alonso (The Legend of Zorro). Written by Ligiah Villalobos, Riggen and Villalobos produced the film along with Gerardo Barrera, Norman Dreyfuss and Bergman.
- 1/24/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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