A24 has confirmed that they’re re-teaming with Halina Reijn, the director of their slasher satire Bodies Bodies Bodies, on a erotic thriller called Babygirl – and an impressive cast has already been assembled for the film. Here’s the line-up: Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos), Antonio Banderas (Desperado), Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw), Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me), and Jean Reno (Léon: The Professional).
According to Deadline, Reijn will be working from a screenplay she wrote herself. The story she crafted for this one centers on a successful CEO who begins an illicit affair with her much younger intern. Given the “thriller” part of the “erotic thriller” description, we have to assume that this affair goes terribly wrong in some way… probably in a way that involves more than just hurt feelings.
Reijn is producing Babygirl for Man Up Film, alongside A24 and David Hinojosa of 2Am. Julia Oh, Zach Nutman,...
According to Deadline, Reijn will be working from a screenplay she wrote herself. The story she crafted for this one centers on a successful CEO who begins an illicit affair with her much younger intern. Given the “thriller” part of the “erotic thriller” description, we have to assume that this affair goes terribly wrong in some way… probably in a way that involves more than just hurt feelings.
Reijn is producing Babygirl for Man Up Film, alongside A24 and David Hinojosa of 2Am. Julia Oh, Zach Nutman,...
- 11/22/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Antonio Banderas, Jean Reno, Harris Dickinson and Talk To Me breakout star Sophie Wilde join Nicole Kidman for erotic thriller Babygirl.
We’ve heard stories circulating for some time regarding A24’s Babygirl, having reported on the casting rumours as far back as March of this year.
Nicole Kidman’s name has always been attached to the project, and it seemed for a while like the film might get an exemption from SAG-AFTRA and shoot throughout the actors’ strike.
That didn’t happen, but the project now has an official production date and an intriguing cast that has also been announced, via The Hollywood Reporter, as appearing alongside Nicole Kidman in the production.
The film is an erotic thriller that comes courtesy of A24. While reports of Jude Law’s involvement proved to be premature, Kidman will instead be joined by Antonio Banderas alongside Jean Reno, Triangle Of Sadness’ Harris Dickinson and Sophie Wilde,...
We’ve heard stories circulating for some time regarding A24’s Babygirl, having reported on the casting rumours as far back as March of this year.
Nicole Kidman’s name has always been attached to the project, and it seemed for a while like the film might get an exemption from SAG-AFTRA and shoot throughout the actors’ strike.
That didn’t happen, but the project now has an official production date and an intriguing cast that has also been announced, via The Hollywood Reporter, as appearing alongside Nicole Kidman in the production.
The film is an erotic thriller that comes courtesy of A24. While reports of Jude Law’s involvement proved to be premature, Kidman will instead be joined by Antonio Banderas alongside Jean Reno, Triangle Of Sadness’ Harris Dickinson and Sophie Wilde,...
- 11/22/2023
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson are set to star in the upcoming movie Babygirl, which will follows their characters having an affair.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the movie is “an examination of power dynamics and sexuality, [which] tells of a powerful and in-control CEO (Kidman), who begins an affair with a charismatic intern (Dickinson).”
There are some more big names in the cast!
Keep reading to find out more…
Antonio Banderas is set to play Nicole‘s husband, Jean Reno will play a rival business exec, and Talk to Me actress Sophie Wilde will play the “CEO’s assistant who watches the affair unfold.”
Bodies Bodies Bodies filmmaker Halina Reijn will be directing the movie and the film is scheduled to be shot this December in New York.
Nicole just revealed that she has another exciting project in the works!
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the movie is “an examination of power dynamics and sexuality, [which] tells of a powerful and in-control CEO (Kidman), who begins an affair with a charismatic intern (Dickinson).”
There are some more big names in the cast!
Keep reading to find out more…
Antonio Banderas is set to play Nicole‘s husband, Jean Reno will play a rival business exec, and Talk to Me actress Sophie Wilde will play the “CEO’s assistant who watches the affair unfold.”
Bodies Bodies Bodies filmmaker Halina Reijn will be directing the movie and the film is scheduled to be shot this December in New York.
Nicole just revealed that she has another exciting project in the works!
- 11/22/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Dutch actress/director Halina Reijn made a big splash for her English-language feature debut last year with A24’s anti-slasher “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” Not everyone loved the movie (this writer didn’t), but once A24 becomes interested in an artist, loads of moviegoers also become interested. So, what’s next for Reijn? It’s an erotic thriller for A24 called “Babygirl,” about a career woman in her 40s who gets sexually involved with a 21-year-old intern.
Continue reading ‘Babygirl’: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas & More To Star In ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Director’s A24 Erotic Thriller at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Babygirl’: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas & More To Star In ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Director’s A24 Erotic Thriller at The Playlist.
- 11/21/2023
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Fresh off last year’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, A24 and director Halina Reijn are back together for Babygirl, an upcoming erotic thriller that has one hell of a cast attached at this time.
Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas and Harris Dickinson are confirmed to star after much speculation, while Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me) and Jean Reno round out the all-star cast.
Reijn wrote the screenplay and will also direct Babygirl.
In the film, “A successful CEO begins an illicit affair with her much younger intern.”
David Hinojosa of 2Am will produce alongside Reijn of Man Up Film and A24, who is financing the project. Julia Oh, Zach Nutman and Christine D’Souza Gelb of 2Am will serve as executive producers. This marks the second collaboration between Halina Reijn and A24 after her satirical slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies, also produced by Hinojosa.
A24 also acquired Reijn’s directorial debut, Instinct.
The post...
Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas and Harris Dickinson are confirmed to star after much speculation, while Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me) and Jean Reno round out the all-star cast.
Reijn wrote the screenplay and will also direct Babygirl.
In the film, “A successful CEO begins an illicit affair with her much younger intern.”
David Hinojosa of 2Am will produce alongside Reijn of Man Up Film and A24, who is financing the project. Julia Oh, Zach Nutman and Christine D’Souza Gelb of 2Am will serve as executive producers. This marks the second collaboration between Halina Reijn and A24 after her satirical slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies, also produced by Hinojosa.
A24 also acquired Reijn’s directorial debut, Instinct.
The post...
- 11/21/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
A24 is keeping in business with Halina Reijn.
Following the indie box office success of the Dutch actress-turned-feature-filmmaker’s 2022 word-of-mouth hit “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” A24 has another upcoming project with Reijn. “Babygirl,” the studio announced on November 21, will star Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in an erotic thriller about a successful CEO who begins an illicit affair with her much younger intern. Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde (breakout star of A24’s “Talk to Me”), and Jean Reno also join the cast, IndieWire has confirmed. “Babygirl” will mark Reijn’s second feature film, which she wrote as well.
David Hinojosa of 2Am will produce alongside Reijn of Man Up Film and A24, who is financing the project. Julia Oh, Zach Nutman, and Christine D’Souza Gelb of 2Am will serve as executive producers on “Babygirl.”
Reijn’s satirical slasher “Bodies Bodies Bodies” is already headed for cult classic status since premiering at...
Following the indie box office success of the Dutch actress-turned-feature-filmmaker’s 2022 word-of-mouth hit “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” A24 has another upcoming project with Reijn. “Babygirl,” the studio announced on November 21, will star Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in an erotic thriller about a successful CEO who begins an illicit affair with her much younger intern. Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde (breakout star of A24’s “Talk to Me”), and Jean Reno also join the cast, IndieWire has confirmed. “Babygirl” will mark Reijn’s second feature film, which she wrote as well.
David Hinojosa of 2Am will produce alongside Reijn of Man Up Film and A24, who is financing the project. Julia Oh, Zach Nutman, and Christine D’Souza Gelb of 2Am will serve as executive producers on “Babygirl.”
Reijn’s satirical slasher “Bodies Bodies Bodies” is already headed for cult classic status since premiering at...
- 11/21/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas have joined the cast of A24’s erotic thriller “Babygirl.”
“Bodies Bodies Bodies” filmmaker Halina Reijn is writing and directing the movie, which examines power dynamics and sexuality in the workplace. It tells the story of a powerful CEO (Kidman) who begins an illicit affair with a much younger, charismatic intern (Harris Dickinson).
Banderas is playing the husband of Kidman’s character, while Sophie Wilde (“Talk to Me”) is portraying the assistant who watches the rendezvous go down. Jean Reno (“The Big Blue”) rounds out the cast as a rival business executive. It’s scheduled to film this December in New York.
“Babygirl” marks the second collaboration between A24 and Reijn after her 2022 satirical slasher “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” an indie box office winner starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Rachel Sennott and Pete Davidson. A24 also acquired Reijn’s directorial debut, “Instinct.”
David Hinojosa of 2Am...
“Bodies Bodies Bodies” filmmaker Halina Reijn is writing and directing the movie, which examines power dynamics and sexuality in the workplace. It tells the story of a powerful CEO (Kidman) who begins an illicit affair with a much younger, charismatic intern (Harris Dickinson).
Banderas is playing the husband of Kidman’s character, while Sophie Wilde (“Talk to Me”) is portraying the assistant who watches the rendezvous go down. Jean Reno (“The Big Blue”) rounds out the cast as a rival business executive. It’s scheduled to film this December in New York.
“Babygirl” marks the second collaboration between A24 and Reijn after her 2022 satirical slasher “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” an indie box office winner starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Rachel Sennott and Pete Davidson. A24 also acquired Reijn’s directorial debut, “Instinct.”
David Hinojosa of 2Am...
- 11/21/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas and Harris Dickinson have signed on for Babygirl, an erotic thriller that reunites A24 with Bodies Bodies Bodies filmmaker Halina Reijn.
Sophie Wilde, who starred in horror movie Talk to Me, and veteran actor Jean Reno are also on the call sheet for the feature that Reijn wrote and is directing. A shoot is scheduled for December in New York.
An examination of power dynamics and sexuality, Babygirl tells of a powerful and in-control CEO (Kidman), who begins an affair with a charismatic intern (Dickinson).
Banderas is playing the husband, while Wilde is the CEO’s assistant who watches the affair unfold. Reno is a rival business executive.
David Hinojosa of 2Am will produce alongside Reijn, who is producing via her Man Up Film, and A24, which is financing the project.
Julia Oh, Zach Nutman and Christine D’Souza Gelb of 2Am will serve as executive producers.
Sophie Wilde, who starred in horror movie Talk to Me, and veteran actor Jean Reno are also on the call sheet for the feature that Reijn wrote and is directing. A shoot is scheduled for December in New York.
An examination of power dynamics and sexuality, Babygirl tells of a powerful and in-control CEO (Kidman), who begins an affair with a charismatic intern (Dickinson).
Banderas is playing the husband, while Wilde is the CEO’s assistant who watches the affair unfold. Reno is a rival business executive.
David Hinojosa of 2Am will produce alongside Reijn, who is producing via her Man Up Film, and A24, which is financing the project.
Julia Oh, Zach Nutman and Christine D’Souza Gelb of 2Am will serve as executive producers.
- 11/21/2023
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a period of speculation prolonged by the double strike, A24 has officially confirmed the cast set for its erotic thriller Babygirl, marking a reteam with Bodies Bodies Bodies helmer Halina Reijn. Nicole Kidman (The Undoing), Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory) and Harris Dickinson (The Iron Claw) lead an ensemble that also includes Talk to Me‘s Sophie Wilde and Jean Reno (Léon: The Professional).
In the film written and directed by Reijn, a successful CEO begins an illicit affair with her much younger intern. David Hinojosa of 2Am will produce alongside Reijn of Man Up Film and A24, which is financing the project. Julia Oh, Zach Nutman and Christine D’Souza Gelb of 2Am will serve as exec producers.
Reijn comes to make Babygirl with A24 after collaborating with the studio on her critically acclaimed satirical slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies, which world premiered out of SXSW. She previously saw her 2019 directorial debut Instinct,...
In the film written and directed by Reijn, a successful CEO begins an illicit affair with her much younger intern. David Hinojosa of 2Am will produce alongside Reijn of Man Up Film and A24, which is financing the project. Julia Oh, Zach Nutman and Christine D’Souza Gelb of 2Am will serve as exec producers.
Reijn comes to make Babygirl with A24 after collaborating with the studio on her critically acclaimed satirical slasher Bodies Bodies Bodies, which world premiered out of SXSW. She previously saw her 2019 directorial debut Instinct,...
- 11/21/2023
- by Matt Grobar and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Once the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations were revealed, our forum posters (many of whom are industry insiders) were quick to share their thoughts about the television performances that were recognized and those that were ignored. In particular, folks celebrated the solid showing by “The Bear” as well as the surprise inclusion of “Barry” actor Anthony Carrigan. Other unexpected nominations, such as the one Sam Elliott received for “1883,” left users scratching their heads or even seething, while others lamented the complete “Pam and Tommy” shutout.
Below is just a sampling of our readers’ brutally honest SAG Awards reactions to the nominees in the nine TV categories. Take a look, then join in if you’re brave enough. The film and TV winners will be revealed on February 26 during a live show that will be available to watch on Netflix’s YouTube channel. No host has yet been announced. Gold...
Below is just a sampling of our readers’ brutally honest SAG Awards reactions to the nominees in the nine TV categories. Take a look, then join in if you’re brave enough. The film and TV winners will be revealed on February 26 during a live show that will be available to watch on Netflix’s YouTube channel. No host has yet been announced. Gold...
- 1/11/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
In Macdara Vallely’s gritty coming-of-age urban drama "Babygirl," a nuyorican teen named Lena, portrayed by breakthrough actress Yainis Ynoa (Starz’s "Power"), has taken more of a parental role to her own self-centered single mother Lucy (Rosa Arredondo), whose past includes a series of failed relationships with untrustworthy men. Single mother Lucy has been placing the burden of caring for her infant on her angst-ridden teenage daughter Lena, who also works as a cashier at a local supermarket in the Bronx. Aside from dealing with the responsibility of caring for her baby sister, Lena’s burgeoning sexuality has triggered a self-defense mechanism when it comes to a...
- 8/26/2015
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
Now a lot more of you will finally be able to see Macdara Vallely's Tribeca Film Festival 2012 selection, "Babygirl," which I've just been informed will become available on iTunes and VOD on August 25, 2015. Starring rising star Yainis Ynoa (Starz's "Power"), "Babygirl" follows Bronx teenager Lena, who, for as long as she can remember, has watched her mother Lucy squander her life away on a series of deadbeat men. When Victor, her mom’s latest boy toy, starts hitting on Lena, she sets up a trap to expose Victor for the creep that he is... but the plan backfires, as young Lena finds herself trapped in a twisted love-triangle...
- 8/19/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Upcoming productions include Ahd Kamel’ s My Driver and I.
Former Doha Film Institute (Dfi) director of film financing Paul Miller is setting up shop in the Netherlands.
The veteran producer, who has moved to the country for family reasons, has recently launched consultancy firm Internal Affairs with Us-based producer Dan Lindau and is working on several feature projects under his Escape Pictures company banner.
“Internal Affairs is a consultancy advising clients on everything from best practices to film financing to production in the filmed entertainment as well as commercials,” said Miller, who is attending the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Jan 21-Feb 1) as a speaker on one of the industry panels as well as at the producer-focused Rotterdam Lab.
“We’re already working with a company in Qatar and are probably going to start working with some companies in the Netherlands,” added Miller, who retains good contacts in the Middle East after his Dfi stint.
“I’m going...
Former Doha Film Institute (Dfi) director of film financing Paul Miller is setting up shop in the Netherlands.
The veteran producer, who has moved to the country for family reasons, has recently launched consultancy firm Internal Affairs with Us-based producer Dan Lindau and is working on several feature projects under his Escape Pictures company banner.
“Internal Affairs is a consultancy advising clients on everything from best practices to film financing to production in the filmed entertainment as well as commercials,” said Miller, who is attending the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Jan 21-Feb 1) as a speaker on one of the industry panels as well as at the producer-focused Rotterdam Lab.
“We’re already working with a company in Qatar and are probably going to start working with some companies in the Netherlands,” added Miller, who retains good contacts in the Middle East after his Dfi stint.
“I’m going...
- 1/25/2015
- ScreenDaily
Let’s face facts, the days of the short film being your calling card are pretty much gone (along with the bank account you pillaged). The digital revolution did democratize filmmaking and it meant any Tom, Dick and Harry could pick up a camera and shoot a film. And they did, saturating the festival circuit and bringing about countless of needless short festivals in every neighborhood (this being especially true in NYC). In curating thousands of short films over the years, I’ve lost years of my life to the art. So, you can imagine the joy one gets when you come across those “bangers”. A film that never leaves you. Some of my dearest friends are people whose film I happened upon. There’s a support system that exists between people getting their short films out there. Maybe it’s the nerves. But there’s no competition to sell your film like with feature films. They just want their film to be seen and to share these small precious stories because they know they have about 10 minutes to leave a lasting impression. LatinoBuzz caught up with filmmakers whose short films are starting to make noise on the festival circuit and you will be pleasantly surprised at the disparity in their stories. Here’s to meeting these filmmakers with their features.
You're Dead to Me dir. by Wu Tsang (USA)
LatinoBuzz : Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Wu: Initially I approached Adelina Anthony about co-writing a script about a “trans” character who is dealing with the death of a parent. It turned out that Adelina was already working on a beautiful script with a related theme and that ended up being the film we made! I really love this story, because it enabled me to play with elements of the supernatural to explore a very human story: dealing with irreconcilable feelings of losing someone, when you had already broken off the relationship before they died. Adelina's title "You're Dead to Me" refers to that experience, which can be especially painful when it comes to disowning a family member, because it is another thing entirely to process their physical passing.
LatinoBuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Wu: I hope that this film can convey emotional truth about relationships between parents and transgender children, which can unfortunately sometimes be difficult. As a transgender filmmaker I have a personal stake in telling this story. On the other hand, I like that this film also plays with transgender identity to work within a ghost story genre convention. The ambiguity of who the missing child is (are they are boy or girl?) helps maintain the suspense. I studied some films closely, especially The Sixth Sense and The Others, as examples of when ghost characters can be ambiguous until the end of the story.
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Wu: This project was developed through Film Independent's Project: Involve Fellowship, so there was a competitive process for us to team up and get our script green-lit. But once we did, we were able to work quickly with support from Find and the PBS National Minority Consortium. We had to work within some strict guidelines, but I always believe that rules provide a structure to be creative with (and against) the boundaries.
LatinoBuzz: Name one "Hustle"/"Guerrilla" moment where you did what you had to do to get the shot/scene?
Wu: Thanks to our stellar producer Melissa Haizlip, and the brilliance of our cinematographer Michelle Lawler, I don't recall having to cut any corners; we were able to get all the shots we needed. But we did have a few challenges with the location; at the last minute, we realized we didn't have a really crucial 'door buzzer' - and we ended up taping a chocolate bar to the wall - a little trick of lighting and sound effects, and voila!
- https://twitter.com/deadtomeshort
Milk and Honey dir. by Daniel Pfeffer (USA)
LatinoBuzz: Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Daniel: ‘Milk and Honey’ stems from a feature film script titled: Mama Left Me in the 607. I have been writing various drafts of the feature film script for years. At one point, while juggling freelance locations work on major motion pictures, I decided to take the bull by the horns and make a short film inspired by the feature. They are very different films but I thought it was important to make a short representation of what could be a much bigger picture. It was important for me to be able to showcase out of film school, such a personal story, and let an audience see the unique world of my main character, Maya. I loosely based Maya on a girl I fell in love with growing up in Ithaca, New York. Milk and Honey is my first short film produced independently out of film school. I was eager to direct again and keep honing in on my craft. I wanted to make a short without any strings attached.
Latinobuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Daniel: The short film genre has become beyond competitive, so it's hard to tell what opportunities can develop from making a short film. A part of me just feels honored and lucky as hell to be able to make a short outside of film school. It has been a blessing to get a team together and work towards one vision. On the other hand, I felt I had to make a short film to gain credibility and be able to market myself as a writer, producer, director. I wanted to keep expanding my network and create a new portfolio piece to compliment my feature film about an orphaned Puerto Rican girl, Maya, and how she copes with her problems in an abusive foster home.
Maya's story is based on a personal story, so I know the feature script might not sit well with producers and investors without a truly solid vision in place. I am marketing this film with attention to its unique setting, upstate New York. I would love to have my lead actors, Yainis Ynoa and Joshua Rivera come back for the feature, they are amazing to work with, incredibly talented, and have a special chemistry on screen. If I can use this short film to showcase my talent as a director/screenwriter to potential investors for a feature, then the short has been a success in my eyes.
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Daniel: The short script writing process went through many stages. Because it was based off a longer screenplay, my first short draft had too many characters. It was overwhelming for a short film. My co-producer immediately advised me to cut characters for the sake of a better film. At first I craved to keep all the characters because the story and them were loosely based off my childhood. However, as I wrote the second draft I saw how much I could further develop my protagonist Maya, by eliminating the excess characters. It became clear this couldn't be a story about my youth, but had to be Maya's story and focus on her struggles and strength.
Funding the film was a battle because I didn't have any savings to back up my short. It's hard enough just to make rent in NYC, much less have savings for a short film. Instead I turned to Kickstarter and made a pledge video with my two lead actors, Yainis Ynoa and Joshua Rivera. We shot it the same week both of them had premiered their feature film Babygirl at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. It was a blessing having them on board, I couldn't have raised the funds without them. They provided a spirit and legitimacy that drew a lot of support and in turn a successful fundraising campaign. We didn't ask for too much money, but that was because Kickstarter doesn't grant you the funds if you don't make your goal! After working on major film productions for some pretty important producers in the metro area, I learned each departments' role on a set, and how truly important they were. I always tried to cut too many corners in film school, but this time I made sure I had the right players involved to be able to liberate myself as a director.
Making a short film on six thousand dollars is no easy feat, and we shot about five pages a day, which in hindsight, I do not recommend. On this production, I cut off some of the fat my other shorts suffered from. This time I was able to focus more on performances and storytelling, which I think should always be the ultimate goal! In the end, making a film is a team effort, so the struggle is always getting people involved that really want to bring your vision to life. There are always rifts, but the trick is to contain them, so the show can keep going. We filmed on all kinds of formats, RedCam, handicam, 8mm, Canon 7d and T2i - which later became a post production nightmare, but worth the sleepless nights to create a unique picture.
LatinoBuzz: Name one “Hustle”/”Guerrilla” moment where you did what you had to do to get the shot/scene?
Daniel: A memorable moment was getting the only "dolly" shot in the film. I wanted to backtrack on Yainis as she storms out of her house and charges down the middle of the street. Since most of the film was handheld, we couldn't get the movement right even after trying the backtrack on foot with various lenses. So we took a volvo station wagon and opened the back hatch, placed our cinematographer in the hatch and rolled the car on neutral without the engine running. The shot came out beautifully and ended up in the final cut of the short!
- http://milkandhoneythemovie.com/
Solecito dir. by Oscar Ruiz Navia (Colombia)
LatinoBuzz: Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Oscar: I was doing casting in different schools and institutions for another feature film project (Los Hongos, currently in post production) and I met the 2 teenagers of the film who told me the story of their loving breaking up. I realized that they both didn’t have any communication and I decided to propose them to make a fiction film about how they could meet again.
LatinoBuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Oscar: I wanted to explore the representation of reality with non-professional actors playing themselves. This is something I´ve been always interested in.
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Oscar: I did the film with a very low budget. I got a small grant and support from Danish artist Olafour Eliasson and the support of Tine Fisher form Cph:dox. Then after I got some support for 2 companies in Colombia, besides my own, Contravia Films. These 2 companies were Burning Blue and Post Bros. I also got support from my habitual French co-producer Arizona Productions. The film was a miracle, it was made with 3 people on the set with our script and with a very small camera. It was selected in Director´s Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival 2013.
- http://contraviafilms.com.co
Tinto dir. by Felix Solis (Chile/USA)
LatinoBuzz: Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Felix: My co-writer Liza Fernandez who also plays Anita in the short was invited to visit her mother who owns vineyard land in Isla de Maipo, Chile. It had been quite some time since she had been there. I was drawn to the idea of what happens to us when we return to a place we have not been to in a long time. Also, having been born and raised in the concrete jungles of NYC, I was also inspired by the location. Lush rolling hills, farm land, cattle and vegetation soils. And the idea of placing a city urbanite in the unfamiliar landscape of countryside.
LatinoBuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Felix: My initial drive to make a short was to follow the natural progression I was going through as an actor of film and television. You spend long enough hours on a set, and if you are even remotely aware of your surroundings and the inner workings of film and tv, you see what needs to happen, you have make your own film. Now that the process is somewhat complete for me, I am finding myself wanting to share my story in the hopes of becoming a part of a generation of NYC based filmmakers that will leave behind a library of cinematic stories. Whether financing comes from within or from afar. The story will always be grounded in my company's (Subway token films) identity "everydayers, derailments, and street level miracles".
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Felix: Well, the writing was relatively simple once we nailed the story we wanted to tell. There were specific variables that we knew were going to be unavoidable so that helped plot points. For example we were going to be on a vineyard. We were going to be in a foreign country. We were not going to have many locations. And we we're going to be doing most, if not all the work ourselves. These things helped narrow a script down to its basic core. Less is more.
As far as funding goes, there's the old adage "if you want something done right, do it yourself" I funded the entire project out of pocket. I used money I had saved from my years of working as an actor. One of the perks of living well below my means. The shooting process was as exciting an endeavor as anything I have ever had the pleasure of doing. I was blessed enough to put together a bare bones team that took very little time to trust me and feel connected to me in a way that allowed for all the things I didn't know, all the answers I didn't have, all my ignorance, to become learning moments and creative "explosions" if you will, that kept us from imploding. I also reminded myself of my theatre background, where it's all about the story and not one Individual aspect. We worked as a team top to bottom, don't get me wrong, there storms and catastrophes but we weathered them as a unit. This was my shooting process.
LatinoBuzz: Name one “Hustle”/”Guerrilla” moment where you did what you had to do to get the shot/scene?
Felix: This is a great question! On the property in Isla de Maipo, Chile there is a mega tall free standing water tank tower, and when I saw it, I knew I wanted a shot from atop it. I hoped to maybe get a sunset or a sunrise. It just felt right to have it. I didn't know where in the short I would use it but I knew I wanted it. I asked my Director of Photography, Miguel Alvarez, about it, and I seem to recall him saying, "who's going up there, you or me?" I said to him "Well, as a director I should be willing to do first, anything that I would asks my actors or crew to do for me" and we left it at that. One day I was prepping inside the mainstay house and was told Miguel was climbing the water tank tower, when I went out, he was half way up and I could do nothing but watch as he scaled to the top and began shooting the sunset. Our production designer, Nazanin Shirazi, sat worried for her Dp. I was worried too, but have to admit, I did wonder what the footage would look like. We also did lots of driving with the camera pointing out of the window, throughout the surrounding areas, which always garners some nasty stares for the locals.
One final thing, I must confess, I never got the chance to climb to the top of the water tank tower. I owe him one. - http://www.subwaytokenfilms.com/
Alta Exposición dir. by Cecilia Robles (USA)
LatinoBuzz: Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Cecilia: Well, I studied filmmaking in Mexico, then France, then here in the USA. But this particular short is a stepping-stone between the novel and the feature film that is screaming to be produced. It turns out that in my younger years I was a daring and venturesome flight-attendant who happened to participate in, let's say peculiar activities. Since I could not tell anyone about my questionable adventures, I started compiling them on a diary. That diary became an erotic novel, ‘Bienvenidos a Bordo’ (Welcome on board) and then I adapted the best chapters into a full length screenplay (Alta EXPOSICiÓN. I know what you’re thinking…. And you know what? In my case it would have been true (wink-wink) The short allows me to introduce three of my favorite characters ;)
LatinoBuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Cecilia: Well, as I said, I would love to raise interest in the short to find funds for the long. The long is too expensive for me to produce alone. Also, I'd love to direct the long, so I needed to showcase what I was able to do as a director. The motto of this project is to encourage people to act towards the realization of their dreams; to remind them that no one should live in autopilot, which is basically what I did to produce it.
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Cecilia: As I said, I wrote a book, a screenplay and a wait for it...Also a TV series! Yes! It could be a franchise: Bienvenidos A Bordo - the novel, Alta EXPOSICIÓN - the film, and Te La Volaste - the TV series. I would say the three are based on the semi-autobiographical intimate and artistic exploits of a young airline stewardess who takes a turbulent journey into the depths of self-discovery. So, long story Short: it comes from my novel ;). The funding: financed it myself, but I consider the crew my co-producers for the very low rates they gave me. It was really, really extra low budget. Everything was shot Guerilla Style, I had no insurance (Thank God no one got hurt). There were 9 speaking roles and we used their clothes and I hand made the flight-attendant uniforms... We needed 7 locations, a theater, an apartment, a hotel room, a trapeze school, a bar, an art gallery, and most importantly: an airplane mockup!!!
We shot everything "a escondiditas", stole the shots everywhere except for the airplane cabin, which btw, I could have never afford it, alas I can't tell you how I got it, because I made a pact. :)
As for post, I did the editing. For the music, I hit the lottery with this amazing composer that was worth every single last penny of my miserable budget. As for the animated logo, I ended up becoming a friend of the animator because he really delivered for a ridiculous amount of $. The crew was minimal and everybody was very cooperative! Without my precious crew, my line producer and all the people that I convinced through exacerbated enthusiasm, I would have never been able to make it for that kind of money.
LatinoBuzz: Name one “Hustle”/”Guerrilla” moment where you did what you had to do to get the shot/scene?
Cecilia: All of them. It was such an intense and fast learning experience for me, that I created 12 vlogs and uploaded them on my blog. Basically I give quick tips about all that I learned on each step of the way. I just sat in front of my Mac shared some guerrilla-nugget-experiences throwing in some footage, pictures and advices for when wearing several hats at once. You can watch them here: http://ceciliarobles.com
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 .
You're Dead to Me dir. by Wu Tsang (USA)
LatinoBuzz : Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Wu: Initially I approached Adelina Anthony about co-writing a script about a “trans” character who is dealing with the death of a parent. It turned out that Adelina was already working on a beautiful script with a related theme and that ended up being the film we made! I really love this story, because it enabled me to play with elements of the supernatural to explore a very human story: dealing with irreconcilable feelings of losing someone, when you had already broken off the relationship before they died. Adelina's title "You're Dead to Me" refers to that experience, which can be especially painful when it comes to disowning a family member, because it is another thing entirely to process their physical passing.
LatinoBuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Wu: I hope that this film can convey emotional truth about relationships between parents and transgender children, which can unfortunately sometimes be difficult. As a transgender filmmaker I have a personal stake in telling this story. On the other hand, I like that this film also plays with transgender identity to work within a ghost story genre convention. The ambiguity of who the missing child is (are they are boy or girl?) helps maintain the suspense. I studied some films closely, especially The Sixth Sense and The Others, as examples of when ghost characters can be ambiguous until the end of the story.
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Wu: This project was developed through Film Independent's Project: Involve Fellowship, so there was a competitive process for us to team up and get our script green-lit. But once we did, we were able to work quickly with support from Find and the PBS National Minority Consortium. We had to work within some strict guidelines, but I always believe that rules provide a structure to be creative with (and against) the boundaries.
LatinoBuzz: Name one "Hustle"/"Guerrilla" moment where you did what you had to do to get the shot/scene?
Wu: Thanks to our stellar producer Melissa Haizlip, and the brilliance of our cinematographer Michelle Lawler, I don't recall having to cut any corners; we were able to get all the shots we needed. But we did have a few challenges with the location; at the last minute, we realized we didn't have a really crucial 'door buzzer' - and we ended up taping a chocolate bar to the wall - a little trick of lighting and sound effects, and voila!
- https://twitter.com/deadtomeshort
Milk and Honey dir. by Daniel Pfeffer (USA)
LatinoBuzz: Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Daniel: ‘Milk and Honey’ stems from a feature film script titled: Mama Left Me in the 607. I have been writing various drafts of the feature film script for years. At one point, while juggling freelance locations work on major motion pictures, I decided to take the bull by the horns and make a short film inspired by the feature. They are very different films but I thought it was important to make a short representation of what could be a much bigger picture. It was important for me to be able to showcase out of film school, such a personal story, and let an audience see the unique world of my main character, Maya. I loosely based Maya on a girl I fell in love with growing up in Ithaca, New York. Milk and Honey is my first short film produced independently out of film school. I was eager to direct again and keep honing in on my craft. I wanted to make a short without any strings attached.
Latinobuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Daniel: The short film genre has become beyond competitive, so it's hard to tell what opportunities can develop from making a short film. A part of me just feels honored and lucky as hell to be able to make a short outside of film school. It has been a blessing to get a team together and work towards one vision. On the other hand, I felt I had to make a short film to gain credibility and be able to market myself as a writer, producer, director. I wanted to keep expanding my network and create a new portfolio piece to compliment my feature film about an orphaned Puerto Rican girl, Maya, and how she copes with her problems in an abusive foster home.
Maya's story is based on a personal story, so I know the feature script might not sit well with producers and investors without a truly solid vision in place. I am marketing this film with attention to its unique setting, upstate New York. I would love to have my lead actors, Yainis Ynoa and Joshua Rivera come back for the feature, they are amazing to work with, incredibly talented, and have a special chemistry on screen. If I can use this short film to showcase my talent as a director/screenwriter to potential investors for a feature, then the short has been a success in my eyes.
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Daniel: The short script writing process went through many stages. Because it was based off a longer screenplay, my first short draft had too many characters. It was overwhelming for a short film. My co-producer immediately advised me to cut characters for the sake of a better film. At first I craved to keep all the characters because the story and them were loosely based off my childhood. However, as I wrote the second draft I saw how much I could further develop my protagonist Maya, by eliminating the excess characters. It became clear this couldn't be a story about my youth, but had to be Maya's story and focus on her struggles and strength.
Funding the film was a battle because I didn't have any savings to back up my short. It's hard enough just to make rent in NYC, much less have savings for a short film. Instead I turned to Kickstarter and made a pledge video with my two lead actors, Yainis Ynoa and Joshua Rivera. We shot it the same week both of them had premiered their feature film Babygirl at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. It was a blessing having them on board, I couldn't have raised the funds without them. They provided a spirit and legitimacy that drew a lot of support and in turn a successful fundraising campaign. We didn't ask for too much money, but that was because Kickstarter doesn't grant you the funds if you don't make your goal! After working on major film productions for some pretty important producers in the metro area, I learned each departments' role on a set, and how truly important they were. I always tried to cut too many corners in film school, but this time I made sure I had the right players involved to be able to liberate myself as a director.
Making a short film on six thousand dollars is no easy feat, and we shot about five pages a day, which in hindsight, I do not recommend. On this production, I cut off some of the fat my other shorts suffered from. This time I was able to focus more on performances and storytelling, which I think should always be the ultimate goal! In the end, making a film is a team effort, so the struggle is always getting people involved that really want to bring your vision to life. There are always rifts, but the trick is to contain them, so the show can keep going. We filmed on all kinds of formats, RedCam, handicam, 8mm, Canon 7d and T2i - which later became a post production nightmare, but worth the sleepless nights to create a unique picture.
LatinoBuzz: Name one “Hustle”/”Guerrilla” moment where you did what you had to do to get the shot/scene?
Daniel: A memorable moment was getting the only "dolly" shot in the film. I wanted to backtrack on Yainis as she storms out of her house and charges down the middle of the street. Since most of the film was handheld, we couldn't get the movement right even after trying the backtrack on foot with various lenses. So we took a volvo station wagon and opened the back hatch, placed our cinematographer in the hatch and rolled the car on neutral without the engine running. The shot came out beautifully and ended up in the final cut of the short!
- http://milkandhoneythemovie.com/
Solecito dir. by Oscar Ruiz Navia (Colombia)
LatinoBuzz: Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Oscar: I was doing casting in different schools and institutions for another feature film project (Los Hongos, currently in post production) and I met the 2 teenagers of the film who told me the story of their loving breaking up. I realized that they both didn’t have any communication and I decided to propose them to make a fiction film about how they could meet again.
LatinoBuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Oscar: I wanted to explore the representation of reality with non-professional actors playing themselves. This is something I´ve been always interested in.
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Oscar: I did the film with a very low budget. I got a small grant and support from Danish artist Olafour Eliasson and the support of Tine Fisher form Cph:dox. Then after I got some support for 2 companies in Colombia, besides my own, Contravia Films. These 2 companies were Burning Blue and Post Bros. I also got support from my habitual French co-producer Arizona Productions. The film was a miracle, it was made with 3 people on the set with our script and with a very small camera. It was selected in Director´s Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival 2013.
- http://contraviafilms.com.co
Tinto dir. by Felix Solis (Chile/USA)
LatinoBuzz: Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Felix: My co-writer Liza Fernandez who also plays Anita in the short was invited to visit her mother who owns vineyard land in Isla de Maipo, Chile. It had been quite some time since she had been there. I was drawn to the idea of what happens to us when we return to a place we have not been to in a long time. Also, having been born and raised in the concrete jungles of NYC, I was also inspired by the location. Lush rolling hills, farm land, cattle and vegetation soils. And the idea of placing a city urbanite in the unfamiliar landscape of countryside.
LatinoBuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Felix: My initial drive to make a short was to follow the natural progression I was going through as an actor of film and television. You spend long enough hours on a set, and if you are even remotely aware of your surroundings and the inner workings of film and tv, you see what needs to happen, you have make your own film. Now that the process is somewhat complete for me, I am finding myself wanting to share my story in the hopes of becoming a part of a generation of NYC based filmmakers that will leave behind a library of cinematic stories. Whether financing comes from within or from afar. The story will always be grounded in my company's (Subway token films) identity "everydayers, derailments, and street level miracles".
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Felix: Well, the writing was relatively simple once we nailed the story we wanted to tell. There were specific variables that we knew were going to be unavoidable so that helped plot points. For example we were going to be on a vineyard. We were going to be in a foreign country. We were not going to have many locations. And we we're going to be doing most, if not all the work ourselves. These things helped narrow a script down to its basic core. Less is more.
As far as funding goes, there's the old adage "if you want something done right, do it yourself" I funded the entire project out of pocket. I used money I had saved from my years of working as an actor. One of the perks of living well below my means. The shooting process was as exciting an endeavor as anything I have ever had the pleasure of doing. I was blessed enough to put together a bare bones team that took very little time to trust me and feel connected to me in a way that allowed for all the things I didn't know, all the answers I didn't have, all my ignorance, to become learning moments and creative "explosions" if you will, that kept us from imploding. I also reminded myself of my theatre background, where it's all about the story and not one Individual aspect. We worked as a team top to bottom, don't get me wrong, there storms and catastrophes but we weathered them as a unit. This was my shooting process.
LatinoBuzz: Name one “Hustle”/”Guerrilla” moment where you did what you had to do to get the shot/scene?
Felix: This is a great question! On the property in Isla de Maipo, Chile there is a mega tall free standing water tank tower, and when I saw it, I knew I wanted a shot from atop it. I hoped to maybe get a sunset or a sunrise. It just felt right to have it. I didn't know where in the short I would use it but I knew I wanted it. I asked my Director of Photography, Miguel Alvarez, about it, and I seem to recall him saying, "who's going up there, you or me?" I said to him "Well, as a director I should be willing to do first, anything that I would asks my actors or crew to do for me" and we left it at that. One day I was prepping inside the mainstay house and was told Miguel was climbing the water tank tower, when I went out, he was half way up and I could do nothing but watch as he scaled to the top and began shooting the sunset. Our production designer, Nazanin Shirazi, sat worried for her Dp. I was worried too, but have to admit, I did wonder what the footage would look like. We also did lots of driving with the camera pointing out of the window, throughout the surrounding areas, which always garners some nasty stares for the locals.
One final thing, I must confess, I never got the chance to climb to the top of the water tank tower. I owe him one. - http://www.subwaytokenfilms.com/
Alta Exposición dir. by Cecilia Robles (USA)
LatinoBuzz: Where did the idea come from to do a short film?
Cecilia: Well, I studied filmmaking in Mexico, then France, then here in the USA. But this particular short is a stepping-stone between the novel and the feature film that is screaming to be produced. It turns out that in my younger years I was a daring and venturesome flight-attendant who happened to participate in, let's say peculiar activities. Since I could not tell anyone about my questionable adventures, I started compiling them on a diary. That diary became an erotic novel, ‘Bienvenidos a Bordo’ (Welcome on board) and then I adapted the best chapters into a full length screenplay (Alta EXPOSICiÓN. I know what you’re thinking…. And you know what? In my case it would have been true (wink-wink) The short allows me to introduce three of my favorite characters ;)
LatinoBuzz: What do you want your short film to do for you?
Cecilia: Well, as I said, I would love to raise interest in the short to find funds for the long. The long is too expensive for me to produce alone. Also, I'd love to direct the long, so I needed to showcase what I was able to do as a director. The motto of this project is to encourage people to act towards the realization of their dreams; to remind them that no one should live in autopilot, which is basically what I did to produce it.
LatinoBuzz: What was the writing, funding and shooting process?
Cecilia: As I said, I wrote a book, a screenplay and a wait for it...Also a TV series! Yes! It could be a franchise: Bienvenidos A Bordo - the novel, Alta EXPOSICIÓN - the film, and Te La Volaste - the TV series. I would say the three are based on the semi-autobiographical intimate and artistic exploits of a young airline stewardess who takes a turbulent journey into the depths of self-discovery. So, long story Short: it comes from my novel ;). The funding: financed it myself, but I consider the crew my co-producers for the very low rates they gave me. It was really, really extra low budget. Everything was shot Guerilla Style, I had no insurance (Thank God no one got hurt). There were 9 speaking roles and we used their clothes and I hand made the flight-attendant uniforms... We needed 7 locations, a theater, an apartment, a hotel room, a trapeze school, a bar, an art gallery, and most importantly: an airplane mockup!!!
We shot everything "a escondiditas", stole the shots everywhere except for the airplane cabin, which btw, I could have never afford it, alas I can't tell you how I got it, because I made a pact. :)
As for post, I did the editing. For the music, I hit the lottery with this amazing composer that was worth every single last penny of my miserable budget. As for the animated logo, I ended up becoming a friend of the animator because he really delivered for a ridiculous amount of $. The crew was minimal and everybody was very cooperative! Without my precious crew, my line producer and all the people that I convinced through exacerbated enthusiasm, I would have never been able to make it for that kind of money.
LatinoBuzz: Name one “Hustle”/”Guerrilla” moment where you did what you had to do to get the shot/scene?
Cecilia: All of them. It was such an intense and fast learning experience for me, that I created 12 vlogs and uploaded them on my blog. Basically I give quick tips about all that I learned on each step of the way. I just sat in front of my Mac shared some guerrilla-nugget-experiences throwing in some footage, pictures and advices for when wearing several hats at once. You can watch them here: http://ceciliarobles.com
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 .
- 4/4/2014
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
The International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival (Iprhff) kicks off Wednesday Nov. 13th in Nueva York City celebrating the best in Boricua filmmaking. Opening with crowd-pleaser El Clown, Iprhff started just 3 years ago to pay tribute to the legacy of Puerto Ricans, they have a steady roster of films showcasing “pioneering, historically significant films and documentaries, contemporary shorts and features, and other innovative films”. This years spokesperson is no other Rockaway Beach native, Lauren Velez (Dexter). While the festival is still in its young stages and some of these films have been in release (and some shot years ago) it's still a treat for those yet to discover them. LatinoBuzz picked out some of our faves.
Babygirl, (81 minutes)
Director: Macdara Vallely
Producer: Alan Maher, R. Paul Miller, Felix Werner, Kathrin Werner
Set in the Bronx, Babygirl is a bitter-sweet drama about teenager Lena who, since she can remember, has watched her mom Lucy squander her life on a series of deadbeat men. When Victor, her mom’s latest boy toy, starts hitting on her Lena sets up an elaborate honey-trap, hoping to show her mom what a scumbag the guy really is. But the plan backfires. Trapped in a twisted love-triangle between Victor and her mom, Lena finally realizes that the only way out is to stand up and finally confront some difficult home truths. Baby girl premiered at last years Tribeca where lead actress Yainis Ynoa was greatly acclaimed but oddly enough the film didn't get the festival attention it deserved, it did get a limited release.
Trailer
El Clown , (105 minutes)
Director: Pedro Adorno, Emilio Rodriguez
Producer: Emilio Rodriguez
El Clown, Emilio Rodriguez and Pedro Adorno’s tale of a circus clown’s rise to stardom as a pitchman, tracks the erosion of creativity through corporate branding with a healthy dose of absurdism. Pic’s sly portrait of the artist as a conflicted clown is rich in the meticulous craftsmanship it celebrates, its consummate slapstick deflating any overwrought Pagliacci operatics or facile art-vs.-commerce preciousness. Intelligent crowd-pleaser reps a rousing triumph for the burgeoning Puerto Rican film industry and, with savvy handling, could conjure a niche for itself under the indie big top. —Variety
Trailer
Lemon , (85 minutes)
Director: Laura Brownson, Beth Levinson
Producer: Dan Cogan, Stan Lathan, Russell Simmons
Three-time felon. One-time Tony award winner. Lemon Andersen is a pioneering poet whose words speak for a generation. But Lemon has landed back in the ‘hood, living in the projects with thirteen family members and desperate for a way out. So he turns to the only thing he has left, his pen and his past. In this intricately crafted documentary, Lemon follows one man’s harrowing journey to bring his life story to the stage while battling the demons from his past.
Trailer
Read our interview with Lemon Andersen Here
Machetero , (99 minutes)
Director: Vagabond Beaumont
Producer: Vagabond Beaumont
Post 9/11 definitions, ideas and notions of terrorism are challenged in this highly controversial and experimental film. Machetero is an allegorical narrative that follows French journalist Jean Dumont played by Isaach de Bankolé (The Keeper, Ghost Dog, Coffee and Cigarettes, Mandalay) to a New York prison where he interviews Pedro Taino a so called “Puerto Rican Terrorist” played by Not4Prophet (lead singer of the Puerto Punk band Ricanstruction). Pedro is a self-described Machetero fighting to free Puerto Rico from the yoke of United States colonialism. He is obsessed with freedom, freedom for his country, his people and for himself. Jean questions Pedro about his decisions to use violence as a means to achieve that freedom. As Jean and Pedro speak, another story unfolds. A ghetto youth played by Kelvin Fernandez (in his first starring role) grows up in the ghetto streets and crosses paths with Pedro. Pedro sees potential in the ghetto youth and reawakens a revolutionary spirit instilled in from childhood by a mentor in Puerto Rico.
Trailer
Read our interview with Vagabond Beaumont Here
For their roster and schedule check them out Here
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 @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
Babygirl, (81 minutes)
Director: Macdara Vallely
Producer: Alan Maher, R. Paul Miller, Felix Werner, Kathrin Werner
Set in the Bronx, Babygirl is a bitter-sweet drama about teenager Lena who, since she can remember, has watched her mom Lucy squander her life on a series of deadbeat men. When Victor, her mom’s latest boy toy, starts hitting on her Lena sets up an elaborate honey-trap, hoping to show her mom what a scumbag the guy really is. But the plan backfires. Trapped in a twisted love-triangle between Victor and her mom, Lena finally realizes that the only way out is to stand up and finally confront some difficult home truths. Baby girl premiered at last years Tribeca where lead actress Yainis Ynoa was greatly acclaimed but oddly enough the film didn't get the festival attention it deserved, it did get a limited release.
Trailer
El Clown , (105 minutes)
Director: Pedro Adorno, Emilio Rodriguez
Producer: Emilio Rodriguez
El Clown, Emilio Rodriguez and Pedro Adorno’s tale of a circus clown’s rise to stardom as a pitchman, tracks the erosion of creativity through corporate branding with a healthy dose of absurdism. Pic’s sly portrait of the artist as a conflicted clown is rich in the meticulous craftsmanship it celebrates, its consummate slapstick deflating any overwrought Pagliacci operatics or facile art-vs.-commerce preciousness. Intelligent crowd-pleaser reps a rousing triumph for the burgeoning Puerto Rican film industry and, with savvy handling, could conjure a niche for itself under the indie big top. —Variety
Trailer
Lemon , (85 minutes)
Director: Laura Brownson, Beth Levinson
Producer: Dan Cogan, Stan Lathan, Russell Simmons
Three-time felon. One-time Tony award winner. Lemon Andersen is a pioneering poet whose words speak for a generation. But Lemon has landed back in the ‘hood, living in the projects with thirteen family members and desperate for a way out. So he turns to the only thing he has left, his pen and his past. In this intricately crafted documentary, Lemon follows one man’s harrowing journey to bring his life story to the stage while battling the demons from his past.
Trailer
Read our interview with Lemon Andersen Here
Machetero , (99 minutes)
Director: Vagabond Beaumont
Producer: Vagabond Beaumont
Post 9/11 definitions, ideas and notions of terrorism are challenged in this highly controversial and experimental film. Machetero is an allegorical narrative that follows French journalist Jean Dumont played by Isaach de Bankolé (The Keeper, Ghost Dog, Coffee and Cigarettes, Mandalay) to a New York prison where he interviews Pedro Taino a so called “Puerto Rican Terrorist” played by Not4Prophet (lead singer of the Puerto Punk band Ricanstruction). Pedro is a self-described Machetero fighting to free Puerto Rico from the yoke of United States colonialism. He is obsessed with freedom, freedom for his country, his people and for himself. Jean questions Pedro about his decisions to use violence as a means to achieve that freedom. As Jean and Pedro speak, another story unfolds. A ghetto youth played by Kelvin Fernandez (in his first starring role) grows up in the ghetto streets and crosses paths with Pedro. Pedro sees potential in the ghetto youth and reawakens a revolutionary spirit instilled in from childhood by a mentor in Puerto Rico.
Trailer
Read our interview with Vagabond Beaumont Here
For their roster and schedule check them out Here
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 @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
- 11/13/2013
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
New York films often reflect back Manhattan's cool visual tones, blues and slates as cold and forbidding as a glass-box skyscraper. It's kind of what people expect. There's a warmer New York, though, shot through with orange and yellow, canopied by trees, and populated with strong and fragile people, and Macdara Vallely puts his camera there for Babygirl. This small, gentle coming-of-age story, exceedingly well-cast, introduces Yainis Ynoa as Lena, a 16-year-old girl growing up in the Bronx. You learn everything about the principal characters in the film's opening moments, a tight haiku of inner-city domesticity in which Lena's promiscuous mother, Lucy (Rosa Arredondo), is bullied by a recent ex-boyfriend, the father of her infant son. Here is Lucy's irresponsibility and tendenc...
- 10/2/2013
- Village Voice
It's a surprise that "Babygirl" director Macdara Vallely hails from Ireland. His new film, premiering at The Tribeca Film Festival, hums and buzzes with the authentic regional pleasures of the Bronx, the dialects, the smoky bodegas, the sizzling summer pavement. "Babygirl," which follows the struggles of a small Puerto Rican family, certainly passes the smell test to this particular critic, capturing the neighborhood's particular charms and unmistakable ethnic identity.
Newcomer Yanis Ynoa is precocious teen Lena, blossoming into a woman, and ready to take on responsibilities she previously avoided. While Max Fischer interpreted this period of growth in "Rushmore" as the need to meet girls, Lena somehow takes her sixteenth birthday as a cue to protect her single mother Lucy (Rosa Arrendono). Mom still has a smoldering sensuality and a desire for youth, to the point where she remains attracted to younger men. This gets her close to twentysomething smoothie...
Newcomer Yanis Ynoa is precocious teen Lena, blossoming into a woman, and ready to take on responsibilities she previously avoided. While Max Fischer interpreted this period of growth in "Rushmore" as the need to meet girls, Lena somehow takes her sixteenth birthday as a cue to protect her single mother Lucy (Rosa Arrendono). Mom still has a smoldering sensuality and a desire for youth, to the point where she remains attracted to younger men. This gets her close to twentysomething smoothie...
- 4/24/2012
- by Gabe Toro
- The Playlist
Tribeca: Tell us a little about Babygirl? What attracted you to the project? Yainis Ynoa: Babygirl is about Lena, a teenager from the Bronx who is going through the transition from childhood to young adulthood. Lena lives at home with her single mom, and she has always watched her mother struggle with men. Lena knows that her mother's latest boyfriend, Victor, is no good, so she sets up a trap to expose Victor for the scumbag that he is. Her plan backfires, and despite Lena's best intentions, the situation blows up in her face. I was attracted to the project because I could relate to Lena and her story. I am also a teenaged girl from the Bronx, and I have a single mother. I too have worried about someone that I did not like coming into my family's life. Thankfully, my mother and I do ...
- 4/19/2012
- TribecaFilm.com
What economic crisis? Irish film is competing strong as ever on the international circuit, and for proof see the three new Irish films debuting at this month’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York, the brainchild of Robert De Niro, who created the event in the aftermath of September 11. First up comes the Irish writer and director Macdara Vallely’s debut Tribeca feature film Babygirl. When a young girl’s mother gets sweet talked by an on-the-surface thoughtful young man, she sets out to expose him for the player he really is. There’s a little more to it than that of course, because Babygirl is set in a section of the Bronx that will be familiar to many Irish New Yorkers. What emerges is an intimate portrait of a community and its daily struggles, as seen through the eyes of the Irish writer and director who makes his home there.
- 4/19/2012
- IrishCentral
Irish born and bred Macdara Vallely has a theater background; he moved to New York City in 2000 and -- skipping film school -- began making films in order to reach a wider audience than he could on the stage. He debuted with the feature "Peacefire" in 2008, which he adapted from his own award-winning play. The film went on to win awards at the Galway Film Fleadh, the European First Feature Festival at Angers and the Annonay Film Festival. What it's about: Set in the Bronx, "Babygirl" is a drama about a teenage girl, who finds herself trapped in a love-triangle with her mom's latest boyfriend. Director Vallely says: "I wrote 'Babygirl' a few summers ago shortly after witnessing a real-life incident on a 2 train in the Bronx. A lot of my directorial decisions were influenced by a desire to try recreate that slice-of-life moment. We had decided we...
- 4/17/2012
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
Zak Hilditch's Transmission The film lineup for the 2012 Tribeca Online Film Festival has been unveiled. Four world premiere feature selections from the Tribeca Film Festival, and five short films, three of which are world premieres, will be available during the online Festival at tribecaonline.com. Each film will have limited screening windows and capacity. Reservations begin on April 10 for American Express Cardmembers and April 16 for the general public. Online viewers will be able to vote for Best Feature Film ($10,000 prize) and Best Short Film ($5,000 prize). Winners will be announced at the Tribeca festival awards on April 26. Both Tribeca festivals run April 18-29. There will also be a "social voting competition": The feature and short that receive the most Facebook likes will each receive a separate $500 prize." Those winners will be announced on April 30. Below is the Tribeca Online Film Festival movies (synopses from the Toff press release): Babygirl,...
- 4/9/2012
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
2012 Tribeca Film Festival announced the World Narrative and Documentary Competition film selections
HollywoodNews.com: The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express®, today announced the World Narrative and Documentary Competition film selections, along with selections for the out-of-competition Viewpoints section—the program established last year that highlights personal stories in international and independent cinema. Forty-six of the 90 feature-length films were announced. The 11th edition of the Festival will take place from April 18 to April 29 at locations around New York City.
The Festival was curated by a new programming team this year. Frédéric Boyer has joined Tff as Artistic Director, having most recently served as Artistic Director and Head of Programming for the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises, has expanded his role in overseeing the Festival program. Genna Terranova has been promoted to Director of Programming and Cara Cusumano returns as Programmer.
“It’s been so gratifying to watch the new programming...
The Festival was curated by a new programming team this year. Frédéric Boyer has joined Tff as Artistic Director, having most recently served as Artistic Director and Head of Programming for the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises, has expanded his role in overseeing the Festival program. Genna Terranova has been promoted to Director of Programming and Cara Cusumano returns as Programmer.
“It’s been so gratifying to watch the new programming...
- 3/6/2012
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
The Tribeca Film Festival announced half of this year’s movie showcase, the 11th edition of the New York celebration set for April 18-29. James Franco’s behind-the-scenes General Hospital feature, Francophrenia, will have its North American premiere in the Viewpoints section – the program established last year that highlights more personal stories. “He’s kind of constructed this really interesting and well-crafted film about that experience that plays with the boundaries of documentary,” says Genna Terranova, Tribeca’s director of programming. “It’s a bit tongue in cheek, as James himself can be. He’s a bit enigmatic and the film is as well.
- 3/6/2012
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
With The Five-Year Engagement set as the opening title for the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, they’ve announced more of the line-up today with World Narrative & Documentary Features as the Viewpoint titles. We’ve got the next film from The Exploding Girl director Bradley Rust Gray, Jack and Diane (as well as a first look about featuring Juno Temple, thanks to Styd).
There is a new Harmony Korine short as well Kate Bosworth‘s While We Were Here and The Girl, starring Abbie Cornish. James Franco also has his latest film, Francophrenia, featuring footage from his performance on General Hospital. Nothing sticks out too greatly yet, but if I see something as interesting as Beyond the Black Rainbow or Magic Valley like last year, I’ll be a happy man. Check it out below and come back Thursday for the rest of the announcement.
World Narrative Feature Competition
• All In (La Suerte En Tus Manos...
There is a new Harmony Korine short as well Kate Bosworth‘s While We Were Here and The Girl, starring Abbie Cornish. James Franco also has his latest film, Francophrenia, featuring footage from his performance on General Hospital. Nothing sticks out too greatly yet, but if I see something as interesting as Beyond the Black Rainbow or Magic Valley like last year, I’ll be a happy man. Check it out below and come back Thursday for the rest of the announcement.
World Narrative Feature Competition
• All In (La Suerte En Tus Manos...
- 3/6/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
SXSW kicks off later this week, but once your done slurping the BBQ sauce off your fingers, pack your backs and head north to Manhattan as the Tribeca Film Festival is gearing up to unspool in April. To whet cinephile appetites, organizers have dropped the lineup for the World Narrative Feature Competition, World Documentary Feature Competition and Viewpoints lineups and there are plenty of titles to take note of.
Among the narratives, the anticipated "Jack And Diane" from Bradley Rust Gray will make its world premiere. Starring Juno Temple and Riley Keough, the film takes a teenage lesbian love tale and twists the formula, with one of them revealing she's a werewolf. Add to that a cast rounded out by Dane DeHaan, Jena Malone and pop star Kylie Minogue (as a tattooed lesbian, of course) and you can see why this will be one of the hottest tickets at the fest.
Among the narratives, the anticipated "Jack And Diane" from Bradley Rust Gray will make its world premiere. Starring Juno Temple and Riley Keough, the film takes a teenage lesbian love tale and twists the formula, with one of them revealing she's a werewolf. Add to that a cast rounded out by Dane DeHaan, Jena Malone and pop star Kylie Minogue (as a tattooed lesbian, of course) and you can see why this will be one of the hottest tickets at the fest.
- 3/6/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
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