The eighth annual Hola Mexican Film Festival, presented by DishLATINO, the largest festival of cinema outside of Mexico, today announced a partial lineup of the 2016 festival schedule including opening and closing nights and four special showcase presentations. The festival runs May 13-22 with all screenings taking place at the Regal La Live Stadium 14 Theatre, except for closing night which will be at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
This year’s festival will open with "Thin Yellow Line" (La Delgada Linea Amarilla) nominated for 14 Premios Ariel Awards (Mexico’s “Oscars”). The film is a story of smooth roads and bumpy rides, with unexpected twists and turns... like life itself. Directed by Celso R. Garcia, the film stars Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Silverio Palacios, Gustavo Sánchez Parra. Confirmed to attend the premiere are Cosio and Palacios as well as other special guests.
Additional showcase screenings include "We Fulfill Your Dreams" (Ilusiones S.A.) directed by Roberto Girault and starring Jaime Camil, Adriana Louvier, Silvia Mariscal on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 Pm and "Mr. Pig" with star Danny Glover to attend, on Thursday, May 19, at 7:00 Pm.
Closing the festival on Sunday, May 22 is "Panoramas," a unique and introspective look inside one of Latin America's top alternative-rock music acts, Zoé. Members of band Zoé will attend and perform a DJ set. This special event screening will take place at La Plaza Cultura y Artes Theatre located at 501 N. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles.
Also this year marks the first time that films from a country outside of Mexico will be shown with special presentations of two films from Chile – "Sin Filtro" and "El Bosque de Karadima"
Opening Night Premiere – Friday, May 13 at 7:00 Pm
Regal La Live Stadium 14
"The Thin Yellow Line" (La Delgada Linea Amarilla)
Dir. Celso R. Garcia
Cast: Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Silverio Palacios, Gustavo Sánchez Parra
Mexico 2015, 95 Min
Five men are hired to paint the yellow line of a road that will link two forgotten towns in Mexico. With less than 2 weeks to cover over 200 kilometers aboard a '76 pick-up truck, they will discover that painting at a speed of 1 km/hour will teach them about the lines between good and evil, laughter and despair, life and death. The challenges they face will change their lives forever. The Thin Yellow Line is a story of smooth roads and bumpy rides, with unexpected twists and turns... like life itself.
Closing Night Premiere – Sunday, May 22 At 7:00 Pm
La Plaza Cultura y Artes theatre located at 501 N. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles.
"Panoramas"
Dir. Rodrigo Guardiola y Gabriel Cruz Rivas
Cast: Zoé
Mexico 2016, 90 Min
A unique and introspective look inside one of Latin America's top alternative-rock music acts, Zoé. “Panoramas” is a Cinéma Vérité-style portrait of Zoé that takes you on a contemplative audio/visual journey through some of the band's most decisive moments. A film crew accompanies the band during a two-year period to provide us with an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the band’s longest international tour to date, in their first real shot at becoming well-known and "making it big" outside their home country of México. The 15-year artistic career of Zoé completes its growth-cycle and reaches full circle as the musicians arrive at the quintessential question all bands face: What's next?
MÉXico Now
"We Fulfill Your Dreams" (Ilusiones S.A.)
Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Roberto Girault
Cast: Jaime Camil, Adriana Louvier, Silvia Mariscal
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
"We Fulfill Your Dreams" is a company that makes fantasies come to life. Made up of a group of actors and led by a ‘Director' (Jaime Camil), they create set-ups to re-enact real-life circumstances for the good of people.
For their latest job, they are hired by Mr. Balboa to spend a week in the roles of a long-gone loving grandson and his wife. Portrayed as an angel to his grandmother through fictitious letters created by the elderly Mr. Balboa, the young man has in reality become a villainous character. But things go awry for actors Mauricio and Isabel when the real grandson turns up for a show-down with his grandparents.
"Mr. Pig"
Thursday, May 19 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Diego Luna
Cast: Danny Glover, Maya Rudolph, Jose Maria Yazpik
Mexico 2016, 100 Min
Ambrose Eubanks (Danny Glover), is an old-school pig farmer from California. After the family farm is foreclosed, he sets off with Howard, his beloved (and very large) pig, on a road trip to Mexico.
Ambrose must figure out how to smuggle "Howie" across the border and find him a new home.
"In Your Eyes" (A los Ojos)
Friday, May 20 at 7:00 Pm and Saturday, May 21 at 1:00 Pm
Dir. Victoria Franco y Michel Franco
Cast: Mónica del Carmen, Omar Moreno, Benjamín Espinoza, Jacobo Najman
Mexico 2015, 96 Min
Monica is a social worker from Mexico City, a single mother whose child is suffering from a degenerative illness of the eyes. Having exhausted all other options, a corneal transplant is the child's only hope. Overwhelmed by the ineffectiveness of the health system and the scarcity of resources, Monica is driven to an extreme solution... Found within the world of the street children.
"The Aparicios" (Las Aparacio)
Sunday, May 15 at 4:30 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Moisés Ortiz - Urquidi
Cast: Ana De La Reguera, María Del Carmen Farías, Liz Gallardo, Eréndia Ibarra, Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Paulina Gaitán y Tenoch Huerta
México 2016,
The Aparicios are a family made up entirely of women, all cursed to become widows and to never bear male children. At their ranch in Xico, in the state of Veracruz, they discover the body of the first husband of an Aparicio woman. This leads the Aparicios to search their past in an attempt to end the ancient curse, and finally face their present
"Parallel Roads" (Rumbos Paralelos)
Saturday, May 14 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Rafael Montero
Cast: Ludwika Paleta, Iliana Fox, Michel Brown, Arturo Barba
Mexico 2016,
(Film in Spanish, no English subtitles)
Rumbos Paralelos (Parallel Roads) tells the emotional story of two young mothers whose lives change unexpectedly.
Silvia must suddenly confront both her son’s illness and the abrupt discovery that she is not his biological mother. Desperate to find a donor for a life-saving kidney transplant, Silvia will seek out Gaby, the child's true biological mother. The following actions will put the power of maternity to the test and challenge life as a whole. Are family ties made out of love? Or are they carried in our blood?
"Paradise Lost" (Paraiso Perdido)
Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Humberto Hinojosa
Cast: Ana Claudia Talancón, Iván Sanchez, Andrés Almeida
México 2016, 87 Min
Three friends are traveling by sailboat through Caribbean waters, when they come across a deserted paradise island and decide to explore it. What was supposed to be one of the best weekends of their lives will turn into a tireless fight for survival when they discover the island's hidden secret.
"She is Ramona" (Ella es Ramona)
Saturday, May 14 at 9:00 Pm and Monday, May 16 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Hugo Rodriguez
Cast: Andrea Ortega Lee, Daniel Giménez Cacho, María Rojo, Leticia Huijara
México 2015, 83 Min
Ramona is overweight, with too many kilos and not enough luck. She remembers a childhood as the victim of abuse at the hands of her mother, her sister, and even her friends. She was Big Belly Ramona, Big Eater Ramona, Ramona the Pig. Now an adult, things aren't looking much better. Her life seems to be crumbling. She gets fired for being fat; when she seeks liposuction, her doctor rejects as a candidate for the procedure because she is too overweight. Things begin falling into place, however, when she stumbles across a Tarot café which sells the magic beetles that will change her life.
"Elvira, I would Give You my Life, but I’m Using It" (Elvira, Te Daria Mi Vida Pero La Estoy Usando)
Thursday, May 19 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Manolo Caro
Cast: Cecilia Suárez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Vanessa Bauche
Mexico 2015, 108 Min
Gustavo, husband of Elvira, goes out one night to buy cigarettes, never to return. Elvira, a 40-year-old mother of two, begins a relentless search for the love of her life. Clues lead her to the conclusion that her husband has kept a secret relationship. The unfortunate discovery will not stop Elvira in her mission of finding him.
"The Chosen Ones" (Las Elegidas)
Friday, May 20 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. David Pablos
Cast: Nancy Talamantes, Óscar Torres
Mexico 2015, 105 Min
Sofia, 14 years old, is in love with Ulises. Because of him, in spite of him, she is forced into a prostitution ring in Mexico. To set her free, Ulises will have to find another girl to replace her...
New Voices
"Leaf Blower" (Sopladora de Hojas)
Saturday, May 14 at 2:00 Pm, Monday, May 16 at 9:30 Pm and Friday, May 20 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Alejandro Iglesias
Cast: Francisco Rueda, Alejandro Guerrero, Fabrizio Santini
Mexico 2015, 96 Min
Lucas, Emilio and Rubén are three friends united in a special quest: to find a set of lost keys in a pile of dead leaves. What appears to be a simple task will turn into a profound journey that forces the teenagers to confront their fears: of letting go of the past, of facing embarrassing truths, of taking risks... Of growing up. This afternoon, as trivial as it may sound, could change the course of their lives. Or maybe not.
"Amir"
Saturday, May 14 at 4:00 Pm and Thursday, May 19 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. José Paredes
Cast: Jorge Guevara, Tania Niebla y Lirio Karina
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
Amir, an aspiring musician, finds himself drawn to Jeanette, a beautiful singer he meets during a night out on the town with his friends. The attraction complicates his relationship with his current girlfriend, Elizabeth, who is expecting his child. Amir will attempt to work out his feelings towards his newfound love interest, music and maturity, as adulthood forces him to make some challenging choices along the way.
"The Arrival of Conrado Sierra" (El Arribo de Conrado Sierra)
Friday, May 20 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. René Pereyra
Cast: Maite Perroni, Joaquín Cosío, Susana Dosamantes, Ana González, Rocío García, Jessica Mas
Mexico 2015, 120 Min
In 1940's "Torres Mochas" (the city of Torreón, Mexico), the widow Doña Josefina and her five spinster daughters await the arrival of a man aiming to marry the youngest of the sisters. The local townspeople, excited at the prospect of one of “Virgin Josefitas” finally marrying, prepare massive celebrations. When the mysterious suitor finally appears, circumstances take an unforeseen course.
For The Children
"The Adventures of Itzel and Sonia" (Las Aventuras de Itzel y Sonia)
Saturday, May 14 at 12:00 Pm
Dir. Fernanda Rivero
Cast: Arcelía Ramírez, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Joaquín Cosío, Bruno Bichir
Mexico 2016, 70 Min
This film was made as part of the “Cuéntamelo filmando” ("Tell it to me with the cameras rolling") workshop and was done with the support of 500 people from 10 rural communities in Mexico.
Itzel, an 8-year-old girl, and her best friend ‘Sonia the Frog’ will embark on a mission to find the guardians of the water, before the city's supply runs out. With the help of her grandmother, they will search in the most remote areas of Mexico, while a faceless being stalks them.
"By My Mustache" (Por Mis Bigotes)
Sunday, May 15 at 12:00 Pm
Dir. Manuel Carames
Cast: Jesus Ochoa, Santiago Torres, Fernando Becerril
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
Though it sounds unbelievable, little Ulises, at only nine years old, has grown an enormous mustache from one day to the next. So begins a series of extraordinary events for him, his mother and his best friends. From this moment forward, all of them, along with a cast of very curious characters, will find themselves caught up in a very hairy adventure.
Documentary
"Made in Bangkok"
Monday, May 16 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Flavio Florencio
Cast: Morgana Love
Mexico 2015, 75 Min
Morgana is a Mexican transgender opera singer with a relentless determination to assert her identity, despite having to fight against social stigma and family prejudice. Her dream is to have gender-reassignment surgery. Her only chance to make happen is by winning a beauty pageant in Bangkok, and use the $10,000 cash prize to pay for the surgery. The documentary embarks on Morgana’s journey with her, while providing us with an intimate portrait of what it is to construct a long-dreamt-of identity.
"Mexican Fighting" (Lucha Mexico)
Sunday, May 15 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Alexandria Hammond & Ian Markiewicz
Cast: 1000% Guapo, Blue Demon, Hijo Del Perro Aguayo, Tony Salazar, Arkangel
México / USA 103 Min
The ultimate look behind the mask, Lucha Mexico documents the joyous spectacle of Lucha Libre wrestling, which has thrilled Mexican fans for generations. The story follows "El 1000% Guapo" (1000% Handsome) Shocker, one of the most successful Luchadores of the modern era. His life is consumed by the need of being in the ring. A supporting cast of fan-favorites further reveal the world of Lucha Libre from the inside, with Blue Demon Jr. discussing life from behind a legendary mask; the violent history of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo (the Son of "The Dog" Aguayo); as well as veterans like Tony Salazar and Archangel, as they pass on the secrets of the ring to a new generation of fighters. These stars and others will shed light on the intense physical and emotional challenges they must constantly face in order to stand inside the ropes and thrill every last fan. With its unprecedented access to the top Lucha performers and promoters, as well as other players of this grand spectacle, Lucha Mexico steps into the ring to show us the great power behind the mask, and leads us straight to the beating heart of Mexico.
Hola Chile
"The Church Of Karadima" (El Bosque de Karadima)
Sunday, May 15 at 2:00 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Matías Lira
Cast: Benjamin Vicuña, Luis Gnecco, Ingrid Isensee
Chile 2015, 98 Min
Fernando Karadima, the pastor and leader of the most powerful Church of the Chilean upper class from the 1980's to 2000's, is considered a living saint. Thomas, a teenager in search of his vocation, finds himself drawn to Karadima and accepts him as a spiritual guide. For 20 years, Tommy will gradually be subjected to physical and psychological abuse by the priest, until he decides to speak out and confront both the charismatic priest and the power networks that protect him, finally uncovering the real Karadima hiding behind the investiture of God's representative on Earth.
"No Filter" (Sin Filtro)
Wednesday, May 18 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Nicolás López
Cast: Paz Bascuñán, Ignacia Allamand, Paulo Brunei
Chile 2016, 100 Min
Pía is on the verge of a nervous breakdown: Her boss humiliates her, her husband ignores her, her stepson is disrespectful, and her best friend no longer listens to what she says.
Pía begins having strong chest pains and, after trying many different healing methods, decides to undergo an acupuncture treatment. The Chinese doctor discovers that Pía's pain is caused by repressed feelings, and, with an ancient technique, he "removes the filter". From now on, an uninhibited Pía will realize that the only way to heal herself is to speak everything that comes to mind - which won't always bring her the best results.
Nocturnal/Genre
"Barrancas"
Saturday, May 14 at 12 Midnight and Wednesday, May 18 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Juan De La Peña
Cast: Diego Sánchez, Esteban De la Isla, Ana Lucía Camacho, Julia Dávalos, Eduardo Romo, Gustavo Gascón, Inés Vachez
Mexico 2016, 88 Min
The owner of a huge house in the woods, in the town of Barrancas, has a reputation for not paying his employees. When the latest housekeeper goes missing, everyone simply assumes that yet another employee has quit. Meanwhile, back in the city, the owner's nephew Mario is tasked with going to Barrancas to hand over the keys to the new caretaker. Young Mario thinks it’s a good idea to secretly invite his friends from college, as well as the girl he likes, out to the country house for a fun weekend. What Mario doesn’t know is that this may turn out to be a very dangerous idea indeed.
"The Similars" (Los Parecidos)
Sunday, May 15 at 9:30 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Isaac Ezban
Cast: Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Humberto Busto, Carmen Beato
Mexico 2015, 89 Min
In the rainy darkness of the early morning hours of October 2, 1968, eight people are waiting in a remote bus station in the middle of nowhere for the bus heading to Mexico City. They’ll soon find themselves experiencing a strange phenomenon.
For more information and ticket sales visit - http://holamexicoff.com...
This year’s festival will open with "Thin Yellow Line" (La Delgada Linea Amarilla) nominated for 14 Premios Ariel Awards (Mexico’s “Oscars”). The film is a story of smooth roads and bumpy rides, with unexpected twists and turns... like life itself. Directed by Celso R. Garcia, the film stars Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Silverio Palacios, Gustavo Sánchez Parra. Confirmed to attend the premiere are Cosio and Palacios as well as other special guests.
Additional showcase screenings include "We Fulfill Your Dreams" (Ilusiones S.A.) directed by Roberto Girault and starring Jaime Camil, Adriana Louvier, Silvia Mariscal on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 Pm and "Mr. Pig" with star Danny Glover to attend, on Thursday, May 19, at 7:00 Pm.
Closing the festival on Sunday, May 22 is "Panoramas," a unique and introspective look inside one of Latin America's top alternative-rock music acts, Zoé. Members of band Zoé will attend and perform a DJ set. This special event screening will take place at La Plaza Cultura y Artes Theatre located at 501 N. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles.
Also this year marks the first time that films from a country outside of Mexico will be shown with special presentations of two films from Chile – "Sin Filtro" and "El Bosque de Karadima"
Opening Night Premiere – Friday, May 13 at 7:00 Pm
Regal La Live Stadium 14
"The Thin Yellow Line" (La Delgada Linea Amarilla)
Dir. Celso R. Garcia
Cast: Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Silverio Palacios, Gustavo Sánchez Parra
Mexico 2015, 95 Min
Five men are hired to paint the yellow line of a road that will link two forgotten towns in Mexico. With less than 2 weeks to cover over 200 kilometers aboard a '76 pick-up truck, they will discover that painting at a speed of 1 km/hour will teach them about the lines between good and evil, laughter and despair, life and death. The challenges they face will change their lives forever. The Thin Yellow Line is a story of smooth roads and bumpy rides, with unexpected twists and turns... like life itself.
Closing Night Premiere – Sunday, May 22 At 7:00 Pm
La Plaza Cultura y Artes theatre located at 501 N. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles.
"Panoramas"
Dir. Rodrigo Guardiola y Gabriel Cruz Rivas
Cast: Zoé
Mexico 2016, 90 Min
A unique and introspective look inside one of Latin America's top alternative-rock music acts, Zoé. “Panoramas” is a Cinéma Vérité-style portrait of Zoé that takes you on a contemplative audio/visual journey through some of the band's most decisive moments. A film crew accompanies the band during a two-year period to provide us with an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the band’s longest international tour to date, in their first real shot at becoming well-known and "making it big" outside their home country of México. The 15-year artistic career of Zoé completes its growth-cycle and reaches full circle as the musicians arrive at the quintessential question all bands face: What's next?
MÉXico Now
"We Fulfill Your Dreams" (Ilusiones S.A.)
Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Roberto Girault
Cast: Jaime Camil, Adriana Louvier, Silvia Mariscal
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
"We Fulfill Your Dreams" is a company that makes fantasies come to life. Made up of a group of actors and led by a ‘Director' (Jaime Camil), they create set-ups to re-enact real-life circumstances for the good of people.
For their latest job, they are hired by Mr. Balboa to spend a week in the roles of a long-gone loving grandson and his wife. Portrayed as an angel to his grandmother through fictitious letters created by the elderly Mr. Balboa, the young man has in reality become a villainous character. But things go awry for actors Mauricio and Isabel when the real grandson turns up for a show-down with his grandparents.
"Mr. Pig"
Thursday, May 19 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Diego Luna
Cast: Danny Glover, Maya Rudolph, Jose Maria Yazpik
Mexico 2016, 100 Min
Ambrose Eubanks (Danny Glover), is an old-school pig farmer from California. After the family farm is foreclosed, he sets off with Howard, his beloved (and very large) pig, on a road trip to Mexico.
Ambrose must figure out how to smuggle "Howie" across the border and find him a new home.
"In Your Eyes" (A los Ojos)
Friday, May 20 at 7:00 Pm and Saturday, May 21 at 1:00 Pm
Dir. Victoria Franco y Michel Franco
Cast: Mónica del Carmen, Omar Moreno, Benjamín Espinoza, Jacobo Najman
Mexico 2015, 96 Min
Monica is a social worker from Mexico City, a single mother whose child is suffering from a degenerative illness of the eyes. Having exhausted all other options, a corneal transplant is the child's only hope. Overwhelmed by the ineffectiveness of the health system and the scarcity of resources, Monica is driven to an extreme solution... Found within the world of the street children.
"The Aparicios" (Las Aparacio)
Sunday, May 15 at 4:30 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Moisés Ortiz - Urquidi
Cast: Ana De La Reguera, María Del Carmen Farías, Liz Gallardo, Eréndia Ibarra, Damián Alcazar, Joaquín Cosio, Paulina Gaitán y Tenoch Huerta
México 2016,
The Aparicios are a family made up entirely of women, all cursed to become widows and to never bear male children. At their ranch in Xico, in the state of Veracruz, they discover the body of the first husband of an Aparicio woman. This leads the Aparicios to search their past in an attempt to end the ancient curse, and finally face their present
"Parallel Roads" (Rumbos Paralelos)
Saturday, May 14 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Rafael Montero
Cast: Ludwika Paleta, Iliana Fox, Michel Brown, Arturo Barba
Mexico 2016,
(Film in Spanish, no English subtitles)
Rumbos Paralelos (Parallel Roads) tells the emotional story of two young mothers whose lives change unexpectedly.
Silvia must suddenly confront both her son’s illness and the abrupt discovery that she is not his biological mother. Desperate to find a donor for a life-saving kidney transplant, Silvia will seek out Gaby, the child's true biological mother. The following actions will put the power of maternity to the test and challenge life as a whole. Are family ties made out of love? Or are they carried in our blood?
"Paradise Lost" (Paraiso Perdido)
Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Humberto Hinojosa
Cast: Ana Claudia Talancón, Iván Sanchez, Andrés Almeida
México 2016, 87 Min
Three friends are traveling by sailboat through Caribbean waters, when they come across a deserted paradise island and decide to explore it. What was supposed to be one of the best weekends of their lives will turn into a tireless fight for survival when they discover the island's hidden secret.
"She is Ramona" (Ella es Ramona)
Saturday, May 14 at 9:00 Pm and Monday, May 16 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Hugo Rodriguez
Cast: Andrea Ortega Lee, Daniel Giménez Cacho, María Rojo, Leticia Huijara
México 2015, 83 Min
Ramona is overweight, with too many kilos and not enough luck. She remembers a childhood as the victim of abuse at the hands of her mother, her sister, and even her friends. She was Big Belly Ramona, Big Eater Ramona, Ramona the Pig. Now an adult, things aren't looking much better. Her life seems to be crumbling. She gets fired for being fat; when she seeks liposuction, her doctor rejects as a candidate for the procedure because she is too overweight. Things begin falling into place, however, when she stumbles across a Tarot café which sells the magic beetles that will change her life.
"Elvira, I would Give You my Life, but I’m Using It" (Elvira, Te Daria Mi Vida Pero La Estoy Usando)
Thursday, May 19 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Manolo Caro
Cast: Cecilia Suárez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Vanessa Bauche
Mexico 2015, 108 Min
Gustavo, husband of Elvira, goes out one night to buy cigarettes, never to return. Elvira, a 40-year-old mother of two, begins a relentless search for the love of her life. Clues lead her to the conclusion that her husband has kept a secret relationship. The unfortunate discovery will not stop Elvira in her mission of finding him.
"The Chosen Ones" (Las Elegidas)
Friday, May 20 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. David Pablos
Cast: Nancy Talamantes, Óscar Torres
Mexico 2015, 105 Min
Sofia, 14 years old, is in love with Ulises. Because of him, in spite of him, she is forced into a prostitution ring in Mexico. To set her free, Ulises will have to find another girl to replace her...
New Voices
"Leaf Blower" (Sopladora de Hojas)
Saturday, May 14 at 2:00 Pm, Monday, May 16 at 9:30 Pm and Friday, May 20 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Alejandro Iglesias
Cast: Francisco Rueda, Alejandro Guerrero, Fabrizio Santini
Mexico 2015, 96 Min
Lucas, Emilio and Rubén are three friends united in a special quest: to find a set of lost keys in a pile of dead leaves. What appears to be a simple task will turn into a profound journey that forces the teenagers to confront their fears: of letting go of the past, of facing embarrassing truths, of taking risks... Of growing up. This afternoon, as trivial as it may sound, could change the course of their lives. Or maybe not.
"Amir"
Saturday, May 14 at 4:00 Pm and Thursday, May 19 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. José Paredes
Cast: Jorge Guevara, Tania Niebla y Lirio Karina
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
Amir, an aspiring musician, finds himself drawn to Jeanette, a beautiful singer he meets during a night out on the town with his friends. The attraction complicates his relationship with his current girlfriend, Elizabeth, who is expecting his child. Amir will attempt to work out his feelings towards his newfound love interest, music and maturity, as adulthood forces him to make some challenging choices along the way.
"The Arrival of Conrado Sierra" (El Arribo de Conrado Sierra)
Friday, May 20 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. René Pereyra
Cast: Maite Perroni, Joaquín Cosío, Susana Dosamantes, Ana González, Rocío García, Jessica Mas
Mexico 2015, 120 Min
In 1940's "Torres Mochas" (the city of Torreón, Mexico), the widow Doña Josefina and her five spinster daughters await the arrival of a man aiming to marry the youngest of the sisters. The local townspeople, excited at the prospect of one of “Virgin Josefitas” finally marrying, prepare massive celebrations. When the mysterious suitor finally appears, circumstances take an unforeseen course.
For The Children
"The Adventures of Itzel and Sonia" (Las Aventuras de Itzel y Sonia)
Saturday, May 14 at 12:00 Pm
Dir. Fernanda Rivero
Cast: Arcelía Ramírez, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Joaquín Cosío, Bruno Bichir
Mexico 2016, 70 Min
This film was made as part of the “Cuéntamelo filmando” ("Tell it to me with the cameras rolling") workshop and was done with the support of 500 people from 10 rural communities in Mexico.
Itzel, an 8-year-old girl, and her best friend ‘Sonia the Frog’ will embark on a mission to find the guardians of the water, before the city's supply runs out. With the help of her grandmother, they will search in the most remote areas of Mexico, while a faceless being stalks them.
"By My Mustache" (Por Mis Bigotes)
Sunday, May 15 at 12:00 Pm
Dir. Manuel Carames
Cast: Jesus Ochoa, Santiago Torres, Fernando Becerril
Mexico 2015, 90 Min
Though it sounds unbelievable, little Ulises, at only nine years old, has grown an enormous mustache from one day to the next. So begins a series of extraordinary events for him, his mother and his best friends. From this moment forward, all of them, along with a cast of very curious characters, will find themselves caught up in a very hairy adventure.
Documentary
"Made in Bangkok"
Monday, May 16 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Flavio Florencio
Cast: Morgana Love
Mexico 2015, 75 Min
Morgana is a Mexican transgender opera singer with a relentless determination to assert her identity, despite having to fight against social stigma and family prejudice. Her dream is to have gender-reassignment surgery. Her only chance to make happen is by winning a beauty pageant in Bangkok, and use the $10,000 cash prize to pay for the surgery. The documentary embarks on Morgana’s journey with her, while providing us with an intimate portrait of what it is to construct a long-dreamt-of identity.
"Mexican Fighting" (Lucha Mexico)
Sunday, May 15 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Alexandria Hammond & Ian Markiewicz
Cast: 1000% Guapo, Blue Demon, Hijo Del Perro Aguayo, Tony Salazar, Arkangel
México / USA 103 Min
The ultimate look behind the mask, Lucha Mexico documents the joyous spectacle of Lucha Libre wrestling, which has thrilled Mexican fans for generations. The story follows "El 1000% Guapo" (1000% Handsome) Shocker, one of the most successful Luchadores of the modern era. His life is consumed by the need of being in the ring. A supporting cast of fan-favorites further reveal the world of Lucha Libre from the inside, with Blue Demon Jr. discussing life from behind a legendary mask; the violent history of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo (the Son of "The Dog" Aguayo); as well as veterans like Tony Salazar and Archangel, as they pass on the secrets of the ring to a new generation of fighters. These stars and others will shed light on the intense physical and emotional challenges they must constantly face in order to stand inside the ropes and thrill every last fan. With its unprecedented access to the top Lucha performers and promoters, as well as other players of this grand spectacle, Lucha Mexico steps into the ring to show us the great power behind the mask, and leads us straight to the beating heart of Mexico.
Hola Chile
"The Church Of Karadima" (El Bosque de Karadima)
Sunday, May 15 at 2:00 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Matías Lira
Cast: Benjamin Vicuña, Luis Gnecco, Ingrid Isensee
Chile 2015, 98 Min
Fernando Karadima, the pastor and leader of the most powerful Church of the Chilean upper class from the 1980's to 2000's, is considered a living saint. Thomas, a teenager in search of his vocation, finds himself drawn to Karadima and accepts him as a spiritual guide. For 20 years, Tommy will gradually be subjected to physical and psychological abuse by the priest, until he decides to speak out and confront both the charismatic priest and the power networks that protect him, finally uncovering the real Karadima hiding behind the investiture of God's representative on Earth.
"No Filter" (Sin Filtro)
Wednesday, May 18 at 9:00 Pm
Dir. Nicolás López
Cast: Paz Bascuñán, Ignacia Allamand, Paulo Brunei
Chile 2016, 100 Min
Pía is on the verge of a nervous breakdown: Her boss humiliates her, her husband ignores her, her stepson is disrespectful, and her best friend no longer listens to what she says.
Pía begins having strong chest pains and, after trying many different healing methods, decides to undergo an acupuncture treatment. The Chinese doctor discovers that Pía's pain is caused by repressed feelings, and, with an ancient technique, he "removes the filter". From now on, an uninhibited Pía will realize that the only way to heal herself is to speak everything that comes to mind - which won't always bring her the best results.
Nocturnal/Genre
"Barrancas"
Saturday, May 14 at 12 Midnight and Wednesday, May 18 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Juan De La Peña
Cast: Diego Sánchez, Esteban De la Isla, Ana Lucía Camacho, Julia Dávalos, Eduardo Romo, Gustavo Gascón, Inés Vachez
Mexico 2016, 88 Min
The owner of a huge house in the woods, in the town of Barrancas, has a reputation for not paying his employees. When the latest housekeeper goes missing, everyone simply assumes that yet another employee has quit. Meanwhile, back in the city, the owner's nephew Mario is tasked with going to Barrancas to hand over the keys to the new caretaker. Young Mario thinks it’s a good idea to secretly invite his friends from college, as well as the girl he likes, out to the country house for a fun weekend. What Mario doesn’t know is that this may turn out to be a very dangerous idea indeed.
"The Similars" (Los Parecidos)
Sunday, May 15 at 9:30 Pm and Tuesday, May 17 at 5:00 Pm
Dir. Isaac Ezban
Cast: Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Humberto Busto, Carmen Beato
Mexico 2015, 89 Min
In the rainy darkness of the early morning hours of October 2, 1968, eight people are waiting in a remote bus station in the middle of nowhere for the bus heading to Mexico City. They’ll soon find themselves experiencing a strange phenomenon.
For more information and ticket sales visit - http://holamexicoff.com...
- 5/5/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Anyone that has attended the Palm Springs International Film Festival has surely noticed the rather specific demographic - both in background and age - that makes up the audiences that night after night fill up the screenings. While audiences of color and from a wide age range live in this small town, which has managed to put together an important regional festival for nearly three decades, they don’t seem to have incorporated into the film festival experience. The assumption that the festival is only for those with a higher income, prominent educational backgrounds, or industry connections, might deter local audiences, to whom the festival should aim, from attending.
Conscious of such this phenomenon, the festival and their Latino team in particular, have doubled their efforts to create visibility for the festival in a Latino context in order to attract those patrons that erroneously could think their festival doesn’t welcome them or that it doesn’t offer any stories that could entice them. People like seasoned programmer Hebe Tabachnick, who ensures the best films to come out of Latin America that year screen in Palm Springs; Program Manager Liliana Rodriguez, who also programs the After Dark section of the festival and who is an outspoken supporter of Latin American cinema; or Film Society Assistant Patricia Garza-Elsperger, whose efforts in making the festival a friendly environment for local Latino audiences go above and beyond her official duties.
Events such as the Cine Latino Party, which brings together filmmakers, press, programmers, staff and the general public, or the Latino Filmmakers Dinner, where the artists discussed their works amongst each other and with selected press in attendance in a casual environment that hopes to create a stronger community of people rallying behind Latin American cinema, U.S. Latino projects, and even honorary-Latino films like Paddy Breathnach Cuba-set “Viva.”
Thanks to Tabachnick and her collaborator’s relentless dedication, an immense amount of Latin American films formed part of this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival program and an equally impressive number of filmmakers came to the city to present their work. The film selection included "Alias Maria" (Colombia),"The Second Mother" (Brazil),"From Afar" (Venezuela), "Jeremy" (Mexico), "The Club" (Chile), "Liz in September" (Venezuela), "Magallanes" (Peru), "The Memory of Water" (Chile), "Papa" (Cuba), "Neon Bull" (Brazil), "Paulina" (Argentina), "The Clan" (Argentina). Celso R. García director of the Guillermo Del Toro-produced “The Thin Yellow Line” (La delgada linea amarilla), Flavio Florencio director of Mexican trans documentary “Made in Bangkok,” Jayor Bustamante director of "Ixcanul," and Ciro Guerra director of the Academy Award-nominated "Embrace of the Serpent," were among he talented creators in attendance.
One particularly insightful presentation was the double feature program of Michel Franco’s English-language debut “Chronic” and Gabriel Ripstein’s feature debut “600 Miles,” in which both filmmakers interchanged roles as producer and directors respectively. Both hard-hitting and emotionally devastating films star British actor Tim Roth in two very distinct roles. In “Chronic” as a hospice caretaker struggling with his own turbulent past, and in “600 Miles” as an Atf agent that is kidnapped by a young Mexican boy working very dangerous people. Following the screenings Tabachnick moderated a Q&A with Ripstein and Roth about their mutual experience working on these titles.
As part of the festival’s commitment to engage its homegrown audiences in the festival’s mission and to expose them stories from around the world from, Tabachnik also hosted a screening of the Mexican family film “Jeremy” (El Jeremias) at a local high school. Through initiatives like this, Psiff wishes to evolve into a more inclusive event that can cater to cinephiles, casual attendees, and those looking to be surprised – no matter how young they are. Community outreach via the power of cinema is what could truly transform the festival from its apparent elite quality to an accessible and much more multicultural space to enjoy and discuss the art form.
Latin American cinema is consistently present and awarded at countless festival due to the particular voices and topical issues it depicts, not only with an authentic approach, but always layered with universal appeal. It’s time that audiences represented in such films or those connected to them by their heritage become a stronger force not only at the mainstream box-office but also at festival where they can have an interaction with the storytellers behind the camera. On that note, Palm Springs International Film Festival is on the right path into becoming a festival that retains the quality of the films, but sets its eyes on diversifying the eyes set that come through the theater doors.
The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival took place January 1-11, 2016.
Conscious of such this phenomenon, the festival and their Latino team in particular, have doubled their efforts to create visibility for the festival in a Latino context in order to attract those patrons that erroneously could think their festival doesn’t welcome them or that it doesn’t offer any stories that could entice them. People like seasoned programmer Hebe Tabachnick, who ensures the best films to come out of Latin America that year screen in Palm Springs; Program Manager Liliana Rodriguez, who also programs the After Dark section of the festival and who is an outspoken supporter of Latin American cinema; or Film Society Assistant Patricia Garza-Elsperger, whose efforts in making the festival a friendly environment for local Latino audiences go above and beyond her official duties.
Events such as the Cine Latino Party, which brings together filmmakers, press, programmers, staff and the general public, or the Latino Filmmakers Dinner, where the artists discussed their works amongst each other and with selected press in attendance in a casual environment that hopes to create a stronger community of people rallying behind Latin American cinema, U.S. Latino projects, and even honorary-Latino films like Paddy Breathnach Cuba-set “Viva.”
Thanks to Tabachnick and her collaborator’s relentless dedication, an immense amount of Latin American films formed part of this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival program and an equally impressive number of filmmakers came to the city to present their work. The film selection included "Alias Maria" (Colombia),"The Second Mother" (Brazil),"From Afar" (Venezuela), "Jeremy" (Mexico), "The Club" (Chile), "Liz in September" (Venezuela), "Magallanes" (Peru), "The Memory of Water" (Chile), "Papa" (Cuba), "Neon Bull" (Brazil), "Paulina" (Argentina), "The Clan" (Argentina). Celso R. García director of the Guillermo Del Toro-produced “The Thin Yellow Line” (La delgada linea amarilla), Flavio Florencio director of Mexican trans documentary “Made in Bangkok,” Jayor Bustamante director of "Ixcanul," and Ciro Guerra director of the Academy Award-nominated "Embrace of the Serpent," were among he talented creators in attendance.
One particularly insightful presentation was the double feature program of Michel Franco’s English-language debut “Chronic” and Gabriel Ripstein’s feature debut “600 Miles,” in which both filmmakers interchanged roles as producer and directors respectively. Both hard-hitting and emotionally devastating films star British actor Tim Roth in two very distinct roles. In “Chronic” as a hospice caretaker struggling with his own turbulent past, and in “600 Miles” as an Atf agent that is kidnapped by a young Mexican boy working very dangerous people. Following the screenings Tabachnick moderated a Q&A with Ripstein and Roth about their mutual experience working on these titles.
As part of the festival’s commitment to engage its homegrown audiences in the festival’s mission and to expose them stories from around the world from, Tabachnik also hosted a screening of the Mexican family film “Jeremy” (El Jeremias) at a local high school. Through initiatives like this, Psiff wishes to evolve into a more inclusive event that can cater to cinephiles, casual attendees, and those looking to be surprised – no matter how young they are. Community outreach via the power of cinema is what could truly transform the festival from its apparent elite quality to an accessible and much more multicultural space to enjoy and discuss the art form.
Latin American cinema is consistently present and awarded at countless festival due to the particular voices and topical issues it depicts, not only with an authentic approach, but always layered with universal appeal. It’s time that audiences represented in such films or those connected to them by their heritage become a stronger force not only at the mainstream box-office but also at festival where they can have an interaction with the storytellers behind the camera. On that note, Palm Springs International Film Festival is on the right path into becoming a festival that retains the quality of the films, but sets its eyes on diversifying the eyes set that come through the theater doors.
The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival took place January 1-11, 2016.
- 1/23/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Germany’s hope for a Best Foreign-Language Oscar just got a feather in its cap, as “Labyrinth of Lies” won the MercedesBenz Audience Award from the Palm Springs International Film Festival. “Lies,” directed by Giulio Ricciarelli, is based on true events exposing the government in covering up the crimes of Nazis during World War II. “Everything is Copy,” an emotional look at late Hollywood legend Nora Ephron took the audience prize for best documentary feature. Runners up for the narrative feature include “1944,” “The Brand New Testament” and “The Carer Hungary.” Doc runner ups include “Good American,” “Made in Bangkok” and “Miss Sharon Jones!
- 1/11/2016
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
I have spent two days at a great new film residency program in Mexico. Tepoztlan is a village an hour out of Mexico City and home to many filmmakers and artists. Pueblo Magico offers a three week workshop for first and second time filmmakers. It was founded by Flavio Florencio whose own first feature, the award winning transgender doc “Made in Bangkok” will screen at the Palm Springs Film Festival this coming January.
Read more about “Made in Bangkok” when covered at Guadalajara Film Festival L.A.
“I launched this residency because I realized there was a need for such a space for budding filmmakers where they can be free of distractions and pressure,” said its founder, Flavio Florencio. Florencio also founded the Human Rights Film Festival and the African Film Festivals, Africalal in Mexico.
Within 48 hours after opening the first call for entries for the three week workshop (October 17 to November 5), 120 projects from a dozen countries were received and reviewed by the selection committee that included Florencio, Guanajauto Festival Programming Director Nina Rodriguez and cinematographer Maria Secco. “The projects were so interesting that we have accepted more than the requisite eight this year,” said Florencio.
Projects of the 10 residents included eight fiction features and two docs, the bulk of them debuts. Five projects were from Mexico:
The two favorites (voting was by mentors who also attended the event) include the debut film project of Florian Seufert (Germany), the fiction feature, “Dragonflies Don’t Die”. Florian gathered his family to celebrate his parents 30th anniversary and his own 28th birthday on the same day. The footage already shot shows an atmospheric and mysterious world set within the ordinary confines of the large family celebration.
The “runner up” is the second fiction feature of Mauricio Lopez Fernandez (Chile), “La Jauria” in which a pack of dogs kill a herd of cows in a remote Andean hamlet, forcing village elders to make a sacrifice for the future of their youth. The film is still in early development. Mauricio's short film "La Santa" (2012) premiered at Berlinale Shorts and was a finalist for the Teddy Award. His first feature film, "The Guest" ("La Visita") won Best Picture and Best Actress at the Rencontres du cinema Sud-American de Marseilles et Region 2015 and was nominated Best Latin American Film at San Sebastian Film Festival 2015..
The winner receives post-production services, prestige, honor and glory!
Other debuts included:
Faride Schroeder (Mexico)
“Por el Amor a mi Madre” (fiction)
A young teen realizes her mother is an imperfect and vulnerable human being. Faride has served as second assistant director on “The Noble Family” and “Soy Negro” now in post.
Luis Horacio Pineda (Mexico)
“La Cosecha de los Naranjos” (fiction)
A group of teens affected by a fire 15 years ago in the nursery school Guarderia ABC seek revenge upon those responsible for it.
Luis now lives in Los Angeles where he is seeking to establish roots.
Alexander Albrecht (Switzerland)
“Brooklyn Treehouse” (fiction)
This is the story of four young creatives who come to New York; and through their experience of sharing an apartment with a eccentric French artist, they are pushed to make decisions about their own lives.
Produced by Edher Campos from Machete Producciones ("La Jaula de Oro", "Año Bisiesto")
Veronika Mliczewska (Poland)
“Where the Grass is Greener” (fiction)
A Jamaican dreams of living in Ethiopia while an Ethiopian family sends their son to London to seek a better life.
Antonella Sudasassi (Costa Rica)
“El Despertar de la Hormigas” (fiction)
A young mother who questions what she wants for the first time starts taking birth control pills without telling her husband. Pitting her will against social expectations and the fear of being discovered slowlysubmerge her into a state of psychosis with hallucinatory episodes that portray her feeling of guilt, her relationship with her body and sexuality.
Those with second film projects:
Mak Chun Kit (Singapore)
“Huruma” (docu)
Documentarian Mak Chun Kit returns to Tanzania eight years after he volunteered in an orphanage to find out how his friends there have fared.
Pablo Perez Lombardini (Mexico)
“Los Suenos de Geronimo” (fiction)
A seven-year-old boy runs away to seek answers about his father’s death and comes upon a haunted village in the desert.
Maria Fernanda Galindo (Mexico)
“Defensores” (docu)
Two women fight to defend the rights of a group of women who seek the escape the misogyny of their communities.
The program will be offered three times a year for three weeks at a time. The next one is scheduled for March 2016. “We’d like to focus on American indie filmmakers then, as few applied this time,” said Florencio.
In our time, the idea of slowing down is ever more attractive, more important and more difficult. This is a program which offers time for that. “ Pueblo Magico offers its residents a less frenetic pace and a less impersonal approach to developing their projects, with time to enjoy the beauty of their surroundings, visit the pueblo and hang out with mentors,” he added. The serious business of relaxation was led by yogi Namhari teaching meditation and yoga.
It is not by chance that the filmmakers find their needs fulfilled. Their needs are determined first and then the right mentors are found just for them. “If necessary, we’ll find not just film professionals but scientists, shamans or whatever sources they need,” said Florencio.
Mentors this session included Mexican producers Laura Imperiale,Christian Valdelievre and Nicolas Celis; screenwriter Carlos Contreras; Danish directing and acting coach Birgitte Staermose, festival pros/ consultants Mara Fortes, Christine Davila and Blanca Granados and yours truly, Sydney Levine, giving the closing presentation about the international film circuit, what it is exactly and how to enter its charmed circle of networking and screening opportunities.
A Master Class was given by Fernando Trueba, producer of the 2000 classic doc “Calle 54”, writer of the beautiful “Belle Epoque”, writer and director of the fabulous animated music feature “ Chico and Rita”. Residents also made a trip to D.F. for a private screenwriting session with Guillermo Arriaga.
The master class of Nicolas Celis who has formed a coproduction entity with trend setter Jim Stark (producer of Jim Jarmusch’s first films and films of Icelandic filmmaker Fredrik Fredrikson) will be the subject of an upcoming blog.
And soon, a call will be made to first and second time American indie filmmakers to come this March to Tepoztlan.
Read more about “Made in Bangkok” when covered at Guadalajara Film Festival L.A.
“I launched this residency because I realized there was a need for such a space for budding filmmakers where they can be free of distractions and pressure,” said its founder, Flavio Florencio. Florencio also founded the Human Rights Film Festival and the African Film Festivals, Africalal in Mexico.
Within 48 hours after opening the first call for entries for the three week workshop (October 17 to November 5), 120 projects from a dozen countries were received and reviewed by the selection committee that included Florencio, Guanajauto Festival Programming Director Nina Rodriguez and cinematographer Maria Secco. “The projects were so interesting that we have accepted more than the requisite eight this year,” said Florencio.
Projects of the 10 residents included eight fiction features and two docs, the bulk of them debuts. Five projects were from Mexico:
The two favorites (voting was by mentors who also attended the event) include the debut film project of Florian Seufert (Germany), the fiction feature, “Dragonflies Don’t Die”. Florian gathered his family to celebrate his parents 30th anniversary and his own 28th birthday on the same day. The footage already shot shows an atmospheric and mysterious world set within the ordinary confines of the large family celebration.
The “runner up” is the second fiction feature of Mauricio Lopez Fernandez (Chile), “La Jauria” in which a pack of dogs kill a herd of cows in a remote Andean hamlet, forcing village elders to make a sacrifice for the future of their youth. The film is still in early development. Mauricio's short film "La Santa" (2012) premiered at Berlinale Shorts and was a finalist for the Teddy Award. His first feature film, "The Guest" ("La Visita") won Best Picture and Best Actress at the Rencontres du cinema Sud-American de Marseilles et Region 2015 and was nominated Best Latin American Film at San Sebastian Film Festival 2015..
The winner receives post-production services, prestige, honor and glory!
Other debuts included:
Faride Schroeder (Mexico)
“Por el Amor a mi Madre” (fiction)
A young teen realizes her mother is an imperfect and vulnerable human being. Faride has served as second assistant director on “The Noble Family” and “Soy Negro” now in post.
Luis Horacio Pineda (Mexico)
“La Cosecha de los Naranjos” (fiction)
A group of teens affected by a fire 15 years ago in the nursery school Guarderia ABC seek revenge upon those responsible for it.
Luis now lives in Los Angeles where he is seeking to establish roots.
Alexander Albrecht (Switzerland)
“Brooklyn Treehouse” (fiction)
This is the story of four young creatives who come to New York; and through their experience of sharing an apartment with a eccentric French artist, they are pushed to make decisions about their own lives.
Produced by Edher Campos from Machete Producciones ("La Jaula de Oro", "Año Bisiesto")
Veronika Mliczewska (Poland)
“Where the Grass is Greener” (fiction)
A Jamaican dreams of living in Ethiopia while an Ethiopian family sends their son to London to seek a better life.
Antonella Sudasassi (Costa Rica)
“El Despertar de la Hormigas” (fiction)
A young mother who questions what she wants for the first time starts taking birth control pills without telling her husband. Pitting her will against social expectations and the fear of being discovered slowlysubmerge her into a state of psychosis with hallucinatory episodes that portray her feeling of guilt, her relationship with her body and sexuality.
Those with second film projects:
Mak Chun Kit (Singapore)
“Huruma” (docu)
Documentarian Mak Chun Kit returns to Tanzania eight years after he volunteered in an orphanage to find out how his friends there have fared.
Pablo Perez Lombardini (Mexico)
“Los Suenos de Geronimo” (fiction)
A seven-year-old boy runs away to seek answers about his father’s death and comes upon a haunted village in the desert.
Maria Fernanda Galindo (Mexico)
“Defensores” (docu)
Two women fight to defend the rights of a group of women who seek the escape the misogyny of their communities.
The program will be offered three times a year for three weeks at a time. The next one is scheduled for March 2016. “We’d like to focus on American indie filmmakers then, as few applied this time,” said Florencio.
In our time, the idea of slowing down is ever more attractive, more important and more difficult. This is a program which offers time for that. “ Pueblo Magico offers its residents a less frenetic pace and a less impersonal approach to developing their projects, with time to enjoy the beauty of their surroundings, visit the pueblo and hang out with mentors,” he added. The serious business of relaxation was led by yogi Namhari teaching meditation and yoga.
It is not by chance that the filmmakers find their needs fulfilled. Their needs are determined first and then the right mentors are found just for them. “If necessary, we’ll find not just film professionals but scientists, shamans or whatever sources they need,” said Florencio.
Mentors this session included Mexican producers Laura Imperiale,Christian Valdelievre and Nicolas Celis; screenwriter Carlos Contreras; Danish directing and acting coach Birgitte Staermose, festival pros/ consultants Mara Fortes, Christine Davila and Blanca Granados and yours truly, Sydney Levine, giving the closing presentation about the international film circuit, what it is exactly and how to enter its charmed circle of networking and screening opportunities.
A Master Class was given by Fernando Trueba, producer of the 2000 classic doc “Calle 54”, writer of the beautiful “Belle Epoque”, writer and director of the fabulous animated music feature “ Chico and Rita”. Residents also made a trip to D.F. for a private screenwriting session with Guillermo Arriaga.
The master class of Nicolas Celis who has formed a coproduction entity with trend setter Jim Stark (producer of Jim Jarmusch’s first films and films of Icelandic filmmaker Fredrik Fredrikson) will be the subject of an upcoming blog.
And soon, a call will be made to first and second time American indie filmmakers to come this March to Tepoztlan.
- 11/6/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The Young Talents Forum and three scholarships awarded the Vancouver Film School, will be some of the highlights of the second edition of the Flicc Latin American Audiovisual Market, which will take place from November 3-6 at the University of the Cloister of Sor Juana in Mexico City.
Flicc's director, Sofia Llorente, who created spaces for the presentation of new projects such as the Youth Forum Talent, said: "We hope that the meetings with producers and distributors are even more enriching, and that they have time to work on financing or partnerships for their projects. "
In turn, the coordinator of the forum, Alejandro Silveira, said that "this is a window that is opened within the Flicc, to which we invited 17 universities, eight from Mexico and nine in Latin American which, following a call for submissions, will come to Mexico City from November 3-8. There will be workshops and lectures about the industry and the Latin American market. "
Llorente also announced the first installment of a residency program titled Pueblo Magico (Magical Town), which will be held in Tepoztlan and will feature celebrated film director, scriptwriter and Spanish producer Fernando Trueba.
"It is a pioneering project, I think it will be very useful for young people to have the opportunity to be heard and contact professionals in the industry," he said.
For three weeks four Mexican filmmakers and four foreign will spend time in Tepoztlan to develop projects as par of the residency program, "the idea is for the artists to live there and develop their films viscerally," said director Flavio Florencio whose film "Made in Bangkok" had its U.S. premiere during Ficg in La last August.
During this residency program, including the lecture open to the public by Fernando Trueba, there will be workshops, such as one on low-budget film, by director Michael Rowe, among other activities.
With the goal of bringing industry professionals to interact with young talents, Flicc conduct activities as "La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde", with the presence of Gabrielle Beroff, speaking about the Institut Français, which seeks to select, prepare and support filmmakers from various countries to attend the Marché Du Film at the Cannes Film Festival.
Workshops, such as one on film criticism supported by Mexico's Imcine will also be part of the event. "Cinema is an artistic endeavor, but underneath has this industry component, which is less glamorous but allows it to develop as profession, allowing films to be made, completed, sold and distributed to reach the public. Few festivals have an industry section, that is why this event is important as a meeting point for professionals from Mexico and other Latin American countries, to have dialogue with Europe and countries like Canada," said José Miguel Alvarez, deputy director of international events.
The call for submissions to take part in the programs opened on September 15 and will have the support of the Vancouver Film School, which will offer three partial scholarships.
"One of them is the film production program, which will include a10, 0000 Canadian dollars grant, the other program focuses on digital design for visual media, for which we will give the selected participant 15, 000 Canadian dollars and finally there is one on video game programming for the web and mobile devices, which includes 20, 000 Canadian dollars," said the coordinator of the admissions office of that institution, Lizbeth Araujo.
For more information visit Here.
Flicc's director, Sofia Llorente, who created spaces for the presentation of new projects such as the Youth Forum Talent, said: "We hope that the meetings with producers and distributors are even more enriching, and that they have time to work on financing or partnerships for their projects. "
In turn, the coordinator of the forum, Alejandro Silveira, said that "this is a window that is opened within the Flicc, to which we invited 17 universities, eight from Mexico and nine in Latin American which, following a call for submissions, will come to Mexico City from November 3-8. There will be workshops and lectures about the industry and the Latin American market. "
Llorente also announced the first installment of a residency program titled Pueblo Magico (Magical Town), which will be held in Tepoztlan and will feature celebrated film director, scriptwriter and Spanish producer Fernando Trueba.
"It is a pioneering project, I think it will be very useful for young people to have the opportunity to be heard and contact professionals in the industry," he said.
For three weeks four Mexican filmmakers and four foreign will spend time in Tepoztlan to develop projects as par of the residency program, "the idea is for the artists to live there and develop their films viscerally," said director Flavio Florencio whose film "Made in Bangkok" had its U.S. premiere during Ficg in La last August.
During this residency program, including the lecture open to the public by Fernando Trueba, there will be workshops, such as one on low-budget film, by director Michael Rowe, among other activities.
With the goal of bringing industry professionals to interact with young talents, Flicc conduct activities as "La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde", with the presence of Gabrielle Beroff, speaking about the Institut Français, which seeks to select, prepare and support filmmakers from various countries to attend the Marché Du Film at the Cannes Film Festival.
Workshops, such as one on film criticism supported by Mexico's Imcine will also be part of the event. "Cinema is an artistic endeavor, but underneath has this industry component, which is less glamorous but allows it to develop as profession, allowing films to be made, completed, sold and distributed to reach the public. Few festivals have an industry section, that is why this event is important as a meeting point for professionals from Mexico and other Latin American countries, to have dialogue with Europe and countries like Canada," said José Miguel Alvarez, deputy director of international events.
The call for submissions to take part in the programs opened on September 15 and will have the support of the Vancouver Film School, which will offer three partial scholarships.
"One of them is the film production program, which will include a10, 0000 Canadian dollars grant, the other program focuses on digital design for visual media, for which we will give the selected participant 15, 000 Canadian dollars and finally there is one on video game programming for the web and mobile devices, which includes 20, 000 Canadian dollars," said the coordinator of the admissions office of that institution, Lizbeth Araujo.
For more information visit Here.
- 10/21/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Morgana is a transgender soprano with a relentless determination to fight against social stigma and family prejudice to attain the universal milestone of asserting herself as a human being with societal recognition and dignity. To this end, he embarks on an odyssey to build an identity for which he has been persecuted throughout his life, an identity made in Bangkok.
“Made in Bangkok” premiered at Guadalajara Ficg 2015’s Premio Maguey Section where it won the Press Award for Best Documentary. Its U.S. premiere happened last week at Ficg in L.A. Unfortunately turnout was not a full house which makes me think the reported support of Outfest and the Lgbt Center of Los Angeles did not include any publicity. Had I put a poster in every store and lampost on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, I could have guaranteed a full house.
However, it means that “I” discovered it on the L.A. circuit and now want to give the community another chance to see this gift, so stay tuned! This is a fabulous film, so real that it seems staged. But it is authentically Morgana who is such a natural and beautiful woman that she and the filmmaker Flavio Florencio took Bangkok and takes the audience by storm.
I won’t give away the story but I will call it a Cinderella story and give it a huge endorsement with the fervent hope that it will receive much deserved attention from not only the Lgbt community but the community at large. Buyers would be crazy not to acquire this prize. Even universities in Mexico are able to use it as an educational film because the fabulous Dr.Preecha Tiewtranon explains the sex change operation with very clear illustrations.
During the Ficg in La Fest, I interviewed filmmaker Flavio and Dr. Tiewtranon.
How did you come to choose this subject for your first film?
Flavio: 15 years ago, on my first night in Mexico, friends took me to a club where all the performers are transvestites. These clubs are called cantinas and are very popular in Mexico. The second and third time I went I wondered, Where are these people in the day?
Dr. Tiewtranon: In Bangkok they can be hairdressers, masseurs. When I started forty years ago, transsexuals were very low class, dirty and worked as prostitutes. When they came as outpatients to the university hospital where I worked, no one wanted to work with them.
Flavio: I returned to the cantinas looking for the focus of a story about the trans world (-gender, -vestite, -sexual). For three months, every weekend I went to these cantinas looking for the one to be the subject of the film. I saw Morgana singing under the name of Maria. Was it real singing or slip sync? It was really her singing. I asked her what her story was and knew she would be the subject of my film.
This was Flavio’s first feature but he knew film. He was born in Argentina, studied Social Documentary in Barcelona and was part of the International Film Festival in Zanzibar, Tanzania. He organized the first African film festival in Latin America, Africala, and is currently artistic director of the Film Festival on Human Rights of Mexico.
Flavio: I wanted to make a universal story.
Sydney: What is universal?
Flavio: Our human nature, our feelings, desires, dreams, how we spend our time, do we want family, to have children. The film portrays these as natural human conversations and Morgana represents everyone’s dream to become the person you really want to be.
To do this she entered an international trans beauty contest, first by winning the Miss Mexico title and then going to the Miss International Queen Pageant held in Bangkok. If she could win the $10,000 prize she could afford a sex change. There, the second protagonist, Dr.Preecha Tiewtranon who loves opera music though he has never seen an opera, saw the pageant and was also taken by Morgana.
Dr. Tiewtranon: In the past, they thought such people with gender identity disorders were crazy and so doctors gave them anti-depressants. But the solution is to change the chemistry of their bodies by using female hormones not by giving anti-depressants. When they are ready for the operation, after it they wake up happy. Their mental problems disappear.
I always wanted to be a doctor, to help and to heal people. I have done 2,000 operations. 10% of them are done for free. It’s my duty. Morgana is a new person. Everyday she is happy.
My first patient was from Iran. He had asked the Ayotollah about the fact that God gave him the wrong body, telling him, ‘I’m confused, what should I do?’ The Ayatollah said to him, ‘Have a sex change. You cannot serve God if you are confused’.
Flavio: The Mexican embassy in Bangkok saw the film and invited the whole diplomatic community. Dr. Tiewtranon saw it there.
Dr. Tiewtranon: This movie is like an ambassador and so I wanted to help. Transexuals are very desperate. They have so many problems.
Flavio: He has helped many. He paid for everything for both of us – hotel, the hospital, everything. Dr. Tiewtranon is also acknowledged internationally as the foremost surgeon for sex change operations.
Flavio: People that hated Morgana before love her now. Mexico has the highest rate of murders of transgender and transvestites outside of Brazil. But when Morgana became a "real" woman, all the hatred disappeared.
Dr. Tiewtranon: In the future we need to accept people as they are.
Flavio: My duty as a filmmaker is not just to make a movie.
I was alone with Morgana when she went for the operation; I was the only one in the waiting room. That should not have to be like that.
This movie makes everyone comfortable. People thank me; they cry in the movie. Three came out of the closet; a mother said her children should choose to be whoever they are. It is educational and is shown at universities.
The film won the Press Award at Ficg for Best Documentary, in Durango it won the Audience Award Special Mention. In Guanajuato it won for Best Documentary.
Dr. Tiewtranon: When big popular trans shows began on TV, the upper classes who were hidden began to come out.
In the U.S. a law was passed two years ago making transexual operations legal. Obamacare covers the operation with insurance.
To qualify one does not need to “look” like a woman.
Flavio: In Mexico you must “look” like a woman.
Dr. Tiewtranon: I operated on a 75 year old who had worked for a big company. When he retired he went to a psychiatrist and spent 10 years in his care and finally decided that if he could not live as a woman, at least he could die as one.
International sales agent is Habanero. The Mexican National Cinematheque chose it as the Most Important 20 International Movies (only 2 docs were included). In october it will go to Paris in the Viva Mexico Film Festival. In Thailand it will go out theatrically. For the 40th anniversary of Mexico-Thailand relations, Mexico chose this film to show. It will be shown on public TV in Mexico as well. It is doing very well at universities with young adults.
“Made in Bangkok” premiered at Guadalajara Ficg 2015’s Premio Maguey Section where it won the Press Award for Best Documentary. Its U.S. premiere happened last week at Ficg in L.A. Unfortunately turnout was not a full house which makes me think the reported support of Outfest and the Lgbt Center of Los Angeles did not include any publicity. Had I put a poster in every store and lampost on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, I could have guaranteed a full house.
However, it means that “I” discovered it on the L.A. circuit and now want to give the community another chance to see this gift, so stay tuned! This is a fabulous film, so real that it seems staged. But it is authentically Morgana who is such a natural and beautiful woman that she and the filmmaker Flavio Florencio took Bangkok and takes the audience by storm.
I won’t give away the story but I will call it a Cinderella story and give it a huge endorsement with the fervent hope that it will receive much deserved attention from not only the Lgbt community but the community at large. Buyers would be crazy not to acquire this prize. Even universities in Mexico are able to use it as an educational film because the fabulous Dr.Preecha Tiewtranon explains the sex change operation with very clear illustrations.
During the Ficg in La Fest, I interviewed filmmaker Flavio and Dr. Tiewtranon.
How did you come to choose this subject for your first film?
Flavio: 15 years ago, on my first night in Mexico, friends took me to a club where all the performers are transvestites. These clubs are called cantinas and are very popular in Mexico. The second and third time I went I wondered, Where are these people in the day?
Dr. Tiewtranon: In Bangkok they can be hairdressers, masseurs. When I started forty years ago, transsexuals were very low class, dirty and worked as prostitutes. When they came as outpatients to the university hospital where I worked, no one wanted to work with them.
Flavio: I returned to the cantinas looking for the focus of a story about the trans world (-gender, -vestite, -sexual). For three months, every weekend I went to these cantinas looking for the one to be the subject of the film. I saw Morgana singing under the name of Maria. Was it real singing or slip sync? It was really her singing. I asked her what her story was and knew she would be the subject of my film.
This was Flavio’s first feature but he knew film. He was born in Argentina, studied Social Documentary in Barcelona and was part of the International Film Festival in Zanzibar, Tanzania. He organized the first African film festival in Latin America, Africala, and is currently artistic director of the Film Festival on Human Rights of Mexico.
Flavio: I wanted to make a universal story.
Sydney: What is universal?
Flavio: Our human nature, our feelings, desires, dreams, how we spend our time, do we want family, to have children. The film portrays these as natural human conversations and Morgana represents everyone’s dream to become the person you really want to be.
To do this she entered an international trans beauty contest, first by winning the Miss Mexico title and then going to the Miss International Queen Pageant held in Bangkok. If she could win the $10,000 prize she could afford a sex change. There, the second protagonist, Dr.Preecha Tiewtranon who loves opera music though he has never seen an opera, saw the pageant and was also taken by Morgana.
Dr. Tiewtranon: In the past, they thought such people with gender identity disorders were crazy and so doctors gave them anti-depressants. But the solution is to change the chemistry of their bodies by using female hormones not by giving anti-depressants. When they are ready for the operation, after it they wake up happy. Their mental problems disappear.
I always wanted to be a doctor, to help and to heal people. I have done 2,000 operations. 10% of them are done for free. It’s my duty. Morgana is a new person. Everyday she is happy.
My first patient was from Iran. He had asked the Ayotollah about the fact that God gave him the wrong body, telling him, ‘I’m confused, what should I do?’ The Ayatollah said to him, ‘Have a sex change. You cannot serve God if you are confused’.
Flavio: The Mexican embassy in Bangkok saw the film and invited the whole diplomatic community. Dr. Tiewtranon saw it there.
Dr. Tiewtranon: This movie is like an ambassador and so I wanted to help. Transexuals are very desperate. They have so many problems.
Flavio: He has helped many. He paid for everything for both of us – hotel, the hospital, everything. Dr. Tiewtranon is also acknowledged internationally as the foremost surgeon for sex change operations.
Flavio: People that hated Morgana before love her now. Mexico has the highest rate of murders of transgender and transvestites outside of Brazil. But when Morgana became a "real" woman, all the hatred disappeared.
Dr. Tiewtranon: In the future we need to accept people as they are.
Flavio: My duty as a filmmaker is not just to make a movie.
I was alone with Morgana when she went for the operation; I was the only one in the waiting room. That should not have to be like that.
This movie makes everyone comfortable. People thank me; they cry in the movie. Three came out of the closet; a mother said her children should choose to be whoever they are. It is educational and is shown at universities.
The film won the Press Award at Ficg for Best Documentary, in Durango it won the Audience Award Special Mention. In Guanajuato it won for Best Documentary.
Dr. Tiewtranon: When big popular trans shows began on TV, the upper classes who were hidden began to come out.
In the U.S. a law was passed two years ago making transexual operations legal. Obamacare covers the operation with insurance.
To qualify one does not need to “look” like a woman.
Flavio: In Mexico you must “look” like a woman.
Dr. Tiewtranon: I operated on a 75 year old who had worked for a big company. When he retired he went to a psychiatrist and spent 10 years in his care and finally decided that if he could not live as a woman, at least he could die as one.
International sales agent is Habanero. The Mexican National Cinematheque chose it as the Most Important 20 International Movies (only 2 docs were included). In october it will go to Paris in the Viva Mexico Film Festival. In Thailand it will go out theatrically. For the 40th anniversary of Mexico-Thailand relations, Mexico chose this film to show. It will be shown on public TV in Mexico as well. It is doing very well at universities with young adults.
- 10/6/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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