Every minority in the good old U.S. of A has heard or internalized that damaging myth: There can only be one. One model minority, one diverse member of the team (or cast) — and in Hulu’s “The Other Black Girl,” one editorial star at Wagner Books, as long as she falls in line. The 10-episode thriller (available all at once) is a faithful and gripping adaptation that will leave viewers exhilarated, entertained, and wanting more — especially from star Sinclair Daniel.
Based on the New York Times bestseller by Zakiya Dalila Harris, “The Other Black Girl” centers on Nella (Daniel), a rising editorial assistant whose world gets rocked in good and bad ways (and some in between) with the arrival of — you guessed it — a second Black girl in her workplace. Jordan Reddout and Gus Hickey serve as co-showrunners and executive producers along with Harris, Rashida Jones, Adam Fishbach, Tara Duncan,...
Based on the New York Times bestseller by Zakiya Dalila Harris, “The Other Black Girl” centers on Nella (Daniel), a rising editorial assistant whose world gets rocked in good and bad ways (and some in between) with the arrival of — you guessed it — a second Black girl in her workplace. Jordan Reddout and Gus Hickey serve as co-showrunners and executive producers along with Harris, Rashida Jones, Adam Fishbach, Tara Duncan,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro has nominated 27 Latino-driven films for inclusion in the National Film Registry. Among the suggestions are films that brought Oscar nominations to Latino actors and artists, including Salma Hayek, as Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in “Frida” (2002); Catalina Sandino Moreno, who portrayed a desperate undocumented pregnant immigrant in “Maria Full of Grace” (2004) and Demián Bichir, who played an undocumented worker in Los Angeles in “A Better Life” (2011). All were nominated for lead acting Oscars.
Other notable titles nominated by the congressman are Peter Sollett’s coming-of-age indie “Raising Victor Vargas,” Alfonso Arau’s romantic drama “Like Water for Chocolate (1992) and Darnell Martin’s “I Like It Like That” (1994), a story of a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx.
“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,...
Other notable titles nominated by the congressman are Peter Sollett’s coming-of-age indie “Raising Victor Vargas,” Alfonso Arau’s romantic drama “Like Water for Chocolate (1992) and Darnell Martin’s “I Like It Like That” (1994), a story of a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx.
“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,...
- 8/21/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Film Independent has named Law Chen, Raven Jackson, Erin Li, Miguel Nuñez, Victoria Rivera and Claudia Sparrow as the filmmakers set for its second annual Episodic Directing Intensive.
Each of the six is an alum of Film Independent Artist Development programs including the Directing Lab, Documentary Lab, Screenwriting Lab, Fast Track finance market and Project Involve, which collectively celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. Over the course of the three-day program, the accomplished up-and-comers will learn from veterans of the episodic landscape, taking in the wisdom and experience of a group of directors, showrunners, actors and cinematographers.
Among those set as industry participants are Hikari, Johnson Cheng, Aurora Guerrero, Rachel Goldberg, Michelle Lawler, Glen Mazzara, Leonardo Nam, Jeremy Podeswa, James Ponsoldt, Angel Kristi Williams, Daniel Willis and more.
Said Film Independent’s Associate Director of Fiction Programs, Dea Vazquez, “As we celebrate the 30th year of our Artist Development programs,...
Each of the six is an alum of Film Independent Artist Development programs including the Directing Lab, Documentary Lab, Screenwriting Lab, Fast Track finance market and Project Involve, which collectively celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. Over the course of the three-day program, the accomplished up-and-comers will learn from veterans of the episodic landscape, taking in the wisdom and experience of a group of directors, showrunners, actors and cinematographers.
Among those set as industry participants are Hikari, Johnson Cheng, Aurora Guerrero, Rachel Goldberg, Michelle Lawler, Glen Mazzara, Leonardo Nam, Jeremy Podeswa, James Ponsoldt, Angel Kristi Williams, Daniel Willis and more.
Said Film Independent’s Associate Director of Fiction Programs, Dea Vazquez, “As we celebrate the 30th year of our Artist Development programs,...
- 6/22/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The AFI Fest returns this year to its full glory as an in-person event, Nov. 2-6.
“You know, we asked ourselves really early on — because the world is still weary from pandemics and politics and the rest — what is a film festival in 2022? And the answer was really clear, which is that the AFI festival is going to be a place for people to come together,” says Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO.
No hybrid screenings in sight. “While watching a film alone on your computer is great, it does not put the word festive in festival. This is the year to be together and to be present,” he says.
The festival kicks off with the world premiere of doc “Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me” (pictured), from director Alex Keshishian, and closes with Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans.” In between AFI Fest unspools 125 works, including Special Screening “Bones and All,...
“You know, we asked ourselves really early on — because the world is still weary from pandemics and politics and the rest — what is a film festival in 2022? And the answer was really clear, which is that the AFI festival is going to be a place for people to come together,” says Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO.
No hybrid screenings in sight. “While watching a film alone on your computer is great, it does not put the word festive in festival. This is the year to be together and to be present,” he says.
The festival kicks off with the world premiere of doc “Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me” (pictured), from director Alex Keshishian, and closes with Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans.” In between AFI Fest unspools 125 works, including Special Screening “Bones and All,...
- 11/2/2022
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
The annual American Film Institute (AFI) festival has finally announced its full lineup.
AFI Fest runs Wednesday, November 2 through Sunday, November 6 and includes 125 titles to be screened in Los Angeles. Opening night kicks off with AppleTV+ documentary “Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me” directed by Alek Keshishian. Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical drama “The Fabelmans” will close the festival.
The full lineup also includes special screenings for “Bones and All,” Sundance winner “Nanny,” Robert Downey Jr.’s documentary “Sr.,” “Le Pupille,” and “Women Talking.”
The official selections feature 53 percent of films directed by women and 32 percent of films helmed by Bipoc filmmakers. Eleven percent of directors identify as Lgbtqia+. The full festival includes seven Red Carpet Premieres, six Special Screenings, 12 Discovery, 12 World Cinema, 12 Documentary, 30 Short Film Competition, 43 AFI Conservatory, and three Guest Artistic Director Selections from Ava DuVernay. The Academy Award-nominated filmmaker will showcase three independent films amplifying the voices of...
AFI Fest runs Wednesday, November 2 through Sunday, November 6 and includes 125 titles to be screened in Los Angeles. Opening night kicks off with AppleTV+ documentary “Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me” directed by Alek Keshishian. Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical drama “The Fabelmans” will close the festival.
The full lineup also includes special screenings for “Bones and All,” Sundance winner “Nanny,” Robert Downey Jr.’s documentary “Sr.,” “Le Pupille,” and “Women Talking.”
The official selections feature 53 percent of films directed by women and 32 percent of films helmed by Bipoc filmmakers. Eleven percent of directors identify as Lgbtqia+. The full festival includes seven Red Carpet Premieres, six Special Screenings, 12 Discovery, 12 World Cinema, 12 Documentary, 30 Short Film Competition, 43 AFI Conservatory, and three Guest Artistic Director Selections from Ava DuVernay. The Academy Award-nominated filmmaker will showcase three independent films amplifying the voices of...
- 10/3/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
Ava DuVernay has joined this year’s edition of AFI Fest to serve as guest artistic director.
As part of the gig, DuVernay has hand-picked three independent films as a way to “amplify the voices and vision of women directors,” per the American Film Institute. Those films are Kat Candler’s Hellion from 2014 starring Juliette Lewis and Aaron Paul, Aurora Guerrero’s Mosquita y Mari from 2012 and Victoria Mahoney’s Yelling to the Sky from 2011 starring Gabourey Sidibe and Zoë Kravitz.
The films will screen as part of the fest and DuVernay will moderate a panel with the helmers, all of whom are part of her historic roster of all-women directors for her OWN drama series Queen Sugar. The outing for DuVernay marks a return to AFI Fest as her feature directorial debut, I Will Follow, screened as part of the 2010 lineup.
As such,...
Ava DuVernay has joined this year’s edition of AFI Fest to serve as guest artistic director.
As part of the gig, DuVernay has hand-picked three independent films as a way to “amplify the voices and vision of women directors,” per the American Film Institute. Those films are Kat Candler’s Hellion from 2014 starring Juliette Lewis and Aaron Paul, Aurora Guerrero’s Mosquita y Mari from 2012 and Victoria Mahoney’s Yelling to the Sky from 2011 starring Gabourey Sidibe and Zoë Kravitz.
The films will screen as part of the fest and DuVernay will moderate a panel with the helmers, all of whom are part of her historic roster of all-women directors for her OWN drama series Queen Sugar. The outing for DuVernay marks a return to AFI Fest as her feature directorial debut, I Will Follow, screened as part of the 2010 lineup.
As such,...
- 9/30/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
AFI Fest has found its next guest artistic director. The prestigious role, which has previously been filled by the likes of David Lynch and Pedro Almodóvar, will go to “Selma” director Ava DuVernay for the 2022 iteration of the festival.
The festival announced that DuVernay had selected three independent films from female directors to showcase: Kat Candler’s “Hellion” from 2014, Aurora Guerrero’s “Mosquita y Mari” from 2012, and Victoria Mahoney’s “Yelling to the Sky” from 2011. All three women went on to direct episodes of DuVernay’s OWN series “Queen Sugar.” DuVernay will also moderate a panel featuring all three directors at the festival.
AFI Fest 2022 is set to take place in Los Angeles from November 2 through November 6. Apple documentary “Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me” is set to open the Hollywood-set festival, with films including “Bardo,” “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” “Is That Black Enough for You?,” “Living,” “She Said,...
The festival announced that DuVernay had selected three independent films from female directors to showcase: Kat Candler’s “Hellion” from 2014, Aurora Guerrero’s “Mosquita y Mari” from 2012, and Victoria Mahoney’s “Yelling to the Sky” from 2011. All three women went on to direct episodes of DuVernay’s OWN series “Queen Sugar.” DuVernay will also moderate a panel featuring all three directors at the festival.
AFI Fest 2022 is set to take place in Los Angeles from November 2 through November 6. Apple documentary “Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me” is set to open the Hollywood-set festival, with films including “Bardo,” “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” “Is That Black Enough for You?,” “Living,” “She Said,...
- 9/30/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Oprah Winfrey delivered an inspiring speech to close out Variety’s Power of Women dinner, presented by Lifetime. Winfrey was honored at the event alongside her “Queen Sugar” partner Ava DuVernay, both of whom turned the OWN series into a launching pad for female directors. Winfrey championed “Queen Sugar” for “defining the OWN network” and for “reflecting black families.”
“We are all looking for the same thing,” Winfrey said. “This is the one lesson I came away from doing ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ The common denominator of our experiences is that we all want to know that we matter and we want a show that reflects our values.”
Winfrey was introduced by DuVernay, who spoke about their experience creating the OWN drama series “Queen Sugar,” which made history with the duo’s decision to exclusively hire women to direct the series’ 7-season, 88-episode run. The show employed 42 women directors, seven of whom — Shaz Bennett,...
“We are all looking for the same thing,” Winfrey said. “This is the one lesson I came away from doing ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ The common denominator of our experiences is that we all want to know that we matter and we want a show that reflects our values.”
Winfrey was introduced by DuVernay, who spoke about their experience creating the OWN drama series “Queen Sugar,” which made history with the duo’s decision to exclusively hire women to direct the series’ 7-season, 88-episode run. The show employed 42 women directors, seven of whom — Shaz Bennett,...
- 9/29/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
It’s nearly time for “Queen Sugar” fans to “take flight” one last time, as we prepare to say goodbye to the Bordelon family.
OWN has released the official trailer for the seventh and final season of the critically acclaimed drama, created by Ava DuVernay and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, which begins Tuesday, Sept. 6.
“If we do not honor our past, we dishonor our future. Listen,” says Rutina Wesley’s Nova, the eldest Bordelon sibling, as the clip begins, previewing the tense and tender scenes that will play out over the next 13 episodes.
The first look, set to Al Green’s “Love and Happiness,” tees up the latest developments in the lives of Bordelons: Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) and Darla (Bianca Lawson) have welcomed their second child, a daughter, and they continue to fight for their family’s future by exorcising their personal demons — namely, his deal with the...
OWN has released the official trailer for the seventh and final season of the critically acclaimed drama, created by Ava DuVernay and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, which begins Tuesday, Sept. 6.
“If we do not honor our past, we dishonor our future. Listen,” says Rutina Wesley’s Nova, the eldest Bordelon sibling, as the clip begins, previewing the tense and tender scenes that will play out over the next 13 episodes.
The first look, set to Al Green’s “Love and Happiness,” tees up the latest developments in the lives of Bordelons: Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) and Darla (Bianca Lawson) have welcomed their second child, a daughter, and they continue to fight for their family’s future by exorcising their personal demons — namely, his deal with the...
- 8/29/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
OWN has set the premiere date for the seventh and final season of Queen Sugar. The series created and executive produced by Ava DuVernay will return on Tuesday, September 6 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt.
DuVernay will return to direct the series finale, wrapping up seven seasons of the all-women directorial team that she envisioned when directing the pilot. As previously reported, directors attached to Season 7 include Kat Candler, Stacey Muhammad, showrunner Shaz Bennett, Patricia Cardoso, Aurora Guerrero, and DeMane Davis.
For seven seasons and 88 episodes, the contemporary drama has been directed by women filmmakers, an initiative set forth by DuVernay at the outset of production in 2016. With nearly three dozen filmmakers making their directorial debut on Queen Sugar, the series marked a shift in industry hiring standards for women and people of color behind the camera.
Ahead of the Season 6 premiere of Queen Sugar in 2021, DuVernay expressed how satisfying it...
DuVernay will return to direct the series finale, wrapping up seven seasons of the all-women directorial team that she envisioned when directing the pilot. As previously reported, directors attached to Season 7 include Kat Candler, Stacey Muhammad, showrunner Shaz Bennett, Patricia Cardoso, Aurora Guerrero, and DeMane Davis.
For seven seasons and 88 episodes, the contemporary drama has been directed by women filmmakers, an initiative set forth by DuVernay at the outset of production in 2016. With nearly three dozen filmmakers making their directorial debut on Queen Sugar, the series marked a shift in industry hiring standards for women and people of color behind the camera.
Ahead of the Season 6 premiere of Queen Sugar in 2021, DuVernay expressed how satisfying it...
- 8/6/2022
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
When Queen Sugar was first announced in 2016, creator Ava DuVernay revealed a commitment to hiring exclusively female directors. Now, as the OWN family drama preps its seventh and final season, it’s making good on that promise.
The series, from DuVernay’s Array Filmworks, Harpo Films and studio Warner Bros. TV, is currently filming in and around New Orleans with a lineup of seven directors from previous seasons, all of them female. Over the course of seven seasons, the show has employed 42 female directors in all, 39 of them first-time scripted TV directors in the U.S. Per OWN, the initiative has proven a successful pipeline, with every first-time director parlaying the Queen Sugar opportunity into directorial gigs on other shows and films.
Earlier in Queen Sugar’s run, DuVernay caught wind of a few male members of the Directors Guild of America who...
When Queen Sugar was first announced in 2016, creator Ava DuVernay revealed a commitment to hiring exclusively female directors. Now, as the OWN family drama preps its seventh and final season, it’s making good on that promise.
The series, from DuVernay’s Array Filmworks, Harpo Films and studio Warner Bros. TV, is currently filming in and around New Orleans with a lineup of seven directors from previous seasons, all of them female. Over the course of seven seasons, the show has employed 42 female directors in all, 39 of them first-time scripted TV directors in the U.S. Per OWN, the initiative has proven a successful pipeline, with every first-time director parlaying the Queen Sugar opportunity into directorial gigs on other shows and films.
Earlier in Queen Sugar’s run, DuVernay caught wind of a few male members of the Directors Guild of America who...
- 7/11/2022
- by Lacey Rose
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ava DuVernay will direct the series finale of “Queen Sugar,” OWN has announced.
DuVernay, created the drama series an executive produces, returns to the director’s chair of the show for the first time since Season 1, when she helmed the first two episodes. Since the first season, DuVernay has written for the series a handful of times, with her last credit being as one of four writers on the penultimate episode of Season 6, which aired last fall. Production for the final episode has already begun in New Orleans.
In addition, OWN also announced the rest of directors for the seventh and final season of the show. The series notably has exclusively featured female directors over the course of its run, with 39 of the 42 directors hire to helm episodes being first time scripted television directors. Showrunner Shaz Bennett will direct an episode this coming season, along with returning directors Kat Candler,...
DuVernay, created the drama series an executive produces, returns to the director’s chair of the show for the first time since Season 1, when she helmed the first two episodes. Since the first season, DuVernay has written for the series a handful of times, with her last credit being as one of four writers on the penultimate episode of Season 6, which aired last fall. Production for the final episode has already begun in New Orleans.
In addition, OWN also announced the rest of directors for the seventh and final season of the show. The series notably has exclusively featured female directors over the course of its run, with 39 of the 42 directors hire to helm episodes being first time scripted television directors. Showrunner Shaz Bennett will direct an episode this coming season, along with returning directors Kat Candler,...
- 7/11/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Queen Sugar creator and executive producer Ava DuVernay, who directed the pilot, will return to direct the series’ final episode. Production on the seventh and final season has begun in and around New Orleans.
DuVernay will wrap up seven seasons of an all-women directorial team for OWN’s award-winning drama series. In addition to DuVernay, season 7 directors include Kat Candler, Stacey Muhammad, showrunner Shaz Bennett, Patricia Cardoso, Aurora Guerrero and DeMane Davis.
When Queen Sugar first began production in 2016, DuVernay made a commitment to exclusively hire women as directors, and kept that promise through the entire series run. Over the course of its seven seasons, Queen Sugar has employed 42 women to direct episodes of the show, with 39 of those being first-time scripted television directors in the United States.
Guest stars for the final season include the return of Glynn Turman, the late father of the Bordelon siblings; Tracie Thoms, as...
DuVernay will wrap up seven seasons of an all-women directorial team for OWN’s award-winning drama series. In addition to DuVernay, season 7 directors include Kat Candler, Stacey Muhammad, showrunner Shaz Bennett, Patricia Cardoso, Aurora Guerrero and DeMane Davis.
When Queen Sugar first began production in 2016, DuVernay made a commitment to exclusively hire women as directors, and kept that promise through the entire series run. Over the course of its seven seasons, Queen Sugar has employed 42 women to direct episodes of the show, with 39 of those being first-time scripted television directors in the United States.
Guest stars for the final season include the return of Glynn Turman, the late father of the Bordelon siblings; Tracie Thoms, as...
- 7/11/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Kaci Walfall will reunite with Naomi co-creator Ava DuVernay by way of a guest-starring role during the farewell run of the prolific producer’s Queen Sugar.
The OWN family drama’s end point was announced back in November, when it was renewed for a seventh and final season. “To everything, there is a season,” series creator DuVernay said at the time in a statement. “And my producing partner Paul Garnes and I have had seven gorgeous seasons making Queen Sugar with a remarkable cast and crew, alongside our partners at OWN and Warner Bros. Television.”
More from TVLineAll Rise Preview:...
The OWN family drama’s end point was announced back in November, when it was renewed for a seventh and final season. “To everything, there is a season,” series creator DuVernay said at the time in a statement. “And my producing partner Paul Garnes and I have had seven gorgeous seasons making Queen Sugar with a remarkable cast and crew, alongside our partners at OWN and Warner Bros. Television.”
More from TVLineAll Rise Preview:...
- 7/11/2022
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Skydance Sports, the sports-content division of Skydance Media, and Religion of Sports have partnered to develop, finance and produce a slate of sports-related content for multiple platforms.
Projects across scripted television, documentary and audio will start with The Owl, currently in development.
The scripted, rags-to-riches story follows an orphaned, American-born boxer with Mexican lineage who crosses the border to find his family and is thrust into the world of Mexican boxing. The series is created and executive produced by Michael Perri (The Blacklist), directed by Aurora Guerrero (Little America and Blindspotting).
Exile Content Studio based in LA, which specializes in content for the global Spanish-speaking market, will also executive produce alongside Religion of Sports with Skydance Sports serving as lead studio.
The two entities will also pursue sports-themed intellectual property that can be exploited in a range of formats from live events to video games.
Skydance Sports is led Jon Weinbach.
Projects across scripted television, documentary and audio will start with The Owl, currently in development.
The scripted, rags-to-riches story follows an orphaned, American-born boxer with Mexican lineage who crosses the border to find his family and is thrust into the world of Mexican boxing. The series is created and executive produced by Michael Perri (The Blacklist), directed by Aurora Guerrero (Little America and Blindspotting).
Exile Content Studio based in LA, which specializes in content for the global Spanish-speaking market, will also executive produce alongside Religion of Sports with Skydance Sports serving as lead studio.
The two entities will also pursue sports-themed intellectual property that can be exploited in a range of formats from live events to video games.
Skydance Sports is led Jon Weinbach.
- 3/2/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
When the premiere episode of Apple TV+’s Mr. Corman ends, the first four names in the credits all belong to Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He directed it, wrote it, created it, and stars in it. He’s also a producer and helps write the music performed by his title character, a fifth grade teacher in Van Nuys, California, who can’t entirely let go of his dreams of rock stardom. Given all of the hats Gordon-Levitt wore on the project, it seems quite probable he was also baking delicious snickerdoodles every...
- 8/3/2021
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Spending a day in the life of Victor Morales (Arturo Castro) means seeing an L.A. story that TV doesn’t tell too often. A native Angeleno, Victor spends his days delivering packages all over the city for Ups, his nights playing video games with his friends, and his weekends with his daughter who’s now firmly in the dreaded teenage stage of hating everything and everyone, most especially her parents. Castro, most well-known for more overtly comedic roles on shows like “Broad City” and his own series “Alternatino,” imbues Victor with open sincerity and casual compassion that makes him compelling to follow no matter how banal the scene.
Unfortunately, “Mr. Morales” — directed by Aurora Guerrero and written by Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman — by is just a one-off episode on “Mr. Corman,” a show that’s otherwise about Victor’s embittered roommate Josh, played by creator, writer and director Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Unfortunately, “Mr. Morales” — directed by Aurora Guerrero and written by Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman — by is just a one-off episode on “Mr. Corman,” a show that’s otherwise about Victor’s embittered roommate Josh, played by creator, writer and director Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
- 8/2/2021
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Filmmaker Lissette Feliciano has inked with Verve following the success of her feature debut at SXSW, Women Is Losers, which she wrote, directed, and produced.
Set during the 1960s in San Francisco, Women Is Losers follows bright and talented Catholic school girl Celina Guerrera (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Lorenza Izzo) survives a difficult home life by following the rules. That is until an indiscretion creates a series of devastating consequences. As Celina faces the compounded obstacles of being young and alone, she sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future that sets new precedents for the time. The pic is inspired by real women and the Janis Joplin song of the same title. Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Chrissie Fit (Pitch Perfect 2 & 3) and Liza Weil (How to Get Away With Murder) also star.
A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts,...
Set during the 1960s in San Francisco, Women Is Losers follows bright and talented Catholic school girl Celina Guerrera (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Lorenza Izzo) survives a difficult home life by following the rules. That is until an indiscretion creates a series of devastating consequences. As Celina faces the compounded obstacles of being young and alone, she sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future that sets new precedents for the time. The pic is inspired by real women and the Janis Joplin song of the same title. Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Chrissie Fit (Pitch Perfect 2 & 3) and Liza Weil (How to Get Away With Murder) also star.
A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts,...
- 4/12/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The 52nd NAACP Image Awards crowned more winners on Saturday (in addition to the awards announced earlier this week), in a ceremony once again hosted by black-ish star Anthony Anderson. The awards, of course, celebrate the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and will be simulcast across BET, CBS, MTV, VH1, MTV2, BET Her and Logo tonight at 8/7c.
Heading into the live show, ABC’s black-ish led the TV pack with five awards, winning trophies for Outstanding Actor (Anthony Anderson), Supporting Actor (Deon Cole) and Supporting Actress (Marsai Martin). That makes two wins for Martin,...
Heading into the live show, ABC’s black-ish led the TV pack with five awards, winning trophies for Outstanding Actor (Anthony Anderson), Supporting Actor (Deon Cole) and Supporting Actress (Marsai Martin). That makes two wins for Martin,...
- 3/27/2021
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
Nominations for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards were announced on Tuesday, and ABC’s black-ish and HBO’s Lovecraft Country led TV’s comedy and drama packs, respectively.
Topping all of TV as it did in 2020 (and the year before…), black-ish amassed 11 total nominations, including recognition for Outstanding Comedy Series and eight of its stars. (Last year, black-ish won in nearly every category for which it was nominated, including its fifth consecutive trophy for Outstanding Comedy). HBO’s Insecure followed with seven total comedy nods.
More from TVLineBridgerton Is Now Netflix's Biggest Series Launch In the Streamer's HistoryTV Ratings: NCIS Rises,...
Topping all of TV as it did in 2020 (and the year before…), black-ish amassed 11 total nominations, including recognition for Outstanding Comedy Series and eight of its stars. (Last year, black-ish won in nearly every category for which it was nominated, including its fifth consecutive trophy for Outstanding Comedy). HBO’s Insecure followed with seven total comedy nods.
More from TVLineBridgerton Is Now Netflix's Biggest Series Launch In the Streamer's HistoryTV Ratings: NCIS Rises,...
- 2/2/2021
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
When beloved filmmaker Lynn Shelton unexpectedly passed away earlier this year, her tight-knit communities rallied together to find a way to honor her legacy in a way that felt appropriate for the big-hearted creator. In July, Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum and Duplass Brothers Productions announced their solution: the launch of the Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant. The $25,000 unrestricted cash grant will be awarded each year to a U.S.-based woman or non-binary filmmaker, age 39 or older, who has yet to direct a narrative feature.
Less than four months later, the selection committee has chosen their inaugural winner: Keisha Rae Witherspoon, a Caribbean-American filmmaker based in Miami. Per the official announcement, “Witherspoon’s work is driven by interests in science, speculative fiction, and fantasy, as well as documenting the unseen and unheralded nuances of diasporic peoples.”
Her dazzling short film “T” world-premiered at the BlackStar Film Festival...
Less than four months later, the selection committee has chosen their inaugural winner: Keisha Rae Witherspoon, a Caribbean-American filmmaker based in Miami. Per the official announcement, “Witherspoon’s work is driven by interests in science, speculative fiction, and fantasy, as well as documenting the unseen and unheralded nuances of diasporic peoples.”
Her dazzling short film “T” world-premiered at the BlackStar Film Festival...
- 10/28/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Few can argue that Latinos haven’t been greatly underrepresented in Hollywood, particularly at the creative level. A key reason, many say, is an insufficient comprehension of what the terms “Latino” and the gender-neutral “Latinx” mean.
When Hollywood thinks about Latino or Latinx talent, its instinct is to turn to the Oscar-winning Mexican directors Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Guillermo del Toro or to acclaimed Spaniards such as Pedro Almodóvar as mistaken examples of inclusion. Most would have a difficult time naming an American Latino filmmaker besides Robert Rodriguez or creatives other than Jennifer Lopez and Eva Longoria.
Such a superficial grasp of the distinct groups of people included in the ethnic terms “Latino” and “Latinx” has led to the perpetual omission of U.S.-born-and-raised Latinos in front of and behind the camera. Their experiences are either entirely ignored or lumped together with those of their Latin American counterparts,...
When Hollywood thinks about Latino or Latinx talent, its instinct is to turn to the Oscar-winning Mexican directors Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Guillermo del Toro or to acclaimed Spaniards such as Pedro Almodóvar as mistaken examples of inclusion. Most would have a difficult time naming an American Latino filmmaker besides Robert Rodriguez or creatives other than Jennifer Lopez and Eva Longoria.
Such a superficial grasp of the distinct groups of people included in the ethnic terms “Latino” and “Latinx” has led to the perpetual omission of U.S.-born-and-raised Latinos in front of and behind the camera. Their experiences are either entirely ignored or lumped together with those of their Latin American counterparts,...
- 8/12/2020
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety Film + TV
“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” and “I Carry You With Me” are among this year’s Imagen Awards nominees, which span a range of new categories including best director in television, best music composition for film and television and best music supervision for film and television.
The Imagen Foundation president Helen Hernandez announced 114 nominees across 20 categories for the 35th annual Imagen Awards.
“This year’s list of nominees is a far cry from four honorees 35 years ago,” Hernandez said in a statement. “The level of creativity and talent in our community is bountiful and is exemplified in this year’s list. The judges were challenged with the overwhelming increase of quality submissions for consideration. It’s clear that we are making some strides, but have a way to go to achieve significant equity and inclusion in the industry. Until then, Imagen is committed to be the means to...
The Imagen Foundation president Helen Hernandez announced 114 nominees across 20 categories for the 35th annual Imagen Awards.
“This year’s list of nominees is a far cry from four honorees 35 years ago,” Hernandez said in a statement. “The level of creativity and talent in our community is bountiful and is exemplified in this year’s list. The judges were challenged with the overwhelming increase of quality submissions for consideration. It’s clear that we are making some strides, but have a way to go to achieve significant equity and inclusion in the industry. Until then, Imagen is committed to be the means to...
- 8/8/2020
- by Janet W. Lee
- Variety Film + TV
Nominees for the 35th annual Imagen Awards honoring positive portrayals of Latinos in the media were revealed Wednesday, with nominated films including Dora and the Lost City of Gold and I Carry You With Me and TV programs Mayans M.C., Pose and Law & Order: Svu on the roster.
See the entire list of nominees below.
The Imagen Awards will be presented virtually Thursday, September 24, at 5 p.m.
“This year’s list of nominees is a far cry from four honorees 35 years ago,” said Imagen Foundation president Helen Hernandez. “The level of creativity and talent in our community is bountiful and is exemplified in this year’s list. The judges were challenged with the overwhelming increase of quality submissions for consideration. It’s clear that we are making some strides, but have a way to go to achieve significant equity and inclusion in the industry. Until then, Imagen is...
See the entire list of nominees below.
The Imagen Awards will be presented virtually Thursday, September 24, at 5 p.m.
“This year’s list of nominees is a far cry from four honorees 35 years ago,” said Imagen Foundation president Helen Hernandez. “The level of creativity and talent in our community is bountiful and is exemplified in this year’s list. The judges were challenged with the overwhelming increase of quality submissions for consideration. It’s clear that we are making some strides, but have a way to go to achieve significant equity and inclusion in the industry. Until then, Imagen is...
- 8/5/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Latinx directors Alberto Belli (The House of Flowers), Aurora Guerrero, Joel Novoa and Diego Velasco (Orange is the New Black) have launched LatinxDirectors.com, the first site that is specific to Latinx episodic and film directors.
The site focuses on creating a simple user experience for both sides of the pipeline. Studio executives, producers, showrunners and agents will be able to find directors of all genres with specific heritage, specialties, and levels of experience. In addition, users can easily watch reels and access current representation. It’s essentially a valuable resource to seek out creators of Latinx descent.
Velasco said that the idea for Latinx Directors came about a year ago when the founders were sharing similar experiences about executives complaining that there were no Latinx directors to hire for their shows even though they knew so many that were ready to work.
The site focuses on creating a simple user experience for both sides of the pipeline. Studio executives, producers, showrunners and agents will be able to find directors of all genres with specific heritage, specialties, and levels of experience. In addition, users can easily watch reels and access current representation. It’s essentially a valuable resource to seek out creators of Latinx descent.
Velasco said that the idea for Latinx Directors came about a year ago when the founders were sharing similar experiences about executives complaining that there were no Latinx directors to hire for their shows even though they knew so many that were ready to work.
- 7/15/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
With almost all of Hollywood and large swaths of America and the world under stay-at-home orders because of the coronavirus pandemic, a digital conversation with some of the leading filmmakers of our time never seemed like a better idea than right now.
Which is exactly what Ava DuVernay and Array will be kicking off at 9 Am Pt today with now 60 directors participating in the its fourth filmmaker tweet-a-thon – see the full 10-hour schedule below and follow with #ARRAYNow
“We hope today’s day-long Q&a feels like a virtual group hug from filmmakers to film fans,” DuVernay told Deadline as the When They See Us helmer prepared to start the show this morning. “Everyone at Array just wanted to create a space for positivity and community during these tense times,” the Oscar nominee added. “The fact that 60 filmmakers of color and women directors answered our call is beautiful and we...
Which is exactly what Ava DuVernay and Array will be kicking off at 9 Am Pt today with now 60 directors participating in the its fourth filmmaker tweet-a-thon – see the full 10-hour schedule below and follow with #ARRAYNow
“We hope today’s day-long Q&a feels like a virtual group hug from filmmakers to film fans,” DuVernay told Deadline as the When They See Us helmer prepared to start the show this morning. “Everyone at Array just wanted to create a space for positivity and community during these tense times,” the Oscar nominee added. “The fact that 60 filmmakers of color and women directors answered our call is beautiful and we...
- 4/30/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Outfest has unveiled their lineup for the 17th annual Outfest Fusion — or the more official title: Outfest 2020: Culture. Film. Music. Story. The fest will run March 6-10 and include screenings, performances, panels, galas, workshops, and world premieres in Los Angeles.
Outfest Fusion brings together one of the largest, inclusive and diverse cross-sections of the Lgbtq+ community and its allies. The fest is a space the next generation of storytellers and cultural ambassadors are discovered. This year, Outfest Fusion 2020 will feature more than 60 films, including 11 World Premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 12 West Coast Premieres, 13 Los Angeles Premieres and 1 International Premiere.
Films featured this year include El Principe (The Prince) directed by Sebastián Muñoz’s El Principe (The Prince) which won the Queer Lion at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. The fest will also feature the L.A. premiere of Andrew Ahn’s Driveways which stars Hong Chau and Golden...
Outfest Fusion brings together one of the largest, inclusive and diverse cross-sections of the Lgbtq+ community and its allies. The fest is a space the next generation of storytellers and cultural ambassadors are discovered. This year, Outfest Fusion 2020 will feature more than 60 films, including 11 World Premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 12 West Coast Premieres, 13 Los Angeles Premieres and 1 International Premiere.
Films featured this year include El Principe (The Prince) directed by Sebastián Muñoz’s El Principe (The Prince) which won the Queer Lion at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. The fest will also feature the L.A. premiere of Andrew Ahn’s Driveways which stars Hong Chau and Golden...
- 2/20/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Own announced the premiere date for “Cherish the Day,” its second series from Ava DuVernay, and released the first trailer which you can watch above.
The series will have a two-night premiere on Feb. 11 and Feb. 12, and air on Wednesdays going forward.
Each season of the drama will chronicle the stirring romance of one couple, with each episode spanning a single day. The first season stars Xosha Roquemore and Alano Miller as a couple that meets in Los Angeles, with the full season spanning five years. Additional cast includes Cicely Tyson, Michael Beach, Anne-Marie Johnson and Kellee Stewart.
Also Read: How Much Is Too Much? The Coming Avalanche in Streaming Entertainment
Directors for the series are Tanya Hamilton, Blitz Bazawule, Aurora Guerrero and Deborah Kampmeier.
DuVernay created and is executive producing the anthology, which received a straight-to-series order, from Warner Horizon Scripted Television as part of her recently announced overall deal with the studio.
The series will have a two-night premiere on Feb. 11 and Feb. 12, and air on Wednesdays going forward.
Each season of the drama will chronicle the stirring romance of one couple, with each episode spanning a single day. The first season stars Xosha Roquemore and Alano Miller as a couple that meets in Los Angeles, with the full season spanning five years. Additional cast includes Cicely Tyson, Michael Beach, Anne-Marie Johnson and Kellee Stewart.
Also Read: How Much Is Too Much? The Coming Avalanche in Streaming Entertainment
Directors for the series are Tanya Hamilton, Blitz Bazawule, Aurora Guerrero and Deborah Kampmeier.
DuVernay created and is executive producing the anthology, which received a straight-to-series order, from Warner Horizon Scripted Television as part of her recently announced overall deal with the studio.
- 1/16/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Ava DuVernay returns to Own: Oprah Winfrey Network for what will be her second project for the cabler, the romantic anthology series “Cherish the Day,” which is set for a February 2020 premiere. Each season will document the ups and downs of a relationship between a single couple, capturing the everyday and the extraordinary, with each episode spanning 24 hours.
Chapter One stars Xosha Roquemore (“The Mindy Project”) as Gently James and Alano Miller (“Underground”) as Evan Fisher, a young couple who meet and fall in love in Los Angeles. The first season will span five years and unfold over eight episodes.
The legendary Cicely Tyson joins Roquemore and Miller as Miss Luma Lee Langston, a renowned star of stage and screen of decades past. Gently James is Miss Langston’s live-in assistant and is encouraged by her wise employer to enter into a romance with Evan Fisher.
Additional cast members in recurring roles include Michael Beach,...
Chapter One stars Xosha Roquemore (“The Mindy Project”) as Gently James and Alano Miller (“Underground”) as Evan Fisher, a young couple who meet and fall in love in Los Angeles. The first season will span five years and unfold over eight episodes.
The legendary Cicely Tyson joins Roquemore and Miller as Miss Luma Lee Langston, a renowned star of stage and screen of decades past. Gently James is Miss Langston’s live-in assistant and is encouraged by her wise employer to enter into a romance with Evan Fisher.
Additional cast members in recurring roles include Michael Beach,...
- 12/19/2019
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
In today’s TV news roundup, Ali Wong gets two new Netflix comedy specials and Bet releases the first look at Lena Waithe’s “Twenties” series.
Casting
Michael Beach (“ER”), Anne-Marie Johnson (“For The People”) and Kellee Stewart (“Guess Who”) have been cast in Ava DuVernay’s romantic anthology series, “Cherish The Day.” They join Xosha Roquemore, Alano Miller and Emmy-award winner Cicely Tyson. Also, Blitz Bazawule, Aurora Guerrero (“13 Reasons Why”) and Deborah Kampmeier (“Queen Sugar”) join Tanya Hamilton (“Vampire Diaries”) as directors.
Joel McHale will return to host the 2020 second season of ABC’s “Card Sharks,” a competition series with two players facing off in a head-to-head elimination race. McHale is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham Llp. Scott St. John and Jennifer Mullin executive produce “Card Sharks.”
Juan Pablo Raba (“Narcos”), Adriana Paz, Kristyan Ferrer, Octavio Pisano, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (“Nashville”) and Julio Cedillo (“Sicario”) have been...
Casting
Michael Beach (“ER”), Anne-Marie Johnson (“For The People”) and Kellee Stewart (“Guess Who”) have been cast in Ava DuVernay’s romantic anthology series, “Cherish The Day.” They join Xosha Roquemore, Alano Miller and Emmy-award winner Cicely Tyson. Also, Blitz Bazawule, Aurora Guerrero (“13 Reasons Why”) and Deborah Kampmeier (“Queen Sugar”) join Tanya Hamilton (“Vampire Diaries”) as directors.
Joel McHale will return to host the 2020 second season of ABC’s “Card Sharks,” a competition series with two players facing off in a head-to-head elimination race. McHale is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham Llp. Scott St. John and Jennifer Mullin executive produce “Card Sharks.”
Juan Pablo Raba (“Narcos”), Adriana Paz, Kristyan Ferrer, Octavio Pisano, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (“Nashville”) and Julio Cedillo (“Sicario”) have been...
- 12/3/2019
- by LaTesha Harris
- Variety Film + TV
Blitz Bazawule, Aurora Guerrero and Deborah Kampmeier have been added to the director roster for Ava DuVernay’s forthcoming romantic anthology drama Cherish the Day. The Own series has also added Michael Beach (ER), Anne-Marie Johnson (For The People) and Kellee Stewart (Guess Who) in recurring roles.
The new trio of directors will join previously announced director Tanya Hamilton while the actors will join series regulars Xosha Roquemore, Alano Miller and, of course, the legendary Cicely Tyson. Cherish the Day is blazing the trail when it comes to inclusion as it achieved full gender parity with a production crew of over 50% women, including 18 female department heads.
Chapter one of Cherish the Day chronicles the relationship of one couple, with each episode spanning a single day. The narrative will unfold to reveal significant moments in a relationship that compel us to hold true to the ones we love, from the extraordinary to the everyday.
The new trio of directors will join previously announced director Tanya Hamilton while the actors will join series regulars Xosha Roquemore, Alano Miller and, of course, the legendary Cicely Tyson. Cherish the Day is blazing the trail when it comes to inclusion as it achieved full gender parity with a production crew of over 50% women, including 18 female department heads.
Chapter one of Cherish the Day chronicles the relationship of one couple, with each episode spanning a single day. The narrative will unfold to reveal significant moments in a relationship that compel us to hold true to the ones we love, from the extraordinary to the everyday.
- 12/3/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Lin-Manuel Miranda has shared the new video for Andra Day’s rendition of the Hamilton showstopper “Burn,” the latest installment in Miranda’s monthly Hamildrops series.
“This Burn video is directed by the great [Aurora Guerro] Her pitch, storyline, everything. I’m crazy about it,” Miranda tweeted Wednesday. “And special thanks go out to [Aurora Guerro] for this one—I reached out to her and asked, ‘Who’s a great filmmaker I don’t know about yet who should direct the Burn video?’ And she connected us to Aurora Guerrero, so thank you Ava!
“This Burn video is directed by the great [Aurora Guerro] Her pitch, storyline, everything. I’m crazy about it,” Miranda tweeted Wednesday. “And special thanks go out to [Aurora Guerro] for this one—I reached out to her and asked, ‘Who’s a great filmmaker I don’t know about yet who should direct the Burn video?’ And she connected us to Aurora Guerrero, so thank you Ava!
- 8/29/2018
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The Bordelons are back. Own has released the trailer for season two of its original drama series “Queen Sugar,” created by acclaimed filmmaker Ava DuVernay and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey. The series stars Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, and Kofi Siriboe as the estranged Bordelon siblings.
Read More: Agnès Varda, Ava DuVernay, Olivier Assayas and More Discuss the Need For a Global Film Community In the Trump Age — Watch
Season two finds the siblings striving to honor the legacy of their father, who passed away unexpectedly. Ralph-Angel is trying to rebuild his life after jail, and secure a better future for his young son. Meanwhile, tension in the family starts to build when Charley relocates with her teenage son Micah to Saint Josephine, Louisiana, to help run the family business, the 800-acre sugarcane farm Queen Sugar Mill.
Once again, DuVernay enlisted an all-female directing team, including Kat Candler (“12 Monkeys...
Read More: Agnès Varda, Ava DuVernay, Olivier Assayas and More Discuss the Need For a Global Film Community In the Trump Age — Watch
Season two finds the siblings striving to honor the legacy of their father, who passed away unexpectedly. Ralph-Angel is trying to rebuild his life after jail, and secure a better future for his young son. Meanwhile, tension in the family starts to build when Charley relocates with her teenage son Micah to Saint Josephine, Louisiana, to help run the family business, the 800-acre sugarcane farm Queen Sugar Mill.
Once again, DuVernay enlisted an all-female directing team, including Kat Candler (“12 Monkeys...
- 5/22/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
August 12 Update: Sundance Institute and Time Warner Foundation announced on Tuesday the ten artists selected for the 2015 Sundance Institute | Time Warner Foundation Fellowship Program.
The initiative expanded this year to include support for Fellows working in new media, as well as continued support for Fellows in documentary and narrative film, theatre and film music as well as from the Institute’s Native American and Indigenous Program.
Fellows attend an annual Lab and receive ongoing support from the Institute, including mentoring, strategic granting, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival and participation in screenplay readings, work-in-progress screenings and related programs and events.
Since 2007, Time Warner Foundation has supported more than 54 artists through Sundance Institute, including Fruitvale Station writer-director Ryan Coogler and Mosquita y Mari writer-director Aurora Guerrero.
The 2015 Sundance Institute | Time Warner Foundation Fellows are: Cecilia Aldarondo (Documentary Film Program); Kathryn Bostic (Film Music Program); Christopher Nataanii Cegielski (Native American and Indigenous Program, Time Warner...
The initiative expanded this year to include support for Fellows working in new media, as well as continued support for Fellows in documentary and narrative film, theatre and film music as well as from the Institute’s Native American and Indigenous Program.
Fellows attend an annual Lab and receive ongoing support from the Institute, including mentoring, strategic granting, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival and participation in screenplay readings, work-in-progress screenings and related programs and events.
Since 2007, Time Warner Foundation has supported more than 54 artists through Sundance Institute, including Fruitvale Station writer-director Ryan Coogler and Mosquita y Mari writer-director Aurora Guerrero.
The 2015 Sundance Institute | Time Warner Foundation Fellows are: Cecilia Aldarondo (Documentary Film Program); Kathryn Bostic (Film Music Program); Christopher Nataanii Cegielski (Native American and Indigenous Program, Time Warner...
- 8/11/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sundance Institute and Time Warner Foundation announced on Tuesday the eight artists selected for the 2015 Sundance Institute | Time Warner Foundation Fellowship Program.
The initiative expanded this year to include support for Fellows working in new media, as well as continued support for Fellows in documentary and narrative film, theatre and film music as well as from the Institute’s Native American and Indigenous Program.
Fellows attend an annual Lab and receive ongoing support from the Institute, including mentoring, strategic granting, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival and participation in screenplay readings, work-in-progress screenings and related programs and events.
Since 2007, Time Warner Foundation has supported more than 54 artists through Sundance Institute, including Fruitvale Station writer-director Ryan Coogler and Mosquita y Mari writer-director Aurora Guerrero.
The 2015 Sundance Institute | Time Warner Foundation Fellows are: Cecilia Aldarondo (Documentary Film Program); Kathryn Bostic (Film Music Program); Christopher Chen (Theatre Program); Nia DaCosta (Feature Film Program); Yung Jake (New Frontier); Ciara Lacy (Native...
The initiative expanded this year to include support for Fellows working in new media, as well as continued support for Fellows in documentary and narrative film, theatre and film music as well as from the Institute’s Native American and Indigenous Program.
Fellows attend an annual Lab and receive ongoing support from the Institute, including mentoring, strategic granting, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival and participation in screenplay readings, work-in-progress screenings and related programs and events.
Since 2007, Time Warner Foundation has supported more than 54 artists through Sundance Institute, including Fruitvale Station writer-director Ryan Coogler and Mosquita y Mari writer-director Aurora Guerrero.
The 2015 Sundance Institute | Time Warner Foundation Fellows are: Cecilia Aldarondo (Documentary Film Program); Kathryn Bostic (Film Music Program); Christopher Chen (Theatre Program); Nia DaCosta (Feature Film Program); Yung Jake (New Frontier); Ciara Lacy (Native...
- 8/11/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Two up-and-coming Native talents, Razelle Benally (Navajo/Oglala Lakota) and Randi LeClair (Pawnee) have been selected for the Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab, where the two writers will receive grants for production and targeted support during a residential Lab to prepare for production of their short films.
The Lab takes place in Santa Fe, New Mexico July 10-14. The Lab is a highlight of the Institute’s year-round work with Native American and Indigenous filmmakers and is one of the 24 residential labs the Institute hosts each year to discover and foster the talent of emerging independent artists in film, theater, new media and more recently episodic content.
The Native Filmmakers Lab builds on the Institute’s former NativeLab to include grants to support production of the Fellows’ short films – a first for the Institute’s renowned independent artist Labs. The writers and directors serving as Creative Advisors for this year’s Lab include: Janicza Bravo ("Gregory Go Boom" and "Pauline Alone"), Beck Cole ( "Plains Empty" and "Here I Am" ), Sydney Freeland ("Drunktown's Finest" and "HoverBoard" ), Aurora Guerrero ( "Pura Lengua" and "Mosquita y Mari" ) and Lucas Leyva ( "#PostModem" and "Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke" ).
N. Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache), director of the Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Program, said, “Our Native Filmmakers Lab responds to the unique need within our community to support Native American artists with grants and mentorship focusing on the crucial phase of producing their films. I am excited to embark on this creative journey with these two bright female directors as they begin the tactical phase of creating their films.”
The Native Filmmakers Lab will be followed by the inaugural Native Writers Workshop, jointly hosted by Sundance Institute and the Institute of American Indian Arts (Iaia). The Workshop will support six emerging Native storytellers who seek to share their voices in film and television: Gabe Abeyta (Taos Pueblo and Navajo from Santa Fe, Nm), Katie Avery (Iñupiaq from Los Angeles, CA), Kelly D'Angelo (Haudenosaunee from Los Angeles, CA), Felicia Nez (Navajo from Albuquerque, Nm), Blue Tarpalechee (Muscogee from Santa Fe, Nm) and Kaherawaks Thompson (St. Regis Mohawks of Akwesasne from Memphis, Tn).
They will be mentored by: Beck Cole (Writer, "Here I Am" and "Black Comedy" ), Jason Gavin (Writer, "Greek, "Friday Night Lights"), Derek Santos Olson (Writer, "Friday Night Lights" ), Sierra Ornelas (Writer, "Selfie" and "Happy Endings" ), Alex Rivera (Writer/Director, "Sleep Dealer" ) and Joan Tewkesbury (Writer, "Nashville" and "Thieves Like Us" ).
True to founder Robert Redford’s original vision, the Institute maintains a strong commitment to supporting Native and Indigenous filmmakers. The Native program has built and sustained a unique support cycle for Indigenous artists through grants, labs, mentorships, a fellowship program at the Sundance Film Festival, and screenings for Native communities to inspire new generations of storytellers. Currently operating programs in the United States, Canada, and formerly New Zealand and Australia, the Institute has established a rich legacy of work by supporting more than 300 Native and Indigenous filmmakers, including Taika Waititi, Chris Eyre, Sterlin Harjo, Billy Luther, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, Aurora Guerrero, Sydney Freeland and Yolanda Cruz.
There are the two artists/projects selected for the 2015 Native Filmmakers Lab:
"I Am Thy Weapon"
Razelle Benally (Navajo/Oglala Lakota)
A young artistic Navajo woman relives memories of her deceased sister, that in turn help her heal and battle against the modern-day adversities of reservation life.
Razelle Benally is of Oglala Lakota and Navajo blood. Benally’s firsthand experience while filming and traveling with renowned skateboard company Apache Skateboards has helped her hone a self-developed style of editing and directing. She most notably gained acclaim for her short documentary "The Humble," and six-minute experimental piece "Love is a Losing Game." Benally is one of five young women featured in the 2011 documentary, "Apache Chronicle."
She has shown in galleries in Long Beach, CA and in Phoenix, Az. Her films have been shown nationally and internationally at select screenings in Portland, Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, and Sweden. She earned a third place award in the 2007 Aihec Film Festival, and is the 2010 Santa Fe Indian Market jury-awarded winner for Best Documentary in Swaia’s Classification X. Benally is an alumna of the 2012 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab.
"The Other Side of the Bridge"
Randi LeClair (Pawnee)
After two high school football stars are found dead, decade’s long racial tensions sizzle in a small-town diner.
Randi LeClair is an enrolled member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a BA in English (Creative Writing) and is currently a graduate student in the University of Oklahoma’s Master of Professional Writing program. Recently, Randi and her husband, Todd, signed an option agreement for the screen adaptation of Todd’s book, "60 Feet Six Inches and Other Distances from Home: The (Baseball) Life of Mose YellowHorse," which follows the story of Pittsburg Pirates pitcher Mose YellowHorse, the first full-blood American Indian in the major leagues.
In addition to screenwriting, Randi also engages her love of literary fiction and is currently working on a collection of short stories. As well, she also serves as co-editor for "Out of the Stars: An Anthology of Pawnee Writing, Stories, and Art." Her dream is to help bring Native Cinema to the mainstream. She is an alumna of the 2010 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab.
The Lab takes place in Santa Fe, New Mexico July 10-14. The Lab is a highlight of the Institute’s year-round work with Native American and Indigenous filmmakers and is one of the 24 residential labs the Institute hosts each year to discover and foster the talent of emerging independent artists in film, theater, new media and more recently episodic content.
The Native Filmmakers Lab builds on the Institute’s former NativeLab to include grants to support production of the Fellows’ short films – a first for the Institute’s renowned independent artist Labs. The writers and directors serving as Creative Advisors for this year’s Lab include: Janicza Bravo ("Gregory Go Boom" and "Pauline Alone"), Beck Cole ( "Plains Empty" and "Here I Am" ), Sydney Freeland ("Drunktown's Finest" and "HoverBoard" ), Aurora Guerrero ( "Pura Lengua" and "Mosquita y Mari" ) and Lucas Leyva ( "#PostModem" and "Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke" ).
N. Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache), director of the Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Program, said, “Our Native Filmmakers Lab responds to the unique need within our community to support Native American artists with grants and mentorship focusing on the crucial phase of producing their films. I am excited to embark on this creative journey with these two bright female directors as they begin the tactical phase of creating their films.”
The Native Filmmakers Lab will be followed by the inaugural Native Writers Workshop, jointly hosted by Sundance Institute and the Institute of American Indian Arts (Iaia). The Workshop will support six emerging Native storytellers who seek to share their voices in film and television: Gabe Abeyta (Taos Pueblo and Navajo from Santa Fe, Nm), Katie Avery (Iñupiaq from Los Angeles, CA), Kelly D'Angelo (Haudenosaunee from Los Angeles, CA), Felicia Nez (Navajo from Albuquerque, Nm), Blue Tarpalechee (Muscogee from Santa Fe, Nm) and Kaherawaks Thompson (St. Regis Mohawks of Akwesasne from Memphis, Tn).
They will be mentored by: Beck Cole (Writer, "Here I Am" and "Black Comedy" ), Jason Gavin (Writer, "Greek, "Friday Night Lights"), Derek Santos Olson (Writer, "Friday Night Lights" ), Sierra Ornelas (Writer, "Selfie" and "Happy Endings" ), Alex Rivera (Writer/Director, "Sleep Dealer" ) and Joan Tewkesbury (Writer, "Nashville" and "Thieves Like Us" ).
True to founder Robert Redford’s original vision, the Institute maintains a strong commitment to supporting Native and Indigenous filmmakers. The Native program has built and sustained a unique support cycle for Indigenous artists through grants, labs, mentorships, a fellowship program at the Sundance Film Festival, and screenings for Native communities to inspire new generations of storytellers. Currently operating programs in the United States, Canada, and formerly New Zealand and Australia, the Institute has established a rich legacy of work by supporting more than 300 Native and Indigenous filmmakers, including Taika Waititi, Chris Eyre, Sterlin Harjo, Billy Luther, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, Aurora Guerrero, Sydney Freeland and Yolanda Cruz.
There are the two artists/projects selected for the 2015 Native Filmmakers Lab:
"I Am Thy Weapon"
Razelle Benally (Navajo/Oglala Lakota)
A young artistic Navajo woman relives memories of her deceased sister, that in turn help her heal and battle against the modern-day adversities of reservation life.
Razelle Benally is of Oglala Lakota and Navajo blood. Benally’s firsthand experience while filming and traveling with renowned skateboard company Apache Skateboards has helped her hone a self-developed style of editing and directing. She most notably gained acclaim for her short documentary "The Humble," and six-minute experimental piece "Love is a Losing Game." Benally is one of five young women featured in the 2011 documentary, "Apache Chronicle."
She has shown in galleries in Long Beach, CA and in Phoenix, Az. Her films have been shown nationally and internationally at select screenings in Portland, Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, and Sweden. She earned a third place award in the 2007 Aihec Film Festival, and is the 2010 Santa Fe Indian Market jury-awarded winner for Best Documentary in Swaia’s Classification X. Benally is an alumna of the 2012 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab.
"The Other Side of the Bridge"
Randi LeClair (Pawnee)
After two high school football stars are found dead, decade’s long racial tensions sizzle in a small-town diner.
Randi LeClair is an enrolled member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a BA in English (Creative Writing) and is currently a graduate student in the University of Oklahoma’s Master of Professional Writing program. Recently, Randi and her husband, Todd, signed an option agreement for the screen adaptation of Todd’s book, "60 Feet Six Inches and Other Distances from Home: The (Baseball) Life of Mose YellowHorse," which follows the story of Pittsburg Pirates pitcher Mose YellowHorse, the first full-blood American Indian in the major leagues.
In addition to screenwriting, Randi also engages her love of literary fiction and is currently working on a collection of short stories. As well, she also serves as co-editor for "Out of the Stars: An Anthology of Pawnee Writing, Stories, and Art." Her dream is to help bring Native Cinema to the mainstream. She is an alumna of the 2010 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab.
- 7/13/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Razelle Benally and Randi LeClair will take part in the Lab, set to run in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from July 10-14.
Benally (Navajo/Oglala Lakota) attends with I Am Thy Weapon, while LeClair (Pawnee) brings The Other Side Of The Bridge.
The Lab includes grants and tactical support for the production of short films and is a highlight of the Institute’s year-round work with Native American and Indigenous filmmakers.
Writers and directors serving as creative advisors include: Janicza Bravo, Beck Cole, Sydney Freeland, Aurora Guerrero and Lucas Leyva.
The Native Filmmakers Lab will be followed by the inaugural Native Writers Workshop, jointly hosted by Sundance Institute and the Institute of American Indian Arts.
The workshop will support six emerging Native storytellers who seek to share their voices in film and television.
They are: Gabe Abeyta (Taos Pueblo and Navajo from Santa Fe, New Mexico); Katie Avery (Iñupiaq from Los Angeles, California); Kelly...
Benally (Navajo/Oglala Lakota) attends with I Am Thy Weapon, while LeClair (Pawnee) brings The Other Side Of The Bridge.
The Lab includes grants and tactical support for the production of short films and is a highlight of the Institute’s year-round work with Native American and Indigenous filmmakers.
Writers and directors serving as creative advisors include: Janicza Bravo, Beck Cole, Sydney Freeland, Aurora Guerrero and Lucas Leyva.
The Native Filmmakers Lab will be followed by the inaugural Native Writers Workshop, jointly hosted by Sundance Institute and the Institute of American Indian Arts.
The workshop will support six emerging Native storytellers who seek to share their voices in film and television.
They are: Gabe Abeyta (Taos Pueblo and Navajo from Santa Fe, New Mexico); Katie Avery (Iñupiaq from Los Angeles, California); Kelly...
- 7/9/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Ifp announced its 2014 slate of 133 new films in development and works in progress selected for its esteemed Project Forum at Independent Film Week. This one-of-a-kind event brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new projects by nurturing the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers. Through the Project Forum, creatives connect with financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. Under the curatorial leadership of Deputy Director/Head of Programming Amy Dotson & Senior Director of Programming Milton Tabbot, this one-of-a-kind event takes place September 14-18, 2014 at Lincoln Center supporting bold new content from a wide variety of domestic and international artists.
“As we set to embark on our 36th Independent Film Week, we are impressed by the outstanding slate of both U.S. and international projects selected for this year’s Project Forum,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of Ifp. “We know that the industry will be as excited as we are with the accomplished storytellers and their diverse and boundary pushing films.”
Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. From documentarians Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How To Nail A Dictator"), and Penny Lane ("Our Nixon") to Michelangelo Frammartino ("Quattro Volte") and Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"), Travis Matthews ("Interior. Leather. Bar") and Yen Tan ("Pit Stop").
Independent Film Week brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new documentary and narrative works-in-progress and support the future of storytelling. The program nurtures the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers through the facilitation of over 3,500+ custom, one-to-one meetings with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. In recent years, it has also played a vital role in launching the first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Rama Burshtein ("Fill The Void"), Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine"), Marshall Curry ("If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth LIberation Front"), Laura Poitras ("The Oath"), Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild").
For the full 2014 Project Forum slate visit Here
New For 2014
Evenly split between documentary and narrative features, selected projects hail from throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada, as well Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. New this year, Ifp will be including web series in it programming, as well as spotlighting Latin & Central American artists and content with 15 projects featured across all programs in the Forum.
In a joint effort to recognize the importance of career and creative sustainability, Ifp and Durga Entertainment have partnered on a new $20,000 filmmaker grant for an alumnus of Ifp. The grant is intended for active, working filmmakers who are also balancing a filmmaking career with parenting. The grant provides a $20,000 unrestricted prize to encourage the recipient to continue on her or his career path of making quality independent films. American directors or screenwriters working in narrative film who have participated in the Ifp Filmmaker Labs or Ifp Independent Film Week's Emerging Storytellers or No-Borders International Co-Production market are encouraged to apply by the deadline of August 8, 2014.
Narrative Feature Highlights
Narrative features and webseries in Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers and No Borders International Co-Production Market sections highlight new work from top emerging and established creative visionaries on the U.S. and international independent scene.
This year’s slate includes new feature scripts featuring directors Dev Benegal ("Road, Movie"), Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin ("Now, Forager"), Michelangelo Frammartino ("Le Quattro Volte"),Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda"), Rashaad Ernesto Green ("Gun Hill Road"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita Y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"),Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"), Travis Mathews ("Interior. Leather Bar"), Stacie Passon ("Concussion"), Yen Tan ("Pit Stop"), as well as up-an-coming actor/directors Karrie Crouse ("Land Ho!") and Peter Vack ("Fort Tilden""I Believe in Unicorns").
Producers and executive producers of note attached to participating projects include Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson ("Good Dick"), Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams ("Hellion"),Laura Heberton ("Gayby"), Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Kishori Rajan ("Gimme the Loot"), Adele Romanski ("The Myth of the American Sleepover"), Kim Sherman ("A Teacher"), Susan Stover ("High Art"), and Alicia Van Couvering ("Tiny Furniture").
Web Storytellers Highlights
For the first time this year, Ifp presents a dedicated spotlight within the Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program for creators developing episodic content for digital platforms. The inaugural slate for the Web Storytellers spotlight includes new works from filmmakers Desiree Akhavan ("Appropriate Behavior", HBO’s Girls), Calvin Reeder ("The Rambler"), and Gregory Bayne ("Person of Interest"), as well as producers Elisabeth Holm ("Obvious Child"), Susan Leber ( "Down to the Bone"), and Amanda Warman ("The Outs,"Whatever This Is"). Two of the series participating are currently in post-production, and will be making their online debut in the coming months – Rachel Morgan’s Middle Americans, starring Scott Thompson, Carlen Altman, and Alex Rennie, and Daniel Zimbler and Elisabeth Gray’s Understudies, starring Richard Kind and David Rasche. [p Spotlight On Documentaries Highlights
The documentary selection includes new work from seasoned non-fiction directors such as Emmy winners Robert Bahar andAlmudena Carracedo ("Made in La"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How to Nail a Dictator"),Ramona Diaz ("Imelda," "Don’t Stop Believin’") Gini Reticker ("Pray the Devil Back to Hell") Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"); from producers such as Court 13’s Benh Zeitlin and Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Liran Atzmor ("The Law in These Parts"), Tim Williams ("Once In A Lifetime") and Hilla Medalia ("Web Junkie"), and follow-up second features from recent doc world “breakouts”Steve Hoover ("Blood Brother") Penny Lane ("Our Nixon"), Michael Collins ("Give Up Tomorrow"), and Michael Nichols and Christopher Walker ("Flex is Kings").
Exciting new work from debut documentary directors previously known for fiction films include Alex Sichel ("All over Me") with her personal doc The Movie about Anna, Lisa Cortés (producer, "Precious") with "Mothership: The Untold Story of Women and Hip Hop," and Daniel Patrick Carbone ("Hide Your Smiling Faces") with Phantom Cowboys.
Sponsors
Independent Film Week’s Premier sponsors are Royal Bank of Canada (Rbc) and HBO. Gold sponsors are A&E IndieFilms and SAGIndie. Silver sponsors are Durga Entertainment, Eastman Kodak Company, National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa and Telefilm Canada. Official Independent Film Week Partner is Film Society of Lincoln Center. Independent Film Week is supported, in part, by funds provided by the Ford Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council for the Arts and Time Warner Foundation.
About Ifp
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Independent Film Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by Ifp, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Ifp represents a growing network of 10,000 storytellers around the world, and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 35-year history, Ifp has supported over 8,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, including Debra Granik, Miranda July, Michael Moore, Dee Rees, and Benh Zeitlin. More info at www.ifp.org.
“As we set to embark on our 36th Independent Film Week, we are impressed by the outstanding slate of both U.S. and international projects selected for this year’s Project Forum,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of Ifp. “We know that the industry will be as excited as we are with the accomplished storytellers and their diverse and boundary pushing films.”
Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. From documentarians Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How To Nail A Dictator"), and Penny Lane ("Our Nixon") to Michelangelo Frammartino ("Quattro Volte") and Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"), Travis Matthews ("Interior. Leather. Bar") and Yen Tan ("Pit Stop").
Independent Film Week brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new documentary and narrative works-in-progress and support the future of storytelling. The program nurtures the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers through the facilitation of over 3,500+ custom, one-to-one meetings with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. In recent years, it has also played a vital role in launching the first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Rama Burshtein ("Fill The Void"), Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine"), Marshall Curry ("If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth LIberation Front"), Laura Poitras ("The Oath"), Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild").
For the full 2014 Project Forum slate visit Here
New For 2014
Evenly split between documentary and narrative features, selected projects hail from throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada, as well Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. New this year, Ifp will be including web series in it programming, as well as spotlighting Latin & Central American artists and content with 15 projects featured across all programs in the Forum.
In a joint effort to recognize the importance of career and creative sustainability, Ifp and Durga Entertainment have partnered on a new $20,000 filmmaker grant for an alumnus of Ifp. The grant is intended for active, working filmmakers who are also balancing a filmmaking career with parenting. The grant provides a $20,000 unrestricted prize to encourage the recipient to continue on her or his career path of making quality independent films. American directors or screenwriters working in narrative film who have participated in the Ifp Filmmaker Labs or Ifp Independent Film Week's Emerging Storytellers or No-Borders International Co-Production market are encouraged to apply by the deadline of August 8, 2014.
Narrative Feature Highlights
Narrative features and webseries in Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers and No Borders International Co-Production Market sections highlight new work from top emerging and established creative visionaries on the U.S. and international independent scene.
This year’s slate includes new feature scripts featuring directors Dev Benegal ("Road, Movie"), Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin ("Now, Forager"), Michelangelo Frammartino ("Le Quattro Volte"),Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda"), Rashaad Ernesto Green ("Gun Hill Road"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita Y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"),Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"), Travis Mathews ("Interior. Leather Bar"), Stacie Passon ("Concussion"), Yen Tan ("Pit Stop"), as well as up-an-coming actor/directors Karrie Crouse ("Land Ho!") and Peter Vack ("Fort Tilden""I Believe in Unicorns").
Producers and executive producers of note attached to participating projects include Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson ("Good Dick"), Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams ("Hellion"),Laura Heberton ("Gayby"), Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Kishori Rajan ("Gimme the Loot"), Adele Romanski ("The Myth of the American Sleepover"), Kim Sherman ("A Teacher"), Susan Stover ("High Art"), and Alicia Van Couvering ("Tiny Furniture").
Web Storytellers Highlights
For the first time this year, Ifp presents a dedicated spotlight within the Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program for creators developing episodic content for digital platforms. The inaugural slate for the Web Storytellers spotlight includes new works from filmmakers Desiree Akhavan ("Appropriate Behavior", HBO’s Girls), Calvin Reeder ("The Rambler"), and Gregory Bayne ("Person of Interest"), as well as producers Elisabeth Holm ("Obvious Child"), Susan Leber ( "Down to the Bone"), and Amanda Warman ("The Outs,"Whatever This Is"). Two of the series participating are currently in post-production, and will be making their online debut in the coming months – Rachel Morgan’s Middle Americans, starring Scott Thompson, Carlen Altman, and Alex Rennie, and Daniel Zimbler and Elisabeth Gray’s Understudies, starring Richard Kind and David Rasche. [p Spotlight On Documentaries Highlights
The documentary selection includes new work from seasoned non-fiction directors such as Emmy winners Robert Bahar andAlmudena Carracedo ("Made in La"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How to Nail a Dictator"),Ramona Diaz ("Imelda," "Don’t Stop Believin’") Gini Reticker ("Pray the Devil Back to Hell") Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"); from producers such as Court 13’s Benh Zeitlin and Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Liran Atzmor ("The Law in These Parts"), Tim Williams ("Once In A Lifetime") and Hilla Medalia ("Web Junkie"), and follow-up second features from recent doc world “breakouts”Steve Hoover ("Blood Brother") Penny Lane ("Our Nixon"), Michael Collins ("Give Up Tomorrow"), and Michael Nichols and Christopher Walker ("Flex is Kings").
Exciting new work from debut documentary directors previously known for fiction films include Alex Sichel ("All over Me") with her personal doc The Movie about Anna, Lisa Cortés (producer, "Precious") with "Mothership: The Untold Story of Women and Hip Hop," and Daniel Patrick Carbone ("Hide Your Smiling Faces") with Phantom Cowboys.
Sponsors
Independent Film Week’s Premier sponsors are Royal Bank of Canada (Rbc) and HBO. Gold sponsors are A&E IndieFilms and SAGIndie. Silver sponsors are Durga Entertainment, Eastman Kodak Company, National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa and Telefilm Canada. Official Independent Film Week Partner is Film Society of Lincoln Center. Independent Film Week is supported, in part, by funds provided by the Ford Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council for the Arts and Time Warner Foundation.
About Ifp
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Independent Film Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by Ifp, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Ifp represents a growing network of 10,000 storytellers around the world, and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 35-year history, Ifp has supported over 8,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, including Debra Granik, Miranda July, Michael Moore, Dee Rees, and Benh Zeitlin. More info at www.ifp.org.
- 7/25/2014
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
On the heels of the 39th edition of the Toronto Int. Film Festival (Sept 4-14), Ifp’s Independent Film Week is where a plethora of fiction, non-fiction and new this year, web-based series from the likes of Desiree Akhavan and Calvin Reeder find future coin. Sectioned off as projects at the very beginning of financing to those that are nearing completion, there happens to be tons of Sundance alumni in the names below. Among those that caught our attention we have Medicine for Melancholy‘s Barry Jenkins’ sophomore feature, produced by Bad Milo!‘s Adele Romanski, Moonlight is about “two Miami boys navigate the temptations of the drug trade and their burgeoning sexuality in this triptych drama about black queer youth”. Concussion‘s Stacie Passon digs into the thriller genre with Strange Things Started Happening. Produced by vet Mary Jane Skalski (Mysterious Skin), this is about “a woman who has...
- 7/24/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Ifp, Filmmaker Magazine’s publisher, announced today the 133 new films in development and works in progress chosen for its Independent Film Wee Forum Project. A complete list of the projects can be found here. Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, from documentarians Tony Gerber (Full Battle Rattle), Pamela Yates (Granito: How To Nail A Dictator), and Penny Lane (Our Nixon) to Michelangelo Frammartino (Le Quattro Volte) and Alexis Dos Santos (Unmade Beds), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero (Mosquito […]...
- 7/23/2014
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Ifp, Filmmaker Magazine’s publisher, announced today the 133 new films in development and works in progress chosen for its Independent Film Wee Forum Project. A complete list of the projects can be found here. Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, from documentarians Tony Gerber (Full Battle Rattle), Pamela Yates (Granito: How To Nail A Dictator), and Penny Lane (Our Nixon) to Michelangelo Frammartino (Le Quattro Volte) and Alexis Dos Santos (Unmade Beds), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero (Mosquito […]...
- 7/23/2014
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
We asked a few LatinoBuzz amigos to get their Robinson Crusoe on and pick a film, an album, a book and a companion from the movies to join them in their shenanigans were they to be stuck on a deserted island (and before anyone nitpicks, filmmakers are resourceful, so of course they built solar powered entertainment centers made from bamboos, coconuts and grass to watch movies and listen to baby making slow jams). We figured we'd start with the narrative filmmakers since they probably sit around thinking about this kinda stuff anyway.
Film: Choosing desert island items may mean sacrificing taste and/or reason, thinking about those items that you wouldn’t forgive yourself for not bringing them as your company, it´s like choosing the woman of your life. Here it goes: Hiroshima Mon Amour; there might be others I fancy as much as or more than (La Dolce Vita, Vertigo, M , some Lubitsch or Preminger), but I can think of no other as unique. I wouldn’t be able to choose any other without feeling Hiroshima’s absence - the best love film, the best movie about war, the best motion picture regarding the memory and its consequences. I can spend my whole life learning about film and the world because of Hiroshima...'.
Album: “Los Preludios de Debussy” by Claudio Arrau. These were so important to my life (I'm referring to my childhood of course) and I think no one does it better than Arrau. Same thing: it is endless. I think I could never tire of this and I could still wake up each and every morning amazed by it.
Book: “Sentimental Education”, by Flaubert. Similar to “Hiroshima”, a book that changed my outlook on literature and the world and I am certain it will keep transforming it forever.
Companion: Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer in 'The fabulous Baker Boys'). Since I saw the film (which I liked very much!) in the provincial movie theater of my childhood, I felt as Jack Baker´s relative and I loved Susie. If we had a piano, it would all be all be perfect. - Santiago Palavecino (Algunas chicas/Some Girls)
Film: This is a tricky question. I've always said that on a deserted island you should bring some porn. You could use that more than regular movies. But since I've got to pick a film I guess it'd be Jaws. Why? Because it's one of my favorites (I could also go with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). But being on a deserted island, Jaws will remind me all the time what'll happen to me for sure if I try to get away!
Album: “ Appetite for Destruction” (Guns N' Roses). Hey, I was 13 when this came out. I listen to it every day while I work, anyways. My favorite, by far.
A Book: I'm going to cheat on this one: 'The Complete Works' by Jorge Luis Borges. The best writer, and enough labyrinths to get lost on endless nights.
Companion: Sherlock Holmes. He's always been my favorite, and also, since my guess is he'll be pretty useless in a deserted island, every time we fail to get out because of him I can get to tell him "Is that the best you can do, Sherlock? - Alejandro Brugués (Juan of the Dead)
Film: Los Olvidados- this is punk rock and Pachuco. Mexico City style before the bombed out bunkers of Sid & Nancy. Bunuel is a hero and I wanna buy Jaibo a beer and milk for the old poetic man!
Album: The Blade Runner album. I can play it over and over, get cranked up or mellow with Blade Runner Blues and the constant rain.
Book: '20 years of Joda' - poems of Jose Montoya, my pop. Epic stuff! 'Ran with Miguel Pinero in the Lower Eastside!”
Companion: Michael Corleone cause he's Mack in my book! Jaibo gets an honorable mention. - Richard Montoya (Water & Power )
Film: I´d choose Misery because a year can go by and I can watch it again eagerly. It's simple and the director (Rob Reiner) and Stephen King are both masters of suspense.
Album: I know this may be considered cheating but it would have to be 'The Best of David Bowie'. That way I have 2 CD's with nearly 40 songs!
Companion: There's many great people who I would to live with but on a deserted Island? It would have to be Mary Poppins for obvious reasons.
Book: And finally the book would be 'Blood Meridian' by Cormac McCarthy because it's one I haven't read yet. Analeine Cal y Mayor - (The Boy Who Smells Like Fish)
Film: I would say White Chicks. I’m going to need some humor! White Chicks is the movie that I put on when I need a good laugh. It does it for me every time. I grew up with characters like that; and admittedly, I can regress back to a few of them myself when no one is looking.
Album: ' Songs From the Capeman' - Paul Simon. I can’t get enough of that album. It instantly takes me to that world and electrifies that side of me that’s determined to make a change for Latinos. I want to keep that feeling with me alive eternally…wherever I’m at.”
Book: There are many but 'Anatomy of the Spirit' by Caroline Myss has been my compass. It taught me how to take control of my destiny by listening to my intuition and body. I stand by her quote: “Your biography becomes your biology.
Companion: The first person that came to mind when I read the question was silly Clarence from “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I guess I’m going to need an angel with me, and he’s perfect. He has a pure childlike spirit that would help me find gratitude in the most unlikely moments… even on a deserted island! That right there is the meaning of life. - Carmen Marron (Endgame)
Film: There are so many brilliant, groundbreaking favorite films that have influenced me (The 400 Blows; Jules and Jim ; Law of Desire; et al) but I wouldn't bring any of them. If I'm stuck on a deserted island, I'm bringing Neil Simon's Murder by Death so I can laugh my ass off. Not a great film at all, it's true, but it's a classic comedy.
Album: Oh, this is easy: Madonna's "Ray of Light." I am no Madonna fanatic, but "deserted island, " means beach + summer weather + Fire Island-like atmosphere. So somewhere nearby there's got to be gay guys partying and I will use Madonna to lure them to me so I can be rescued.
One Book: Varga Llosa's "Feast of the Goat" ("La Fiesta del Chivo") -- it's action-packed historical fiction. It will keep me occupied. One of my favorite novels.
Companion: Huckleberry Finn. He will be a great companion: not only will he tell great stories, but undoubtedly, the ever-resourceful Huck Finn will figure out how to build a raft and get us out off that island! - Terracino (Elliot Loves )
Film: Whenever anyone asks me this I always think of what use these items would serve practically on a deserted island, so I answered this in that respect. Tokyo Story - Yasujiro Ozu. This would be a great film to take on a deserted island because it's really about the unavoidable suffering of the cycle of life, which I'm sure you'd relate to if you were stuck on an island. I really could watch this film a million times over and notice something new every time. Watching most Ozu films is not unlike participating in a Zen meditation practice. It's patience and slowness and trying to empty your mind of thought until your left with the basics of existence. Kind of like sitting on a deserted island alone. I can watch the scene where Kyoto says “Life is disappointing, isn't it?” and Noriko smiles and says “Yes it is.” I can watch that endlessly and cry every time. It's so true.
Album: ' Tusk' - Fleetwood Mac. I could also deal with 'Rumours' but I picked 'Tusk' because it's longer and denser; probably better for an island. 'Sara' is maybe my favorite song in the world and so it would be nice to have that with me. I think channeling the powerful witchy energy of Stevie Nicks would be a real asset on an island. This album has so much strange material on - you wouldn't get bored too easily with it. It's also got a range of emotions so if you get too depressed on the island you can just put on 'Never Forget' and feel better. And 'Sisters of the Moon' would be good around a fire at night. Even though you're stuck on an island, it's good to create an ambiance to remind you that life is worth living.
Book: ' In Search of Lost Time' - Marcel Proust. I've only read 'Swann's Way' which is first part of this. My analyst recommend it to me when I was totally heartbroken after someone broke up with me. It really did the trick. This would be a good long epic read that has enough complex ideas in it to keep you occupied for a life time. Probably a good book (or set of books) to get back to nature with.
Companion: I'll say Terry Malloy from “On the Waterfront”. He'd be strong and good to have around to cut down trees and hunt and stuff. He's also easy on the eyes and someone that could do with a little lonely contemplation away from the loading docks. That doesn't sound half bad...stuck on like a tropical island with a young, cute Marlon Brando, watching Ozu, reading Proust and listening to Fleetwood Mac all day. Sign me up! - Joshua Sanchez (Four)
Film: My film would have to be Luis Buñuel's Los Olvidados. I have been a movie watcher since I was a child. Raised on mainstream American films and Wuxia flicks, it wasn't until I was a late teen that I took my first film class and was introduced to the work of Buñuel. Los Olvidados literally changed my perception of the world, both socially and visually. It was also the gateway for me to progress from movie watcher to film student.
Album: Music is my religion and I belong to the church of Robert Nesta Marley. I would prefer the whole anthology, but if I had to choose one album it would be “Exodus”. When on an island listen to island music.
Book: Right around the time I discovered the work of Buñuel, I was gifted Jose Montoya's 'In Formation: 20 years of Joda'. The book is a treasure of epic poems, sketches, and corridos. All testaments to the beauty and strength of Chicana/o culture. 20 years later I pay homage to both of these Maestros in my debut feature film, “Cry Now”. The film's protagonist is nicknamed 'Ojitos' during the course of the narrative, a reference to one of the characters in Los Olvidados. The late great Lupe Ontiveros playing the role of a sage loosely recites Montoya's mantra 'La Locura Cura' (In madness you find truth) while she councils our protagonist.
Companion: To bring it all full circle my fictitious character would have to be a Wuxia hero. As a child I was awe inspired by these bigger than life martial artists. As an adult, Ang Lee's “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” did the same. I know all would be as it should if Yu Shu Lien was on that island with me. - Alberto Barboza (Cry Now )
Film: Nothing But a Man (1964) It's a film that does an incredible job balancing a character-driven story within a politically charged context. It's a film I'm finding myself inspired by as I continue to write Los Valientes.
Album: I'm not a fan of albums, but if I had to choose one I guess I would have to go with any of Prince's albums. His music always puts me in a trance.
Book: My dream journal so I can look back look for signs of what is to become of my future.
Companion: Who better than TV's MacGyver. I'd put his ass to work on getting me off the island! -Aurora Guerrero (Mosquita y Mari)
Film: Hell in the Pacific so that I can be reminded that even in paradise there is a duality.
Album: “La Scala: Concert” by Ludovico Einaudi – I've listened to it a thousand times and each time I feel or discover something new.
Book: “ Voces Reunidas” by Antonio Porchia. Each time I read one of his poems I learn something new and I'm deeply moved.
Companion: Barbarella, so I could never be lonely and I could enjoy this planet-island – Diego Quemada-Díez (La jaula de oro/The Golden Dream)
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...
Film: Choosing desert island items may mean sacrificing taste and/or reason, thinking about those items that you wouldn’t forgive yourself for not bringing them as your company, it´s like choosing the woman of your life. Here it goes: Hiroshima Mon Amour; there might be others I fancy as much as or more than (La Dolce Vita, Vertigo, M , some Lubitsch or Preminger), but I can think of no other as unique. I wouldn’t be able to choose any other without feeling Hiroshima’s absence - the best love film, the best movie about war, the best motion picture regarding the memory and its consequences. I can spend my whole life learning about film and the world because of Hiroshima...'.
Album: “Los Preludios de Debussy” by Claudio Arrau. These were so important to my life (I'm referring to my childhood of course) and I think no one does it better than Arrau. Same thing: it is endless. I think I could never tire of this and I could still wake up each and every morning amazed by it.
Book: “Sentimental Education”, by Flaubert. Similar to “Hiroshima”, a book that changed my outlook on literature and the world and I am certain it will keep transforming it forever.
Companion: Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer in 'The fabulous Baker Boys'). Since I saw the film (which I liked very much!) in the provincial movie theater of my childhood, I felt as Jack Baker´s relative and I loved Susie. If we had a piano, it would all be all be perfect. - Santiago Palavecino (Algunas chicas/Some Girls)
Film: This is a tricky question. I've always said that on a deserted island you should bring some porn. You could use that more than regular movies. But since I've got to pick a film I guess it'd be Jaws. Why? Because it's one of my favorites (I could also go with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). But being on a deserted island, Jaws will remind me all the time what'll happen to me for sure if I try to get away!
Album: “ Appetite for Destruction” (Guns N' Roses). Hey, I was 13 when this came out. I listen to it every day while I work, anyways. My favorite, by far.
A Book: I'm going to cheat on this one: 'The Complete Works' by Jorge Luis Borges. The best writer, and enough labyrinths to get lost on endless nights.
Companion: Sherlock Holmes. He's always been my favorite, and also, since my guess is he'll be pretty useless in a deserted island, every time we fail to get out because of him I can get to tell him "Is that the best you can do, Sherlock? - Alejandro Brugués (Juan of the Dead)
Film: Los Olvidados- this is punk rock and Pachuco. Mexico City style before the bombed out bunkers of Sid & Nancy. Bunuel is a hero and I wanna buy Jaibo a beer and milk for the old poetic man!
Album: The Blade Runner album. I can play it over and over, get cranked up or mellow with Blade Runner Blues and the constant rain.
Book: '20 years of Joda' - poems of Jose Montoya, my pop. Epic stuff! 'Ran with Miguel Pinero in the Lower Eastside!”
Companion: Michael Corleone cause he's Mack in my book! Jaibo gets an honorable mention. - Richard Montoya (Water & Power )
Film: I´d choose Misery because a year can go by and I can watch it again eagerly. It's simple and the director (Rob Reiner) and Stephen King are both masters of suspense.
Album: I know this may be considered cheating but it would have to be 'The Best of David Bowie'. That way I have 2 CD's with nearly 40 songs!
Companion: There's many great people who I would to live with but on a deserted Island? It would have to be Mary Poppins for obvious reasons.
Book: And finally the book would be 'Blood Meridian' by Cormac McCarthy because it's one I haven't read yet. Analeine Cal y Mayor - (The Boy Who Smells Like Fish)
Film: I would say White Chicks. I’m going to need some humor! White Chicks is the movie that I put on when I need a good laugh. It does it for me every time. I grew up with characters like that; and admittedly, I can regress back to a few of them myself when no one is looking.
Album: ' Songs From the Capeman' - Paul Simon. I can’t get enough of that album. It instantly takes me to that world and electrifies that side of me that’s determined to make a change for Latinos. I want to keep that feeling with me alive eternally…wherever I’m at.”
Book: There are many but 'Anatomy of the Spirit' by Caroline Myss has been my compass. It taught me how to take control of my destiny by listening to my intuition and body. I stand by her quote: “Your biography becomes your biology.
Companion: The first person that came to mind when I read the question was silly Clarence from “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I guess I’m going to need an angel with me, and he’s perfect. He has a pure childlike spirit that would help me find gratitude in the most unlikely moments… even on a deserted island! That right there is the meaning of life. - Carmen Marron (Endgame)
Film: There are so many brilliant, groundbreaking favorite films that have influenced me (The 400 Blows; Jules and Jim ; Law of Desire; et al) but I wouldn't bring any of them. If I'm stuck on a deserted island, I'm bringing Neil Simon's Murder by Death so I can laugh my ass off. Not a great film at all, it's true, but it's a classic comedy.
Album: Oh, this is easy: Madonna's "Ray of Light." I am no Madonna fanatic, but "deserted island, " means beach + summer weather + Fire Island-like atmosphere. So somewhere nearby there's got to be gay guys partying and I will use Madonna to lure them to me so I can be rescued.
One Book: Varga Llosa's "Feast of the Goat" ("La Fiesta del Chivo") -- it's action-packed historical fiction. It will keep me occupied. One of my favorite novels.
Companion: Huckleberry Finn. He will be a great companion: not only will he tell great stories, but undoubtedly, the ever-resourceful Huck Finn will figure out how to build a raft and get us out off that island! - Terracino (Elliot Loves )
Film: Whenever anyone asks me this I always think of what use these items would serve practically on a deserted island, so I answered this in that respect. Tokyo Story - Yasujiro Ozu. This would be a great film to take on a deserted island because it's really about the unavoidable suffering of the cycle of life, which I'm sure you'd relate to if you were stuck on an island. I really could watch this film a million times over and notice something new every time. Watching most Ozu films is not unlike participating in a Zen meditation practice. It's patience and slowness and trying to empty your mind of thought until your left with the basics of existence. Kind of like sitting on a deserted island alone. I can watch the scene where Kyoto says “Life is disappointing, isn't it?” and Noriko smiles and says “Yes it is.” I can watch that endlessly and cry every time. It's so true.
Album: ' Tusk' - Fleetwood Mac. I could also deal with 'Rumours' but I picked 'Tusk' because it's longer and denser; probably better for an island. 'Sara' is maybe my favorite song in the world and so it would be nice to have that with me. I think channeling the powerful witchy energy of Stevie Nicks would be a real asset on an island. This album has so much strange material on - you wouldn't get bored too easily with it. It's also got a range of emotions so if you get too depressed on the island you can just put on 'Never Forget' and feel better. And 'Sisters of the Moon' would be good around a fire at night. Even though you're stuck on an island, it's good to create an ambiance to remind you that life is worth living.
Book: ' In Search of Lost Time' - Marcel Proust. I've only read 'Swann's Way' which is first part of this. My analyst recommend it to me when I was totally heartbroken after someone broke up with me. It really did the trick. This would be a good long epic read that has enough complex ideas in it to keep you occupied for a life time. Probably a good book (or set of books) to get back to nature with.
Companion: I'll say Terry Malloy from “On the Waterfront”. He'd be strong and good to have around to cut down trees and hunt and stuff. He's also easy on the eyes and someone that could do with a little lonely contemplation away from the loading docks. That doesn't sound half bad...stuck on like a tropical island with a young, cute Marlon Brando, watching Ozu, reading Proust and listening to Fleetwood Mac all day. Sign me up! - Joshua Sanchez (Four)
Film: My film would have to be Luis Buñuel's Los Olvidados. I have been a movie watcher since I was a child. Raised on mainstream American films and Wuxia flicks, it wasn't until I was a late teen that I took my first film class and was introduced to the work of Buñuel. Los Olvidados literally changed my perception of the world, both socially and visually. It was also the gateway for me to progress from movie watcher to film student.
Album: Music is my religion and I belong to the church of Robert Nesta Marley. I would prefer the whole anthology, but if I had to choose one album it would be “Exodus”. When on an island listen to island music.
Book: Right around the time I discovered the work of Buñuel, I was gifted Jose Montoya's 'In Formation: 20 years of Joda'. The book is a treasure of epic poems, sketches, and corridos. All testaments to the beauty and strength of Chicana/o culture. 20 years later I pay homage to both of these Maestros in my debut feature film, “Cry Now”. The film's protagonist is nicknamed 'Ojitos' during the course of the narrative, a reference to one of the characters in Los Olvidados. The late great Lupe Ontiveros playing the role of a sage loosely recites Montoya's mantra 'La Locura Cura' (In madness you find truth) while she councils our protagonist.
Companion: To bring it all full circle my fictitious character would have to be a Wuxia hero. As a child I was awe inspired by these bigger than life martial artists. As an adult, Ang Lee's “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” did the same. I know all would be as it should if Yu Shu Lien was on that island with me. - Alberto Barboza (Cry Now )
Film: Nothing But a Man (1964) It's a film that does an incredible job balancing a character-driven story within a politically charged context. It's a film I'm finding myself inspired by as I continue to write Los Valientes.
Album: I'm not a fan of albums, but if I had to choose one I guess I would have to go with any of Prince's albums. His music always puts me in a trance.
Book: My dream journal so I can look back look for signs of what is to become of my future.
Companion: Who better than TV's MacGyver. I'd put his ass to work on getting me off the island! -Aurora Guerrero (Mosquita y Mari)
Film: Hell in the Pacific so that I can be reminded that even in paradise there is a duality.
Album: “La Scala: Concert” by Ludovico Einaudi – I've listened to it a thousand times and each time I feel or discover something new.
Book: “ Voces Reunidas” by Antonio Porchia. Each time I read one of his poems I learn something new and I'm deeply moved.
Companion: Barbarella, so I could never be lonely and I could enjoy this planet-island – Diego Quemada-Díez (La jaula de oro/The Golden Dream)
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...
- 3/5/2014
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
As the leading presenter of Latin American Cinema in the U.S. Cinema Tropical advocates for the Latino filmmaking community and honors their achievements. Cinema Tropical Awards now in its fourth edition have announced this year's nominees
The winners of the 4th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards will be announced at a special event at The New York Times Company headquarters in New York City in late January, 2014.
The nominees for this year’s Cinema Tropical Awards were selected by a nine-member jury panel from a list of Latin American and U.S. Latino feature films of a minimum of 60 minutes in length that were premiered between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013 (January 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013, for U.S. Latino productions). The list was culled by a nominating committee composed of 17 film professionals from Latin America, the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
The Cinema Tropical Awards are presented in partnership with Voces, Latino Heritage Network of The New York Times Company. Media Sponsors: LatAm Cinema and Remezcla. Special thanks to Mario Díaz, Andrea Betanzos, and Tatiana García.
Best Feature Film
- Gloria (Sebastián Lelio, Chile/Spain, 2013)
- No (Pablo Larraín, Chile/USA/France/Mexico, 2012)
- Post Tenebras Lux (Carlos Reygadas, Mexico/France/Germany/Netherlands, 2012)
- Tanta Agua | So Much Water (Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Uruguay/Germany/Mexico, 2013)
- VIolA (Matías Piñeiro, Argentina, 2012)
Best Director, Feature Film
- Sebastián Silva, Crystal Fairy (Chile, 2013)
- Pablo Larraín, No (Chile/USA/France/Mexico, 2012)
- Carlos Reygadas, Post Tenebras Lux (Mexico/ France/ Germany/ Netherlands, 2012)
-Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Tanta Agua | So Much Water
(Uruguay/ Germany/ Mexico, 2013)
- Matías Piñeiro, Viola (Argentina, 2012)
Best Documentary Film
- El Alcalde | The Mayor (Emiliano Altuna, Carlos F. Rossini, Diego Osorno, Mexico, 2012)
- La Chica Del Sur | The Girl from the South (José Luis García, Argentina, 2012)
- La Gente Del RÍO | The River People (Martín Benchimol and Pablo Aparo, Argentina, 2012)
- El Huaso (Carlo Guillermo Proto, Chile/Canada, 2012)
- El Otro DÍA | The Other Day (Ignacio Agüero, Chile, 2012)
Best Director, Documentary Film
- José Luis García, La Chica Del Sur | The Girl from the South (Argentina, 2012)
- Priscilla Padilla, La Eterna Noche De Las Doce Lunas | The Eternal Night of the Twelve Moons (Colombia, 2013)
- Martín Benchimol, Pablo Aparo, La Gente Del RÍO | The River People (Argentina, 2012)
- Mercedes Moncada, Palabras MÁGICAS (Para Romper Un Encantamiento) | Magic Words (Breaking a Spell) (Mexico/Guatemala, 2012)
- Ignacio Agüero, El Otro DÍA | The Other Day (Chile, 2012)
Best First Film
- Carne De Perro | Dog Flesh (Fernando Guzzoni, Chile/France/Germany, 2012)
- El Limpiador | The Cleaner (Adrián Saba, Peru, 2012)
- Melaza | Molasses (Carlos Díaz Lechuga, Cuba/France/Panama, 2012)
- Tanta Agua | So Much Water (Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Uruguay/Germany/Mexico, 2013)
- Los Salvajes | The Wild Ones (Alejandro Fadel, Argentina, 2012)
Best U.S. Latino Film
- American Promise (Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, USA, 2013)
- Filly Brown (Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos, USA, 2012)
- Mosquita Y Mari (Aurora Guerrero, USA, 2012)
- Reportero (Bernardo Ruiz, USA, 2012)
- Wonder Women! The Untold Story Of American Superheroines (Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, USA, 2012)
2013 Jury:
Chris Allen, founder and director, UnionDocs; Melissa Anderson, film critic, Artforum; Beth Janson, executive director, Tribeca Film Institute; Daniel Loría, overseas editor, BoxOffice; Mike Maggiore, programmer, Film Forum; Paco de Onís, filmmaker; Anita Reher, executive director, Robert Flaherty Film Seminar; Julia Solomonoff, filmmaker; Maria-Christina Villaseñor, film curator and writer.
2013 Nominating Committee:
Cecilia Barrionuevo, programmer, Mar del Plata Film Festival, Argentina; Raúl Camargo, programmer, Valdivia Film Festival, Chile; John Campos Gómez, director, Transcinema Film Festival, Peru; Inti Cordera, director, DocsDF Film Festival, Mexico; Christine Davila, programmer, Sundance, Los Angeles Film Festival, Ambulante USA; Eugenio del Bosque, director, Cine Las Américas, USA; Raciel del Toro, Cinergia, Costa Rica; Vanessa Erazo, film programmer and journalist, indieWIRE/LatinoBuzz, Remezcla, USA; Lisa Franek, programmer, San Diego Latino Film Festival, USA; Robert A. Gomez, film journalist, Cinemathon, Venezuela; Jaie Laplante, director, Miami Film Festival, USA; Agustín Mango, film journalist, Hollywood Reporter, Argentina; Jim Mendiola, programmer, CineFestival, San Antonio, USA; Luis Ortiz, director, Latino Public Broadcasting, USA; Rafael Sampaio, programmer, Sao Paulo Latin American Film Festival, Brazil; Eva Sangiorgi, programmer, Ficunam, Mexico; Gerwin Tamsma, programmer, Rotterdam Film Festival, Netherlands.
The winners of the 4th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards will be announced at a special event at The New York Times Company headquarters in New York City in late January, 2014.
The nominees for this year’s Cinema Tropical Awards were selected by a nine-member jury panel from a list of Latin American and U.S. Latino feature films of a minimum of 60 minutes in length that were premiered between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013 (January 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013, for U.S. Latino productions). The list was culled by a nominating committee composed of 17 film professionals from Latin America, the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
The Cinema Tropical Awards are presented in partnership with Voces, Latino Heritage Network of The New York Times Company. Media Sponsors: LatAm Cinema and Remezcla. Special thanks to Mario Díaz, Andrea Betanzos, and Tatiana García.
Best Feature Film
- Gloria (Sebastián Lelio, Chile/Spain, 2013)
- No (Pablo Larraín, Chile/USA/France/Mexico, 2012)
- Post Tenebras Lux (Carlos Reygadas, Mexico/France/Germany/Netherlands, 2012)
- Tanta Agua | So Much Water (Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Uruguay/Germany/Mexico, 2013)
- VIolA (Matías Piñeiro, Argentina, 2012)
Best Director, Feature Film
- Sebastián Silva, Crystal Fairy (Chile, 2013)
- Pablo Larraín, No (Chile/USA/France/Mexico, 2012)
- Carlos Reygadas, Post Tenebras Lux (Mexico/ France/ Germany/ Netherlands, 2012)
-Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Tanta Agua | So Much Water
(Uruguay/ Germany/ Mexico, 2013)
- Matías Piñeiro, Viola (Argentina, 2012)
Best Documentary Film
- El Alcalde | The Mayor (Emiliano Altuna, Carlos F. Rossini, Diego Osorno, Mexico, 2012)
- La Chica Del Sur | The Girl from the South (José Luis García, Argentina, 2012)
- La Gente Del RÍO | The River People (Martín Benchimol and Pablo Aparo, Argentina, 2012)
- El Huaso (Carlo Guillermo Proto, Chile/Canada, 2012)
- El Otro DÍA | The Other Day (Ignacio Agüero, Chile, 2012)
Best Director, Documentary Film
- José Luis García, La Chica Del Sur | The Girl from the South (Argentina, 2012)
- Priscilla Padilla, La Eterna Noche De Las Doce Lunas | The Eternal Night of the Twelve Moons (Colombia, 2013)
- Martín Benchimol, Pablo Aparo, La Gente Del RÍO | The River People (Argentina, 2012)
- Mercedes Moncada, Palabras MÁGICAS (Para Romper Un Encantamiento) | Magic Words (Breaking a Spell) (Mexico/Guatemala, 2012)
- Ignacio Agüero, El Otro DÍA | The Other Day (Chile, 2012)
Best First Film
- Carne De Perro | Dog Flesh (Fernando Guzzoni, Chile/France/Germany, 2012)
- El Limpiador | The Cleaner (Adrián Saba, Peru, 2012)
- Melaza | Molasses (Carlos Díaz Lechuga, Cuba/France/Panama, 2012)
- Tanta Agua | So Much Water (Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Uruguay/Germany/Mexico, 2013)
- Los Salvajes | The Wild Ones (Alejandro Fadel, Argentina, 2012)
Best U.S. Latino Film
- American Promise (Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, USA, 2013)
- Filly Brown (Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos, USA, 2012)
- Mosquita Y Mari (Aurora Guerrero, USA, 2012)
- Reportero (Bernardo Ruiz, USA, 2012)
- Wonder Women! The Untold Story Of American Superheroines (Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, USA, 2012)
2013 Jury:
Chris Allen, founder and director, UnionDocs; Melissa Anderson, film critic, Artforum; Beth Janson, executive director, Tribeca Film Institute; Daniel Loría, overseas editor, BoxOffice; Mike Maggiore, programmer, Film Forum; Paco de Onís, filmmaker; Anita Reher, executive director, Robert Flaherty Film Seminar; Julia Solomonoff, filmmaker; Maria-Christina Villaseñor, film curator and writer.
2013 Nominating Committee:
Cecilia Barrionuevo, programmer, Mar del Plata Film Festival, Argentina; Raúl Camargo, programmer, Valdivia Film Festival, Chile; John Campos Gómez, director, Transcinema Film Festival, Peru; Inti Cordera, director, DocsDF Film Festival, Mexico; Christine Davila, programmer, Sundance, Los Angeles Film Festival, Ambulante USA; Eugenio del Bosque, director, Cine Las Américas, USA; Raciel del Toro, Cinergia, Costa Rica; Vanessa Erazo, film programmer and journalist, indieWIRE/LatinoBuzz, Remezcla, USA; Lisa Franek, programmer, San Diego Latino Film Festival, USA; Robert A. Gomez, film journalist, Cinemathon, Venezuela; Jaie Laplante, director, Miami Film Festival, USA; Agustín Mango, film journalist, Hollywood Reporter, Argentina; Jim Mendiola, programmer, CineFestival, San Antonio, USA; Luis Ortiz, director, Latino Public Broadcasting, USA; Rafael Sampaio, programmer, Sao Paulo Latin American Film Festival, Brazil; Eva Sangiorgi, programmer, Ficunam, Mexico; Gerwin Tamsma, programmer, Rotterdam Film Festival, Netherlands.
- 1/8/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The San Francisco Film Society (Sffs) in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation (Krf) announced nine narrative projects that will receive a total of $425,000 in funding.
The Film Society’s flagship Sffs / Krf Filmmaking Grants are awarded twice annually to filmmakers for narrative feature films that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community.
The nine film-making teams were granted the funding to help with their next stage of production, from screenwriting to post.
“These will be exceptional films, and we are honored to have a part in bringing them into being,” the jury noted in a statement. “Each of these projects explores a unique and authentic world and presents compelling characters that we want to see on the screen.”
The Film Society has a track record of success with previous recipients of the Sffs / Krf Filmmaking Grants like Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station which won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience...
The Film Society’s flagship Sffs / Krf Filmmaking Grants are awarded twice annually to filmmakers for narrative feature films that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community.
The nine film-making teams were granted the funding to help with their next stage of production, from screenwriting to post.
“These will be exceptional films, and we are honored to have a part in bringing them into being,” the jury noted in a statement. “Each of these projects explores a unique and authentic world and presents compelling characters that we want to see on the screen.”
The Film Society has a track record of success with previous recipients of the Sffs / Krf Filmmaking Grants like Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station which won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience...
- 10/31/2013
- ScreenDaily
The San Francisco Film Society has announced $425,000 in grants spread over nine projects, made in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. The grants have gone to Peter Nicks ("The Waiting Room"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari") and Ira Sachs ("Keep the Lights On") among others. The panelists who reviewed the finalists’ submissions are Santhosh Daniel, creative consultant; filmmaker Lisa Fruchtman; Sffs Executive Director Ted Hope (who recently announced his impending departure); Jennifer Rainin, president of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation; and Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360. Descriptions of the projects, with the size of each grant, supplied by the Sffs are below: Doctor — Musa Syeed, director/producer/writer; Nicholas Bruckman, coproducer $35,000 for screenwriting Salim, a disgraced young doctor from India, will do anything to rebuild his former life. But when he starts practicing medicine illegally in New York, he's drawn into a medical...
- 10/31/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
The San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation have selected the 14 finallists for the latest round of Sffs / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants.
The partners will grant more than $300,000 to one or more narrative feature at any stage of production.
The grants are awarded twice a year to projects “that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community.”
More than $2m has been awarded since inception of the grant. Recent winners include Sundance hit Fruitvale Station and SXSW favourite Short Term 12. (pictured.)
Winners of the current shortlist will be announced in late October.
The finallists are:
Doctor, dir Musa Syeed;
Escape From Morgantown, dir Peter Nicks;
The Fixer, dir Ian Olds;
G.E.Z.I., dir Aslihan Unaldi;
Hellion, dir Kat Candler;
Kicks, dir Justin Tipping;
Little Accidents, dir Sara Corangelo;
Los Valientes / The Brave Ones, dir Aurora Guerrero;
Love Land, dir Joshua Tate;
Ma, dir [link=nm...
The partners will grant more than $300,000 to one or more narrative feature at any stage of production.
The grants are awarded twice a year to projects “that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community.”
More than $2m has been awarded since inception of the grant. Recent winners include Sundance hit Fruitvale Station and SXSW favourite Short Term 12. (pictured.)
Winners of the current shortlist will be announced in late October.
The finallists are:
Doctor, dir Musa Syeed;
Escape From Morgantown, dir Peter Nicks;
The Fixer, dir Ian Olds;
G.E.Z.I., dir Aslihan Unaldi;
Hellion, dir Kat Candler;
Kicks, dir Justin Tipping;
Little Accidents, dir Sara Corangelo;
Los Valientes / The Brave Ones, dir Aurora Guerrero;
Love Land, dir Joshua Tate;
Ma, dir [link=nm...
- 9/19/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
For more than a decade, the annual Latin Alternative Music Conference (Lamc) has brought together the musical innovators and genre-benders at the forefront of a musical movement known simply as Latin alternative. It is a catch-all term, not a genre in itself. Some sing indie pop in Spanish while others take Latin beats like cumbia, regional Mexican music, or salsa and remix them with hip-hop, punk, electronica and everything in between.
The conference, organized by Los Angeles-based Nacional Records, took over NYC this past week and was a sweaty, sweltering marathon of acoustic showcases, electro-cumbia light shows, rainy SummerStage performances, and out-of-control dance parties. The long standing conference is a testament to the vitality of the Latino independent music scene.
Although the mainstream is still catching up to this “new” musical movement, Latino filmmakers have already tapped into this vast musical resource. Aurora Guerrero, director of Mosquita y Mari, told LatinoBuzz in a previous interview that, “I’m constantly on SoundCloud or Remezcla looking to see what new music is being produced by Latino artists. I’m not interested in producing soundtracks or scores that have been recycled in U.S. Latino films throughout the years. I’m looking for music that’s cutting-edge and contemporary.” Her film, a thoughtful portrait of two teenage Chicanas living in Los Angeles, is set to the music of local ska bands, the melancholy vocals of Carla Morrison, and other genre-remixing Latino artists.
The marriage of Latino independent music with Latino independent film seems natural. Both try to “hop borders” as Jon Pareles wrote in the New York Times and exist out of a desire to reach beyond the cultural boundaries in which they currently reside. It’s also a mutually beneficial relationship. Filmmakers deal with lower fees versus trying to license more commercial music while providing much-needed exposure to up-and-coming bands.
By happenstance Latinbeat, the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s week-long showcase of Latin American independent films, overlapped with Lamc over the weekend. It was a Lindie (a.k.a. Latino indie) takeover.
Latinbeat runs through Sunday, July 21 and there is still a ton to see. Here are the highlights.
Viola
Matías Piñeiro | 2012 | 65 mins
Wednesday, July 17 and Thursday, July 18 at 11:15am 1:45pm 4:15pm 6:45pm 9:30pm
A web of romantic intrigue and revelation is delicately unraveled in this dazzling riff on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Screening with Rosalinda (Matías Piñeiro, 2010, 43m).
Tanta Agua (So Much Water)
Ana Guevara | Leticia Jorge | 2013 | 100 mins
Filmmakers in person for Q&A. Thursday, July 18 at 8:30pm | Saturday, July 20 at 2:30pm
A divorced father’s vacation with his two children is marred by a storm that keep the three cooped up together as he desperately tries to remain enthusiastic and not let anything ruin their plans.
The Tears
Pablo Delgado Sanchez | 2012 | 66 mins
Filmmaker in person for Q&A. Thursday, July 18 at 6:30pm | Saturday, July 20 at 5:00pm
A camping trip in the woods becomes a painful but ultimately healing rite of passage for two brothers who are struggling to cope with their disturbing family environment in Sanchez’s taut, suspenseful debut feature.
Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman
Ernesto Díaz Espinoza | 2013 | 75 mins
Filmmaker in person for Q&A. Saturday, July 20 at 9:30pm | Sunday, July 21 at 8:30pm
This exuberant tribute to Peckinpah’s similarly titled 1974 film combines the plot of a Western with a video game aesthetic and structure in the story of a nerdy DJ who must undertake an action-packed mission to save his own life.
Magical Words (Breaking a Spell)
Mercedes Moncada | 2012 | 83 mins
Filmmaker in person for Q&A. Friday, July 19 at 6:30pm | Sunday, July 21 at 1:30pm
Moncada crafts a poignant and engaging personal perspective on her native Nicaragua from the 1979 Sandinista revolution through to modern times, weaving herself into the story at every historic step.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
The conference, organized by Los Angeles-based Nacional Records, took over NYC this past week and was a sweaty, sweltering marathon of acoustic showcases, electro-cumbia light shows, rainy SummerStage performances, and out-of-control dance parties. The long standing conference is a testament to the vitality of the Latino independent music scene.
Although the mainstream is still catching up to this “new” musical movement, Latino filmmakers have already tapped into this vast musical resource. Aurora Guerrero, director of Mosquita y Mari, told LatinoBuzz in a previous interview that, “I’m constantly on SoundCloud or Remezcla looking to see what new music is being produced by Latino artists. I’m not interested in producing soundtracks or scores that have been recycled in U.S. Latino films throughout the years. I’m looking for music that’s cutting-edge and contemporary.” Her film, a thoughtful portrait of two teenage Chicanas living in Los Angeles, is set to the music of local ska bands, the melancholy vocals of Carla Morrison, and other genre-remixing Latino artists.
The marriage of Latino independent music with Latino independent film seems natural. Both try to “hop borders” as Jon Pareles wrote in the New York Times and exist out of a desire to reach beyond the cultural boundaries in which they currently reside. It’s also a mutually beneficial relationship. Filmmakers deal with lower fees versus trying to license more commercial music while providing much-needed exposure to up-and-coming bands.
By happenstance Latinbeat, the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s week-long showcase of Latin American independent films, overlapped with Lamc over the weekend. It was a Lindie (a.k.a. Latino indie) takeover.
Latinbeat runs through Sunday, July 21 and there is still a ton to see. Here are the highlights.
Viola
Matías Piñeiro | 2012 | 65 mins
Wednesday, July 17 and Thursday, July 18 at 11:15am 1:45pm 4:15pm 6:45pm 9:30pm
A web of romantic intrigue and revelation is delicately unraveled in this dazzling riff on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Screening with Rosalinda (Matías Piñeiro, 2010, 43m).
Tanta Agua (So Much Water)
Ana Guevara | Leticia Jorge | 2013 | 100 mins
Filmmakers in person for Q&A. Thursday, July 18 at 8:30pm | Saturday, July 20 at 2:30pm
A divorced father’s vacation with his two children is marred by a storm that keep the three cooped up together as he desperately tries to remain enthusiastic and not let anything ruin their plans.
The Tears
Pablo Delgado Sanchez | 2012 | 66 mins
Filmmaker in person for Q&A. Thursday, July 18 at 6:30pm | Saturday, July 20 at 5:00pm
A camping trip in the woods becomes a painful but ultimately healing rite of passage for two brothers who are struggling to cope with their disturbing family environment in Sanchez’s taut, suspenseful debut feature.
Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman
Ernesto Díaz Espinoza | 2013 | 75 mins
Filmmaker in person for Q&A. Saturday, July 20 at 9:30pm | Sunday, July 21 at 8:30pm
This exuberant tribute to Peckinpah’s similarly titled 1974 film combines the plot of a Western with a video game aesthetic and structure in the story of a nerdy DJ who must undertake an action-packed mission to save his own life.
Magical Words (Breaking a Spell)
Mercedes Moncada | 2012 | 83 mins
Filmmaker in person for Q&A. Friday, July 19 at 6:30pm | Sunday, July 21 at 1:30pm
Moncada crafts a poignant and engaging personal perspective on her native Nicaragua from the 1979 Sandinista revolution through to modern times, weaving herself into the story at every historic step.
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
- 7/17/2013
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
Every year we get a couple of indie films that are so darling—or “an indie jewel” as Stephen Holden from The New York Times calls it—that everyone goes crazy for them. Aurora Guerrero's Mosquita Y Mari seems to be another one of those films, racking up exposure at Sundance, Outfest, and even scoring an Independent Spirit Award nomination. While these films may be endearing and often “important,” they are almost always too introspective to be fully entertaining (and this one is no exception).
Yolanda—nicknamed Mosquita (Fenessa Pineda)—is our introspective protagonist, wholly focused on her schoolwork so she can get into college. In walks neighbor girl Mari (Venecia Troncoso) whom Yolanda volunteers to tutor.
Read more...
Yolanda—nicknamed Mosquita (Fenessa Pineda)—is our introspective protagonist, wholly focused on her schoolwork so she can get into college. In walks neighbor girl Mari (Venecia Troncoso) whom Yolanda volunteers to tutor.
Read more...
- 6/24/2013
- by John Keith
- JustPressPlay.net
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (Nalip) is ramping up for its 14th Annual Conference this weekend and to my great gusto, the discourse promises to be more specific, relevant and fresh than last year on how to empower Latino independent storytellers. Judging by the practical and forward-thinking panel discussions, Nalip’s YouTube channel premiering a curated selection of upcoming films, and the hip, savvy talent invited to represent, Nalip is setting the tone for discovery and healthy debate. Chief among the themes will be a contextualized creative response to the much-propagated Latino trillion dollar purchasing power statistic, and how to strategically seize territorial claim to the wild wild west expansion of online distribution platforms.
Among the established and rising American Latino actors and filmmakers on tap are Richard Montoya, Cristina Ibarra, Aurora Guerrero, Gina Rodriguez, Danny Trejo, Jeremy Ray Valdez, and Jesse Garcia. The keynote speech on Friday will be given by none other than Richard Peña, one of the most influential film curators in the world who headed the prestigious Film Society of Lincoln Center for twenty-five years. It will be an insightful and thoughtful conversation moderated by the sensitive, master documentarian and MacArthur Genius Grant fellow, Natalia Almada. As this year’s Nalip Conference Co-Chair, Almada helped inform the direction of the conference and scored Peña’s participation. When talking about how each year’s conference organically takes shape with the feedback of board members, staff and hosting committee, Beni Matias, Acting Executive Director of Nalip, referenced Natalia’s concern of prominently featuring the voice of the independent filmmaker over the commercial as a guiding pursuit.
Natalia’s involvement with Nalip goes back to 2003 when she became the recipient of the Estela Award, given in recognition to an emerging filmmaker who has ‘arrived’. Her revelatory documentaries include El Velador, El General and Al Otro Lado – all which have been critically acclaimed worldwide and have been featured in museums and screened at film festivals including Sundance and Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. I asked her to share a few words about Nalip’s import and she replied over email, “I think that more than anything else the conference is a place where we can really exchange ideas, address shared concerns in our community and collectively fuel to keep going”.
Natalia is part of the sub-cine filmmaking crew who came of age through Nalip like Cristina Ibarra, Alex Rivera and Bernardo Ruiz. In fourteen years the organization has managed to be one of the few consistent Latino forums that has nurtured a family of artists/active organizers. Along with Beni Matias, Maria Agui Carter, who is a filmmaker and the Chair of the Board of Directors, has been actively with Nalip since the beginning. Other members who have continued with the organization since the beginning include Louis Perego Moreno who use to spearhead chapter leadership meetings, Jimmy Mendiola filmmaker and Director of CineFestival in San Antonio, Frank Gonzalez from Disney/ABC, Kim Meyers and Terri Lopez at WGA, Alex Nogales, to name just a few. Nalip has also enjoyed a sustained relationship with Time Warner and HBO who have taken turns at being the presenting partners of the conference since 2000.
Part of the reason I’m so eager to engage with and synthesize this year’s theme is this following text written by Maria Agui Carter to describe the Opening Plenary:
“Forbes magazine has called the Latino Market the “New Media Jackpot.” What is at stake? Why is every network and cable outlet now chasing the Latino market and how are Latino voices participating in this explosion not just as consumers but as creators?
There it is: “But as creators”. Amid all the hoopla over the rising Latino market data that makes corporations and brands salivate at the mouth over how to exploit us as consumers, nobody has thought about reckoning a counter creative force. We should be imagining how to harness, demand and unleash our creative power with that kind of purchasing power. Otherwise, the data simply makes us a target of a branding attack towards the depletion of our capital power and identity.
A programming change for this year and aimed to provide a more significant showcase for upcoming Latino films, Nalip is spotlighting brand new films on their Nalip YouTube channel. They’ve done away with the NALIPsters On View programming where members could openly screen their work during the conference. Those screening rooms tended to be lightly attended since there was little visibility and competition from the panel programming. Instead, this year Nalip will be premiering trailers of upcoming films to build buzz around them. The curated selection of fifteen new documentaries, narrative features and shorts will become available on Thursday, June 6.
Without a doubt, the most anticipated happening of this year’s conference will be the Nalip and Sundance Institute screening of Richard Montoya’s debut feature film, Water & Power at the AMC CityWalk. The impact and influence of this Chicano icon will be evident by the droves of fans, tentacle network of familia and homies, a wide range of community activists, artists, politicians who will be in attendance and who might reflect the young and old blood of the characters he writes. I listed W&P as number one in my top five movies to watch out for in 2013 so I’m thrilled to see it screen this way. Richard Peña will moderate a Q&A with Montoya after the screening. I couldn’t think of a better filmmaker and moderator pairing.
On Saturday at the Awards Gala, Machete Kills star Danny Trejo, the menacing but actually sweet hood actor will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Aurora Guerrero, filmmaker of Mosquita y Mari will be honored with the Estela Award that comes with a $7500 grant from McDonalds. And in what will surely be an emotionally inspiring moment, the first ever La Lupe Award will be bestowed to Gina Rodriguez. Her effervescence completely evokes the spitfire tenacity of the late great Lupe Ontiveros. I couldn’t think of a more perfect homage and passing of the torch.
While I found last year’s panel topics all over the place, this year it feels more targeted and practical. Panels like Beyond The Latino Market: Getting Your Film Out To A Wider Audience with Gabriel Reyes, Writing on Latino Cinema (a panel LatinoBuzz, Latin Heat and yours truly will be participating on!), Whatever It Takes: Diy Technology and the Democratization of Content Creation, and Entertainment Industry Writer Development Programs, all feature legit, intrepid filmmakers and industry sharing resources.
On Sunday the Closing Plenary will be Latinos and Media Stereotypes in which Natalia Almada, Richard Montoya, Aurora Guerrero, Yancey Arias will be participating, moderated by Mandalit del Barco of NPR. These are all highly experienced opinionated individuals with distinct tastes so I expect this one to be one of the livelier talks. Overall, this year’s Nalip conference feels like a live one and just about to go off.
Nalip 2013 Spotlight on the Trillion Dollar Latino Market will take place June 7-9 at the Universal Sheraton Hotel.
For a full list of speakers and panels here available at http://conference2013.nalip.org/conference/keynotes-speakers/
**Update** Maria Agui Carter will replace Aurora Guerrero as participant on the Latino Stereotypes panel.
Among the established and rising American Latino actors and filmmakers on tap are Richard Montoya, Cristina Ibarra, Aurora Guerrero, Gina Rodriguez, Danny Trejo, Jeremy Ray Valdez, and Jesse Garcia. The keynote speech on Friday will be given by none other than Richard Peña, one of the most influential film curators in the world who headed the prestigious Film Society of Lincoln Center for twenty-five years. It will be an insightful and thoughtful conversation moderated by the sensitive, master documentarian and MacArthur Genius Grant fellow, Natalia Almada. As this year’s Nalip Conference Co-Chair, Almada helped inform the direction of the conference and scored Peña’s participation. When talking about how each year’s conference organically takes shape with the feedback of board members, staff and hosting committee, Beni Matias, Acting Executive Director of Nalip, referenced Natalia’s concern of prominently featuring the voice of the independent filmmaker over the commercial as a guiding pursuit.
Natalia’s involvement with Nalip goes back to 2003 when she became the recipient of the Estela Award, given in recognition to an emerging filmmaker who has ‘arrived’. Her revelatory documentaries include El Velador, El General and Al Otro Lado – all which have been critically acclaimed worldwide and have been featured in museums and screened at film festivals including Sundance and Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. I asked her to share a few words about Nalip’s import and she replied over email, “I think that more than anything else the conference is a place where we can really exchange ideas, address shared concerns in our community and collectively fuel to keep going”.
Natalia is part of the sub-cine filmmaking crew who came of age through Nalip like Cristina Ibarra, Alex Rivera and Bernardo Ruiz. In fourteen years the organization has managed to be one of the few consistent Latino forums that has nurtured a family of artists/active organizers. Along with Beni Matias, Maria Agui Carter, who is a filmmaker and the Chair of the Board of Directors, has been actively with Nalip since the beginning. Other members who have continued with the organization since the beginning include Louis Perego Moreno who use to spearhead chapter leadership meetings, Jimmy Mendiola filmmaker and Director of CineFestival in San Antonio, Frank Gonzalez from Disney/ABC, Kim Meyers and Terri Lopez at WGA, Alex Nogales, to name just a few. Nalip has also enjoyed a sustained relationship with Time Warner and HBO who have taken turns at being the presenting partners of the conference since 2000.
Part of the reason I’m so eager to engage with and synthesize this year’s theme is this following text written by Maria Agui Carter to describe the Opening Plenary:
“Forbes magazine has called the Latino Market the “New Media Jackpot.” What is at stake? Why is every network and cable outlet now chasing the Latino market and how are Latino voices participating in this explosion not just as consumers but as creators?
There it is: “But as creators”. Amid all the hoopla over the rising Latino market data that makes corporations and brands salivate at the mouth over how to exploit us as consumers, nobody has thought about reckoning a counter creative force. We should be imagining how to harness, demand and unleash our creative power with that kind of purchasing power. Otherwise, the data simply makes us a target of a branding attack towards the depletion of our capital power and identity.
A programming change for this year and aimed to provide a more significant showcase for upcoming Latino films, Nalip is spotlighting brand new films on their Nalip YouTube channel. They’ve done away with the NALIPsters On View programming where members could openly screen their work during the conference. Those screening rooms tended to be lightly attended since there was little visibility and competition from the panel programming. Instead, this year Nalip will be premiering trailers of upcoming films to build buzz around them. The curated selection of fifteen new documentaries, narrative features and shorts will become available on Thursday, June 6.
Without a doubt, the most anticipated happening of this year’s conference will be the Nalip and Sundance Institute screening of Richard Montoya’s debut feature film, Water & Power at the AMC CityWalk. The impact and influence of this Chicano icon will be evident by the droves of fans, tentacle network of familia and homies, a wide range of community activists, artists, politicians who will be in attendance and who might reflect the young and old blood of the characters he writes. I listed W&P as number one in my top five movies to watch out for in 2013 so I’m thrilled to see it screen this way. Richard Peña will moderate a Q&A with Montoya after the screening. I couldn’t think of a better filmmaker and moderator pairing.
On Saturday at the Awards Gala, Machete Kills star Danny Trejo, the menacing but actually sweet hood actor will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Aurora Guerrero, filmmaker of Mosquita y Mari will be honored with the Estela Award that comes with a $7500 grant from McDonalds. And in what will surely be an emotionally inspiring moment, the first ever La Lupe Award will be bestowed to Gina Rodriguez. Her effervescence completely evokes the spitfire tenacity of the late great Lupe Ontiveros. I couldn’t think of a more perfect homage and passing of the torch.
While I found last year’s panel topics all over the place, this year it feels more targeted and practical. Panels like Beyond The Latino Market: Getting Your Film Out To A Wider Audience with Gabriel Reyes, Writing on Latino Cinema (a panel LatinoBuzz, Latin Heat and yours truly will be participating on!), Whatever It Takes: Diy Technology and the Democratization of Content Creation, and Entertainment Industry Writer Development Programs, all feature legit, intrepid filmmakers and industry sharing resources.
On Sunday the Closing Plenary will be Latinos and Media Stereotypes in which Natalia Almada, Richard Montoya, Aurora Guerrero, Yancey Arias will be participating, moderated by Mandalit del Barco of NPR. These are all highly experienced opinionated individuals with distinct tastes so I expect this one to be one of the livelier talks. Overall, this year’s Nalip conference feels like a live one and just about to go off.
Nalip 2013 Spotlight on the Trillion Dollar Latino Market will take place June 7-9 at the Universal Sheraton Hotel.
For a full list of speakers and panels here available at http://conference2013.nalip.org/conference/keynotes-speakers/
**Update** Maria Agui Carter will replace Aurora Guerrero as participant on the Latino Stereotypes panel.
- 6/5/2013
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
Wolfe Video is proud to announce the film “Mosquita y Mari” will be on DVD June 4! The film is a intriguing look at first love through the eyes of two girls who come from immigrant families. Here’s more about “Mosquita y Mari”: “Mosquita Y Mari, Writer/Director Aurora Guerrero’s semi-biographical look at friendship and first love, is an exquisitely crafted coming-of-age tale follows a pair of Latina teenagers who fall gradually in love against the backdrop of life in Southeast Los Angeles. Growing up in immigrant households, both girls are expected to make the well-being of their families their first priority. Yolanda (aka Mosquita) delivers straight A’s in the hope [ Read More ]
The post Win a Copy of Mosquita y Mari via ShockYa’s Twitter Giveaway! appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Win a Copy of Mosquita y Mari via ShockYa’s Twitter Giveaway! appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 5/27/2013
- by monique
- ShockYa
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