Jenna Coleman had “avoided” playing a detective – until she was approached about playing rookie cop Ember Manning in a scenic lake town in Lancashire in North West England in BBC Studios’ The Jetty from creator and writer Cat Jones and Firebird Pictures.
“What appealed to me was that the character of Ember was completely there on page one,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Also, it’s a crime thriller, but it’s wrapped up in such a human, emotive, and poetic piece. It is crafted so it has all of the great things of a crime thriller – turning the page and having all of the beats. But it’s also such a feminine piece that really explores relationships and provokes. It has all sorts of blurred boundaries and is asking a lot of uncomfortable questions without fully answering them.”
The four-part series, a Firebird Pictures production for the BBC, is...
“What appealed to me was that the character of Ember was completely there on page one,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Also, it’s a crime thriller, but it’s wrapped up in such a human, emotive, and poetic piece. It is crafted so it has all of the great things of a crime thriller – turning the page and having all of the beats. But it’s also such a feminine piece that really explores relationships and provokes. It has all sorts of blurred boundaries and is asking a lot of uncomfortable questions without fully answering them.”
The four-part series, a Firebird Pictures production for the BBC, is...
- 2/26/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The BBC has revealed a first-look image of Jenna Coleman as rookie detective Ember Manning in The Jetty, a detective thriller from creator and writer Cat Jones and Firebird Pictures set to debut later this year in the U.K.
In the thriller, Coleman, best known for playing the timelord’s trusted sidekick Clara Oswald in Doctor Who, investigates the link between a fire at a peaceful lakeside holiday home, a podcast journalist investigating a missing persons cold case and an illicit love triangle between a man in his twenties and two underage girls.
As she gets closer to the truth, the case forces the detective to “re-evaluate her past, present and the town she has always called home.” The logline reads, “As much a coming-of-age story as a detective thriller, The Jetty asks big questions about sexual morality, identity and memory, in the places that #MeToo has left behind.
In the thriller, Coleman, best known for playing the timelord’s trusted sidekick Clara Oswald in Doctor Who, investigates the link between a fire at a peaceful lakeside holiday home, a podcast journalist investigating a missing persons cold case and an illicit love triangle between a man in his twenties and two underage girls.
As she gets closer to the truth, the case forces the detective to “re-evaluate her past, present and the town she has always called home.” The logline reads, “As much a coming-of-age story as a detective thriller, The Jetty asks big questions about sexual morality, identity and memory, in the places that #MeToo has left behind.
- 1/17/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Shadow and Bone” star Archie Renaux and “Lockwood & Co’s” Ruby Stokes are set to join Jenna Coleman in upcoming BBC thriller “The Jetty.”
In the four-part series, from writer Cat Jones and producers Firebird Pictures (a BBC Studios label), Coleman plays Ember Manning, a rookie detective who finds herself at the center of an unusual case when a vacation home in a peaceful lake-side town in Lancashire goes up in flames. At the same time, there’s a journalist investigating a cold missing person case for a podcast while a man in his twenties is carrying out an illicit relationship between not just one but two underage girls.
As Manning investigates the fire, she finds the threads are connected but the truth has the power to destroy her life, “forcing her to re-evaluate everything she thought she knew about her past, present and the town she’s always called home,...
In the four-part series, from writer Cat Jones and producers Firebird Pictures (a BBC Studios label), Coleman plays Ember Manning, a rookie detective who finds herself at the center of an unusual case when a vacation home in a peaceful lake-side town in Lancashire goes up in flames. At the same time, there’s a journalist investigating a cold missing person case for a podcast while a man in his twenties is carrying out an illicit relationship between not just one but two underage girls.
As Manning investigates the fire, she finds the threads are connected but the truth has the power to destroy her life, “forcing her to re-evaluate everything she thought she knew about her past, present and the town she’s always called home,...
- 11/7/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Rotting in the Sun streams exclusively on Mubi (almost) globally starting September 15, 2023.This week's episode features:Sebastián Silva (Chile), a director, screenwriter, singer, and painter. Over the past fifteen years, he has established himself as one of the most singular and prolific voices in Latin American cinema. His filmography—consisting of eight feature films to date, and characterized by a bold, dark humor—talks about contemporary issues like the clash between social classes, racial struggle, and suicide.In 2009, his second feature film, The Maid, was the first Chilean film to be nominated for a Golden Globe for best international feature, and also won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Since then, many of Silva’s films have premiered at Sundance, including Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus, Tyrel, and Nasty Baby; the latter film won the Teddy Award at the Berlinale in 2015.Catalina Saavedra (Chile), a film, theater and television actress.
- 9/22/2023
- MUBI
Chilean filmmaker Felipe Gálvez, whose debut feature “The Settlers” premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, has signed with CAA for representation.
Set in 1901, “The Settlers” centers on Segundo, a mixed-race Chilean, who rides south on an expedition led by a former Boer War English captain and an American mercenary to fence off land granted to Spanish landowner José Menéndez. Their mission soon turns into a “civilizing” raid. Based on true events, the Western exposes a particularly brutal period of Chile’s colonial history and the genocide of Indigenous tribes.
“I love to be controversial,” Gálvez told Variety about the uncomfortable questions the film poses about his country’s past. “If something is controversial, it’s a good sign. It means it’s interesting. I am trying to provoke with my film, because this conversation is far from over.”
Gálvez directed and co-wrote the film with Antonia Girardi, in collaboration with Mariano Llinás,...
Set in 1901, “The Settlers” centers on Segundo, a mixed-race Chilean, who rides south on an expedition led by a former Boer War English captain and an American mercenary to fence off land granted to Spanish landowner José Menéndez. Their mission soon turns into a “civilizing” raid. Based on true events, the Western exposes a particularly brutal period of Chile’s colonial history and the genocide of Indigenous tribes.
“I love to be controversial,” Gálvez told Variety about the uncomfortable questions the film poses about his country’s past. “If something is controversial, it’s a good sign. It means it’s interesting. I am trying to provoke with my film, because this conversation is far from over.”
Gálvez directed and co-wrote the film with Antonia Girardi, in collaboration with Mariano Llinás,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
This episode features:Felipe Gálvez (Chile), director and editor. Before premiering his first feature film The Settlers at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, where he won the Fipresci pruze in the Un Certain Regard section, Gálvez directed a handful of short films, which screened at Rotterdam, the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, and Cannes Critics' Week.For the last fifteen years, he has been working as an editor and has collaborated on important Latin American films such as Kiro Russo's El gran movimiento, Marialy Rivas's Princesita, and Pablo Lamar's La última tierra. In this episode, Felipe discusses the problematic relationship between Western and historic representation, but also as a weapon to rewrite the past. In conversation with programmer and critic Pamela Biénzobas, Felipe talks about his ambitious debut feature and about rewriting as a radical act in the editing room and on the set.This...
- 7/19/2023
- MUBI
Perry Mason completed its second season on HBO.
We jumped on a call with Marialy Rivas, who directed the fifth and eighth episodes.
She took us through her journey and falling in love with cinema, hailing from Chile -- which was at the height of a dictatorship regime -- and didn't have a proper film industry,
She talked about how her style informs how she approaches directing, her experience on the Perry Mason set, and how she landed the gig.
Dive in and enjoy.
You have extensive credits in directing, especially in Chilean cinema. How has that journey been?
I was born and raised in Chile.
I grew up during the Pinochet dictatorship, but I have wanted to be a filmmaker since I was seven. Chile at that time, you know, Pinochet had killed or exiled all the filmmakers and closed all film schools. So, it was a wild dream,...
We jumped on a call with Marialy Rivas, who directed the fifth and eighth episodes.
She took us through her journey and falling in love with cinema, hailing from Chile -- which was at the height of a dictatorship regime -- and didn't have a proper film industry,
She talked about how her style informs how she approaches directing, her experience on the Perry Mason set, and how she landed the gig.
Dive in and enjoy.
You have extensive credits in directing, especially in Chilean cinema. How has that journey been?
I was born and raised in Chile.
I grew up during the Pinochet dictatorship, but I have wanted to be a filmmaker since I was seven. Chile at that time, you know, Pinochet had killed or exiled all the filmmakers and closed all film schools. So, it was a wild dream,...
- 5/1/2023
- by Denis Kimathi
- TVfanatic
Wallace Langham has signed on to the cast of “Perry Mason” Season 2 at HBO.
Langham joins a cast that includes returning series star Matthew Rhys as well as Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Diarra Kilpatrick, and Eric Lange among many others.
In Season 2, months after the end of the Dodson trial, Perry’s (Rhys) moved off the farm, ditched the milk truck, he’s even traded his leather jacket for a pressed suit. It’s the worst year of the Depression, and Perry and Della (Rylance) have set the firm on a safer path pursuing civil cases instead of the tumultuous work that criminal cases entail. Unfortunately, there isn’t much work for Paul (Chalk) in wills and contracts, so he’s been out on his own. An open-and-closed case overtakes the city of Los Angeles, and Perry’s pursuit of justice reveals that not everything is always as it seems.
Langham joins a cast that includes returning series star Matthew Rhys as well as Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Diarra Kilpatrick, and Eric Lange among many others.
In Season 2, months after the end of the Dodson trial, Perry’s (Rhys) moved off the farm, ditched the milk truck, he’s even traded his leather jacket for a pressed suit. It’s the worst year of the Depression, and Perry and Della (Rylance) have set the firm on a safer path pursuing civil cases instead of the tumultuous work that criminal cases entail. Unfortunately, there isn’t much work for Paul (Chalk) in wills and contracts, so he’s been out on his own. An open-and-closed case overtakes the city of Los Angeles, and Perry’s pursuit of justice reveals that not everything is always as it seems.
- 6/30/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Ariel Meislin has left ICM Partners, where she has been a lit agent focusing on directors, to join Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment as a manager. She will become Kaplan/Perrone’s first New York City hire and is tasked with establishing the New York office as the lit management/production company expands its footprint outside of Los Angeles. She also will continue to focus on filmmakers.
Meislin began her career in ICM’s mailroom and rose through the ranks to become an agent in less than two years. Since her promotion to agent two a half years ago, she has built her roster by identifying and transitioning filmmakers from the feature space into television, specializing in international voices. Her clients at ICM included Debs Paterson, Ed Lilly, Alex Gabassi, Amit Gupta (His Dark Materials), Darya Zhuk (Little America), Marialy Rivas, Catriona McKenzie (Marvel’s upcoming Echo), and Stacey Gregg (The Baby), among others. Some of her clients are expected to join Meislin at Kaplan/Perrone.
“We’ve been continually impressed by Ariel’s keen eye at identifying fantastic voices, as well as her tireless focus on accelerating the careers of her clients,” the partners at Kaplan/Perrone said in a statement. “Having a full-time presence in New York will enhance our ability to effectively represent clients on a global level and we feel Ariel’s strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit are the ideal fit for Kpe.”
Meislin is the latest ICM agent to depart for another agency or management company ahead of company’s pending acquisition by CAA.
Meislin began her career in ICM’s mailroom and rose through the ranks to become an agent in less than two years. Since her promotion to agent two a half years ago, she has built her roster by identifying and transitioning filmmakers from the feature space into television, specializing in international voices. Her clients at ICM included Debs Paterson, Ed Lilly, Alex Gabassi, Amit Gupta (His Dark Materials), Darya Zhuk (Little America), Marialy Rivas, Catriona McKenzie (Marvel’s upcoming Echo), and Stacey Gregg (The Baby), among others. Some of her clients are expected to join Meislin at Kaplan/Perrone.
“We’ve been continually impressed by Ariel’s keen eye at identifying fantastic voices, as well as her tireless focus on accelerating the careers of her clients,” the partners at Kaplan/Perrone said in a statement. “Having a full-time presence in New York will enhance our ability to effectively represent clients on a global level and we feel Ariel’s strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit are the ideal fit for Kpe.”
Meislin is the latest ICM agent to depart for another agency or management company ahead of company’s pending acquisition by CAA.
- 6/14/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva and Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Fernando Coimbra (Narcos), Jessica Lowery (Heels), Marialy Rivas (La Jauría) and Nina Lopez-Corrado (A Million Little Things) have been tapped to direct Season 2 of HBO’s Emmy-nominated Perry Mason reboot, starring Matthew Rhys in the titular role.
Each will direct two episodes of the eight-episode series — Coimbra, episodes 1 & 2; Lowery, episodes 3 & 4; Rivas, episodes 5 & 6 and Lopez-Corrado, episodes 7 & 8.
Season 2 of Perry Mason takes place months after the end of the Dodson trial. Perry (Rhys) has moved off the farm, ditched the milk truck, he’s even traded his leather jacket for a pressed suit. It’s the worst year of the Depression, and Perry and Della (Juliet Rylance) have set the firm on a safer path pursuing civil cases instead of the tumultuous work criminal cases entail. Unfortunately, there isn’t much work for Paul (Chris Chalk) in wills and contracts, so he’s been out on his own. An open-and-closed case overtakes the city of Los Angeles,...
Each will direct two episodes of the eight-episode series — Coimbra, episodes 1 & 2; Lowery, episodes 3 & 4; Rivas, episodes 5 & 6 and Lopez-Corrado, episodes 7 & 8.
Season 2 of Perry Mason takes place months after the end of the Dodson trial. Perry (Rhys) has moved off the farm, ditched the milk truck, he’s even traded his leather jacket for a pressed suit. It’s the worst year of the Depression, and Perry and Della (Juliet Rylance) have set the firm on a safer path pursuing civil cases instead of the tumultuous work criminal cases entail. Unfortunately, there isn’t much work for Paul (Chris Chalk) in wills and contracts, so he’s been out on his own. An open-and-closed case overtakes the city of Los Angeles,...
- 12/15/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
GLAAD is teaming up with Outfest to host the first virtual Queer House during the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Celebrating LGBTQ films and filmmakers at the festival, Queer House will offer panels, discussions and performances.
“GLAAD is thrilled to lock arms with our friends at Outfest for this year’s virtual Sundance Film Festival, building upon both organizations’ long legacy of supporting LGBTQ-inclusive films and filmmakers at the festival that is known around the world as the birthplace of the ‘New Queer Cinema,’” GLAAD’s director of entertainment media Jeremy Blacklow said in a statement. “From GLAAD’s long track record of LGBTQ programming during Sundance, through Outfest’s hugely successful Outfest House just last year, we are proud to once again amplify and celebrate the groundbreaking LGBTQ films premiering at Sundance in 2021.”’
Outfest executive director Damien Navarro said, “Seeing how meaningful it was to see our brief partnership in programming...
“GLAAD is thrilled to lock arms with our friends at Outfest for this year’s virtual Sundance Film Festival, building upon both organizations’ long legacy of supporting LGBTQ-inclusive films and filmmakers at the festival that is known around the world as the birthplace of the ‘New Queer Cinema,’” GLAAD’s director of entertainment media Jeremy Blacklow said in a statement. “From GLAAD’s long track record of LGBTQ programming during Sundance, through Outfest’s hugely successful Outfest House just last year, we are proud to once again amplify and celebrate the groundbreaking LGBTQ films premiering at Sundance in 2021.”’
Outfest executive director Damien Navarro said, “Seeing how meaningful it was to see our brief partnership in programming...
- 1/26/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Fremantle and Fabula have dropped the first trailer of eight-part series “La Jauría” (“The Pack”), showrun by Lucía Puenzo (“The German Doctor”), one of Latin America’s most prominent film and TV writer-directors, and starring Daniela Vega, the lead in the Academy Award winning “A Fantastic Woman.”
Set up at Chile’s Fabula, run by writer-director Pablo Larraín (“Jacky”) and brother Juan de Díos Larraín, “Gloria Bell”), “La Jauría”
Amazon’s first-ever locally-produced Amazon Original in Chile will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video in Latin America, Caribbean and Spain.
It also marks the first international series from Fabula.
Brought onto the market at February’s Fremantle Screenings in London and now the Series Mania-MipTV virtual marketplace, “La Jauría” is also first fruit of a Fabula-Fremantle multi-year first-look production-distribution alliance. Fremantle is its global distributor.
Co-written by Puenzo, and set at a posh private Catholic school in Santiago de Chile,...
Set up at Chile’s Fabula, run by writer-director Pablo Larraín (“Jacky”) and brother Juan de Díos Larraín, “Gloria Bell”), “La Jauría”
Amazon’s first-ever locally-produced Amazon Original in Chile will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video in Latin America, Caribbean and Spain.
It also marks the first international series from Fabula.
Brought onto the market at February’s Fremantle Screenings in London and now the Series Mania-MipTV virtual marketplace, “La Jauría” is also first fruit of a Fabula-Fremantle multi-year first-look production-distribution alliance. Fremantle is its global distributor.
Co-written by Puenzo, and set at a posh private Catholic school in Santiago de Chile,...
- 3/30/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
For 25 years, from 1992’s “La Frontera” through 2017’s ”A Fantastic Woman,” a subsequent Oscar winner, the Berlinale has prized a rich trove of Chilean movies.
Now, in sync with industry change, Berlin will celebrate the country’s TV with a Chilean Series on the Rise showcase, part of its Country Focus.
“When I started at CinemaChile, one mandate was to achieve the same sense of a phenomenon for Chilean series that had happened in film,” says Constanza Arena, executive director.
Berlin lifts the curtain on early success. “TV is the future of content,” says Matías Cardone, producer of “Dignity,” as the showcase comes in as a Country Focus’ centerpiece.
The five series presented have won big prizes, struck high-profile deals and helped bow original series investment and marked a major strategic departure at some of the world’s most energetic drama series players.
Haunting vignettes of desaparecidos under Pinochet and...
Now, in sync with industry change, Berlin will celebrate the country’s TV with a Chilean Series on the Rise showcase, part of its Country Focus.
“When I started at CinemaChile, one mandate was to achieve the same sense of a phenomenon for Chilean series that had happened in film,” says Constanza Arena, executive director.
Berlin lifts the curtain on early success. “TV is the future of content,” says Matías Cardone, producer of “Dignity,” as the showcase comes in as a Country Focus’ centerpiece.
The five series presented have won big prizes, struck high-profile deals and helped bow original series investment and marked a major strategic departure at some of the world’s most energetic drama series players.
Haunting vignettes of desaparecidos under Pinochet and...
- 2/20/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid — Adding a new dimension to strong women action series, London-based global drama producer-distributor Fremantle is teaming with Fabula, headed by director Pablo Larrain (“Jackie”) and producer Juan de Dios Larraín (“Gloria Bell”), to produce “Talitha Kum.”
Directed by Marialy Rivas, the high octane Mexico-set action series promises to deliver a original genre twist to the scenario of valiant women pushing back against toxic masculinity with its bad ass young ninja nuns battling mano a mano with lethal sex traffickers.
“Talitha Kum” marks the second collaboration between Fabula and Fremantle as part of a multi-year first look deal between the partners, following on buzzed-up sexual abuse psychological thriller “La Jauría” (“The Pack”), showrun by Lucía Puenzo (“The German Doctor”), whose Ep. 1 premiered at September’s Zurich Festival to acclaim. As on “La Jauría,” Fremantle is co-producing “Talitha Kum” with Fabula and will handle international sales.
Fabula and Fremantle will introduce...
Directed by Marialy Rivas, the high octane Mexico-set action series promises to deliver a original genre twist to the scenario of valiant women pushing back against toxic masculinity with its bad ass young ninja nuns battling mano a mano with lethal sex traffickers.
“Talitha Kum” marks the second collaboration between Fabula and Fremantle as part of a multi-year first look deal between the partners, following on buzzed-up sexual abuse psychological thriller “La Jauría” (“The Pack”), showrun by Lucía Puenzo (“The German Doctor”), whose Ep. 1 premiered at September’s Zurich Festival to acclaim. As on “La Jauría,” Fremantle is co-producing “Talitha Kum” with Fabula and will handle international sales.
Fabula and Fremantle will introduce...
- 1/17/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
This weekend’s third-best U.S. screen average of the year for “Gloria Bell,” which he produced, or the Oscar last for “A Fantastic Woman,” both point in the same direction: Arguably, no producer in Latin American has been so successful in the last decade as Juan de Dios Larraín.
The Ibero-American Mayahuel Larraín will now receive at Mexico’s Guadalajara Festival merely underscores that suggestion. Why is another matter. Prizes are a “consequence not a cause,” Juan de Dios Larraín argues. Variety digs deeper:
1.Fabula: A Talent Center
Above all else, Hollywood is a talent center. So too the BBC in its heydays. With brother, director and fellow-producer, Pablo Larraín, described by Guy Lodge in his Variety review of Natalie Portman starrer “Jackie” as the most daring and prodigious political filmmaker of his generation, Larraín formed a natural talent center setting up Fabula in Santiago de Chile in 2004. Talent,...
The Ibero-American Mayahuel Larraín will now receive at Mexico’s Guadalajara Festival merely underscores that suggestion. Why is another matter. Prizes are a “consequence not a cause,” Juan de Dios Larraín argues. Variety digs deeper:
1.Fabula: A Talent Center
Above all else, Hollywood is a talent center. So too the BBC in its heydays. With brother, director and fellow-producer, Pablo Larraín, described by Guy Lodge in his Variety review of Natalie Portman starrer “Jackie” as the most daring and prodigious political filmmaker of his generation, Larraín formed a natural talent center setting up Fabula in Santiago de Chile in 2004. Talent,...
- 3/11/2019
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Filming has begun on Lucía Puenzo’s psychological gender thriller series “La Jauría,” a co-production by Fremantle with Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín’s Chile-u.S.-based Fabula.
The eight-episode Spanish-language drama series, shooting in Santiago, Chile, features Daniela Vega, the lead in Fabula’s Academy Award-winning “A Fantastic Woman.”
Lucía Puenzo, one of Latin America’s most renowned women writers-directors directs the series alongside Sergio Castro (“La mujer de barro”), Marialy Rivas (“Young & Wild”) and Nicolás Puenzo (“Los Invisibles”).
“La Jauría” also stars Antonia Zegers and María Gracia Omegna, who alongside Vega play a police force specialized in gender-related crimes that investigates the strange disappearance of a young woman.
It opens at Santa Inés School, whose students stage a take-over in protest for an alleged case of abuse between a teacher and a student. Blanca Ibarra, a student leading the take-over, suddenly goes missing.
Hours later, a recording...
The eight-episode Spanish-language drama series, shooting in Santiago, Chile, features Daniela Vega, the lead in Fabula’s Academy Award-winning “A Fantastic Woman.”
Lucía Puenzo, one of Latin America’s most renowned women writers-directors directs the series alongside Sergio Castro (“La mujer de barro”), Marialy Rivas (“Young & Wild”) and Nicolás Puenzo (“Los Invisibles”).
“La Jauría” also stars Antonia Zegers and María Gracia Omegna, who alongside Vega play a police force specialized in gender-related crimes that investigates the strange disappearance of a young woman.
It opens at Santa Inés School, whose students stage a take-over in protest for an alleged case of abuse between a teacher and a student. Blanca Ibarra, a student leading the take-over, suddenly goes missing.
Hours later, a recording...
- 2/1/2019
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
Global drama producer Fremantle is teaming with Fabula, headed by director Pablo Larrain (“Jackie”) and producer Juan de Dios Larraín (“Gloria Bell”), to produce “La Jauría” (The Pack), a brand new Spanish-Language drama series starring Daniela Vega, the lead in Fabula’s Academy Award-winning “A Fantastic Woman.”
A psychological gender crime thriller set against and energized by “Ni una Menos,” Latin America’s MeToo movement, Fabula’s first international drama series has tapped as its showrunner Lucía Puenzo, one of Latin America’s most renowned women writers-directors.
Marking Vega’s debut in a Latin American drama series, “La Jauría” is scheduled to shoot in January 2019.The eight-part series also stars Antonia Zegers.
“La Jauría” opens at Santa Inés, a posh private Catholic school whose students stage a take-over in protest at a teacher’s suspected sexual assault of a student. Blanca Ibarra, a student leading the takeover, suddenly goes missing.
A psychological gender crime thriller set against and energized by “Ni una Menos,” Latin America’s MeToo movement, Fabula’s first international drama series has tapped as its showrunner Lucía Puenzo, one of Latin America’s most renowned women writers-directors.
Marking Vega’s debut in a Latin American drama series, “La Jauría” is scheduled to shoot in January 2019.The eight-part series also stars Antonia Zegers.
“La Jauría” opens at Santa Inés, a posh private Catholic school whose students stage a take-over in protest at a teacher’s suspected sexual assault of a student. Blanca Ibarra, a student leading the takeover, suddenly goes missing.
- 10/11/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Marialy Rivas’ film took prizes including Film of the Festival.
Chilean film Princesita has won four awards at the UK’s Raindance Film Festival, including the Film of the Festival prize.
Directed by Marialy Rivas, Princesita opened the London event on September 26. It also took home best international feature, best performance for Sara Caballero and best cinematography for Sergio Armstrong.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
Produced by Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín’s production company The Fabula, the film tells the story of 12-year old Tamara, who has been raised in a cult. It premiered at...
Chilean film Princesita has won four awards at the UK’s Raindance Film Festival, including the Film of the Festival prize.
Directed by Marialy Rivas, Princesita opened the London event on September 26. It also took home best international feature, best performance for Sara Caballero and best cinematography for Sergio Armstrong.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
Produced by Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín’s production company The Fabula, the film tells the story of 12-year old Tamara, who has been raised in a cult. It premiered at...
- 10/5/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Chilean drama “Princesita” will receive its U.K. premiere as the opening film of the 26th Raindance Film Festival. Announcing its full line-up Wednesday the independent film festival also revealed it would host the world premiere of the first feature-length cinematic Vr experience, U.S.-Italian co-production “7 Miracles.”
“Rogue One” director Gareth Edwards will serve on the festival’s jury for its official competition section. The jury will judge the best international film, best U.K. film and best documentary, as well as categories for director, screenplay, performance, cinematography and the Discovery Award.
Edwards will be joined on the jury by British actors Ray Winstone, Annabelle Wallis, Adrian Lester, Laura Carmichael, Sienna Guillory, Carmen Ejogo, Aisling Loftus, Judi Shekoni, Juliet Stevenson, Jenny Agutter, Rufus Sewell, Greta Scacchi, Karen Bryson, Genevieve O’Reilly, Rupert Evans, and Jonathan Pryce. Writer John Harris Dunning, dancer Michael Flatley and head of music for Vice U.
“Rogue One” director Gareth Edwards will serve on the festival’s jury for its official competition section. The jury will judge the best international film, best U.K. film and best documentary, as well as categories for director, screenplay, performance, cinematography and the Discovery Award.
Edwards will be joined on the jury by British actors Ray Winstone, Annabelle Wallis, Adrian Lester, Laura Carmichael, Sienna Guillory, Carmen Ejogo, Aisling Loftus, Judi Shekoni, Juliet Stevenson, Jenny Agutter, Rufus Sewell, Greta Scacchi, Karen Bryson, Genevieve O’Reilly, Rupert Evans, and Jonathan Pryce. Writer John Harris Dunning, dancer Michael Flatley and head of music for Vice U.
- 8/22/2018
- by Robert Mitchell
- Variety Film + TV
Santiago De Chile – When Dominga Sotomayor won an unprecedented best director prize at Switzerland’s Locarno Festival for her coming-of-age drama “Too Late to Die Young,” a big cheer resounded throughout the Chilean film industry.
As the first female director to receive Locarno’s Leopard for Best Direction, Sotomayor represents a growing surge of female talent – both creative and executive – behind the camera in Chile.
Constanza Arena, executive director of Chilean audiovisual promotion org CinemaChile, noted: “I remember that eight years ago, as the head of CinemaChile, the only producers I’d meet with were male.” “Nowadays, I’ve seen a greater parity, especially among the younger professionals aged between 20 and 35 years,” she added.
In CinemaChile’s film catalogue, Arena noted that 20 titles were directed by women, of which eight were fiction and 12 documentary, listing other female directors like Marcela Said, Claudia Huaiquimilla, Marialy Rivas and Maite Alberdi “who have...
As the first female director to receive Locarno’s Leopard for Best Direction, Sotomayor represents a growing surge of female talent – both creative and executive – behind the camera in Chile.
Constanza Arena, executive director of Chilean audiovisual promotion org CinemaChile, noted: “I remember that eight years ago, as the head of CinemaChile, the only producers I’d meet with were male.” “Nowadays, I’ve seen a greater parity, especially among the younger professionals aged between 20 and 35 years,” she added.
In CinemaChile’s film catalogue, Arena noted that 20 titles were directed by women, of which eight were fiction and 12 documentary, listing other female directors like Marcela Said, Claudia Huaiquimilla, Marialy Rivas and Maite Alberdi “who have...
- 8/22/2018
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
The festival will open on September 26 with Marialy Rivas’ ‘Princesita’.
The UK’s Raindance Film Festival has revealed the line-up for its 2018 edition (September 26-October 7), with over 80 features and 99 shorts screening at the festival.
The programme includes 31 world premieres, 28 international premieres, 21 European and 81 UK premieres.
The festival will open with the UK premiere of Marialy Rivas’ Chilean drama Princesita about a girl growing up in a cult. It premiered at Tiff in 2017 and is produced by Juan de Dios Larrain’s Fabula.
According to the festival, it received a record 8,929 submissions from 118 countries.
The programme includes a director’s cut...
The UK’s Raindance Film Festival has revealed the line-up for its 2018 edition (September 26-October 7), with over 80 features and 99 shorts screening at the festival.
The programme includes 31 world premieres, 28 international premieres, 21 European and 81 UK premieres.
The festival will open with the UK premiere of Marialy Rivas’ Chilean drama Princesita about a girl growing up in a cult. It premiered at Tiff in 2017 and is produced by Juan de Dios Larrain’s Fabula.
According to the festival, it received a record 8,929 submissions from 118 countries.
The programme includes a director’s cut...
- 8/22/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Miguel (Marcelo Alonso) compares God to a fire when explaining how the ones our religions’ sacred books describe aren’t quite right. Our creator is simpler than those iterations. He has the power to turn wood into ash and water into steam. He has the power to transform. But just as fire forges from its flames, it also destroys. It’s this duality that director Marialy Rivas and co-writer Camila Gutiérrez gives form to in their film Princesita. As cultist Miguel’s young disciple Tamara (Sara Caballero) reaches puberty and her transformation into womanhood, he explains the purpose of this event in context to his motives. What should be a joyous occasion becomes clouded over by predatory imperative. And while she initially embraces them, she soon recognizes the danger they represent.
On the surface this dance is predicated on the notion of cult oppression and forced submission. It’s about...
On the surface this dance is predicated on the notion of cult oppression and forced submission. It’s about...
- 9/24/2017
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Tiff 17 Little Girls Long to Be Princesitas
Marialy Rivas, whose previous feature Young & Wild won Sundance 2012's Director’s Biograpy World Cinema Screenwriting Award, returns to the festival circuit with Princesita an unpredictable and darker tale of a young girl on the edge of womanhood premiering in the Discovery section of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Marialy Rivas, director of Princesita
A teenager in Young & Wild, and now a girl in Princesita, are both on their way to becoming women, and both are entrapped by external rules and impositions from society and from their families. Both must break away from what surrounds them in order to conquer themselves, and both set off towards an uncertain future, but which in the end, belongs to them alone.
Synopsis: In a distant land on the southernmost tip of the world lives Tamara, a twelve-year-old girl who has been raised in a cult led by the charismatic Miguel.
Marialy Rivas, whose previous feature Young & Wild won Sundance 2012's Director’s Biograpy World Cinema Screenwriting Award, returns to the festival circuit with Princesita an unpredictable and darker tale of a young girl on the edge of womanhood premiering in the Discovery section of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Marialy Rivas, director of Princesita
A teenager in Young & Wild, and now a girl in Princesita, are both on their way to becoming women, and both are entrapped by external rules and impositions from society and from their families. Both must break away from what surrounds them in order to conquer themselves, and both set off towards an uncertain future, but which in the end, belongs to them alone.
Synopsis: In a distant land on the southernmost tip of the world lives Tamara, a twelve-year-old girl who has been raised in a cult led by the charismatic Miguel.
- 9/14/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Thirteen first and second films revealed.
The San Sebastian Film Festival has revealed 13 of the first and second films by European, Asian and Latin American filmmakers set to compete for the Kutxabank-New Directors Award.
Among the films are Chilean film Princess, produced by Juan de Dios, Pablo Larraín and Fernanda del Nido, and the first film by Marine Francen, former assistant to Michael Haneke and Olivier Assayas, starring Pauline Burlet (The Past) and Géraldine Pailhas (Young & Beautiful).
Princess is the second feature film by Marialy Rivas. The Chilean director debuted with Young & Wild (Joven & Alocada) selected for Films in Progress 20 at the San Sebastian Festival (2011) and a competitor in Horizontes Latinos after winning the World Cinema Screenwriting Award at Sundance in 2012.
The film, which was selected by Films in Progress 28, narrates the experience of a 12-year-old girl living in a sect.
The Sower (Le Semeur), the first film by Marine Francen, former assistant...
The San Sebastian Film Festival has revealed 13 of the first and second films by European, Asian and Latin American filmmakers set to compete for the Kutxabank-New Directors Award.
Among the films are Chilean film Princess, produced by Juan de Dios, Pablo Larraín and Fernanda del Nido, and the first film by Marine Francen, former assistant to Michael Haneke and Olivier Assayas, starring Pauline Burlet (The Past) and Géraldine Pailhas (Young & Beautiful).
Princess is the second feature film by Marialy Rivas. The Chilean director debuted with Young & Wild (Joven & Alocada) selected for Films in Progress 20 at the San Sebastian Festival (2011) and a competitor in Horizontes Latinos after winning the World Cinema Screenwriting Award at Sundance in 2012.
The film, which was selected by Films in Progress 28, narrates the experience of a 12-year-old girl living in a sect.
The Sower (Le Semeur), the first film by Marine Francen, former assistant...
- 7/18/2017
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Thirteen first and second films revealed.
The San Sebastian Film Festival has revealed thirteen of the first and second films by European, Asian and Latin American filmmakers set to compete for the Kutxabank-New Directors Award.
Among the films are Chilean movie Princess, produced by Juan de Dios, Pablo Larraín and Fernanda del Nido and the first film by Marine Francen, former assistant to Michael Haneke and Olivier Assayas, starring Pauline Burlet (The Past) and Géraldine Pailhas (Young & Beautiful).
Princess is the second feature film by Marialy Rivas. The Chilean director debuted with Young & Wild (Joven & Alocada) selected for Films in Progress 20 at the San Sebastian Festival (2011) and a competitor in Horizontes Latinos after winning the World Cinema Screenwriting Award at Sundance in 2012.
The film, which was selected by Films in Progress 28, narrates the experience of a 12 year-old girl living in a sect.
The Sower (Le Semeur), the first film by Marine Francen, former assistant...
The San Sebastian Film Festival has revealed thirteen of the first and second films by European, Asian and Latin American filmmakers set to compete for the Kutxabank-New Directors Award.
Among the films are Chilean movie Princess, produced by Juan de Dios, Pablo Larraín and Fernanda del Nido and the first film by Marine Francen, former assistant to Michael Haneke and Olivier Assayas, starring Pauline Burlet (The Past) and Géraldine Pailhas (Young & Beautiful).
Princess is the second feature film by Marialy Rivas. The Chilean director debuted with Young & Wild (Joven & Alocada) selected for Films in Progress 20 at the San Sebastian Festival (2011) and a competitor in Horizontes Latinos after winning the World Cinema Screenwriting Award at Sundance in 2012.
The film, which was selected by Films in Progress 28, narrates the experience of a 12 year-old girl living in a sect.
The Sower (Le Semeur), the first film by Marine Francen, former assistant...
- 7/18/2017
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Screen investigates which films from around the world could launch on the Croisette, including on opening night.
With just over a month to go before the line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival is unveiled in Paris, Croisette predictions and wish lists are hitting the web thick and fast.
Screen’s network of correspondents and contributors around the world have been putting out feelers to get a sense of what might or might not make it to the Palais du Cinéma or one of the parallel sections.
Just like the Oscars, this year’s festival is likely to unfold amid a politically-charged atmosphere. Beyond Trump and the rise of populism across the globe, France will be digesting the result of its own presidential election on May 7. Against this background, the festival will be feting its 70th edition.
Below, Screen reveals which titles might - and might not - be in the running for a place at the...
With just over a month to go before the line-up for this year’s Cannes Film Festival is unveiled in Paris, Croisette predictions and wish lists are hitting the web thick and fast.
Screen’s network of correspondents and contributors around the world have been putting out feelers to get a sense of what might or might not make it to the Palais du Cinéma or one of the parallel sections.
Just like the Oscars, this year’s festival is likely to unfold amid a politically-charged atmosphere. Beyond Trump and the rise of populism across the globe, France will be digesting the result of its own presidential election on May 7. Against this background, the festival will be feting its 70th edition.
Below, Screen reveals which titles might - and might not - be in the running for a place at the...
- 3/13/2017
- ScreenDaily
It’s become a great breaking in the new year traditional here at Ioncinema.com. We begin our countdown to the our most anticipated foreign films (anything outside the U.S.) with our own Nicholas Bell curating the best bets for 2016. Here are the titles and filmmakers that didn’t make our final Top 100 cut, but are nonetheless “radar” worthy.
101. El Rey del Once – Daniel Burman
102. The Dancer – Stephanie Di Giusto
103. Le Cancre – Paul Vecchiali
104. While the Women are Sleeping – Wayne Wang
105. Tomorrow – Martha Pinson
106. Spring Again – Gael Morel
107. Crowhurst – Simon Rumley
108. Le Garcon – Philippe Lioret *
109. Marie and the Misfits – Sebastien Betbeder
110. Le Caravage – Alain Chevalier
111. Night Song – Raphael Nadjari
112. Réparer les vivants – Katell Quillevere *
113. Project Lazarus – Mateo Gil
114. Afterimages – Andrzej Wajda
115. Don’t Knock Twice – Caradog James
116. Detour – Christopher Smith
117. The Bride of Rip Van Winkle – Shunji Iwai
118. Three on the Road – Johnnie To
119. Le Vin et le Vent...
101. El Rey del Once – Daniel Burman
102. The Dancer – Stephanie Di Giusto
103. Le Cancre – Paul Vecchiali
104. While the Women are Sleeping – Wayne Wang
105. Tomorrow – Martha Pinson
106. Spring Again – Gael Morel
107. Crowhurst – Simon Rumley
108. Le Garcon – Philippe Lioret *
109. Marie and the Misfits – Sebastien Betbeder
110. Le Caravage – Alain Chevalier
111. Night Song – Raphael Nadjari
112. Réparer les vivants – Katell Quillevere *
113. Project Lazarus – Mateo Gil
114. Afterimages – Andrzej Wajda
115. Don’t Knock Twice – Caradog James
116. Detour – Christopher Smith
117. The Bride of Rip Van Winkle – Shunji Iwai
118. Three on the Road – Johnnie To
119. Le Vin et le Vent...
- 1/4/2016
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
When the award-winning Manakamana landed on the film festival circuit (the Golden Leopard win in Locarno was the first of many worthy acknowledgments), it not only further demonstrated the excellence out of the Sensory Ethnography Lab and made a name for the filmmaker tandem with an anthropological-like curiosity, but one refreshing takeaway was that it reminded us that there are novel approaches in nonfiction filmmaking with huge, emotionally giddy payoffs. For his next project, docu-helmer Pacho Velez takes a President whose legacy mysteriously continues to enflame and shape current politico debate. Spliced into three parts and presented as a series of shorts (The Reagan Shorts) at the Rotterdam Film Fest this past January, The Reagan Years is certainly in getting ready phase as it was invited to the July set Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Lab. Proposed as an archival journey from Hollywood to the White House, the big...
- 11/25/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Home to about seventeen million folks, the nation of Chile and more specifically its filmmakers are super well served by Park City programmers. While we have the Sebastián Silvas and Larraíns leading the charge, this hotbed country includes provocative, genre-bending, unique perspectives from a peer countryman/women. In 2012, Marialy Rivas was part of that wave with her grab them by the balls dramedy Young And Wild which would go onto win the World Dramatic Cinema Screenwriting Award. She surfaced for a special project, mini film Melody was part of the Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge. Production on third feature began earlier this year. Since then, she took La Princesita to the 2015 Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Lab: Feature Film this July and this past September Rivas brought an unfinished copy to San Sebastian’s Films in Progress pix-in-post competition. Inspired by true events, this stars Sara Caballero, Marcelo Alonso,...
- 11/25/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Currently titled after Portuguese’s second largest city and favorite gross domestic product, this fictional feature debut comes from a name who has appeared in such publications as Sight & Sound, Film Comment, and Cinema Scope. Gabe Klinger saw his non-fiction feature debut played out on the Lido (Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater) and earlier this year he packed Lucie Lucas and Anton Yelchin (the narrator is the dearly departed Chantal Akerman) for a Portugal/Paris shoot on the failed love theme. Porto is another Champs-Elysées Film Festival (2015) Us in Progress selected project to be featured on our predictions list, this was filmed in multiple film formats and carries a distinct Euro feel and appeal.
Gist: Co-written by Klinger and Larry Gross, this is the story of the doomed romance between a man (Yelchin) and a woman (Lucas) set in Porto, Portugal.
Production Co./Producers: Rodrigo Areias (Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater...
Gist: Co-written by Klinger and Larry Gross, this is the story of the doomed romance between a man (Yelchin) and a woman (Lucas) set in Porto, Portugal.
Production Co./Producers: Rodrigo Areias (Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater...
- 11/25/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
113 films from 20 countries were submitted to the Films in Progress 28 initiative at the San Sebastian Film Festival. The final selection includes: "Aquí no ha pasado nada" (Much Ado About Nothing) by Alejandro Fernández Almendras (Chile),whose previous film, "To Kill a Man," won numerous prizes at international festivals and represented Chile at the Oscars last year; "Era o Hotel Cambridge" (The Cambridge Squatter) by Eliane Caffé (Brazil - France), "La Emboscada" (The Ambush) by Daniel Hendler (Uruguay - Argentina), "La Princesita" (The Princess) by Marialy Rivas (Chile - Argentina - Spain), "Rara" by Pepa San Martín (Chile - Argentina) and "Sobrevivientes de Rober Calzadilla" (Venezuela - Colombia).
Films in Progress gains strength as a not-to-be-missed gathering for Latin American production. Four of the films presented last year at San Sebastian, in Films in Progress 26, will be screened at this year’s Festival: Eugenio Canevari’s "Paula" will compete in the New Directors section and Jayro Bustamante’s "Ixcanul,"which has just been announced as Guatemala's Oscar submission, will screen in the Horizontes Latinos section, having won the Silver Bear – Alfred Bauer Award at the Berlin Festival.
Salvador de Solar’s "Magallanes," winner of the Films in Progress Industry Award and Aly Muritiba’s "Para minha amada morta" (To My Beloved), will also compete for the Horizontes Award. And another of the films presented last year, Sergio Castro’s "La mujer de barro" (The Mud Woman), was programmed in the Berlin Festival’s Forum section.
Among the projects revealed at the Toulouse event last March, Pablo Agüero’s "Eva no duerme" (Eva doesn't sleep) is programmed in the official competition; Sebastián Brahm’s "Vida sexual de las plantas" (Sex Life of Plants) is part of the New Directors selection; and Lorenzo Vigas’s "Desde allá" (From afar) will be presented in Horizontes Latinos after having participated in the official competition at the Venice Festival.
"Aquí No Ha Pasado Nada" (Much Ado About Nothing) Alejandro Fernández Almendras (Chile) Young, daring and lonely, Vicente spends his life at his parent’s home by the beach. These are days of relaxation, sea and partying with anyone who’s up for it. But one night of alcohol and flirting will change his life forever; he is accused of a hit-and-run crime in which a fisherman is killed. "I wasn’t driving", he says, but his memories are hazy and he says the boy at the wheel was the son of an influential politician. Power, manipulation and guilt will send his sweet summer holidays careering towards a bitter end. This is the third time the director has participated in Films in Progress. His previous film, "Matar a un hombre" (To Kill a Man), landed the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Festival.
"Era o Hotel Cambridge" (The Cambridge Squatter)
Eliane Caffé (Brazil - France) The Cambridge Squatter shows us the unusual situation of the Brazilian homeless and refugees who squat together in an abandoned building in downtown Sao Paulo. The daily tension caused by the threat of eviction reveals the dramas, the joys and the different points of view of the squatters.
"La Emboscada" (The Ambush) Daniel Hendler (Uruguay - Argentina) Martin Marchand throws himself into the political contest. As a result of his work in the social media, a traditional political structure invites him to join their list. Martin calls in technicians and advisors to create his campaign image. Over a weekend, immersed in the bucolic setting of a country house, they get down to designing the leader’s image. But an infiltrator seeking to obtain information on the coming electoral alliance creates an atmosphere of mistrust. The film, with the working title of "El Palomar," participated in the I Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum.
"La Princesita" (The Princess) Marialy Rivas (Chile - Argentina - Spain) A film inspired by true events in Southern Chile. A family sect only has one purpose and belief: a new order is necessary. Tamara, 11, is responsible for procreating the leaders of the new world. Disgruntled with her "lot”, Tamara’s sexual exploration with a boy in her year at school will have unexpected consequences, marking her violent transition from childhood to womanhood. Tamara will gain her freedom in a way she had never imagined. Marialy Rivas’s previous film, "Joven y alocada," participated in Films in Progress and landed awards at Sundance and Bafici, among other festivals.
"Rara" Pepa San Martín (Chile - Argentina) A story inspired by the case of a Chilean judge who lost the custody of her children for being a lesbian, told from the point of view of her eldest daughter Sara, aged 13. The screenplay is based on true events that could be related as a tale of lawyers and courthouses, lawsuits, claimants, defenders and victims, but instead, it will be the story of a family.
"Sobrevivientes" Rober Calzadilla (Venezuela - Colombia) 1988. The town of El Amparo. Border with Colombia. Chumba and Pinilla survive an armed assault in the channels of the Arauca River in which fourteen of their companions are killed in the act. The Venezuelan Army accuses them of being guerrilla fighters and tries to seize them from the cell where they are being watched over by a policeman and a group of locals to prevent them from being taken away. They say they are simple fishermen, but pressure to yield to the official version is eye-watering.
Awards:
Films in Progress Industry Award : The companies Daniel Goldstein, Deluxe Spain, Dolby Iberia, Laserfilm Cine y Video, Nephilim producciones, No Problem Sonido and Wanda Visión will assume the post-production of a film until obtaining a Dcp subtitled in English and its distribution in Spain...
Films in Progress gains strength as a not-to-be-missed gathering for Latin American production. Four of the films presented last year at San Sebastian, in Films in Progress 26, will be screened at this year’s Festival: Eugenio Canevari’s "Paula" will compete in the New Directors section and Jayro Bustamante’s "Ixcanul,"which has just been announced as Guatemala's Oscar submission, will screen in the Horizontes Latinos section, having won the Silver Bear – Alfred Bauer Award at the Berlin Festival.
Salvador de Solar’s "Magallanes," winner of the Films in Progress Industry Award and Aly Muritiba’s "Para minha amada morta" (To My Beloved), will also compete for the Horizontes Award. And another of the films presented last year, Sergio Castro’s "La mujer de barro" (The Mud Woman), was programmed in the Berlin Festival’s Forum section.
Among the projects revealed at the Toulouse event last March, Pablo Agüero’s "Eva no duerme" (Eva doesn't sleep) is programmed in the official competition; Sebastián Brahm’s "Vida sexual de las plantas" (Sex Life of Plants) is part of the New Directors selection; and Lorenzo Vigas’s "Desde allá" (From afar) will be presented in Horizontes Latinos after having participated in the official competition at the Venice Festival.
"Aquí No Ha Pasado Nada" (Much Ado About Nothing) Alejandro Fernández Almendras (Chile) Young, daring and lonely, Vicente spends his life at his parent’s home by the beach. These are days of relaxation, sea and partying with anyone who’s up for it. But one night of alcohol and flirting will change his life forever; he is accused of a hit-and-run crime in which a fisherman is killed. "I wasn’t driving", he says, but his memories are hazy and he says the boy at the wheel was the son of an influential politician. Power, manipulation and guilt will send his sweet summer holidays careering towards a bitter end. This is the third time the director has participated in Films in Progress. His previous film, "Matar a un hombre" (To Kill a Man), landed the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Festival.
"Era o Hotel Cambridge" (The Cambridge Squatter)
Eliane Caffé (Brazil - France) The Cambridge Squatter shows us the unusual situation of the Brazilian homeless and refugees who squat together in an abandoned building in downtown Sao Paulo. The daily tension caused by the threat of eviction reveals the dramas, the joys and the different points of view of the squatters.
"La Emboscada" (The Ambush) Daniel Hendler (Uruguay - Argentina) Martin Marchand throws himself into the political contest. As a result of his work in the social media, a traditional political structure invites him to join their list. Martin calls in technicians and advisors to create his campaign image. Over a weekend, immersed in the bucolic setting of a country house, they get down to designing the leader’s image. But an infiltrator seeking to obtain information on the coming electoral alliance creates an atmosphere of mistrust. The film, with the working title of "El Palomar," participated in the I Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum.
"La Princesita" (The Princess) Marialy Rivas (Chile - Argentina - Spain) A film inspired by true events in Southern Chile. A family sect only has one purpose and belief: a new order is necessary. Tamara, 11, is responsible for procreating the leaders of the new world. Disgruntled with her "lot”, Tamara’s sexual exploration with a boy in her year at school will have unexpected consequences, marking her violent transition from childhood to womanhood. Tamara will gain her freedom in a way she had never imagined. Marialy Rivas’s previous film, "Joven y alocada," participated in Films in Progress and landed awards at Sundance and Bafici, among other festivals.
"Rara" Pepa San Martín (Chile - Argentina) A story inspired by the case of a Chilean judge who lost the custody of her children for being a lesbian, told from the point of view of her eldest daughter Sara, aged 13. The screenplay is based on true events that could be related as a tale of lawyers and courthouses, lawsuits, claimants, defenders and victims, but instead, it will be the story of a family.
"Sobrevivientes" Rober Calzadilla (Venezuela - Colombia) 1988. The town of El Amparo. Border with Colombia. Chumba and Pinilla survive an armed assault in the channels of the Arauca River in which fourteen of their companions are killed in the act. The Venezuelan Army accuses them of being guerrilla fighters and tries to seize them from the cell where they are being watched over by a policeman and a group of locals to prevent them from being taken away. They say they are simple fishermen, but pressure to yield to the official version is eye-watering.
Awards:
Films in Progress Industry Award : The companies Daniel Goldstein, Deluxe Spain, Dolby Iberia, Laserfilm Cine y Video, Nephilim producciones, No Problem Sonido and Wanda Visión will assume the post-production of a film until obtaining a Dcp subtitled in English and its distribution in Spain...
- 8/28/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
New projects from Alejandro Fernández Almendras, Eliane Caffé and Daniel Hendler are included in this year’s Films in Progress selection.
Films in Progress, the bi-annual initiative run jointly by San Sebastian International Film Festival and the Cinélatino, Rencontres de Toulouse to support Latin American films through post-production, will showcase six projects at this year’s San Sebastian festival (Sept 18-26).
Fernández Almendras, who won the 2014 Sundance world cinema grand jury prize for To Kill A Man, will present his new film Much Ado About Nothing, which was announced in Berlin this year.
The other projects include Eliane Caffé’s new film The Cambridge Squatter and actor Daniel Hendler’s debut feature The Ambush.
Four of the projects that were presented at last year’s San Sebastian Films in Progress will screen at this year’s festival: Paula, by Eugenio Canevari, will compete in the New Directors section, while Jayro Bustamante’s Ixcanul, which won the...
Films in Progress, the bi-annual initiative run jointly by San Sebastian International Film Festival and the Cinélatino, Rencontres de Toulouse to support Latin American films through post-production, will showcase six projects at this year’s San Sebastian festival (Sept 18-26).
Fernández Almendras, who won the 2014 Sundance world cinema grand jury prize for To Kill A Man, will present his new film Much Ado About Nothing, which was announced in Berlin this year.
The other projects include Eliane Caffé’s new film The Cambridge Squatter and actor Daniel Hendler’s debut feature The Ambush.
Four of the projects that were presented at last year’s San Sebastian Films in Progress will screen at this year’s festival: Paula, by Eugenio Canevari, will compete in the New Directors section, while Jayro Bustamante’s Ixcanul, which won the...
- 8/20/2015
- ScreenDaily
Independent artists Kris Bowers, Germaine Franco, Danielle Eva Schwob and Jeremy Turner are among the select few for this summer’s Music and Sound Design Labs held at Skywalker Ranch in northern California.
This is the third year that Skywalker Ranch will host the Music and Sound Design Labs, a joint initiative between the Sundance Institute’s Film Music Program and Feature Film and the Film Music Program and Documentary Film Program.
The Music and Sound Design Labs provide workshops and creative exercises for composers, directors and sound designers to collaborate on the process of designing a soundtrack for film.
“This year’s fellows include an outstanding group of composers whose work will deepen and enrich the experience of the diverse personal stories being told by these fiction and documentary filmmakers,” said Sundance Institute Film Music Program director Peter Golub.
“Skywalker Sound is the perfect space for composers, filmmakers and sound designers to come together to explore...
This is the third year that Skywalker Ranch will host the Music and Sound Design Labs, a joint initiative between the Sundance Institute’s Film Music Program and Feature Film and the Film Music Program and Documentary Film Program.
The Music and Sound Design Labs provide workshops and creative exercises for composers, directors and sound designers to collaborate on the process of designing a soundtrack for film.
“This year’s fellows include an outstanding group of composers whose work will deepen and enrich the experience of the diverse personal stories being told by these fiction and documentary filmmakers,” said Sundance Institute Film Music Program director Peter Golub.
“Skywalker Sound is the perfect space for composers, filmmakers and sound designers to come together to explore...
- 6/30/2015
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Fabula, Setembro Cine and Sudestada Cine’s upcoming drama has been selected for this summer’s Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Lab at Skywalker Sound.
Marialy Rivas directs the Chile-Spain-Argentina production and is familiar with Sundance, where her 2012 comedy-drama Young And Wild premeried and won the World Cinema Dramatic screenwriting award.
Juan de Dios Larraín and Pablo Larraín of Chilean powerhouse Fabula produce The Princess, about an 11-year-old cult member’s violent passage into womanhood after she is deemed responsible for procreating the leaders of a new world order.
Sara Caballero, Marcelo Alonso, Maria Gracia Omegna and Stefano Mardones star.
Rivas co-wrote The Princess with Camila Gutierrez and said the film is inspired by events that took place in southern Chile.
Marialy Rivas directs the Chile-Spain-Argentina production and is familiar with Sundance, where her 2012 comedy-drama Young And Wild premeried and won the World Cinema Dramatic screenwriting award.
Juan de Dios Larraín and Pablo Larraín of Chilean powerhouse Fabula produce The Princess, about an 11-year-old cult member’s violent passage into womanhood after she is deemed responsible for procreating the leaders of a new world order.
Sara Caballero, Marcelo Alonso, Maria Gracia Omegna and Stefano Mardones star.
Rivas co-wrote The Princess with Camila Gutierrez and said the film is inspired by events that took place in southern Chile.
- 6/8/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
First Run Film Festival runs April 16th-19th at Nyu’s Cantor Film Center showcasing amongst the best films coming out of Tisch School of the Arts at Nyu. The festival features promising filmmakers short films as they journey towards leaving an imprint with their feature films. LatinoBuzz wanted to show some love to Latino filmmakers representing at this years festival. Remember these names!
Omar ZÚÑIGA Hidalgo – "San Cristobal"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?
Omar: I became interested in film as a viewer when I was a teenager. I would spend entire afternoons in an arthouse theater in downtown Santiago. I didn't really expect to be a filmmaker back then. But it was clearly an interest. During the years that followed I discovered the passion slowly, I went to a communications undergrad in Chile, and then to Nyu for my Mfa. I don't see myself doing anything else now. I'm interested in the visual language that it has, and also in how emotional it can be. There are themes that I unconsciously come back to, There is no deliberate objective. Every film comes out of an intuition, where I'm at, at that moment in particular. But looking back on my work, somehow I get back to masculinity and how men are taught to avoid showing how fragile they can be, or to people who are in constant movement (which is what I've been doing for the past few years). I seem to want to explore these types of characters.
LatinoBuzz: You are younger than the current wave of Chilenos, and I brought it up with Marialy Rivas and Andres Wood, but they grew up under the dictatorship and I was curious how it affected them as they became artists. What about Chile conditioned you?
Omar: Dictatorship didn't affect me directly. I was born just a few years before it ended, so I don't have clear memories of it. I've only learned about its devastating nature after the fact. There is something eminently Chilean about avoiding confrontation, or about not clarifying the way you feel sometimes. It's a particular culture, where emotions are not discussed as profusely with your family or friends, nor shown in an explicit manner. I believe that's something that's somehow in my work, where people can't articulate too clearly how they feel about things. It is very familiar and natural to me to not have to define so exactly the nature of actions that people take. We don't have that over-analyzing attitude about things.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Omar: I wouldn't remake a film.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Omar: "San Cristóbal" will continue its route internationally this year. I am also developing a feature project based on the short, and trying to put together its financing. It's always incredibly difficult, but we're trying to make our best. - omar@cinestacion.cl
Paulo Henrique Falsarella Testolini – "Suriname Gold"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you ultimately want to say?
Paulo: I'm not sure exactly how film came to me and why, I guess it was just a natural progression from recording my parents expeditions when I was a kid, playing with the camera in high-school and escaping (as much as I could) the business future my family had intended for me. In the end, film was the best way to put myself into endless adventures, while attempting to tell the world the many stories that can be uncovered on the way. There are always stories out there, tales of bravery from every corner of the world - they can seem so exotic, yet so relatable to our modern society.
LatinoBuzz: Suriname, obviously is not considered a 'Latino' nation but does have a fascinating place in South American - where did the idea to shoot there come from?
Paulo: It was late 2009, the last Sunday of the year, and I sat in my living room listening to the news about an attack in the gold mines of Suriname. It was very weird - though I had grown up in Suriname's neighboring country of Brazil, I didn't know much about the place, let alone its gold and the thousands of lives migrating across the borders in search of it. The more I researched about that fascinating land, the more I craved to visit it and learn about that little corner of the world of which so few people have heard. What I've tried to do with Suriname Gold is reveal a human story within a somewhat hidden world, the characters may be fictional, but their experiences are real. My hope is that viewers will be entertained by the film's sense of adventure, and more importantly, that audiences will learn something new about this complex nation and the continuous exploitation of the Amazon (and the lives taken on the way).
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Paulo: That's a hard one... I would love to make a new version of Disney's "Newsies", more based on the play than the 90s movie. The lead? I've always wanted to work with English actor Jamie Bell, a great inspiration when I was first getting into film. One day, right?
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Paulo: It's been some years now since we shot the short film of Suriname Gold. I've been developing, with the producers, the feature length version of that story, as well as some other scripts that are set in that environment. Once the story reaches the right point, I hope to gather our adventurous crew and cast back together, fly to the Amazon and embark on this journey again. - pht218@nyu.edu
Reinaldo Green - "Stop"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you ultimately want to say?
Reinaldo: Film is still one of the few mediums that you can reach a mass audience. It's an opportunity and a platform to share content with depth, meaning, culture, and value, regardless of genre, to inspire and make people think. Ultimately I want to use the art form to share, inspire and make meaningful change in people's lives. My favorite movies have had profound meaning in my life well past the end credits.
LatinoBuzz: Did the tragic deaths of young males of color propel you to write 'Stop' or is it something that has long lingered?
Reinaldo: The genius of the film has been something that had been brewing for a while. It really came into focus for me with the Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman decision. I thought to myself, what if that were me? What if I was walking home at night and a cop stopped me, what would I do if I were in that situation? So, we decided to make a film about it.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Reinaldo: I'd remake "Drive" with Benicio Del Toro. There's nothing wrong with the original, I just think it'd be a fun experiment.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Reinaldo: The Green Brothers will be making a feature (or two) over the next year, look out for them!
Twitter @greenbrosfilms / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenbrosfilms - rmg412@nyu.edu
Carlos Valdivia – "Writing Lessons"
LatinoBuzz : Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?
Carlos: Why not film? I think cinematic storytelling is the most impactful. It has the greatest reach out of any art form. My focus has always been to increase the representation and visibility of people (particularly Lgbtq people and people of color) that are often neglected or completely erased from the big screen. I'd like to do it with empathy and intelligence, but without ever diluting the complexity of individuals and their lived experiences. So I'd say I ultimately want to challenge preconceived notions with authenticity.
LatinoBuzz : How much yourself turns up in your narrative?
Carlos: A lot! With "Writing Lessons" I wanted to recreate a most exciting time and place from my first year in New York, when I moved here to attend Nyu as a freshman. My best friend and I both ended up getting in with a crowd of much older Columbia academics and we were regular guests at their gatherings where we were by far the youngest people. It was very exciting and I was always fascinated by the convergence of young naiveté and older indifference and how people often desire the one they don't have. Young people trying to grow up too quickly and older people who wish to be younger is a central source of conflict in the film. At the same time, I also wanted the film to reflect the experience of being the only person of color in almost exclusively white environments. I purposely had Julian be the only non-white person in the narrative. Julian is fascinated by his professor's world but he will never really be a part of it. I strongly relate to being an outsider with a desire to fit in. Even though race is never explicitly stated in the film, it's clear that he will always be an outsider in this environment. I think this is how race operates in highly liberal environments today, rarely spoken out loud and yet still relevant and highly impactful.
LatinoBuzz : Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Carlos: This is a tough one. Generally, I'm not a fan of remakes. But I'd love to remake Ingmar Bergman's "Cries and Whispers" with Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek as sisters, playing the Liv Ullmann and Ingrid Thulin roles. Maybe Gina Rodriguez can play their dying sister. That would be a dream project.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Carlos: I finished Writing Lessons very recently, so I've only just begun submitting it to film festivals where I hope the film can get some exposure. After that, I'll definitely be sharing it online. Programmers, call me/email me! - carlos.e.valdivia@gmail.com
Fidel Ruiz-healy- "A Band of Thieves"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?
Fidel: Unfortunately I make films because I don’t know how to do anything else. It’s all I’ve thought about since elementary school and when it came to growing up and picking a career I feel like I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I think your films grow up with you so what you want to say with them all comes down to what you are currently living through. I think films are inherently influenced by the social and political environments that surround you and its up to the writer to choose how on the nose they want to be.
LatinoBuzz: How important was shooting in Texas? Do you feel it shaped you as a storyteller?
Fidel: The movie had to be in Texas. It’s about the crazy things you do when its 100 degrees outside and creating a lawless playground to play cowboy. For me the only place for that is Texas. When looking up references from old westerns and bank heist movies, I quickly realized that what I was looking for was just locales I saw growing up. After that it was just a matter of finding out how to produce a film in San Antonio from New York, and that’s what we did. In terms of being shaped as a storyteller by Texas, I think everyone is influenced a bit by the city they grew up in. At he end of the day that’s what shapes your image of the world. The people and places you interact with as a kid define your perspective on things, and for me that was growing up around the San Antonio suburbs wanting to live life like I saw in the movies.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Fidel: It would have to be "Alphaville". It’s one of my favorites. Remaking a Godard films seems like some kind of filmic taboo, so that would make it hard. You would have to get it right or else a lot of people would hate you, (Remember the remake of Breathless? Not very many people do) so finding the way to recreate that film in a modern context seems like a great challenge. As for the lead, I have no idea. Maybe someone from Texas? I’m kind of going through a weird Texas love phase in my life right now, so instinctively I’m leaning towards some Texan faces. But either way, I would have to watch the imaginary casting tapes with my casting director a couple of times to make a final decision. But maybe I would just be forced to make it with talking CGI farm animals - "Alphaville" for kids. Maybe that’s the best approach and one Godard would respect. Mr. Godard if you’re reading this - Just picture this: CGI farm animals as Lemmy Caution and Natacha von Braun.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Fidel: I’m currently writing a feature and developing a short film that deals with the border violence in south Texas. It’s kind of like Blood Simple meets Halloween but in the desert. I’m looking to shoot later this year in West Texas. - fidelrrh@gmail.com
Carlos Arata – "An Evening with Oliver"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?
Carlos: Film is the ultimate medium through which to tell stories, and when I was younger, it was a way of visually expressing myself. Now, it’s become a way for me to see the world as I did then. When you are young, everything is fresh, magical – you don’t have to have it all figured out. You experience a lot of things for the first time, with a heightened sense of reality…and naivety, too, and it’s wonderful. The world is much more interesting that way. I want my audience to experience the most fascinating version of the world, to feel their feelings in a way they haven’t in a long time, and to look at the world in a way they don’t normally do.
LatinoBuzz: Is there a particular childhood memory you would like to realize in a film of yours one day?
Carlos: I have a distinct memory of being lost in Disneyland at five-years-old. I would like to revisit that experience of roaming the park alone – The feeling of being lost against the backdrop of the "happiest place on earth" interests me.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Carlos: If I could remake any film it would have to be "The Warriors." I used to and still watch the film all the time, and caught it whenever it played at the nearby art house. It has an amazing vibe, and of course, a story that is still relevant in our day. I’d cast Chris Pratt as Swan, Kid Cudi as Cochise, and Danny Trejo involved somewhere in the mix.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Carlos: I’m developing a feature version of my short film, "An Evening with Oliver," and in the process of writing an animated feature, as well as a TV pilot (and of course, looking for opportunities to produce both!) - carlosaratafilms@gmail.com
Felipe Prado - "Partiu"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you ultimately want to say?
Felipe: I grew up with my mother taking me and my brother Joao (who produced "Partiu") to watch “cult” movies - as we used to call them - during the week; and my father making us watch Scorsese’s filmography with him during the weekend. Quite inappropriate for kids, but it taught me a lot about movies and shaped who I am. I believe in films that make the audience uncomfortably entertained and have people walking out of the theater with their subconscious still in the story. It needs to be breathtaking and bring new perspectives.
LatinoBuzz: Which is the ‘Brasil' you would like the world to see through your lens?
Felipe: A ‘Brasil’ through unpleasant reality based films with characters, personalities and events deconstructed to their core, avoiding the common subjects that have already been over-explored. Certain stories need to be told, but not as many times as it has been done over the last few years. Brazil is much more than “cine-favela” and soap-opera-like comedies. "Central Station," "City of God" and the "Elite Squad" movies are great, but not every Brazilian film needs to be like them. With very few exceptions, in the last few years those were the themes explored by the majority of the films produced in our culturally diverse country. Brasil is desperate for new stories that don’t underestimate the audience.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Felipe: That’s are many choices, but I would really love to adapt ‘Ashes and Diamonds’ to the current South American political turmoil. There are a few recent cases of assassinations of prosecutors and whistleblowers that could base a great remake. The lead… Joao Miguel, who’s in ‘Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures’, ‘Xingu’ and many other great films. In my opinion he’s one of the most complete actors in Brazil’s cinema.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Felipe: I am currently working on a story of faith and corruption involving money-making mega-churches. I am also working on a feature version of "Partiu" as I created the short in order to explore the subject in deep. This is also my thesis project for Nyu Tisch School of the Arts. - felipe.prado@nyu.edu
You can find screening times and more info at: http://www.firstrunfestival.com/
Written by Juan Caceres . LatinoBuzz is a feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow [At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook...
Omar ZÚÑIGA Hidalgo – "San Cristobal"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?
Omar: I became interested in film as a viewer when I was a teenager. I would spend entire afternoons in an arthouse theater in downtown Santiago. I didn't really expect to be a filmmaker back then. But it was clearly an interest. During the years that followed I discovered the passion slowly, I went to a communications undergrad in Chile, and then to Nyu for my Mfa. I don't see myself doing anything else now. I'm interested in the visual language that it has, and also in how emotional it can be. There are themes that I unconsciously come back to, There is no deliberate objective. Every film comes out of an intuition, where I'm at, at that moment in particular. But looking back on my work, somehow I get back to masculinity and how men are taught to avoid showing how fragile they can be, or to people who are in constant movement (which is what I've been doing for the past few years). I seem to want to explore these types of characters.
LatinoBuzz: You are younger than the current wave of Chilenos, and I brought it up with Marialy Rivas and Andres Wood, but they grew up under the dictatorship and I was curious how it affected them as they became artists. What about Chile conditioned you?
Omar: Dictatorship didn't affect me directly. I was born just a few years before it ended, so I don't have clear memories of it. I've only learned about its devastating nature after the fact. There is something eminently Chilean about avoiding confrontation, or about not clarifying the way you feel sometimes. It's a particular culture, where emotions are not discussed as profusely with your family or friends, nor shown in an explicit manner. I believe that's something that's somehow in my work, where people can't articulate too clearly how they feel about things. It is very familiar and natural to me to not have to define so exactly the nature of actions that people take. We don't have that over-analyzing attitude about things.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Omar: I wouldn't remake a film.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Omar: "San Cristóbal" will continue its route internationally this year. I am also developing a feature project based on the short, and trying to put together its financing. It's always incredibly difficult, but we're trying to make our best. - omar@cinestacion.cl
Paulo Henrique Falsarella Testolini – "Suriname Gold"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you ultimately want to say?
Paulo: I'm not sure exactly how film came to me and why, I guess it was just a natural progression from recording my parents expeditions when I was a kid, playing with the camera in high-school and escaping (as much as I could) the business future my family had intended for me. In the end, film was the best way to put myself into endless adventures, while attempting to tell the world the many stories that can be uncovered on the way. There are always stories out there, tales of bravery from every corner of the world - they can seem so exotic, yet so relatable to our modern society.
LatinoBuzz: Suriname, obviously is not considered a 'Latino' nation but does have a fascinating place in South American - where did the idea to shoot there come from?
Paulo: It was late 2009, the last Sunday of the year, and I sat in my living room listening to the news about an attack in the gold mines of Suriname. It was very weird - though I had grown up in Suriname's neighboring country of Brazil, I didn't know much about the place, let alone its gold and the thousands of lives migrating across the borders in search of it. The more I researched about that fascinating land, the more I craved to visit it and learn about that little corner of the world of which so few people have heard. What I've tried to do with Suriname Gold is reveal a human story within a somewhat hidden world, the characters may be fictional, but their experiences are real. My hope is that viewers will be entertained by the film's sense of adventure, and more importantly, that audiences will learn something new about this complex nation and the continuous exploitation of the Amazon (and the lives taken on the way).
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Paulo: That's a hard one... I would love to make a new version of Disney's "Newsies", more based on the play than the 90s movie. The lead? I've always wanted to work with English actor Jamie Bell, a great inspiration when I was first getting into film. One day, right?
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Paulo: It's been some years now since we shot the short film of Suriname Gold. I've been developing, with the producers, the feature length version of that story, as well as some other scripts that are set in that environment. Once the story reaches the right point, I hope to gather our adventurous crew and cast back together, fly to the Amazon and embark on this journey again. - pht218@nyu.edu
Reinaldo Green - "Stop"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you ultimately want to say?
Reinaldo: Film is still one of the few mediums that you can reach a mass audience. It's an opportunity and a platform to share content with depth, meaning, culture, and value, regardless of genre, to inspire and make people think. Ultimately I want to use the art form to share, inspire and make meaningful change in people's lives. My favorite movies have had profound meaning in my life well past the end credits.
LatinoBuzz: Did the tragic deaths of young males of color propel you to write 'Stop' or is it something that has long lingered?
Reinaldo: The genius of the film has been something that had been brewing for a while. It really came into focus for me with the Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman decision. I thought to myself, what if that were me? What if I was walking home at night and a cop stopped me, what would I do if I were in that situation? So, we decided to make a film about it.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Reinaldo: I'd remake "Drive" with Benicio Del Toro. There's nothing wrong with the original, I just think it'd be a fun experiment.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Reinaldo: The Green Brothers will be making a feature (or two) over the next year, look out for them!
Twitter @greenbrosfilms / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenbrosfilms - rmg412@nyu.edu
Carlos Valdivia – "Writing Lessons"
LatinoBuzz : Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?
Carlos: Why not film? I think cinematic storytelling is the most impactful. It has the greatest reach out of any art form. My focus has always been to increase the representation and visibility of people (particularly Lgbtq people and people of color) that are often neglected or completely erased from the big screen. I'd like to do it with empathy and intelligence, but without ever diluting the complexity of individuals and their lived experiences. So I'd say I ultimately want to challenge preconceived notions with authenticity.
LatinoBuzz : How much yourself turns up in your narrative?
Carlos: A lot! With "Writing Lessons" I wanted to recreate a most exciting time and place from my first year in New York, when I moved here to attend Nyu as a freshman. My best friend and I both ended up getting in with a crowd of much older Columbia academics and we were regular guests at their gatherings where we were by far the youngest people. It was very exciting and I was always fascinated by the convergence of young naiveté and older indifference and how people often desire the one they don't have. Young people trying to grow up too quickly and older people who wish to be younger is a central source of conflict in the film. At the same time, I also wanted the film to reflect the experience of being the only person of color in almost exclusively white environments. I purposely had Julian be the only non-white person in the narrative. Julian is fascinated by his professor's world but he will never really be a part of it. I strongly relate to being an outsider with a desire to fit in. Even though race is never explicitly stated in the film, it's clear that he will always be an outsider in this environment. I think this is how race operates in highly liberal environments today, rarely spoken out loud and yet still relevant and highly impactful.
LatinoBuzz : Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Carlos: This is a tough one. Generally, I'm not a fan of remakes. But I'd love to remake Ingmar Bergman's "Cries and Whispers" with Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek as sisters, playing the Liv Ullmann and Ingrid Thulin roles. Maybe Gina Rodriguez can play their dying sister. That would be a dream project.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Carlos: I finished Writing Lessons very recently, so I've only just begun submitting it to film festivals where I hope the film can get some exposure. After that, I'll definitely be sharing it online. Programmers, call me/email me! - carlos.e.valdivia@gmail.com
Fidel Ruiz-healy- "A Band of Thieves"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?
Fidel: Unfortunately I make films because I don’t know how to do anything else. It’s all I’ve thought about since elementary school and when it came to growing up and picking a career I feel like I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I think your films grow up with you so what you want to say with them all comes down to what you are currently living through. I think films are inherently influenced by the social and political environments that surround you and its up to the writer to choose how on the nose they want to be.
LatinoBuzz: How important was shooting in Texas? Do you feel it shaped you as a storyteller?
Fidel: The movie had to be in Texas. It’s about the crazy things you do when its 100 degrees outside and creating a lawless playground to play cowboy. For me the only place for that is Texas. When looking up references from old westerns and bank heist movies, I quickly realized that what I was looking for was just locales I saw growing up. After that it was just a matter of finding out how to produce a film in San Antonio from New York, and that’s what we did. In terms of being shaped as a storyteller by Texas, I think everyone is influenced a bit by the city they grew up in. At he end of the day that’s what shapes your image of the world. The people and places you interact with as a kid define your perspective on things, and for me that was growing up around the San Antonio suburbs wanting to live life like I saw in the movies.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Fidel: It would have to be "Alphaville". It’s one of my favorites. Remaking a Godard films seems like some kind of filmic taboo, so that would make it hard. You would have to get it right or else a lot of people would hate you, (Remember the remake of Breathless? Not very many people do) so finding the way to recreate that film in a modern context seems like a great challenge. As for the lead, I have no idea. Maybe someone from Texas? I’m kind of going through a weird Texas love phase in my life right now, so instinctively I’m leaning towards some Texan faces. But either way, I would have to watch the imaginary casting tapes with my casting director a couple of times to make a final decision. But maybe I would just be forced to make it with talking CGI farm animals - "Alphaville" for kids. Maybe that’s the best approach and one Godard would respect. Mr. Godard if you’re reading this - Just picture this: CGI farm animals as Lemmy Caution and Natacha von Braun.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Fidel: I’m currently writing a feature and developing a short film that deals with the border violence in south Texas. It’s kind of like Blood Simple meets Halloween but in the desert. I’m looking to shoot later this year in West Texas. - fidelrrh@gmail.com
Carlos Arata – "An Evening with Oliver"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?
Carlos: Film is the ultimate medium through which to tell stories, and when I was younger, it was a way of visually expressing myself. Now, it’s become a way for me to see the world as I did then. When you are young, everything is fresh, magical – you don’t have to have it all figured out. You experience a lot of things for the first time, with a heightened sense of reality…and naivety, too, and it’s wonderful. The world is much more interesting that way. I want my audience to experience the most fascinating version of the world, to feel their feelings in a way they haven’t in a long time, and to look at the world in a way they don’t normally do.
LatinoBuzz: Is there a particular childhood memory you would like to realize in a film of yours one day?
Carlos: I have a distinct memory of being lost in Disneyland at five-years-old. I would like to revisit that experience of roaming the park alone – The feeling of being lost against the backdrop of the "happiest place on earth" interests me.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Carlos: If I could remake any film it would have to be "The Warriors." I used to and still watch the film all the time, and caught it whenever it played at the nearby art house. It has an amazing vibe, and of course, a story that is still relevant in our day. I’d cast Chris Pratt as Swan, Kid Cudi as Cochise, and Danny Trejo involved somewhere in the mix.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Carlos: I’m developing a feature version of my short film, "An Evening with Oliver," and in the process of writing an animated feature, as well as a TV pilot (and of course, looking for opportunities to produce both!) - carlosaratafilms@gmail.com
Felipe Prado - "Partiu"
LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you ultimately want to say?
Felipe: I grew up with my mother taking me and my brother Joao (who produced "Partiu") to watch “cult” movies - as we used to call them - during the week; and my father making us watch Scorsese’s filmography with him during the weekend. Quite inappropriate for kids, but it taught me a lot about movies and shaped who I am. I believe in films that make the audience uncomfortably entertained and have people walking out of the theater with their subconscious still in the story. It needs to be breathtaking and bring new perspectives.
LatinoBuzz: Which is the ‘Brasil' you would like the world to see through your lens?
Felipe: A ‘Brasil’ through unpleasant reality based films with characters, personalities and events deconstructed to their core, avoiding the common subjects that have already been over-explored. Certain stories need to be told, but not as many times as it has been done over the last few years. Brazil is much more than “cine-favela” and soap-opera-like comedies. "Central Station," "City of God" and the "Elite Squad" movies are great, but not every Brazilian film needs to be like them. With very few exceptions, in the last few years those were the themes explored by the majority of the films produced in our culturally diverse country. Brasil is desperate for new stories that don’t underestimate the audience.
LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?
Felipe: That’s are many choices, but I would really love to adapt ‘Ashes and Diamonds’ to the current South American political turmoil. There are a few recent cases of assassinations of prosecutors and whistleblowers that could base a great remake. The lead… Joao Miguel, who’s in ‘Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures’, ‘Xingu’ and many other great films. In my opinion he’s one of the most complete actors in Brazil’s cinema.
LatinoBuzz: Where to next?
Felipe: I am currently working on a story of faith and corruption involving money-making mega-churches. I am also working on a feature version of "Partiu" as I created the short in order to explore the subject in deep. This is also my thesis project for Nyu Tisch School of the Arts. - felipe.prado@nyu.edu
You can find screening times and more info at: http://www.firstrunfestival.com/
Written by Juan Caceres . LatinoBuzz is a feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow [At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook...
- 4/16/2015
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
Marialy Rivas had a hit on her hands with the delightfully provocative Sundance hit "Joven Y Alocada" (Young and Wild), a film that is an energetic kaleidoscope of sex, defiance & artistically experimental – everything that pretty much happens to you when you come-of-age. Rivas was back at Sundance this year, which saw her switch gears to a short documentary entitled "Melody." Set in Chonchi, a small town in Chiloé, one of the most southern islands in Chile, Melody Jerez is a teacher who was determined to bring escape through music to her students, one being Georgina, a flower on the wall, precocious young girl. Here we capture their journey from a poor, seemingly inescapable town to the grand Teatro Municipal in Chile’s capital, Santiago. "Melody" is one of the most beautiful, delicate films about the virtue of what the simple act of caring can do in a child’s life.
LatinoBuzz: How did you meet Melody Jerez and Georgina and what exactly made you decide that you wanted to make this film?
Marialy: I was participating in the short film challenge of the Sundance Institute, sponsored by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The premise was: to tell a story about people that help other people to overcome poverty. There are good people in the world they said, let's show their stories. I do believe that with all my heart so the challenge sounded perfect. What drew me to the film was an actual serious problem in Chile. My country, after Pinochet's dictatorship became a place with one of the most expensive education system in the world, this in time has generated no social mobility, if you are born poor, you won't be able to study so it's almost certain you will stay poor for the rest of your life. I thought the story of the Youth Orchestras, a free music program for at risk children, was a good example on how education can change your life forever so this would show how urgent is to make education free for everyone. This little story will mirror the big picture of my country. I knew the first youth Orchestra started during the 90's in Curanilahue so I start asking who belonged to that Orchestra.
Then one day Melody appeared. She was working as an Orchestra teacher herself for the Chilean Youth Orchestras Foundation. From then on everything was a mix of luck and the beauty of the always giving Universe. Approaching the Sundance challenge, I knew I wanted to tell the story about a woman and a girl, both musicians, I wanted the story of them to mirror each other. I spoke to Melody on a Tuesday by Skype and I flew to shoot her on Thursday because she was having the big concert that appears at the end of the film that same Sunday. I knew I have to shoot that event. The first day I arrived I asked Melody to introduce me to all her girls between 8 and 12 that played in her Orchestra. I took them all to a nearby gym and interview them about how they felt about music. Georgina struck me for her determination and hunger for music. When I told Melody I picked Geo, she asked why and I said I could see in her eyes she wanted music more than anything.
Only then the story of Geo was revealed to me, how she was living with Melody as a "daughter". I didn't know they were connected when I picked them separately and the story of both of them was more powerful than anything I could ever have imagined. When I was editing my editor told me: I think I have heard the name Melody before, I think a friend of mine did a short film in the nineties with a girl named Melody... we contacted the filmmaker and again another amazing gift: there she was, Melody on film, at 10 years old. That ended up closing the circle of the story. It was a beautiful experience to say the least.
LatinoBuzz: The voice over is spoken in such a wonderful manner you would think Melody and Georgina are thinking aloud to themselves or to anyone who may listen. What was the process of that?
Marialy: When I approached the documentary I knew I wanted the short to have a poetic feel to it, like Hiroshima Mon Amour or Miguel Gomes Redemption. I recorded hours of interview with both of them, I reviewed the material, I edited the conversations and then we went back with Melody and Geo to all the subjects so we will use their words and experience but sounding like a stream of consciousness, we recorded that and it was the final voice over of the film.
LatinoBuzz: Did you enjoy making a documentary as much as you do a narrative?
Marialy: Oh my God they are so exciting in such different ways. With the documentary it felt all the time like a gift, I was just there watching an amazing story unravel, these diamonds were there ready to shine and I just needed to pay attention. It is also a lot of improvisation, trust in the moment, to go where the story is taking you, you have to be present at all times. And wow, the places they can take you. At least this is how this experience felt to me. I liked the smaller crew. I liked the fact that the scripts builds itself as you go But I also think It Is So Incredibly Hard!!! This was a short film and I was lucky that everything flowed almost in a magical way but I can see how hard a feature documentary can be, building the trust, waiting, being there, I really think documentary filmmakers are heroes.
LatinoBuzz: You start the next film this week? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Marialy: I can tell you that I feel like I am gonna start escalating the Everest and I know I need more weeks of training and more weeks to arrive to the top but it's now or never. Movies in Latin America and probably at this point everywhere in the world except Hollywood and Bollywood are always lacking money. I would give everything for one more week of preproduction and one more week of shooting. But what we have I have to make it work, so I will leap into the void hoping I will be able to make it. Are we ever ready to anything I wonder? Maybe I keep telling this to myself to not go crazy.
LatinoBuzz: Do you hope your film can open eyes in Chile to further enhance children’s education through the arts?
Marialy: Oh yes I wish it could. Kids are everything, they are so willing to learn and grow in all the possible ways and it is our duty as adults to open a world of opportunities to them. They can all make it and the arts introduce amazing values in the children. Creativity and Discipline in the same extent. Enjoy the music you play but also experience the tremendous effort to play it well. I think like sound pretty similar to life no?
LatinoBuzz: The closing shot of them is gorgeous. My favorite. They look like sisters and you feel the love formed between them. What is their relationship today?
Marialy: The have formed a family. A family with their own rules and timings, but a family. When I was shooting them, they used to only make jokes about music and talk long about composers. It’s true they are like sisters maybe even more than an "adoptive mom", they love each other profoundly and this love is what you see piercing the screen. They admire each other, they support each other. It is profoundly beautiful.
Follow Marialy on the twittersphere @marialy_rivas
Written by Juan Caceres . LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow [At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook...
LatinoBuzz: How did you meet Melody Jerez and Georgina and what exactly made you decide that you wanted to make this film?
Marialy: I was participating in the short film challenge of the Sundance Institute, sponsored by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The premise was: to tell a story about people that help other people to overcome poverty. There are good people in the world they said, let's show their stories. I do believe that with all my heart so the challenge sounded perfect. What drew me to the film was an actual serious problem in Chile. My country, after Pinochet's dictatorship became a place with one of the most expensive education system in the world, this in time has generated no social mobility, if you are born poor, you won't be able to study so it's almost certain you will stay poor for the rest of your life. I thought the story of the Youth Orchestras, a free music program for at risk children, was a good example on how education can change your life forever so this would show how urgent is to make education free for everyone. This little story will mirror the big picture of my country. I knew the first youth Orchestra started during the 90's in Curanilahue so I start asking who belonged to that Orchestra.
Then one day Melody appeared. She was working as an Orchestra teacher herself for the Chilean Youth Orchestras Foundation. From then on everything was a mix of luck and the beauty of the always giving Universe. Approaching the Sundance challenge, I knew I wanted to tell the story about a woman and a girl, both musicians, I wanted the story of them to mirror each other. I spoke to Melody on a Tuesday by Skype and I flew to shoot her on Thursday because she was having the big concert that appears at the end of the film that same Sunday. I knew I have to shoot that event. The first day I arrived I asked Melody to introduce me to all her girls between 8 and 12 that played in her Orchestra. I took them all to a nearby gym and interview them about how they felt about music. Georgina struck me for her determination and hunger for music. When I told Melody I picked Geo, she asked why and I said I could see in her eyes she wanted music more than anything.
Only then the story of Geo was revealed to me, how she was living with Melody as a "daughter". I didn't know they were connected when I picked them separately and the story of both of them was more powerful than anything I could ever have imagined. When I was editing my editor told me: I think I have heard the name Melody before, I think a friend of mine did a short film in the nineties with a girl named Melody... we contacted the filmmaker and again another amazing gift: there she was, Melody on film, at 10 years old. That ended up closing the circle of the story. It was a beautiful experience to say the least.
LatinoBuzz: The voice over is spoken in such a wonderful manner you would think Melody and Georgina are thinking aloud to themselves or to anyone who may listen. What was the process of that?
Marialy: When I approached the documentary I knew I wanted the short to have a poetic feel to it, like Hiroshima Mon Amour or Miguel Gomes Redemption. I recorded hours of interview with both of them, I reviewed the material, I edited the conversations and then we went back with Melody and Geo to all the subjects so we will use their words and experience but sounding like a stream of consciousness, we recorded that and it was the final voice over of the film.
LatinoBuzz: Did you enjoy making a documentary as much as you do a narrative?
Marialy: Oh my God they are so exciting in such different ways. With the documentary it felt all the time like a gift, I was just there watching an amazing story unravel, these diamonds were there ready to shine and I just needed to pay attention. It is also a lot of improvisation, trust in the moment, to go where the story is taking you, you have to be present at all times. And wow, the places they can take you. At least this is how this experience felt to me. I liked the smaller crew. I liked the fact that the scripts builds itself as you go But I also think It Is So Incredibly Hard!!! This was a short film and I was lucky that everything flowed almost in a magical way but I can see how hard a feature documentary can be, building the trust, waiting, being there, I really think documentary filmmakers are heroes.
LatinoBuzz: You start the next film this week? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Marialy: I can tell you that I feel like I am gonna start escalating the Everest and I know I need more weeks of training and more weeks to arrive to the top but it's now or never. Movies in Latin America and probably at this point everywhere in the world except Hollywood and Bollywood are always lacking money. I would give everything for one more week of preproduction and one more week of shooting. But what we have I have to make it work, so I will leap into the void hoping I will be able to make it. Are we ever ready to anything I wonder? Maybe I keep telling this to myself to not go crazy.
LatinoBuzz: Do you hope your film can open eyes in Chile to further enhance children’s education through the arts?
Marialy: Oh yes I wish it could. Kids are everything, they are so willing to learn and grow in all the possible ways and it is our duty as adults to open a world of opportunities to them. They can all make it and the arts introduce amazing values in the children. Creativity and Discipline in the same extent. Enjoy the music you play but also experience the tremendous effort to play it well. I think like sound pretty similar to life no?
LatinoBuzz: The closing shot of them is gorgeous. My favorite. They look like sisters and you feel the love formed between them. What is their relationship today?
Marialy: The have formed a family. A family with their own rules and timings, but a family. When I was shooting them, they used to only make jokes about music and talk long about composers. It’s true they are like sisters maybe even more than an "adoptive mom", they love each other profoundly and this love is what you see piercing the screen. They admire each other, they support each other. It is profoundly beautiful.
Follow Marialy on the twittersphere @marialy_rivas
Written by Juan Caceres . LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow [At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook...
- 2/13/2015
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
Representing Latin American, U.S. Latino, and non-Latino artists who explore multicultural relationships from singular perspectives, the films at this year's Sundance Film Festival include an array of stories that showcase the diverse creative voices that exist within the Latino filmmaking community.
This list includes both films that have been created fully or partially by Latin American or U.S. Latino filmmakers, as well as those that deal with themes and ideas relevant to the Latino experience in or outside the Unites States, even if these were not created by Latino artists. The increasing interest in these stories testifies to how rapidly Latinos are becoming constant and strong voices in all areas of the film industry.
In order to highlight as many of these talented creators and films as possible, we’ve created a list that includes all the films at the festival that are helmed by or that incorporate Latino talent and those that focus on a specific aspect pertinent to the Latino community. Some are obvious standouts like Argentina's acclaimed dark comedy "Wild Tales" or Colombia's "Liveforever" from Carlos Moreno.
Then there are those who at first sight might not fit the parameters of what one could think is a Latino film. This is the case of films like Eli Roth's "Knock Knock," which is an English-language horror film whose co-writers, producers, and part of the cast are originally from Chile. There is also " Aloft," a drama in the Spotlight section, which is set between Canada and Minnesota and stars Jennifer Connelly. It was written and directed by Academy Award nominated Peruvian filmmaker Claudia Llosa.
The third case includes those films that deal with subjects that have Latino elements or that explore diversity in the U.S in some way. Examples of these are "The Strongest Man" from Kenny Riches, a film narrated in Spanish by its protagonist "Beef," a charming, yet lost Cuban-American man in Miami; or "Cartel Land" by Matthew Heineman, which focuses on the violence shared between Mexico and U.S due to the drug-fueled chaos that afflicts the region. On a lighter note, there are films like “City of Gold” by Laura Gabbert, in which Los Angeles is seen through its ethnic food and local idiosyncrasies.
In an effort to give exposure to those films in the program that don’t get as much attention, the list below starts with the Shorts Programs and ends with the Dramatic Premieres. Each title is linked to its page on the Sundance website where screening times and locations can be found. Regardless of what films you watch at the festival, it is likely that your eyes will be expose to the work of some amazingly talented Latino filmmaker, writer or actor, or those who appreciate our stories as much as we do.
Shorts
"Spring" (Primavera) - Shorts Program 2
Latino Talent: Dir. Tania Claudia Castillo
Latino Theme: The short was created theough Mexico's renowned Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica (Ccc), and it focuses on
Elba, an introverted, lonely 14-year-old, who wants to bond with her sister Fernanda before she leaves home.
"Papa Machete" - Shorts Program 3
Latino Theme: Two hundred years ago, Haitian slaves defeated Napoleon's armies with the same tool used to work the land: the machete. "Papa Machete" explores a martial art evolved from this victory through the practice of one of its few remaining masters.
"Making it in America" - Shorts Program 4
Latino Theme: A Salvadoran immigrant who fled to the United States as a teenager is now a single mother striving to build a future for her family in Los Angeles.
"Stop" - Shorts Program 5
Latino Talent: Dir. Reinaldo Marcus Green, Producer Rashaad Ernesto Green, Cinematographer Federico Cesca, Actors J.W. Cortes and Joshua Rivera.
Latino Theme: A young man's livelihood is put to the test when he is stopped by the police on his way home. Although not specific the Latino experience, the subject matter speaks to recent events involving minority groups and the use of excessive force by police
"Palm Rot" - Animation Spotlight
Latino Talent: Dir. Ryan Gillis Lizama
Latino Theme: An old Florida fumigator discovers a mysterious crate in the Everglades that ruins his day.
"The Sun Like a Big Dark Animal" (El Sol Como un Gran Animal Oscuro) - Animation Spotlight
Latino Talent: Directors Ronnie Rivera and Christina Felisgrau, Screenwriter Bernardo Britto, Producer Lucas Leyva
Latino Theme: This is Spanish-language short about a computer and a woman fall in love, only to be torn apart because of their inappropriate feelings for each other.
"{The And} Marcela & Rock" - Documentary Shorts Program 1
Latino Talent: Dir. Topaz Adizes, Assistant Directors Armando Croda and Sebastian Diaz
Latino Theme: Exploring the intimate spaces of modern-day relationships, this is the best couples therapy session you'll ever witness.
Special Events
Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge
Latino Talent: Directors Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Marialy Rivas
Latino Theme: Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge presents five winning narrative and documentary short films selected from 1,387 submissions representing 69 different countries.The project was designed to use the transformative power of storytelling to generate discussion, shift perceptions around extreme hunger and poverty, and harness the power of independent film to create a global conversation about these issues.
Sundance Kids
"The Game Maker" (El Inventor de Juegos)
Latino Talent: Dir. Juan Pablo Buscarini
New Frontier
"Liveforever" (Que Viva la Musica)
Latino Talent: Dir. Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters Alberto Ferreras and Alonso Torres, alongside the crew and cast.
Latino Theme: Hovering over the river that segregates Cali, Colombia, into haves and have-nots, a haunting presence identifies a perilous willingness among the populace to do anything that is asked of it. A blonde teenage girl, knowing she must change her life, leaves her well-appointed house and flagrantly gives herself over to this tolerant city, saying "yes" to everything provocative it offers her. Only the music tethers her body and spirit together, even as she reaches for redemption through a bold, delicious, and resplendent self-destruction. Inspired by the 1977 best-selling cult novel by Andres Caicedo.
Park City Midnight
"Knock Knock"
Latino Talent: Screenwriters Guillermo Amoedo & Nicolás López, Producers Miguel Asensio and Nicolás López, Cinematographer Antonio Quercia, Actresses Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas
"Reversal"
Latino Talent: Dir. José Manuel Cravioto, Producers Alex Garcia, Rodolfo Marquez and Daniel Posada, Editor Jorge Macaya, Actress Bianca Malinowski
Spotlight
"Aloft"
Latino Talent: Dir. Claudia Llosa
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Latino Talent: Dir. Damián Szifrón, as well as most of the cast and crew.
Latino Theme: Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Academy Award, this Argentine marvel is conformed of 6 stories about people giving in to their most savage instincts. Forgiveness is out o the question because revenge has never been so deranged and insanely comedic.
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"H."
Latino Talent: Dir. Daniel Garcia
"Nasty Baby"
Latino Talent: Dir. Sebastián Silva, Producers David Hinojosa, Juan de Dios Larraín and Pablo Larraín
Latino Theme: Brooklyn artist Freddy (Sebastian Silva) is baby obsessed. His new project centers around newborns, and he and his boyfriend, Mo, have recruited their best friend, Polly (Kristen Wiig), to help them have a baby. On top of dealing with the stress of opening an art installation and the complications of conceiving a child via artificial insemination, the three begin to be harassed by The Bishop, a mentally ill neighborhood man. An escalating series of incidents threaten to derail the comfortable lives these people have built for themselves.
"Tangerine"
Latino Talent: Actress Kiki Kitana Rodriguez
Latino Theme: It's Christmas Eve in Tinseltown, and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn't been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.
"The Strongest Man"
Latino Talent: Actor Robert Lorie
Latino Theme: Beef is a beefy Cuban man who believes that he is The Strongest Man in the World. He doesn’t want children, but he wants to tell his grandchildren about his life as The Strongest Man in the World. His best friend is a slight Korean man named Conan. Conan makes him think about things he normally doesn’t think, like the fact that Beef thinks in Spanish, rather than English. Illy, the adopted daughter of a rich art collector, brings out an anxious side in Beef. But it is when his prized possession—a solid gold BMX bicycle—is stolen from him that Beef finds and loses so much more than he thought he could.
World Dramatic Competition
"The Second Mother"
Latino Talent: Dir. Anna Muylaert and her cast and crew
Latino Theme: Val is the kind of live-in housekeeper who takes her work seriously. She wears a crisp maid's uniform while serving perfect canapés; she serves her wealthy São Paulo employers day in and day out while lovingly nannying their teenage son whom she's raised since toddlerhood. Everyone and everything in the elegant house has its place until one day, Val’s ambitious, clever daughter Jessica arrives from Val’s hometown to take the college entrance exams. Jessica’s confident, youthful presence upsets the unspoken yet strict balance of power in the household; Val must decide where her allegiances lie and what she's willing to sacrifice.
U.S. Documentary Competition
"Cartel Land"
Latino Theme: In the Mexican state of Michoacán, Dr. Jose Mireles, a small-town physician known as "El Doctor," shepherds a citizen uprising against the Knights Templar, the violent drug cartel that has wreaked havoc on the region for years. Meanwhile, in Arizona's Altar Valley—a narrow, 52-mile-long desert corridor known as Cocaine Alley—Tim "Nailer" Foley, an American veteran, heads a small paramilitary group called Arizona Border Recon, whose goal is to halt Mexico’s drug wars from seeping across our border.
"City of Gold"
Latino Theme: As the unabashed cradle of Hollywood superficiality and smoggy urban sprawl, Los Angeles has long been condemned as a cultural wasteland. In the richly penetrating documentary odyssey City of Gold, Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold shows us another Los Angeles, where ethnic cooking is a kaleidoscopic portal to the mysteries of an unwieldy city and the soul of America.
"Western"
Latino Theme: In his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens famously wrote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That line sums up the story ofWestern, the latest film from Bill and Turner Ross, a documentary destined to become a classic itself. Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico, two towns on opposite sides of the border have shared a harmonious history until the specter of cartel violence threatens to divide them.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
"Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"
Latino Talent: Dir. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
"Dope"
Latino Talent: Actors Tony Revolori, Michael Flores, Allen Maldonado, Lidia Porto, and Sergio Garcia
Latino Theme: Malcolm is a high school geek with a high-top fade, carefully navigating life in The Bottoms, one of the toughest neighborhoods in Inglewood, California. He and his fellow outcasts share a voracious appreciation for all things '90s hip-hop, opting to sport Cross-Colours and Z. Cavariccis at the risk of being clowned at school. He dreams of attending Harvard, but first he has to make it home every day. When a drug dealer takes a shine to Malcolm and invites him to his birthday party, Malcolm’s crew is swirled into a hilarious blender of offbeat characters and bad choices where redemption can only be found in Bitcoin.
"The Stanford Prison Experiment"
Latino Talent: Dir. Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Actors Moises Arias and Armand Vasquez
Documentary Premieres
"Fresh Dressed"
Latino Theme: With funky, fat-laced Adidas, Kangol hats, and Cazal shades, a totally original look was born—Fresh—and it came from the black and brown side of town where another cultural force was revving up in the streets to take the world by storm. Hip-hop, and its aspirational relationship to fashion, would become such a force on the market that Tommy Hilfiger, in an effort to associate their brand with the cultural swell, would drive through the streets and hand out free clothing to kids on the corner.
Dramatic Premieres
"Experimenter"
Latino Talent: Dir. Michael Almereyda and Actor John Leguizamo
"Last Days in the Desert"
Latino Talent: Dir. Rodrigo García and Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki
"Lila & Eve"
Latino Talent: Producers Tanya Lopez and Priscilla Porianda, Actors Jennifer Lopez, Andre Royo, Marisela Zumbado and Rey Hernandez
Latino Theme: When teenage Stephon is killed in a drive-by shooting, his mother, Lila, slips into a paralyzing grief. She joins a support group for women who have lost children to crime and meets Eve, a woman whose little girl was killed the same night as Stephon. Lila and Eve form a friendship, and Lila begins to crawl out of her depression. She develops a burning desire to find justice for her son, and she presses the authorities for answers, but they are slow-moving and ineffective. It’s Eve who has the idea first—join together, find the drug dealers who shot Stephon dead, and bring them to justice themselves.
This list includes both films that have been created fully or partially by Latin American or U.S. Latino filmmakers, as well as those that deal with themes and ideas relevant to the Latino experience in or outside the Unites States, even if these were not created by Latino artists. The increasing interest in these stories testifies to how rapidly Latinos are becoming constant and strong voices in all areas of the film industry.
In order to highlight as many of these talented creators and films as possible, we’ve created a list that includes all the films at the festival that are helmed by or that incorporate Latino talent and those that focus on a specific aspect pertinent to the Latino community. Some are obvious standouts like Argentina's acclaimed dark comedy "Wild Tales" or Colombia's "Liveforever" from Carlos Moreno.
Then there are those who at first sight might not fit the parameters of what one could think is a Latino film. This is the case of films like Eli Roth's "Knock Knock," which is an English-language horror film whose co-writers, producers, and part of the cast are originally from Chile. There is also " Aloft," a drama in the Spotlight section, which is set between Canada and Minnesota and stars Jennifer Connelly. It was written and directed by Academy Award nominated Peruvian filmmaker Claudia Llosa.
The third case includes those films that deal with subjects that have Latino elements or that explore diversity in the U.S in some way. Examples of these are "The Strongest Man" from Kenny Riches, a film narrated in Spanish by its protagonist "Beef," a charming, yet lost Cuban-American man in Miami; or "Cartel Land" by Matthew Heineman, which focuses on the violence shared between Mexico and U.S due to the drug-fueled chaos that afflicts the region. On a lighter note, there are films like “City of Gold” by Laura Gabbert, in which Los Angeles is seen through its ethnic food and local idiosyncrasies.
In an effort to give exposure to those films in the program that don’t get as much attention, the list below starts with the Shorts Programs and ends with the Dramatic Premieres. Each title is linked to its page on the Sundance website where screening times and locations can be found. Regardless of what films you watch at the festival, it is likely that your eyes will be expose to the work of some amazingly talented Latino filmmaker, writer or actor, or those who appreciate our stories as much as we do.
Shorts
"Spring" (Primavera) - Shorts Program 2
Latino Talent: Dir. Tania Claudia Castillo
Latino Theme: The short was created theough Mexico's renowned Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica (Ccc), and it focuses on
Elba, an introverted, lonely 14-year-old, who wants to bond with her sister Fernanda before she leaves home.
"Papa Machete" - Shorts Program 3
Latino Theme: Two hundred years ago, Haitian slaves defeated Napoleon's armies with the same tool used to work the land: the machete. "Papa Machete" explores a martial art evolved from this victory through the practice of one of its few remaining masters.
"Making it in America" - Shorts Program 4
Latino Theme: A Salvadoran immigrant who fled to the United States as a teenager is now a single mother striving to build a future for her family in Los Angeles.
"Stop" - Shorts Program 5
Latino Talent: Dir. Reinaldo Marcus Green, Producer Rashaad Ernesto Green, Cinematographer Federico Cesca, Actors J.W. Cortes and Joshua Rivera.
Latino Theme: A young man's livelihood is put to the test when he is stopped by the police on his way home. Although not specific the Latino experience, the subject matter speaks to recent events involving minority groups and the use of excessive force by police
"Palm Rot" - Animation Spotlight
Latino Talent: Dir. Ryan Gillis Lizama
Latino Theme: An old Florida fumigator discovers a mysterious crate in the Everglades that ruins his day.
"The Sun Like a Big Dark Animal" (El Sol Como un Gran Animal Oscuro) - Animation Spotlight
Latino Talent: Directors Ronnie Rivera and Christina Felisgrau, Screenwriter Bernardo Britto, Producer Lucas Leyva
Latino Theme: This is Spanish-language short about a computer and a woman fall in love, only to be torn apart because of their inappropriate feelings for each other.
"{The And} Marcela & Rock" - Documentary Shorts Program 1
Latino Talent: Dir. Topaz Adizes, Assistant Directors Armando Croda and Sebastian Diaz
Latino Theme: Exploring the intimate spaces of modern-day relationships, this is the best couples therapy session you'll ever witness.
Special Events
Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge
Latino Talent: Directors Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Marialy Rivas
Latino Theme: Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge presents five winning narrative and documentary short films selected from 1,387 submissions representing 69 different countries.The project was designed to use the transformative power of storytelling to generate discussion, shift perceptions around extreme hunger and poverty, and harness the power of independent film to create a global conversation about these issues.
Sundance Kids
"The Game Maker" (El Inventor de Juegos)
Latino Talent: Dir. Juan Pablo Buscarini
New Frontier
"Liveforever" (Que Viva la Musica)
Latino Talent: Dir. Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters Alberto Ferreras and Alonso Torres, alongside the crew and cast.
Latino Theme: Hovering over the river that segregates Cali, Colombia, into haves and have-nots, a haunting presence identifies a perilous willingness among the populace to do anything that is asked of it. A blonde teenage girl, knowing she must change her life, leaves her well-appointed house and flagrantly gives herself over to this tolerant city, saying "yes" to everything provocative it offers her. Only the music tethers her body and spirit together, even as she reaches for redemption through a bold, delicious, and resplendent self-destruction. Inspired by the 1977 best-selling cult novel by Andres Caicedo.
Park City Midnight
"Knock Knock"
Latino Talent: Screenwriters Guillermo Amoedo & Nicolás López, Producers Miguel Asensio and Nicolás López, Cinematographer Antonio Quercia, Actresses Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas
"Reversal"
Latino Talent: Dir. José Manuel Cravioto, Producers Alex Garcia, Rodolfo Marquez and Daniel Posada, Editor Jorge Macaya, Actress Bianca Malinowski
Spotlight
"Aloft"
Latino Talent: Dir. Claudia Llosa
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Latino Talent: Dir. Damián Szifrón, as well as most of the cast and crew.
Latino Theme: Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Academy Award, this Argentine marvel is conformed of 6 stories about people giving in to their most savage instincts. Forgiveness is out o the question because revenge has never been so deranged and insanely comedic.
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"H."
Latino Talent: Dir. Daniel Garcia
"Nasty Baby"
Latino Talent: Dir. Sebastián Silva, Producers David Hinojosa, Juan de Dios Larraín and Pablo Larraín
Latino Theme: Brooklyn artist Freddy (Sebastian Silva) is baby obsessed. His new project centers around newborns, and he and his boyfriend, Mo, have recruited their best friend, Polly (Kristen Wiig), to help them have a baby. On top of dealing with the stress of opening an art installation and the complications of conceiving a child via artificial insemination, the three begin to be harassed by The Bishop, a mentally ill neighborhood man. An escalating series of incidents threaten to derail the comfortable lives these people have built for themselves.
"Tangerine"
Latino Talent: Actress Kiki Kitana Rodriguez
Latino Theme: It's Christmas Eve in Tinseltown, and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn't been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.
"The Strongest Man"
Latino Talent: Actor Robert Lorie
Latino Theme: Beef is a beefy Cuban man who believes that he is The Strongest Man in the World. He doesn’t want children, but he wants to tell his grandchildren about his life as The Strongest Man in the World. His best friend is a slight Korean man named Conan. Conan makes him think about things he normally doesn’t think, like the fact that Beef thinks in Spanish, rather than English. Illy, the adopted daughter of a rich art collector, brings out an anxious side in Beef. But it is when his prized possession—a solid gold BMX bicycle—is stolen from him that Beef finds and loses so much more than he thought he could.
World Dramatic Competition
"The Second Mother"
Latino Talent: Dir. Anna Muylaert and her cast and crew
Latino Theme: Val is the kind of live-in housekeeper who takes her work seriously. She wears a crisp maid's uniform while serving perfect canapés; she serves her wealthy São Paulo employers day in and day out while lovingly nannying their teenage son whom she's raised since toddlerhood. Everyone and everything in the elegant house has its place until one day, Val’s ambitious, clever daughter Jessica arrives from Val’s hometown to take the college entrance exams. Jessica’s confident, youthful presence upsets the unspoken yet strict balance of power in the household; Val must decide where her allegiances lie and what she's willing to sacrifice.
U.S. Documentary Competition
"Cartel Land"
Latino Theme: In the Mexican state of Michoacán, Dr. Jose Mireles, a small-town physician known as "El Doctor," shepherds a citizen uprising against the Knights Templar, the violent drug cartel that has wreaked havoc on the region for years. Meanwhile, in Arizona's Altar Valley—a narrow, 52-mile-long desert corridor known as Cocaine Alley—Tim "Nailer" Foley, an American veteran, heads a small paramilitary group called Arizona Border Recon, whose goal is to halt Mexico’s drug wars from seeping across our border.
"City of Gold"
Latino Theme: As the unabashed cradle of Hollywood superficiality and smoggy urban sprawl, Los Angeles has long been condemned as a cultural wasteland. In the richly penetrating documentary odyssey City of Gold, Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold shows us another Los Angeles, where ethnic cooking is a kaleidoscopic portal to the mysteries of an unwieldy city and the soul of America.
"Western"
Latino Theme: In his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens famously wrote "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That line sums up the story ofWestern, the latest film from Bill and Turner Ross, a documentary destined to become a classic itself. Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico, two towns on opposite sides of the border have shared a harmonious history until the specter of cartel violence threatens to divide them.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
"Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"
Latino Talent: Dir. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
"Dope"
Latino Talent: Actors Tony Revolori, Michael Flores, Allen Maldonado, Lidia Porto, and Sergio Garcia
Latino Theme: Malcolm is a high school geek with a high-top fade, carefully navigating life in The Bottoms, one of the toughest neighborhoods in Inglewood, California. He and his fellow outcasts share a voracious appreciation for all things '90s hip-hop, opting to sport Cross-Colours and Z. Cavariccis at the risk of being clowned at school. He dreams of attending Harvard, but first he has to make it home every day. When a drug dealer takes a shine to Malcolm and invites him to his birthday party, Malcolm’s crew is swirled into a hilarious blender of offbeat characters and bad choices where redemption can only be found in Bitcoin.
"The Stanford Prison Experiment"
Latino Talent: Dir. Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Actors Moises Arias and Armand Vasquez
Documentary Premieres
"Fresh Dressed"
Latino Theme: With funky, fat-laced Adidas, Kangol hats, and Cazal shades, a totally original look was born—Fresh—and it came from the black and brown side of town where another cultural force was revving up in the streets to take the world by storm. Hip-hop, and its aspirational relationship to fashion, would become such a force on the market that Tommy Hilfiger, in an effort to associate their brand with the cultural swell, would drive through the streets and hand out free clothing to kids on the corner.
Dramatic Premieres
"Experimenter"
Latino Talent: Dir. Michael Almereyda and Actor John Leguizamo
"Last Days in the Desert"
Latino Talent: Dir. Rodrigo García and Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki
"Lila & Eve"
Latino Talent: Producers Tanya Lopez and Priscilla Porianda, Actors Jennifer Lopez, Andre Royo, Marisela Zumbado and Rey Hernandez
Latino Theme: When teenage Stephon is killed in a drive-by shooting, his mother, Lila, slips into a paralyzing grief. She joins a support group for women who have lost children to crime and meets Eve, a woman whose little girl was killed the same night as Stephon. Lila and Eve form a friendship, and Lila begins to crawl out of her depression. She develops a burning desire to find justice for her son, and she presses the authorities for answers, but they are slow-moving and ineffective. It’s Eve who has the idea first—join together, find the drug dealers who shot Stephon dead, and bring them to justice themselves.
- 1/21/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
The 2015 Sundance Film Festival has been slowly unveiling the films that will screen in Park City, Ut from January 22-February 1. We’ve already listed the midnight line up as well as the list of films in competition. Now, the Premieres have been revealed and the event is looking more and more promising. The entire slate include films directed by Noah Baumbach, James Ponsoldt, Paul Weitz, Jared Hess, Joe Swanberg, Charles Stone III and others. Here is the full list.
Premieres
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated narrative films of the coming year.
Brooklyn / United Kingdom (Director: John Crowley, Screenwriter: Nick Hornby, based on the book by Colm Tóibín) — 1950s Ireland: Eilis must confront a terrible dilemma — a heartbreaking choice between two men and two countries, between duty and true love. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent.
Digging for Fire / U.
Premieres
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated narrative films of the coming year.
Brooklyn / United Kingdom (Director: John Crowley, Screenwriter: Nick Hornby, based on the book by Colm Tóibín) — 1950s Ireland: Eilis must confront a terrible dilemma — a heartbreaking choice between two men and two countries, between duty and true love. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent.
Digging for Fire / U.
- 12/9/2014
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
With a line-up that already packs a punch, Sundance will also include a new section simply called “Special Events” which is described as “one-of-a-kind moments highlighting new independent works that add to the unique Festival experience. An evolving section, this year includes episodic work, short films and live performance.” In what promises to be a I can’t believe I’m watching what I’m watching type event, the one item that has caught our attention is Andrew Jarecki delving back into a subject heading he is familiar with in All Good Things moving forward into the HBO series, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (six-part documentary). Here is the press release:
Animals./ U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Phil Matarese, Mike Luciano) — Animals. is an independently produced animated series that focuses on the downtrodden creatures native to Earth’s least habitable environment: New York City. Whether it’s lovelorn rats,...
Animals./ U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Phil Matarese, Mike Luciano) — Animals. is an independently produced animated series that focuses on the downtrodden creatures native to Earth’s least habitable environment: New York City. Whether it’s lovelorn rats,...
- 12/8/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Festival top brass have revealed a high-profile roster of out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres entries featuring many returning heroes, as well as a new Special Events section and panel participants including George Lucas.
Justin Kelly’s I Am Michael is likely to become a major talking point and stars James Franco and Zachary Quinto in the true tale of activist and Young Gay America co-founder Michael Glatze, who renounced his homosexuality and became a Christian pastor. The Exchange handles international rights.
James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour (pictured, photo by Jakob Ihre) starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut — Fortitude International is the international sales agent — as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.
Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind...
Justin Kelly’s I Am Michael is likely to become a major talking point and stars James Franco and Zachary Quinto in the true tale of activist and Young Gay America co-founder Michael Glatze, who renounced his homosexuality and became a Christian pastor. The Exchange handles international rights.
James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour (pictured, photo by Jakob Ihre) starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut — Fortitude International is the international sales agent — as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.
Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind...
- 12/8/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Festival top brass have revealed a high-profile roster of out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres entries featuring many returning heroes, as well as a new Special Events section and participants on two panels including George Lucas.
James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut, as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.
Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind starring Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn and Sienna Miller, while Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman introduce the New York Tompkins Square Park Riot drama Ten Thousand Saints starring the in-demand Ethan Hawke and Emily Mortimer.
Joe Swanberg brings Digging For Fire with Rosemarie Dewitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick.
Peter Sarsgaard, [link...
James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut, as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.
Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind starring Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn and Sienna Miller, while Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman introduce the New York Tompkins Square Park Riot drama Ten Thousand Saints starring the in-demand Ethan Hawke and Emily Mortimer.
Joe Swanberg brings Digging For Fire with Rosemarie Dewitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick.
Peter Sarsgaard, [link...
- 12/8/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
September 11 marked a very different occasion in Chile. It was 40 years ago that a CIA backed military operation ousted a democratically elected president and launched 17 years of fear and violence on the nation. Chilean artists only survived if they went in to exile and film schools were closed. Expression wasn't encouraged so it's incredible that today these Chilenos and Chilenas have a voice and have made such an impact on the international film landscape.
They came through the dictatorship and have an admiration and camaraderie with one another that inspires each other with an unbreakable bond. Today is Chilean Independence day and we wanted to ask these filmmakers who has inspired them. As a Chileno, I dedicate this to my mother.
Nicolas Lopez - Aftershock
Inspiration: Woody Allen, Alex de la Iglesia, Santiago Segura, Quentin Tarantino, Todd Solondz.
Sebastián Lelio - Gloria
Inspiration: John Cassavetes, Francois Truffaut, Raoul Ruiz, Pier Palo Pasolini, Roberto Rossellini.
Read SydneysBuzz interview with Sebastián Leilo Here
Alice Scherson - Il Futuro
Inspiration: Michelangelo Antonioni, Agnes Varda, Hal Hartley, Alfred Hitchcock, Raul Ruiz.
Marialy Rivas - Joven Y Alocada
Inspiration: Jean Luc Godard, Wim Wenders, Lars Von Trier, Alfred Hitchcock, Antonioni
“I'm going with the classics being cinema such a young art, no?”
Cristian Jimenez - Bonsai
Inspiration: Aki Kaurismaki, Nicholas Ray, Raúl Ruiz, Yasujiro Ozu, Jan Svankmajer
Che Sandoval - Te creís la más linda... (Pero erís la más puta)
Inspiration: Jim Jarmush, John Casavettes, Andrew Bujalsky, John Houston, Jean Luc Godard
Matias Lira - Drama
Inspiration: Werner Herzog, Luchino Visconti, John Cassavetes, David Lynch, Lars Von Trier (From Chile: Raul Ruiz, Andres Wood, Pablo Larrain, Ignacio Agüero, Patricio Guzman)
Rodrigo Marin - Zoologico
Inspiration: Ruben Ostlund, Ulrich Seidl, Yorghos Lanthimos, Cristian Jimenez, James Grey
Ernesto Diaz Espinoza – Santiago Violenta
Inspiration: Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Takeshi Kitano, Alfred Hitchcock
Maria Jose San Martin – La Ducha
Inspiration: Woody Allen, Michael Haneke, Martin Rejim, Rodrigo Garcia, John Cassavetes
Another recent notable Chilean film is The Summer of Flying Fish by Marcela Said
Read Sydney's interview with Marcela Said during Tiff Here
Read our review for the film Here...
They came through the dictatorship and have an admiration and camaraderie with one another that inspires each other with an unbreakable bond. Today is Chilean Independence day and we wanted to ask these filmmakers who has inspired them. As a Chileno, I dedicate this to my mother.
Nicolas Lopez - Aftershock
Inspiration: Woody Allen, Alex de la Iglesia, Santiago Segura, Quentin Tarantino, Todd Solondz.
Sebastián Lelio - Gloria
Inspiration: John Cassavetes, Francois Truffaut, Raoul Ruiz, Pier Palo Pasolini, Roberto Rossellini.
Read SydneysBuzz interview with Sebastián Leilo Here
Alice Scherson - Il Futuro
Inspiration: Michelangelo Antonioni, Agnes Varda, Hal Hartley, Alfred Hitchcock, Raul Ruiz.
Marialy Rivas - Joven Y Alocada
Inspiration: Jean Luc Godard, Wim Wenders, Lars Von Trier, Alfred Hitchcock, Antonioni
“I'm going with the classics being cinema such a young art, no?”
Cristian Jimenez - Bonsai
Inspiration: Aki Kaurismaki, Nicholas Ray, Raúl Ruiz, Yasujiro Ozu, Jan Svankmajer
Che Sandoval - Te creís la más linda... (Pero erís la más puta)
Inspiration: Jim Jarmush, John Casavettes, Andrew Bujalsky, John Houston, Jean Luc Godard
Matias Lira - Drama
Inspiration: Werner Herzog, Luchino Visconti, John Cassavetes, David Lynch, Lars Von Trier (From Chile: Raul Ruiz, Andres Wood, Pablo Larrain, Ignacio Agüero, Patricio Guzman)
Rodrigo Marin - Zoologico
Inspiration: Ruben Ostlund, Ulrich Seidl, Yorghos Lanthimos, Cristian Jimenez, James Grey
Ernesto Diaz Espinoza – Santiago Violenta
Inspiration: Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Takeshi Kitano, Alfred Hitchcock
Maria Jose San Martin – La Ducha
Inspiration: Woody Allen, Michael Haneke, Martin Rejim, Rodrigo Garcia, John Cassavetes
Another recent notable Chilean film is The Summer of Flying Fish by Marcela Said
Read Sydney's interview with Marcela Said during Tiff Here
Read our review for the film Here...
- 9/18/2013
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
Denis Villeneuve will have two films in the festival as it emerged that Canadian Features world premiere Enemy starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a man and his doppelganger [pictured] has joined the previously announced Prisoners, also starring Gyllenhaal.
The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce. Also receiving its world premiere is All The Wrong Reasons featuring the final performance by the late Glee star Cory Monteith.
Festival organisers also unveiled Producers Lab Toronto participants and Telefilm Canada Pitch This! finallists, the shorts programme and participants in the tenth Tiff Talent Lab.
“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever...
The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce. Also receiving its world premiere is All The Wrong Reasons featuring the final performance by the late Glee star Cory Monteith.
Festival organisers also unveiled Producers Lab Toronto participants and Telefilm Canada Pitch This! finallists, the shorts programme and participants in the tenth Tiff Talent Lab.
“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever...
- 8/7/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Denis Villeneuve will have two films in the festival as it emerged on Wednesday [7] that Canadian Features world premiere Enemy starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a man and his doppelganger [pictured] has joined the previously announced Prisoners, also starring Gyllenhaal.
The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce.
“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever, biting satire to intimate social commentary, powerful dramas and even a truly magical comedy, the settings and themes vary, but the perspectives are always uniquely Canadian.”
The City Of Toronto and Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film will be given to one of many outstanding...
The Canadian Features selection includes Michael Dowse’s Goon follow-up The F Word, Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm and Chloe Robichaud’s Sarah Prefers To Run as well as work from Jeff Barnaby, Bruce McDonald and Bruce Labruce.
“The scope of this year’s feature films is as broad as Canada’s filmmaking community and demonstrates the deep versatility of our filmmakers,” said Tiff senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “From clever, biting satire to intimate social commentary, powerful dramas and even a truly magical comedy, the settings and themes vary, but the perspectives are always uniquely Canadian.”
The City Of Toronto and Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film will be given to one of many outstanding...
- 8/7/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
A look back at 2012 reveals an undeniable fact, it has been a great year for Latino film. Sundance started the year off strong with films like Aurora Guerrero’s sweet and tender Mosquita y Mari and Marialy Rivas’ rambunctious Joven y Alocada (Young & Wild). Gina Rodriguez broke out in Filly Brown, as a rapper who needs to make it big so she can raise money to get her mom out of jail. In the film, Jenni Rivera played the part of Filly’s mom in her first, and sadly last, movie role.
There was also a strong Latin American presence at Cannes this past summer, boasting films from Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. It might as well have been called Mexi-Cannes, with Mexican films winning awards across all main sections of the festival. Carlos Reygadas was honored as the Best Director for his controversial film Post Tenebras Lux, despite having received boos at its premiere screening. The prize for the Critics’ Week section went to Aquí y Allá (Here and There) and Después de Lucía (After Lucia) won the top prize for Un Certain Regard.
It’s been an especially favorable year for Chilean cinema. The New York Film Festival, in its 50th edition this past Fall, included three highly anticipated films by Pablo Larraín, Valeria Sarmiento, and the late Raúl Ruiz. And Chile continued to outshine the rest of the region by winning two top spots at the Festival Internacional de Nuevo Cine Latino de La Habana (the Havana Film Festival) just a few days ago. Pablo Larraín’s No, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, won the First Coral Prize. It’s a brilliant take on the real life story of an advertising campaign that ousted General Pinochet from power during a shining moment in Chilean politics. Violeta se fue a los cielos (Violeta Went To Heaven), a biopic about internationally famous Violeta de la Parra, a Chilean singer, songwriter, and poet won the Second Prize.
Whether it was at Cannes, Sundance, or countless other festivals, Latino films were winning award after award this year and even getting distribution (albeit usually in limited release). With the flurry of activity surrounding the region’s filmmaking, it can be hard to keep up with it all. Thankfully, there are professionals who get paid to keep track of what movies are receiving accolades, have the most buzz, and got picked up for distribution. LatinoBuzz went straight to the experts, film programmers, to ask, “What’s your top 5 Latino films of 2012?”
Carlos Gutierrez, Co-Founder and Director of Cinema Tropical
In no particular order, a list of five Latin American films that made it to Us screens in the past year (some of them are a couple of years old), which I highly recommend.
De Jueves a Domingo (Thursday Till Sunday), Director: Dominga Sotomayor, Chile
O Som ao Redor (Neighboring Sounds), Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil
El Estudiante, Director: Santiago Mitre, Argentina
El Velador, Director: Natalia Almada, Mexico
El Lugar Más Pequeño (The Tiniest Place), Director: Tatiana Huezo, Mexico/El Salvador
Juan Caceres, Director of Programming at the New York International Latino Film Festival
Mosquita y Mari is a gorgeous film full of heart. Marialy Rivas (Director of Joven y Alocada) is an incredibly exciting new voice in Latin American cinema. She's fearless and full of love. I'm a huge fan of Lucy Mulloy (Director of Una Noche). She draws these wonderful performances from non-professional actors. A natural at using the lens to tell a story. In Las Malas Intenciones Fatima Buntinx plays the lead perfectly. Andres Wood made a beautiful film called 'Machuca', that captured the soul of Chile in the 70's and he does the same with a bio-pic of Violeta Parra, a folk singer who was a part of 'La Nueva Canción Chilena'.
Mosquita y Mari, Director: Aurora Guerrero, USA
Joven y Alocada (Young and Wild), Director: Marialy Rivas, Chile
Una Noche, Director: Lucy Mulloy, Cuba
Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos (Violeta Went to Heaven), Director: Andrés Wood, Chile
Las Malas Intenciones (The Bad Intentions), Director: Rosario García-Montero, Perú
Christine Davila, Programming Associate at Sundance Film Festival
There are way too many Latino films and not enough coverage on American Latino films so with that -- mine are going to be strictly American Latino films.
Los Chidos, Director: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, USA/Mexico
Mosquita y Mari, Director: Aurora Guerrero, USA
Elliot Loves, Director: Terracino, USA
Aquí y Allá (Here and There), Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza, USA/Spain/Mexico
Love, Concord, Director: Gustavo Guardado, USA
Lisa Franek, Artistic Director at the San Diego Latino Film Festival
Just 5?? That's tough! In Filly Brown, Gina Rodriguez turns in a great performance, and I expect to see more great things from her very soon. No, I saw at Cannes, and it was fascinating, especially in contrast to Larraín's previous (amazing) films. La Hora Cero has unforgettable scenes and characters! La Mujer de Ivan has amazing acting, and I believe Maria de Los Angeles Garcia is definitely a talent to watch. Reportero is also fantastic.
La Mujer de Iván, Director: Francisca Silva, Chile
No, Director: Pablo Larraín, Chile/France/USA
La Hora Cero, Director: Diego Velasco, Venezuela
Reportero, Director: Bernardo Ruiz, USA/Mexico
Filly Brown, Directors: Youssef Delara, Michael D. Olmos, USA
Marcela Goglio, Programmer for Latinbeat at The Film Society of Lincoln Center
Las Acacias, Director: Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina
As Cançoes (Songs), Director: Eduardo Coutinho, Brazil
Unfinished Spaces, Directors: Alyssa Nahmias & Benjamin Murray, USA
O Som ao Redor (Neighboring Sounds), Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil
Aquí y Allá (Here and There), Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza, USA/Spain/Mexico
Pepe Vargas, Executive Director of the International Latino Cultural Center and Chicago Latino Film Festival
Not an easy task to come up with 5 titles - there are so many good movies.
La Piel que Habito (The Skin I Live In)
Director: Pedro Almodóvar, Spain
Salvando al Soldado Pérez, (Saving Private Perez)
Director: Beto Gómez, Mexico
Un Cuento Chino (Chinese Take-Out)
Director: Sebastián Borensztein, Argentina/Spain
Lobos de Arga (Game of Werewolves)
Director: Juan Martínez Moreno, Spain
Mariachi Gringo
Director: Tom Gustafson, USA/Mexico
Amalia Cordova, Coordinator of the Latin American Program at the Film and Video Center of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
Granito, Director: Pamela Yates, USA/Guatemala/Spain
Desterro Guarani, Directors: Patricia Ferreira y Ariel Duarte Ortega, Brazil
Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos (Violeta Went to Heaven), Director: Andrés Wood, Chile
5 x Favela – Agora por nós Mesmos (5 x Favela, Now by Ourselves), Directors: Manaíra Carneiro, Wagner Novais, Cacau Amaral, Rodrigo Felha, Luciano Vidigal, Cadu Barcelos, and Luciana Bezerra, Brazil
Un Cuento Chino (Chinese Take-Out), Director: Sebastián Borensztein, Argentina/Spain
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter.
There was also a strong Latin American presence at Cannes this past summer, boasting films from Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. It might as well have been called Mexi-Cannes, with Mexican films winning awards across all main sections of the festival. Carlos Reygadas was honored as the Best Director for his controversial film Post Tenebras Lux, despite having received boos at its premiere screening. The prize for the Critics’ Week section went to Aquí y Allá (Here and There) and Después de Lucía (After Lucia) won the top prize for Un Certain Regard.
It’s been an especially favorable year for Chilean cinema. The New York Film Festival, in its 50th edition this past Fall, included three highly anticipated films by Pablo Larraín, Valeria Sarmiento, and the late Raúl Ruiz. And Chile continued to outshine the rest of the region by winning two top spots at the Festival Internacional de Nuevo Cine Latino de La Habana (the Havana Film Festival) just a few days ago. Pablo Larraín’s No, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, won the First Coral Prize. It’s a brilliant take on the real life story of an advertising campaign that ousted General Pinochet from power during a shining moment in Chilean politics. Violeta se fue a los cielos (Violeta Went To Heaven), a biopic about internationally famous Violeta de la Parra, a Chilean singer, songwriter, and poet won the Second Prize.
Whether it was at Cannes, Sundance, or countless other festivals, Latino films were winning award after award this year and even getting distribution (albeit usually in limited release). With the flurry of activity surrounding the region’s filmmaking, it can be hard to keep up with it all. Thankfully, there are professionals who get paid to keep track of what movies are receiving accolades, have the most buzz, and got picked up for distribution. LatinoBuzz went straight to the experts, film programmers, to ask, “What’s your top 5 Latino films of 2012?”
Carlos Gutierrez, Co-Founder and Director of Cinema Tropical
In no particular order, a list of five Latin American films that made it to Us screens in the past year (some of them are a couple of years old), which I highly recommend.
De Jueves a Domingo (Thursday Till Sunday), Director: Dominga Sotomayor, Chile
O Som ao Redor (Neighboring Sounds), Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil
El Estudiante, Director: Santiago Mitre, Argentina
El Velador, Director: Natalia Almada, Mexico
El Lugar Más Pequeño (The Tiniest Place), Director: Tatiana Huezo, Mexico/El Salvador
Juan Caceres, Director of Programming at the New York International Latino Film Festival
Mosquita y Mari is a gorgeous film full of heart. Marialy Rivas (Director of Joven y Alocada) is an incredibly exciting new voice in Latin American cinema. She's fearless and full of love. I'm a huge fan of Lucy Mulloy (Director of Una Noche). She draws these wonderful performances from non-professional actors. A natural at using the lens to tell a story. In Las Malas Intenciones Fatima Buntinx plays the lead perfectly. Andres Wood made a beautiful film called 'Machuca', that captured the soul of Chile in the 70's and he does the same with a bio-pic of Violeta Parra, a folk singer who was a part of 'La Nueva Canción Chilena'.
Mosquita y Mari, Director: Aurora Guerrero, USA
Joven y Alocada (Young and Wild), Director: Marialy Rivas, Chile
Una Noche, Director: Lucy Mulloy, Cuba
Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos (Violeta Went to Heaven), Director: Andrés Wood, Chile
Las Malas Intenciones (The Bad Intentions), Director: Rosario García-Montero, Perú
Christine Davila, Programming Associate at Sundance Film Festival
There are way too many Latino films and not enough coverage on American Latino films so with that -- mine are going to be strictly American Latino films.
Los Chidos, Director: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, USA/Mexico
Mosquita y Mari, Director: Aurora Guerrero, USA
Elliot Loves, Director: Terracino, USA
Aquí y Allá (Here and There), Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza, USA/Spain/Mexico
Love, Concord, Director: Gustavo Guardado, USA
Lisa Franek, Artistic Director at the San Diego Latino Film Festival
Just 5?? That's tough! In Filly Brown, Gina Rodriguez turns in a great performance, and I expect to see more great things from her very soon. No, I saw at Cannes, and it was fascinating, especially in contrast to Larraín's previous (amazing) films. La Hora Cero has unforgettable scenes and characters! La Mujer de Ivan has amazing acting, and I believe Maria de Los Angeles Garcia is definitely a talent to watch. Reportero is also fantastic.
La Mujer de Iván, Director: Francisca Silva, Chile
No, Director: Pablo Larraín, Chile/France/USA
La Hora Cero, Director: Diego Velasco, Venezuela
Reportero, Director: Bernardo Ruiz, USA/Mexico
Filly Brown, Directors: Youssef Delara, Michael D. Olmos, USA
Marcela Goglio, Programmer for Latinbeat at The Film Society of Lincoln Center
Las Acacias, Director: Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina
As Cançoes (Songs), Director: Eduardo Coutinho, Brazil
Unfinished Spaces, Directors: Alyssa Nahmias & Benjamin Murray, USA
O Som ao Redor (Neighboring Sounds), Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil
Aquí y Allá (Here and There), Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza, USA/Spain/Mexico
Pepe Vargas, Executive Director of the International Latino Cultural Center and Chicago Latino Film Festival
Not an easy task to come up with 5 titles - there are so many good movies.
La Piel que Habito (The Skin I Live In)
Director: Pedro Almodóvar, Spain
Salvando al Soldado Pérez, (Saving Private Perez)
Director: Beto Gómez, Mexico
Un Cuento Chino (Chinese Take-Out)
Director: Sebastián Borensztein, Argentina/Spain
Lobos de Arga (Game of Werewolves)
Director: Juan Martínez Moreno, Spain
Mariachi Gringo
Director: Tom Gustafson, USA/Mexico
Amalia Cordova, Coordinator of the Latin American Program at the Film and Video Center of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
Granito, Director: Pamela Yates, USA/Guatemala/Spain
Desterro Guarani, Directors: Patricia Ferreira y Ariel Duarte Ortega, Brazil
Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos (Violeta Went to Heaven), Director: Andrés Wood, Chile
5 x Favela – Agora por nós Mesmos (5 x Favela, Now by Ourselves), Directors: Manaíra Carneiro, Wagner Novais, Cacau Amaral, Rodrigo Felha, Luciano Vidigal, Cadu Barcelos, and Luciana Bezerra, Brazil
Un Cuento Chino (Chinese Take-Out), Director: Sebastián Borensztein, Argentina/Spain
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter.
- 12/19/2012
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
Glad you asked. Now that the entire programming slate has been announced for the 2013 edition of the Sundance Film Festival, let’s take a look at the representation of Latinos in the broadest, most diverse sense, because that is what that ill-defined lump category encompasses. {Full disclosure: I work as a Programming Associate for the Festival. These are not reviews but an insider breaking-it-down preview}
At first glance the Latino representation may not seem obvious. Nor may it seem as strong as the films and filmmakers from the African-American and Lgbt community representing, or the record breaking number of female directors’ – each group highly visible by their nature. We may not have a Mosquita y Mari or Filly Brown, two fiction films, which broke out of the festival this past year, but we do have two hugely relevant and urgent documentaries, Narco Cultura which explores the phenomenal music and social culture being shaped and perpetuated by the influence of Mexico’s violent drug cartels, and Who Is Dayani Cristal? an innovative doc-fiction hybrid produced by Gael Garcia Bernal that will hopefully re-divert much needed attention back to the Us/Mexico border. By the way, Who is Dayani Cristal? screens in the high profile Day One slot.
What’s Latino anyway?
I personally embrace the responsibility of changing the conversation as to what constitutes representing American Latinos. First, by focusing on both the above-the- line-talent (filmmaker or actor) And storyline/subject. The second part is highlighting the second, third, fourth and so-on generations of filmmakers. What about the filmmakers in the festival like Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G), Liz W. Garcia (The Lifeguard) and Eduardo Sanchez (S-vhs horror anthology and co-director of the infamous Blair Witch Project)? I don’t know these filmmakers personally so I can’t speak to how they might view their cultural identities and how it informs their work, if at all. But I do believe it is worth pointing out and feeling good about these last names being out there as part of the mainstream fabric. It is similar to how Robert Rodriguez does not identify himself as a Mexican-American yet his last name has been key to driving the younger Latino generation in feeling a proud connection as an American and not just “dash” American.
Chile is still hot
There are three films from Chilean filmmakers. In unprecedented fashion – because that’s how Sundance likes to roll- there is a repeat of last year with two in competition, El Futuro by Alicia Scherson (mostly taking place in Italy) and Magic Fairy by Sebastian Silva, an alumnus who broke out in 2009 with La Nana. In the section Spotlight aka “Movies we love and don’t care if they’ve traveled the festival circuit”, is Pablo Larrain’s No starring Gael Garcia Bernal. Chilean cinema is hot and king of engrossing character-driven fare. What we are seeing is a boom on two fronts; an invigorating new generation of provocateurs (Marialy Rivas’s Young & Wild comes to mind) and a slightly older generation of equally exciting filmmakers who continue to sustain their careers with their distinct voice (like Pablo Larrain along with Andres Wood).
So now lets dive in and look at the list. Loglines copied from official press release – Bold Italics are my comments.
Us Dramatic Competition
Fruitvale / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.
Puerto-Rican Diaz delivers a fiercely moving performance embodying the girlfriend of Oscar Grant who was with him that fateful day. Diaz is no stranger to the festival. She’s previously been at the festival with four films including seminal indie American Latino story, Raising Victor Vargas 2002 and comedies like Hamlet 2 20008. Why homegirl hasn’t gotten more props for her mad acting skills I don’t know, but this girl is wildly talented and Fruitvale showcases her dramatic chops.
Us Documentary Competition
Narco Cultura / U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by an La narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s Drug War.
Absolutely arresting photography that works in giving weight to the violent images the public has become numb from seeing. I predict some of my hard core brown and proud friends might focus and hence diminish this film based on the fact that this bi-cultural, Mexican-American subject is made by non-Latino filmmakers. It could be argued as a valid point. When it comes to documentaries a legit question to make when evaluating is “What makes This person the right one to tackle This subject? What is their connection?” Let’s watch it to find out, then give consideration to what other docs are currently out there on this same timely topic made by Latinos, and without bias regard their depth and artistic merit.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Crystal Fairy / Chile (Director and screenwriter: Sebastián Silva) — Jamie invites a stranger to join a road trip to Chile. The woman’s free and esoteric nature clashes with Jamie’s acidic, self-absorbed personality as they head into the desert for a Mescaline-fueled psychedelic trip. Cast: Michael Cera, Gabby Hoffmann, Juan Andrés Silva, José Miguel Silva, Agustín Silva. World Premiere. Day One Film
This marks Sebastian’s third appearance at the festival following La Nana and Gatos Viejos. Remember what I said about character driven? Silva excels at getting at spilling out the insides of his protagonists.
The Future / Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Alicia Scherson) — When their parents die, Bianca starts to smoke and Tomas is still a virgin. The orphans explore the dangerous streets of adulthood until Bianca finds Maciste, a retired Mr. Universe, and enters his dark mansion in search of a future. Cast: Manuela Martelli, Rutger Hauer, Luigi Ciardo, Nicolas Vaporidis, Alessandro Giallocosta. World Premiere
Scherson’s last film, Turistas screened at various film festivals including the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2009. Shot in another country and in a different language, The Future continues the filmmaker’s incisive capturing of the strong female led journey.
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Who is Dayani Cristal? / United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. Day One Film
An extraordinary cinematic and symbolic approach to the border crossing genre, this meta reflexive journey retraced by none other than Gael Garcia Bernal imagines the grueling experience of a migrant and who he might have been. Bernal has been lending his star power to the social justice causes that move him and you can tell its genuine.
New Frontier
Halley / Mexico (Director: Sebastian Hofmann, Screenwriters: Sebastian Hofmann, Julio Chavezmontes) — Alberto is dead and can no longer hide it. Before surrendering to his living death, he forms an unusual friendship with Luly, the manager of the 24-hour gym where he works as a night guard. Cast: Alberto Trujillo, Lourdes Trueba, Hugo Albores
As unsettling it is watch, its as deep to ponder, this incredibly-shot first feature had its world premiere at the Morelia Film Festival and its inclusion in the most daring section of the festival speaks to the highly diverse and radical new cinema coming from Mexico.
Spotlight
No / Chile, U.S.A. (Director: Pablo Larraín, Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano) — When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum to decide his permanence in power, the opposition persuades a young advertising executive to head its campaign. With limited resources and under scrutiny, he conceives a plan to win the election. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana.
There have been many films about the Pinochet regime and its wide-reaching after effects. But none have had as unique an entry point as No. Trust.
Midnight
We Are What We Are / U.S.A. (Director: Jim Mickle, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Jim Mickle) — A devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer and closer to the cannibalistic Parker family. Cast: Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell, Kelly McGillis.
Okay, I only include this because this is based on the Mexican cult hit, Somos Lo que Hay by Jorge Michel Grau. Jim Mickle of Stakeland has promised to “Not Fuck it Up per Twitch interview
To cap off the features; Stalwart Spanish actor Alfred Molina is in Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes by Francesca Gregorini in Us Dramatic Competition, and we have a strong acting splash by Marcus DeAnda, a co-lead in Pit Stop directed by Yen Tan and co-written by David Lowery. The film about two gay working class lovers in small town Texas is in the Next section.
And lets not forget about shorts!
Short Film Competition
Broken Night / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Guillermo Arriaga) — A young woman and her four-year-old daughter drive across desolated hills. Everything looks fine and they seem to enjoy the ride, until an accident sends them into the nightmare of darkness.
Ever since writing and directing team Arriga and Innaritu broke up (Amores Perros, Babel) Arriaga has been trying to make his stamp directing his own material.
The Companion / Peru (Director and screenwriter: Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio) — On the outskirts of Lima, a young prostitute tends to his father, a fallen-from-grace artisan. However, the young man feels that his efforts are never enough. He tries to break free, but his father’s dependence is stronger than his son’s will.
Intriguing and highly atmospheric gem from Peru!
Chicago? Check. Mexicans check! No, but really this intimate glimpse is poetic and moving.
A Story for the Modlins / Spain (Director: Sergio Oksman, Screenwriter: Sergio Oksman) —The tale of Elmer Modlin, who, after appearing in Rosemary’s Baby, fled with his family to a far-off country and shut himself away in a dark apartment for 30 years.
Must see. Fascinating and inventive ‘Found family photos’ yarn.
#PostModem / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva) — A comedic, satirical, sci-fi pop musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists, #PostModem is the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.
My favorite locos from Miami. After making the rounds with Life & Freaky Times of Uncle Luke, which played last year, these rump-shakers have been busy with their work in and out of their funky audiovisual collective Borscht Corp.
If you are heading to Park City I highly recommend you register to purchase Advance tickets here. See you on the mountain!
At first glance the Latino representation may not seem obvious. Nor may it seem as strong as the films and filmmakers from the African-American and Lgbt community representing, or the record breaking number of female directors’ – each group highly visible by their nature. We may not have a Mosquita y Mari or Filly Brown, two fiction films, which broke out of the festival this past year, but we do have two hugely relevant and urgent documentaries, Narco Cultura which explores the phenomenal music and social culture being shaped and perpetuated by the influence of Mexico’s violent drug cartels, and Who Is Dayani Cristal? an innovative doc-fiction hybrid produced by Gael Garcia Bernal that will hopefully re-divert much needed attention back to the Us/Mexico border. By the way, Who is Dayani Cristal? screens in the high profile Day One slot.
What’s Latino anyway?
I personally embrace the responsibility of changing the conversation as to what constitutes representing American Latinos. First, by focusing on both the above-the- line-talent (filmmaker or actor) And storyline/subject. The second part is highlighting the second, third, fourth and so-on generations of filmmakers. What about the filmmakers in the festival like Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G), Liz W. Garcia (The Lifeguard) and Eduardo Sanchez (S-vhs horror anthology and co-director of the infamous Blair Witch Project)? I don’t know these filmmakers personally so I can’t speak to how they might view their cultural identities and how it informs their work, if at all. But I do believe it is worth pointing out and feeling good about these last names being out there as part of the mainstream fabric. It is similar to how Robert Rodriguez does not identify himself as a Mexican-American yet his last name has been key to driving the younger Latino generation in feeling a proud connection as an American and not just “dash” American.
Chile is still hot
There are three films from Chilean filmmakers. In unprecedented fashion – because that’s how Sundance likes to roll- there is a repeat of last year with two in competition, El Futuro by Alicia Scherson (mostly taking place in Italy) and Magic Fairy by Sebastian Silva, an alumnus who broke out in 2009 with La Nana. In the section Spotlight aka “Movies we love and don’t care if they’ve traveled the festival circuit”, is Pablo Larrain’s No starring Gael Garcia Bernal. Chilean cinema is hot and king of engrossing character-driven fare. What we are seeing is a boom on two fronts; an invigorating new generation of provocateurs (Marialy Rivas’s Young & Wild comes to mind) and a slightly older generation of equally exciting filmmakers who continue to sustain their careers with their distinct voice (like Pablo Larrain along with Andres Wood).
So now lets dive in and look at the list. Loglines copied from official press release – Bold Italics are my comments.
Us Dramatic Competition
Fruitvale / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray.
Puerto-Rican Diaz delivers a fiercely moving performance embodying the girlfriend of Oscar Grant who was with him that fateful day. Diaz is no stranger to the festival. She’s previously been at the festival with four films including seminal indie American Latino story, Raising Victor Vargas 2002 and comedies like Hamlet 2 20008. Why homegirl hasn’t gotten more props for her mad acting skills I don’t know, but this girl is wildly talented and Fruitvale showcases her dramatic chops.
Us Documentary Competition
Narco Cultura / U.S.A. (Director: Shaul Schwarz) — An examination of Mexican drug cartels’ influence in pop culture on both sides of the border as experienced by an La narcocorrido singer dreaming of stardom and a Juarez crime scene investigator on the front line of Mexico’s Drug War.
Absolutely arresting photography that works in giving weight to the violent images the public has become numb from seeing. I predict some of my hard core brown and proud friends might focus and hence diminish this film based on the fact that this bi-cultural, Mexican-American subject is made by non-Latino filmmakers. It could be argued as a valid point. When it comes to documentaries a legit question to make when evaluating is “What makes This person the right one to tackle This subject? What is their connection?” Let’s watch it to find out, then give consideration to what other docs are currently out there on this same timely topic made by Latinos, and without bias regard their depth and artistic merit.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Crystal Fairy / Chile (Director and screenwriter: Sebastián Silva) — Jamie invites a stranger to join a road trip to Chile. The woman’s free and esoteric nature clashes with Jamie’s acidic, self-absorbed personality as they head into the desert for a Mescaline-fueled psychedelic trip. Cast: Michael Cera, Gabby Hoffmann, Juan Andrés Silva, José Miguel Silva, Agustín Silva. World Premiere. Day One Film
This marks Sebastian’s third appearance at the festival following La Nana and Gatos Viejos. Remember what I said about character driven? Silva excels at getting at spilling out the insides of his protagonists.
The Future / Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Alicia Scherson) — When their parents die, Bianca starts to smoke and Tomas is still a virgin. The orphans explore the dangerous streets of adulthood until Bianca finds Maciste, a retired Mr. Universe, and enters his dark mansion in search of a future. Cast: Manuela Martelli, Rutger Hauer, Luigi Ciardo, Nicolas Vaporidis, Alessandro Giallocosta. World Premiere
Scherson’s last film, Turistas screened at various film festivals including the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2009. Shot in another country and in a different language, The Future continues the filmmaker’s incisive capturing of the strong female led journey.
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Who is Dayani Cristal? / United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) — An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere. Day One Film
An extraordinary cinematic and symbolic approach to the border crossing genre, this meta reflexive journey retraced by none other than Gael Garcia Bernal imagines the grueling experience of a migrant and who he might have been. Bernal has been lending his star power to the social justice causes that move him and you can tell its genuine.
New Frontier
Halley / Mexico (Director: Sebastian Hofmann, Screenwriters: Sebastian Hofmann, Julio Chavezmontes) — Alberto is dead and can no longer hide it. Before surrendering to his living death, he forms an unusual friendship with Luly, the manager of the 24-hour gym where he works as a night guard. Cast: Alberto Trujillo, Lourdes Trueba, Hugo Albores
As unsettling it is watch, its as deep to ponder, this incredibly-shot first feature had its world premiere at the Morelia Film Festival and its inclusion in the most daring section of the festival speaks to the highly diverse and radical new cinema coming from Mexico.
Spotlight
No / Chile, U.S.A. (Director: Pablo Larraín, Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano) — When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum to decide his permanence in power, the opposition persuades a young advertising executive to head its campaign. With limited resources and under scrutiny, he conceives a plan to win the election. Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Luis Gnecco, Marcial Tagle, Néstor Cantillana.
There have been many films about the Pinochet regime and its wide-reaching after effects. But none have had as unique an entry point as No. Trust.
Midnight
We Are What We Are / U.S.A. (Director: Jim Mickle, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Jim Mickle) — A devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer and closer to the cannibalistic Parker family. Cast: Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell, Kelly McGillis.
Okay, I only include this because this is based on the Mexican cult hit, Somos Lo que Hay by Jorge Michel Grau. Jim Mickle of Stakeland has promised to “Not Fuck it Up per Twitch interview
To cap off the features; Stalwart Spanish actor Alfred Molina is in Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes by Francesca Gregorini in Us Dramatic Competition, and we have a strong acting splash by Marcus DeAnda, a co-lead in Pit Stop directed by Yen Tan and co-written by David Lowery. The film about two gay working class lovers in small town Texas is in the Next section.
And lets not forget about shorts!
Short Film Competition
Broken Night / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Guillermo Arriaga) — A young woman and her four-year-old daughter drive across desolated hills. Everything looks fine and they seem to enjoy the ride, until an accident sends them into the nightmare of darkness.
Ever since writing and directing team Arriga and Innaritu broke up (Amores Perros, Babel) Arriaga has been trying to make his stamp directing his own material.
The Companion / Peru (Director and screenwriter: Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio) — On the outskirts of Lima, a young prostitute tends to his father, a fallen-from-grace artisan. However, the young man feels that his efforts are never enough. He tries to break free, but his father’s dependence is stronger than his son’s will.
Intriguing and highly atmospheric gem from Peru!
Chicago? Check. Mexicans check! No, but really this intimate glimpse is poetic and moving.
A Story for the Modlins / Spain (Director: Sergio Oksman, Screenwriter: Sergio Oksman) —The tale of Elmer Modlin, who, after appearing in Rosemary’s Baby, fled with his family to a far-off country and shut himself away in a dark apartment for 30 years.
Must see. Fascinating and inventive ‘Found family photos’ yarn.
#PostModem / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva) — A comedic, satirical, sci-fi pop musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists, #PostModem is the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.
My favorite locos from Miami. After making the rounds with Life & Freaky Times of Uncle Luke, which played last year, these rump-shakers have been busy with their work in and out of their funky audiovisual collective Borscht Corp.
If you are heading to Park City I highly recommend you register to purchase Advance tickets here. See you on the mountain!
- 12/5/2012
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
Who wins the World Cinema Screenwriting Award at Sundance and accepts it with: “I don’t speak very well English, but I want to say thanks and have a lot of sex”? Marialy Rivas does. That’s how dope she is. Marialy is part of a new generation of Chilean filmmakers such as Pablo Larrain, Cristian Jimenez, Dominga Sotomayor and Alicia Scherson, that are a re-birth in the country’s cinema much like La Nouvelle Vague. It’s provocative, daring, exciting and it’s especially non conforming. Her feature debut, the hyperactive and sexy ‘Joven Y Alocada’ (‘Young And Wild’)(Isa: Elle Driver) had its New York premiere recently at NewFest.
LatinoBuzz:How can you best describe the wave of young daring filmmakers that are coming out of Chile? Where did it come from? And is it a result of a generation of artists that were born under the dictatorship?
Marialy Rivas:I think that we had great Chilean filmmakers during the 70's that where killed during the dictatorship, only a few like Raul Ruiz or Patricio Guzman survived but they were exiled or they move to other countries in fear for their lives. All Cinema Schools were closed. Somehow, after more than 20 years of democracy, finally there is a new wave of filmmakers able to reconnect with those voices that were erased from our lives. The support of the State through grants (that mostly seeks a strong art proposal), the fact that we are all first timers and that there is no "industry" in the country has two consequences that I guess are resulting in a good mix; in one hand we are very free because we have no proper training or the pressures to answer to any kind of industry standard and at the same time because our country is small and so far away we are very conscious that we have to have a loud and clear voice to speak to the world.
LatinoBuzz: Why film?
Marialy Rivas:Because I was never able to love anything else. When I was 7 years old I decided to become a filmmaker, it felt like a calling and I have pursued that calling my whole life. In retrospective I think it had a lot to do with the fact that my parents around that age kicked off the TV from the house so I started going to the movies, any kind of movies three times a weeks. I remember being 10 or 12 and going alone to watch an American blockbuster like "No Retreat, No Surrender" and the next day Andrey Tarkovskiy's ‘Offret’. It felt like a ritual, like something so personal and intimate that was only mine, it was like being in love.
LatinoBuzz:If you could re-make a film which is it and who do you cast?
Marialy Rivas:I would do Saló all over again with American indie stars like Carey Mulligan, Fassbender, Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Gosling so they get fully naked all together once and for all.
LatinoBuzz:If two filmmakers were lovers and named their child Marialy Rivas, who are they?
Marialy Rivas: I wish my dad was Godard and my mom Leni Riefenstahl (scary) or a fantastic mom can also be Gus Van Sant.
LatinoBuzz:What song describes you best?
MarialyRivas: A mash up between ‘Gracias a la Vida’ by Violeta Parra and ‘Erotica’ by Madonna.
LatinoBuzz: Is there a film from your childhood that you thought was great but in retrospect was so goddamn awful?
Marialy Rivas:I was in love with Footloose, the story of this guy rebelling against the town religious craziness just killed me. I watched again with a friend like a week ago and realized that it wasn’t as good as in my memory, specially the camera and the light work. I keep loving the story and the dance scenes though.
I also used to watch “The Sound of Music” once a week on my neighbors house, we did planed to make it as a musical with all the kids from the Neighborhood. That one I still love very much.
LatinoBuzz:When you make a film, are you thinking about receiving acceptance?
Marialy Rivas:I think the experience of cinema is not complete till it arrives to an audience, is the coronation of the experience; you are ultimately having a conversation with them. I moved to NY for a couple of years and I remember being in the middle of the street standing up between hundreds of people passing me by. I kept thinking, we are crossing each other for this split tiny second and never again, I felt like hugging each one of them. And there I thought, “I hope that when I make a movie I will be able to reach out to most of them.
Acceptance is not what I think about though, I fall in love with the stories, madly in love and I can't think or do anything else, but I do wanna connect with an audience at the end, to show them the beauty I saw in the story to begin with, to provoke them, to communicate with them in as many ways as possible.
LatinoBuzz:What was the happiest moment in your life?
Marialy Rivas: Uff, so many. I am a very happy person I must say. If I have to summarize I can recount three:
1. The first time I had sex.
2. When they called me from Cannes to tell me I was being selected in the official competition with my short film ‘Blokes’.
3. When I was driving home after my last birthday this April and this feeling of perfection suddenly hit me. It was like a state of grace. Nothing in particular triggered it, I wasn’t drunk or high, I just realized how wonderful my life was and I was so deeply grateful and in joy for it that I stay up till 10am looking at the ceiling crying and smiling (again I don’t drink or do drugs and I’m not a hippie either).
LatinoBuzz: Let’s say Pablo Neruda and Matilde invited you over to their home on La Isla Negra. Who’s your date and what wine do you take?
Marialy Rivas: I imagine taking a modern version of Amelia Earhart with the face and body of Greta Garbo (yes, I aim high) and Vino Navegado, a Chilean preparation of hot wine, orange, cinnamon and more, to be able to actually drink it.
LatinoBuzz: Five years from now people will people say about Marialy?
Marialy Rivas: Wow, I wish they were talking at least about two more movies that I have done. Ah! And: How hot and smart her wife is and such beautiful kids!
For info on ‘Joven Y Alocada’ visit: www.facebook.com/jovenyalocadalapelicula
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter.
LatinoBuzz:How can you best describe the wave of young daring filmmakers that are coming out of Chile? Where did it come from? And is it a result of a generation of artists that were born under the dictatorship?
Marialy Rivas:I think that we had great Chilean filmmakers during the 70's that where killed during the dictatorship, only a few like Raul Ruiz or Patricio Guzman survived but they were exiled or they move to other countries in fear for their lives. All Cinema Schools were closed. Somehow, after more than 20 years of democracy, finally there is a new wave of filmmakers able to reconnect with those voices that were erased from our lives. The support of the State through grants (that mostly seeks a strong art proposal), the fact that we are all first timers and that there is no "industry" in the country has two consequences that I guess are resulting in a good mix; in one hand we are very free because we have no proper training or the pressures to answer to any kind of industry standard and at the same time because our country is small and so far away we are very conscious that we have to have a loud and clear voice to speak to the world.
LatinoBuzz: Why film?
Marialy Rivas:Because I was never able to love anything else. When I was 7 years old I decided to become a filmmaker, it felt like a calling and I have pursued that calling my whole life. In retrospective I think it had a lot to do with the fact that my parents around that age kicked off the TV from the house so I started going to the movies, any kind of movies three times a weeks. I remember being 10 or 12 and going alone to watch an American blockbuster like "No Retreat, No Surrender" and the next day Andrey Tarkovskiy's ‘Offret’. It felt like a ritual, like something so personal and intimate that was only mine, it was like being in love.
LatinoBuzz:If you could re-make a film which is it and who do you cast?
Marialy Rivas:I would do Saló all over again with American indie stars like Carey Mulligan, Fassbender, Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Gosling so they get fully naked all together once and for all.
LatinoBuzz:If two filmmakers were lovers and named their child Marialy Rivas, who are they?
Marialy Rivas: I wish my dad was Godard and my mom Leni Riefenstahl (scary) or a fantastic mom can also be Gus Van Sant.
LatinoBuzz:What song describes you best?
MarialyRivas: A mash up between ‘Gracias a la Vida’ by Violeta Parra and ‘Erotica’ by Madonna.
LatinoBuzz: Is there a film from your childhood that you thought was great but in retrospect was so goddamn awful?
Marialy Rivas:I was in love with Footloose, the story of this guy rebelling against the town religious craziness just killed me. I watched again with a friend like a week ago and realized that it wasn’t as good as in my memory, specially the camera and the light work. I keep loving the story and the dance scenes though.
I also used to watch “The Sound of Music” once a week on my neighbors house, we did planed to make it as a musical with all the kids from the Neighborhood. That one I still love very much.
LatinoBuzz:When you make a film, are you thinking about receiving acceptance?
Marialy Rivas:I think the experience of cinema is not complete till it arrives to an audience, is the coronation of the experience; you are ultimately having a conversation with them. I moved to NY for a couple of years and I remember being in the middle of the street standing up between hundreds of people passing me by. I kept thinking, we are crossing each other for this split tiny second and never again, I felt like hugging each one of them. And there I thought, “I hope that when I make a movie I will be able to reach out to most of them.
Acceptance is not what I think about though, I fall in love with the stories, madly in love and I can't think or do anything else, but I do wanna connect with an audience at the end, to show them the beauty I saw in the story to begin with, to provoke them, to communicate with them in as many ways as possible.
LatinoBuzz:What was the happiest moment in your life?
Marialy Rivas: Uff, so many. I am a very happy person I must say. If I have to summarize I can recount three:
1. The first time I had sex.
2. When they called me from Cannes to tell me I was being selected in the official competition with my short film ‘Blokes’.
3. When I was driving home after my last birthday this April and this feeling of perfection suddenly hit me. It was like a state of grace. Nothing in particular triggered it, I wasn’t drunk or high, I just realized how wonderful my life was and I was so deeply grateful and in joy for it that I stay up till 10am looking at the ceiling crying and smiling (again I don’t drink or do drugs and I’m not a hippie either).
LatinoBuzz: Let’s say Pablo Neruda and Matilde invited you over to their home on La Isla Negra. Who’s your date and what wine do you take?
Marialy Rivas: I imagine taking a modern version of Amelia Earhart with the face and body of Greta Garbo (yes, I aim high) and Vino Navegado, a Chilean preparation of hot wine, orange, cinnamon and more, to be able to actually drink it.
LatinoBuzz: Five years from now people will people say about Marialy?
Marialy Rivas: Wow, I wish they were talking at least about two more movies that I have done. Ah! And: How hot and smart her wife is and such beautiful kids!
For info on ‘Joven Y Alocada’ visit: www.facebook.com/jovenyalocadalapelicula
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter.
- 8/8/2012
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
Outfest 2012, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (Lgbt) media, has announced the award winners of its 30th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
The nation’s leading Lgbt festival and the oldest continuously running film festival in the city ran from July 12th to 22nd. Outfest 2012 closed with Brian Dannelly’s Struck by Lightning, starring Chris Colfer. Allison Janney, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney and Ashley Rickards.
Special Programming Awards
Special Programming Award for Freedom
Sponsored by The Mondrian Los Angeles
I Am A Woman Now, Directed by Michiel van Erp
For illuminating the stories of the first generation of transwomen who forged their paths with grace, courage, and fabulousness and the pioneering surgeon who changed history for transpeople everywhere, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Freedom goes to I Am A Woman Now, directed by Michiel van Erp.
Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement
Sponsored by Fandango
She Male Snails, Directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark
For its bold imagination, provocative storytelling, striking imagery and unshakable emotional impact, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement goes to Ester Martin Bergsmark, director of She Male Snails.
Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent
Sponsored by Katten Muchin Rosenmann Llp
Marialy Rivas, Writer/Director
For crafting a stylistically fearless film to match the excitement, danger and chaos that can erupt with youthful sexual exploration, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent goes to Marialy Rivas, the writer/director of Young & Wild.
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by Ramada Plaza Hotel West Hollywood
A Force Of Nature, Directed by Barbara Kopple
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Wolfe Video
The First Date, Directed by Janella Lacson
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios
I Stand Corrected, Directed by Andrea Meyerson
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Innovative Artists
Any Day Now, Directed by Travis Fine
Audience Award for Outstanding First U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by HBO (cash prize of $5,000 from HBO)
Mosquita Y Mari, (Isa:Film Collaborative), Directed by Aurora Guerrero
Jury Awards
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios
The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, Directed by Antony Osso.
For its sensitive portrayal of enduring love that spans seven decades, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film goes to The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, directed by Antony Osso.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Cre – Computer Rentals & Av Solutions
Dol (First Birthday), Directed Andrew Ahn
For its honest exploration of the complexities of culture, family and relationships, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film to Dol (First Birthday), directed by Andrew Ahn.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
Sponsored by Avalon
Wildness, Directed by Wu Tsang
With beautiful cinematography, a vibrant score and poetic storytelling, this year’s winning documentary succeeded in taking on the complexities of class, culture and difference in a most timely and brave fashion. The Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film goes to Wildness, directed by Wu Tsang.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by The Los Angeles Athletic Club
My Brother The Devil, Directed by Sally El Hosaini
For its taut narrative, sensitive interrogation of masculinity, excellent performances by an ensemble cast, and intense cinematic experience, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film goes to My Brother The Devil, directed by Sally El Hosaini.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film
Sponsored by The Avenue Hollywood
Fenessa Pineda, Mosquita Y Mari
This actress brought nuance and subtlety to a fresh coming of age story. For beautifully capturing the fleeting moments of transition from innocence to curiosity to self-discovery, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film goes to Fenessa Pineda in Mosquita Y Mari.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film
Alan Cumming, Any Day Now
For bringing depth, humor, fierce wit, and emotional integrity to a moving portrait of a man who unexpectedly finds a family and the strength to fight for it, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film goes to Alan Cumming in Any Day Now.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting
Sponsored by Yellow Cab
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, Keep The Lights On
For masterfully constructing an emotionally honest portrait of a relationship that spans the better part of a decade and artfully weaving the mundane and the momentous, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting goes to Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias for Keep The Lights On.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue
Keep The Lights On, (Isa: Films Boutique), Directed by Ira Sachs
This film resonated with us for its confidence, complexity, and emotional intelligence. For taking us on a challenging but poetic journey through the landscape of a long-term relationship, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film goes to Keep The Lights On, directed by Ira Sachs.
For more information, log on to http://www.outfest.org/fest2012/
To download high-res images, please visit: ftp://ftp.mprm.com/outfest2012
Outfest 2012: The 30th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is presented by HBO. Grand Sponsors include Absolut and Ease Entertainment Services. Under the Stars Series Sponsor is presented by Oxygen. The Automotive Partner is Mini. Other sponsors at the Premiere level include: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Directors Guild of America, Directv, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times, Merrill Lynch, Out, Variety and 104.3MYfm, The Official Sponsors are Barefoot Wines, Big Picture Group, Coca-Cola, Luca Bites, Lichter Yu & Associates, NBCUniversal, Orbitz, Propaganda Media, Room & Board, Southwest Airlines, Stella Artois, techpal, and Verizon Wireless. Day Sponsors are The David Geffen Foundation, Frontiers/InLA, Hollywood & Highland, Instinct Magazine, The Lesbian News, Lifetime, Logo, Sony Pictures, and Wells Fargo, Organizational Funders: Andrew Kuehn Foundation, City of West Hollywood, Department of Cultural Affairs, Hollywood Foreign Press, and Los Angeles County Arts. For more information about Outfest 2012 sponsorship, visit www.outfest.org/sponsor.
About Outfest
Outfest celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2012 with a yearlong celebration honoring the organization's rich film history, innovative filmmakers and cultural legacy. The anniversary celebration includes the signature film festival, a major film restoration, a new logo, a new monthly screening series and a comprehensive social media campaign. Founded by volunteers on the campus of UCLA in 1982, Outfest has grown into an internationally recognized organization that works to promote Lgbt equality through the arts. For three decades Outfest has brought together film lovers, artists, celebrities and entertainment industry professionals to create a world-class forum for stories that reflect and often transform Lgbt lives. Outfest has showcased over 5,600 films to audiences, reaching close to one million people, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers and protected over 18,000 stories and images through the Outfest Legacy Project for Lgbt Film Preservation, the only program of its kind in the world.
The nation’s leading Lgbt festival and the oldest continuously running film festival in the city ran from July 12th to 22nd. Outfest 2012 closed with Brian Dannelly’s Struck by Lightning, starring Chris Colfer. Allison Janney, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney and Ashley Rickards.
Special Programming Awards
Special Programming Award for Freedom
Sponsored by The Mondrian Los Angeles
I Am A Woman Now, Directed by Michiel van Erp
For illuminating the stories of the first generation of transwomen who forged their paths with grace, courage, and fabulousness and the pioneering surgeon who changed history for transpeople everywhere, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Freedom goes to I Am A Woman Now, directed by Michiel van Erp.
Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement
Sponsored by Fandango
She Male Snails, Directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark
For its bold imagination, provocative storytelling, striking imagery and unshakable emotional impact, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement goes to Ester Martin Bergsmark, director of She Male Snails.
Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent
Sponsored by Katten Muchin Rosenmann Llp
Marialy Rivas, Writer/Director
For crafting a stylistically fearless film to match the excitement, danger and chaos that can erupt with youthful sexual exploration, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent goes to Marialy Rivas, the writer/director of Young & Wild.
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by Ramada Plaza Hotel West Hollywood
A Force Of Nature, Directed by Barbara Kopple
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Wolfe Video
The First Date, Directed by Janella Lacson
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios
I Stand Corrected, Directed by Andrea Meyerson
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Innovative Artists
Any Day Now, Directed by Travis Fine
Audience Award for Outstanding First U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by HBO (cash prize of $5,000 from HBO)
Mosquita Y Mari, (Isa:Film Collaborative), Directed by Aurora Guerrero
Jury Awards
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios
The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, Directed by Antony Osso.
For its sensitive portrayal of enduring love that spans seven decades, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film goes to The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, directed by Antony Osso.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Cre – Computer Rentals & Av Solutions
Dol (First Birthday), Directed Andrew Ahn
For its honest exploration of the complexities of culture, family and relationships, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film to Dol (First Birthday), directed by Andrew Ahn.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
Sponsored by Avalon
Wildness, Directed by Wu Tsang
With beautiful cinematography, a vibrant score and poetic storytelling, this year’s winning documentary succeeded in taking on the complexities of class, culture and difference in a most timely and brave fashion. The Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film goes to Wildness, directed by Wu Tsang.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by The Los Angeles Athletic Club
My Brother The Devil, Directed by Sally El Hosaini
For its taut narrative, sensitive interrogation of masculinity, excellent performances by an ensemble cast, and intense cinematic experience, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film goes to My Brother The Devil, directed by Sally El Hosaini.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film
Sponsored by The Avenue Hollywood
Fenessa Pineda, Mosquita Y Mari
This actress brought nuance and subtlety to a fresh coming of age story. For beautifully capturing the fleeting moments of transition from innocence to curiosity to self-discovery, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film goes to Fenessa Pineda in Mosquita Y Mari.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film
Alan Cumming, Any Day Now
For bringing depth, humor, fierce wit, and emotional integrity to a moving portrait of a man who unexpectedly finds a family and the strength to fight for it, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film goes to Alan Cumming in Any Day Now.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting
Sponsored by Yellow Cab
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, Keep The Lights On
For masterfully constructing an emotionally honest portrait of a relationship that spans the better part of a decade and artfully weaving the mundane and the momentous, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting goes to Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias for Keep The Lights On.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue
Keep The Lights On, (Isa: Films Boutique), Directed by Ira Sachs
This film resonated with us for its confidence, complexity, and emotional intelligence. For taking us on a challenging but poetic journey through the landscape of a long-term relationship, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film goes to Keep The Lights On, directed by Ira Sachs.
For more information, log on to http://www.outfest.org/fest2012/
To download high-res images, please visit: ftp://ftp.mprm.com/outfest2012
Outfest 2012: The 30th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is presented by HBO. Grand Sponsors include Absolut and Ease Entertainment Services. Under the Stars Series Sponsor is presented by Oxygen. The Automotive Partner is Mini. Other sponsors at the Premiere level include: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Directors Guild of America, Directv, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times, Merrill Lynch, Out, Variety and 104.3MYfm, The Official Sponsors are Barefoot Wines, Big Picture Group, Coca-Cola, Luca Bites, Lichter Yu & Associates, NBCUniversal, Orbitz, Propaganda Media, Room & Board, Southwest Airlines, Stella Artois, techpal, and Verizon Wireless. Day Sponsors are The David Geffen Foundation, Frontiers/InLA, Hollywood & Highland, Instinct Magazine, The Lesbian News, Lifetime, Logo, Sony Pictures, and Wells Fargo, Organizational Funders: Andrew Kuehn Foundation, City of West Hollywood, Department of Cultural Affairs, Hollywood Foreign Press, and Los Angeles County Arts. For more information about Outfest 2012 sponsorship, visit www.outfest.org/sponsor.
About Outfest
Outfest celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2012 with a yearlong celebration honoring the organization's rich film history, innovative filmmakers and cultural legacy. The anniversary celebration includes the signature film festival, a major film restoration, a new logo, a new monthly screening series and a comprehensive social media campaign. Founded by volunteers on the campus of UCLA in 1982, Outfest has grown into an internationally recognized organization that works to promote Lgbt equality through the arts. For three decades Outfest has brought together film lovers, artists, celebrities and entertainment industry professionals to create a world-class forum for stories that reflect and often transform Lgbt lives. Outfest has showcased over 5,600 films to audiences, reaching close to one million people, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers and protected over 18,000 stories and images through the Outfest Legacy Project for Lgbt Film Preservation, the only program of its kind in the world.
- 7/25/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
"Keep The Lights On," Ira Sachs' drama about an intesely charged relationship between a documentary filmmaker and a closeted lawyer, took the Grand Jury Prizes for outstanding screenwriting and U.S. Dramatic Film at the 2012 Outfest, which closed Sunday night. The nation's leading Lgbt film festival, now in its 30th year, Outfest ran from July 12 to July 22. The complete list of winners follows: Special Programming Awards: Special Programming Award for Freedom: "I am a Woman Now," directed by Michiel van Erp Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement: "She Male Snails," directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent: Marialy Rivas, Writer/Director Audience Awards: Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film: "A Force of Nature," directed by Barbara Kopple Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film: "The First Date," directed by...
- 7/23/2012
- by Srimathi Sridhar
- Indiewire
There are thousands of film festivals all over the world. Some are prestigious and well known--taking place in large cities across Europe and the U.S.--others in out-of-the-way towns that no one has ever heard of. These festivals show all kinds of films--from a range countries, on various topics and of many genres.
Often the films tend to be heavy on stories from the U.S.and Europe--focusing on the developed world and centering on mainstream populations. Generally speaking, they showcase films directed by men and about people who are White, straight, and well-off. As a result there are countless specialty festivals--Latino, Asian, African, and others--whose objective is to feature the talents of marginalized filmmakers. But even at a niche festival there are groups which continue to be underrepresented. At a Latino film festival it’s not always easy to find films that are Jewish, gay, indigenous, Afro-Latino or about Latin American immigrants from unexpected countries like Japan or Germany. Granted there aren’t as many movies made about these populations but--on the bright side--this year has proven to be a bountiful one for Latino Lgbt films. They have played renowned mainstream festivals like Sundance and Berlin and are making the rounds at gay festivals. It’s about time.
Mosquita y Mari (Isa: The Film Collaborative)
Aurora Guerrero
USA, 2011, 85 min
“This Sundance favorite is a sweet and genuine film about two Chicana high schoolers, Yolanda, a shy, straight-a student, and Mari, her “bad girl” classmate. Yolanda offers to tutor the feisty and hot troublemaker. As she and Mari study and share their intimate thoughts in an abandoned auto body shop, their feelings inevitably get deeper, furtive glances grow longer, and Yolanda starts to come into her own. Aurora Guerrero’s debut feature takes a tender look at what it’s like to discover yourself and fall in love for the first time.”
Olhe Pra Mim de Novo (LookatMeAgain) (Isa:FiGa Films)
Kiko Goifman, Claudia Priscilla
Brazil, 2011, 72 min
trailer: http://www.moma.org/explore/multimedia/videos/221/1116
“Syllvio Luccio, born a girl, grew to identify as a lesbian then finally a man, embarks on a road trip through Northeastern Brazil, a region characterized by rigid ideas rooted in evangelical religion and machismo. Syllvio engages with outsiders of different backgrounds on the road, including Lgbt youth, a man whose paternity is questioned by his family and a group of adults afflicted with a genetic disease. Directors Kiko Goifman and Claudia Priscilla draw candid testimony from their subjects to construct a moving portrait of an individual and exploration of outsider culture.”
Elliot Loves (Isa: Tla Releasing)
Terracino
USA, 2011, 92 min
trailer: http://vimeo.com/38051803
“Finding love in the big city is never easy. But it’s always entertaining in this bouncy romantic comedy from first time feature director Terracino. Elliot is an earnest twenty-one year-old Dominican American looking for love in all the wrong places. The juxtaposition of Elliot’s past and present paints a sweet, complex character study of a young gay man trying to find love and meaning in the big city. Wild visual nuances, surprising fantasy interludes and a non-traditional approach to just about every aspect of filmmaking make this a must see for connoisseurs of brave new cinema.”
Joven y Alocada (Young& Wild) (Isa: Elle Driver)
Marialy Rivas
Chile, 2012, 96 min
“Seventeen-year-old Daniela is obsessed with sex. But her self-proclaimed “pussy in flames” is in direct conflict with her well-to-do, strict evangelical family in Santiago, Chile. She finds an outlet by detailing her naughty ruminations and exploits on her blog Young & Wild to her eager online followers. Marialy Rivas masterfully directs her first feature, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and picked up the World Cinema Screenwriting Award. Rooted in a fearless and unforgettable performance by Alicia Rodríguez, Young & Wild is a stunning, energetic look at family and youth culture in contemporary Chile.”
Four
Joshua Sanchez
USA, 2012, 75 min
“An adaptation of Pulitzer prize finalist Christopher Shinn's first play of the same name, Four is both an emotional and urgent glimpse into the lives of four troubled and fascinating individuals. As the world around them celebrates the 4th of July with fireworks and festivity, a closeted married man, his young daughter, a gay teen, and a minor drug dealer haltingly negotiate one-night affairs. Filmmaker, author and artist Joshua Sanchez opens typical expectations of race and gender, reading Shinn’s drama with an intensity, candor, and carnality.”
Film Synopses taken from Frameline: The San Francisco International Lgbt Festival and OutFest: The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzzthat highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzzon twitter.
Often the films tend to be heavy on stories from the U.S.and Europe--focusing on the developed world and centering on mainstream populations. Generally speaking, they showcase films directed by men and about people who are White, straight, and well-off. As a result there are countless specialty festivals--Latino, Asian, African, and others--whose objective is to feature the talents of marginalized filmmakers. But even at a niche festival there are groups which continue to be underrepresented. At a Latino film festival it’s not always easy to find films that are Jewish, gay, indigenous, Afro-Latino or about Latin American immigrants from unexpected countries like Japan or Germany. Granted there aren’t as many movies made about these populations but--on the bright side--this year has proven to be a bountiful one for Latino Lgbt films. They have played renowned mainstream festivals like Sundance and Berlin and are making the rounds at gay festivals. It’s about time.
Mosquita y Mari (Isa: The Film Collaborative)
Aurora Guerrero
USA, 2011, 85 min
“This Sundance favorite is a sweet and genuine film about two Chicana high schoolers, Yolanda, a shy, straight-a student, and Mari, her “bad girl” classmate. Yolanda offers to tutor the feisty and hot troublemaker. As she and Mari study and share their intimate thoughts in an abandoned auto body shop, their feelings inevitably get deeper, furtive glances grow longer, and Yolanda starts to come into her own. Aurora Guerrero’s debut feature takes a tender look at what it’s like to discover yourself and fall in love for the first time.”
Olhe Pra Mim de Novo (LookatMeAgain) (Isa:FiGa Films)
Kiko Goifman, Claudia Priscilla
Brazil, 2011, 72 min
trailer: http://www.moma.org/explore/multimedia/videos/221/1116
“Syllvio Luccio, born a girl, grew to identify as a lesbian then finally a man, embarks on a road trip through Northeastern Brazil, a region characterized by rigid ideas rooted in evangelical religion and machismo. Syllvio engages with outsiders of different backgrounds on the road, including Lgbt youth, a man whose paternity is questioned by his family and a group of adults afflicted with a genetic disease. Directors Kiko Goifman and Claudia Priscilla draw candid testimony from their subjects to construct a moving portrait of an individual and exploration of outsider culture.”
Elliot Loves (Isa: Tla Releasing)
Terracino
USA, 2011, 92 min
trailer: http://vimeo.com/38051803
“Finding love in the big city is never easy. But it’s always entertaining in this bouncy romantic comedy from first time feature director Terracino. Elliot is an earnest twenty-one year-old Dominican American looking for love in all the wrong places. The juxtaposition of Elliot’s past and present paints a sweet, complex character study of a young gay man trying to find love and meaning in the big city. Wild visual nuances, surprising fantasy interludes and a non-traditional approach to just about every aspect of filmmaking make this a must see for connoisseurs of brave new cinema.”
Joven y Alocada (Young& Wild) (Isa: Elle Driver)
Marialy Rivas
Chile, 2012, 96 min
“Seventeen-year-old Daniela is obsessed with sex. But her self-proclaimed “pussy in flames” is in direct conflict with her well-to-do, strict evangelical family in Santiago, Chile. She finds an outlet by detailing her naughty ruminations and exploits on her blog Young & Wild to her eager online followers. Marialy Rivas masterfully directs her first feature, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and picked up the World Cinema Screenwriting Award. Rooted in a fearless and unforgettable performance by Alicia Rodríguez, Young & Wild is a stunning, energetic look at family and youth culture in contemporary Chile.”
Four
Joshua Sanchez
USA, 2012, 75 min
“An adaptation of Pulitzer prize finalist Christopher Shinn's first play of the same name, Four is both an emotional and urgent glimpse into the lives of four troubled and fascinating individuals. As the world around them celebrates the 4th of July with fireworks and festivity, a closeted married man, his young daughter, a gay teen, and a minor drug dealer haltingly negotiate one-night affairs. Filmmaker, author and artist Joshua Sanchez opens typical expectations of race and gender, reading Shinn’s drama with an intensity, candor, and carnality.”
Film Synopses taken from Frameline: The San Francisco International Lgbt Festival and OutFest: The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzzthat highlights emerging and established Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzzon twitter.
- 7/7/2012
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
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