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The second season of American Crime Story is fast approaching, and by now you've probably heard that Edgar Ramirez will be taking on the role of Gianni Versace. If you haven't yet familiarized yourself with the actor, here's your chance to get to know him before American Crime Story returns in early 2018. RelatedAmerican Crime Story: What You Need to Know About Gianni Versace’s Tragic Murder He was born in Venezuela. The 40-year-old heartthrob was born Edgar Filiberto Ramirez Arellano on March 25, 1977, in San Cristóbal, Venezuela. He's fluent in five languages. Edgar spent a large part of his childhood visiting different countries, and as a result, he learned Spanish, German, English, French, and Italian. You've probably seen him before. He's appeared in several films, including Gold, Joy, The Girl on the Train, and Zero Dark Thirty. He has a heart of gold. In addition to being a Unicef goodwill ambassador,...

It's that time of the year again. Time for another Kardashian family vacation! E! News can confirm that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have been enjoying a getaway to Cuba with their children North West and Saint West. In addition, Kourtney Kardashian has brought along her three kids for the trip that also includes Khloe Kardashian and Malika Haqq. "Pablo was here!" Khloe shared on Twitter Wednesday afternoon in one of the family's first official photos from the trip. "Cuba." Another photo has surfaced where Kanye, Kim and her sisters enjoyed a meal at the San Cristóbal Paladar restaurant in Havana. Beyoncé, Jay Z and President Barack Obama have also stopped by the...

The premiere post-tiff destination (September 20-25th) in the film community and a major leg up for narrative and non-fiction films in development, the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) announced a whopping 140 projects selected for the Project Forum at the upcoming Ifp Independent Film Week. Made up of several sections (Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight on Documentaries), we find latest updates from the likes of docu-helmers Doug Block (112 Weddings) and Lana Wilson (After Tiller), and among the narrative items we find headliners in Andrew Haigh (coming off the well received 45 Years), Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls and Madame Bovary), Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty), Lawrence Michael Levine (Wild Canaries), Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal (Stranger Things) and new faces in Sundance’s large family in Charles Poekel (Christmas, Again) and Olivia Newman (First Match). Here...

Chilean authorities and representatives participate once more in one of the most important film festivals in the world and CinemaChile’s Executive Director, Constanza Arena, will again coordinate the mission. Among the authorities traveling with the delegation are:ProChile’s Roberto Paiva, the Europe Department coordinator,Patricia Matta, ProChile’s representatives in France,Pedro Durán andCamille Perón, representing the Cnca the Arts and Audiovisual Industry Council’s Executive Secretary,Martin Rodríguez, and the Strategic Programs and International Affairs Director, Tatiana Emden, also present, Joyce Zylberberg, Film Commission Chile general Coordinator.

CinemaChile’s Executive Director, Constanza Arena, noted the ongoing presence of the Chilean delegation abroad, which accounts for the powerful Chilean audiovisual industry development and stated regarding the Cannes Film Festival, “This is simply the most important yearly mission for our country and we are fully prepared”.

Culture Minister till last week, Claudia Barattini, claims that Chilean cinematography has obtained incredible international acknowledgments in recent years, this being the result of several factors: A state that invested in audiovisual production and filmmakers that have created quality works. Films are the most potent instruments for the country’s image today, as others were in other times. At some point, Chile was known for the dictatorship, sadly, Chile was known by its political aspects, but today people talk about Chilean films around the world and they know about Chile via its cinematography”, states Barattini.

Chilean Films at Marche du Film

This year Chile participates with a 45-person delegation integrated by filmmakers, producers, directors and authorities that attend the festival’s industry market with 40 projects in different stages of production, including several titles that have already been awarded in other film festivals.

According to ProChile’s Director, Roberto Paiva, who reassures the support of the agency to the national audiovisual industry: “Creative industries in its cultural and economic dimension, contribute to the establishment a powerful country image abroad. That is why we support the audiovisual sector in a joint effort with the private sector, with CinemaChile’s sector trademark and our Creative Industries sector plan. Both projects’ objectives are to diversify the sectors and markets that national artists and entrepreneurs aim for."

ProChile France- Commercial Director, Pedro Durán, “Our presence at the Cannes Film Festival with the highest quality films and production abilities, convey the culture and creativity that are the essential basis for our country’s development. It also fosters Chile’s image placing it at the highest level in France, where education and culture are the building blocks that portray our new generation’s projections for the Xxi century”.

The task will be completed with the help of the Arts and Audiovisual Industry Council (Caia) of the Cnca. Martín Rodríguez, Caia’s Executive Secretary states, “It has been 45 years since the last screening of a Chilean film at the Director’s Fortnight and powerful political and social content is the common denominator of the films that reach Cannes. 45 years ago the new Chilean Cinema showed a strong connection with the political-social accounts of what happened in our country. This year the Chile Factory film, as well as, 'Allende, mi Abuelo Allende,' are marked by the 70’s heritage, which was branded in our souls and memory”.

Precisely due to the support and funding from the Arts and Audiovisual Industry Council of the Cnca, via its program to support International Market and Festival attendance, 8 production houses, their delegates and their projects will be in attendance.

The official delegation includes Errante Productions, represented by the producer Paola Castillo, who takes the projects: "El último lugar," "Cielo," "La Frontera," "La directiva" and "Allende, mi abuelo Allende;" ChileDoc, represented by Flor Rubina and the documentaries: "Escapes de Gas," "Habeas Corpus," "Surire," "Chicago Boys," "Sin Alma," "Al final del día," "Aquí nos quedamos," "Estadio en el Desierto" and "Temporeras."

Fábula, represented by Juan de Dios Larraín, with: "La Princesita," "Neruda" and "Una mujer fantástica;" Invercine, represented by Esteban Larraín, with the films: "Mary & Mike" and "El fotógrafo de Dios." Also part of the delegation, Josephine Schroeder of Cinestación, with "1976," "Tarde para morir joven," "Mar," "San Cristóbal," "Lo que queda," "La última Tierra;" Producer Karina Yuri –representing Miguel Littin and his production house, Miguel Littin Eirl, who will attend with "Allende en su laberinto;" StoryBoard, represented by Gabriela Sandoval, with "La mujer de Barro," "El Paraíso" and "Forastero," represented by Gregorio González with: "No soy Lorena," "Aurora," "Tierra Yerma," "Mucha ex poco Sex" and "Invumche."

The rest of the delegation is comprised by 21 directors and producers, among these, Marcia Tambutti, director of "Allende, mi abuelo Allende," the only national feature in the official selection of the Director’s Fortnight; Mariana Tejos (producer) and Ignacio Juricic (director), with the short film, "Locas perdidas," competing in Cinéfondation along with school films from all over the world. Also attending, Manuela Martelli, Ignacio Rodríguez, Matías Rojas Valencia and Teresita Ugarte, selected directors of the Chile Factory program, produced in alliance with the Cannes Director’s Fortnight, CinemaChile, The Culture and Arts National Council and Quijote Films.

In regards to new talents, Rodrigo Espinosa, director of Dirac (Cultural Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), confirms their support, “Chilean filmmaking has shown undeniable growth, which translates into ongoing presence on International festivals, receiving awards and extending widely within distribution circuits. For Dirac, it’s fundamental to contribute to the visibility of a new generation of creators, who reflect in their works the different realities and problems of our current Chilean society. We proudly present, via these new talents, our sponsorship to national cinema."

Chile Factory

Within the Chile Factory project, The four Chilean filmmakers were selected: Manuela Martelli, Ignacio Rodríguez, Matías Rojas Valencia and Teresita Ugarte, they each co-directed a short film with a foreign director. Their premieres will take place at the Cannes Director’s Fortnight. The Taipei Factory and the Nordic Factory preceded this initiative unheard of in Chile; these are milestones that highlight the trajectory of these four productions that will represent our country. The Factory aims to reveal new talents through a selective workshop that concludes with a feature film made collectively by all four national directors and four international directors. Each pair creates a 15-minute short film that gives way to the Chile Factory feature, which will have its international premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight opening.

“The Cannes Film Festival is the most important showcase and gathering point for the international audiovisual industry in the world. The Chile Film Commission is part of these efforts to foster the promotion done by the national audiovisual industry, reinforcing Chile’s positive image, which is not only seen as privileged with spectacular filming locations, but also relying on a powerful and united filming community that meets international standards, ready to take on the most demanding international productions on Chilean soil," said Joyce Zylberberg, Chilean Film Commission General Manager.

First Run Film Festival runs April 16th-19th at Nyu’s Cantor Film Center showcasing amongst the best films coming out of Tisch School of the Arts at Nyu. The festival features promising filmmakers short films as they journey towards leaving an imprint with their feature films. LatinoBuzz wanted to show some love to Latino filmmakers representing at this years festival. Remember these names!

Omar ZÚÑIGA Hidalgo – "San Cristobal"

LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?

Omar: I became interested in film as a viewer when I was a teenager. I would spend entire afternoons in an arthouse theater in downtown Santiago. I didn't really expect to be a filmmaker back then. But it was clearly an interest. During the years that followed I discovered the passion slowly, I went to a communications undergrad in Chile, and then to Nyu for my Mfa. I don't see myself doing anything else now. I'm interested in the visual language that it has, and also in how emotional it can be. There are themes that I unconsciously come back to, There is no deliberate objective. Every film comes out of an intuition, where I'm at, at that moment in particular. But looking back on my work, somehow I get back to masculinity and how men are taught to avoid showing how fragile they can be, or to people who are in constant movement (which is what I've been doing for the past few years). I seem to want to explore these types of characters.

LatinoBuzz: You are younger than the current wave of Chilenos, and I brought it up with Marialy Rivas and Andres Wood, but they grew up under the dictatorship and I was curious how it affected them as they became artists. What about Chile conditioned you?

Omar: Dictatorship didn't affect me directly. I was born just a few years before it ended, so I don't have clear memories of it. I've only learned about its devastating nature after the fact. There is something eminently Chilean about avoiding confrontation, or about not clarifying the way you feel sometimes. It's a particular culture, where emotions are not discussed as profusely with your family or friends, nor shown in an explicit manner. I believe that's something that's somehow in my work, where people can't articulate too clearly how they feel about things. It is very familiar and natural to me to not have to define so exactly the nature of actions that people take. We don't have that over-analyzing attitude about things.

LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?

Omar: I wouldn't remake a film.

LatinoBuzz: Where to next?

Omar: "San Cristóbal" will continue its route internationally this year. I am also developing a feature project based on the short, and trying to put together its financing. It's always incredibly difficult, but we're trying to make our best. - omar@cinestacion.cl

Paulo Henrique Falsarella Testolini – "Suriname Gold"

LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you ultimately want to say?

Paulo: I'm not sure exactly how film came to me and why, I guess it was just a natural progression from recording my parents expeditions when I was a kid, playing with the camera in high-school and escaping (as much as I could) the business future my family had intended for me. In the end, film was the best way to put myself into endless adventures, while attempting to tell the world the many stories that can be uncovered on the way. There are always stories out there, tales of bravery from every corner of the world - they can seem so exotic, yet so relatable to our modern society.

LatinoBuzz: Suriname, obviously is not considered a 'Latino' nation but does have a fascinating place in South American - where did the idea to shoot there come from?

Paulo: It was late 2009, the last Sunday of the year, and I sat in my living room listening to the news about an attack in the gold mines of Suriname. It was very weird - though I had grown up in Suriname's neighboring country of Brazil, I didn't know much about the place, let alone its gold and the thousands of lives migrating across the borders in search of it. The more I researched about that fascinating land, the more I craved to visit it and learn about that little corner of the world of which so few people have heard. What I've tried to do with Suriname Gold is reveal a human story within a somewhat hidden world, the characters may be fictional, but their experiences are real. My hope is that viewers will be entertained by the film's sense of adventure, and more importantly, that audiences will learn something new about this complex nation and the continuous exploitation of the Amazon (and the lives taken on the way).

LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?

Paulo: That's a hard one... I would love to make a new version of Disney's "Newsies", more based on the play than the 90s movie. The lead? I've always wanted to work with English actor Jamie Bell, a great inspiration when I was first getting into film. One day, right?

LatinoBuzz: Where to next?

Paulo: It's been some years now since we shot the short film of Suriname Gold. I've been developing, with the producers, the feature length version of that story, as well as some other scripts that are set in that environment. Once the story reaches the right point, I hope to gather our adventurous crew and cast back together, fly to the Amazon and embark on this journey again. - pht218@nyu.edu

Reinaldo Green - "Stop"

LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you ultimately want to say?

Reinaldo: Film is still one of the few mediums that you can reach a mass audience. It's an opportunity and a platform to share content with depth, meaning, culture, and value, regardless of genre, to inspire and make people think. Ultimately I want to use the art form to share, inspire and make meaningful change in people's lives. My favorite movies have had profound meaning in my life well past the end credits.

LatinoBuzz: Did the tragic deaths of young males of color propel you to write 'Stop' or is it something that has long lingered?

Reinaldo: The genius of the film has been something that had been brewing for a while. It really came into focus for me with the Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman decision. I thought to myself, what if that were me? What if I was walking home at night and a cop stopped me, what would I do if I were in that situation? So, we decided to make a film about it.

LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?

Reinaldo: I'd remake "Drive" with Benicio Del Toro. There's nothing wrong with the original, I just think it'd be a fun experiment.

LatinoBuzz: Where to next?

Reinaldo: The Green Brothers will be making a feature (or two) over the next year, look out for them!

Twitter @greenbrosfilms / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenbrosfilms - rmg412@nyu.edu

Carlos Valdivia – "Writing Lessons"

LatinoBuzz : Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?

Carlos: Why not film? I think cinematic storytelling is the most impactful. It has the greatest reach out of any art form. My focus has always been to increase the representation and visibility of people (particularly Lgbtq people and people of color) that are often neglected or completely erased from the big screen. I'd like to do it with empathy and intelligence, but without ever diluting the complexity of individuals and their lived experiences. So I'd say I ultimately want to challenge preconceived notions with authenticity.

LatinoBuzz : How much yourself turns up in your narrative?

Carlos: A lot! With "Writing Lessons" I wanted to recreate a most exciting time and place from my first year in New York, when I moved here to attend Nyu as a freshman. My best friend and I both ended up getting in with a crowd of much older Columbia academics and we were regular guests at their gatherings where we were by far the youngest people. It was very exciting and I was always fascinated by the convergence of young naiveté and older indifference and how people often desire the one they don't have. Young people trying to grow up too quickly and older people who wish to be younger is a central source of conflict in the film. At the same time, I also wanted the film to reflect the experience of being the only person of color in almost exclusively white environments. I purposely had Julian be the only non-white person in the narrative. Julian is fascinated by his professor's world but he will never really be a part of it. I strongly relate to being an outsider with a desire to fit in. Even though race is never explicitly stated in the film, it's clear that he will always be an outsider in this environment. I think this is how race operates in highly liberal environments today, rarely spoken out loud and yet still relevant and highly impactful.

LatinoBuzz : Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?

Carlos: This is a tough one. Generally, I'm not a fan of remakes. But I'd love to remake Ingmar Bergman's "Cries and Whispers" with Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek as sisters, playing the Liv Ullmann and Ingrid Thulin roles. Maybe Gina Rodriguez can play their dying sister. That would be a dream project.

LatinoBuzz: Where to next?

Carlos: I finished Writing Lessons very recently, so I've only just begun submitting it to film festivals where I hope the film can get some exposure. After that, I'll definitely be sharing it online. Programmers, call me/email me! - carlos.e.valdivia@gmail.com

Fidel Ruiz-healy- "A Band of Thieves"

LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?

Fidel: Unfortunately I make films because I don’t know how to do anything else. It’s all I’ve thought about since elementary school and when it came to growing up and picking a career I feel like I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I think your films grow up with you so what you want to say with them all comes down to what you are currently living through. I think films are inherently influenced by the social and political environments that surround you and its up to the writer to choose how on the nose they want to be.

LatinoBuzz: How important was shooting in Texas? Do you feel it shaped you as a storyteller?

Fidel: The movie had to be in Texas. It’s about the crazy things you do when its 100 degrees outside and creating a lawless playground to play cowboy. For me the only place for that is Texas. When looking up references from old westerns and bank heist movies, I quickly realized that what I was looking for was just locales I saw growing up. After that it was just a matter of finding out how to produce a film in San Antonio from New York, and that’s what we did. In terms of being shaped as a storyteller by Texas, I think everyone is influenced a bit by the city they grew up in. At he end of the day that’s what shapes your image of the world. The people and places you interact with as a kid define your perspective on things, and for me that was growing up around the San Antonio suburbs wanting to live life like I saw in the movies.

LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?

Fidel: It would have to be "Alphaville". It’s one of my favorites. Remaking a Godard films seems like some kind of filmic taboo, so that would make it hard. You would have to get it right or else a lot of people would hate you, (Remember the remake of Breathless? Not very many people do) so finding the way to recreate that film in a modern context seems like a great challenge. As for the lead, I have no idea. Maybe someone from Texas? I’m kind of going through a weird Texas love phase in my life right now, so instinctively I’m leaning towards some Texan faces. But either way, I would have to watch the imaginary casting tapes with my casting director a couple of times to make a final decision. But maybe I would just be forced to make it with talking CGI farm animals - "Alphaville" for kids. Maybe that’s the best approach and one Godard would respect. Mr. Godard if you’re reading this - Just picture this: CGI farm animals as Lemmy Caution and Natacha von Braun.

LatinoBuzz: Where to next?

Fidel: I’m currently writing a feature and developing a short film that deals with the border violence in south Texas. It’s kind of like Blood Simple meets Halloween but in the desert. I’m looking to shoot later this year in West Texas. - fidelrrh@gmail.com

Carlos Arata – "An Evening with Oliver"

LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you want to ultimately want to say?

Carlos: Film is the ultimate medium through which to tell stories, and when I was younger, it was a way of visually expressing myself. Now, it’s become a way for me to see the world as I did then. When you are young, everything is fresh, magical – you don’t have to have it all figured out. You experience a lot of things for the first time, with a heightened sense of reality…and naivety, too, and it’s wonderful. The world is much more interesting that way. I want my audience to experience the most fascinating version of the world, to feel their feelings in a way they haven’t in a long time, and to look at the world in a way they don’t normally do.

LatinoBuzz: Is there a particular childhood memory you would like to realize in a film of yours one day?

Carlos: I have a distinct memory of being lost in Disneyland at five-years-old. I would like to revisit that experience of roaming the park alone – The feeling of being lost against the backdrop of the "happiest place on earth" interests me.

LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?

Carlos: If I could remake any film it would have to be "The Warriors." I used to and still watch the film all the time, and caught it whenever it played at the nearby art house. It has an amazing vibe, and of course, a story that is still relevant in our day. I’d cast Chris Pratt as Swan, Kid Cudi as Cochise, and Danny Trejo involved somewhere in the mix.

LatinoBuzz: Where to next?

Carlos: I’m developing a feature version of my short film, "An Evening with Oliver," and in the process of writing an animated feature, as well as a TV pilot (and of course, looking for opportunities to produce both!) - carlosaratafilms@gmail.com

Felipe Prado - "Partiu"

LatinoBuzz: Why film and what do you ultimately want to say?

Felipe: I grew up with my mother taking me and my brother Joao (who produced "Partiu") to watch “cult” movies - as we used to call them - during the week; and my father making us watch Scorsese’s filmography with him during the weekend. Quite inappropriate for kids, but it taught me a lot about movies and shaped who I am. I believe in films that make the audience uncomfortably entertained and have people walking out of the theater with their subconscious still in the story. It needs to be breathtaking and bring new perspectives.

LatinoBuzz: Which is the ‘Brasil' you would like the world to see through your lens?

Felipe: A ‘Brasil’ through unpleasant reality based films with characters, personalities and events deconstructed to their core, avoiding the common subjects that have already been over-explored. Certain stories need to be told, but not as many times as it has been done over the last few years. Brazil is much more than “cine-favela” and soap-opera-like comedies. "Central Station," "City of God" and the "Elite Squad" movies are great, but not every Brazilian film needs to be like them. With very few exceptions, in the last few years those were the themes explored by the majority of the films produced in our culturally diverse country. Brasil is desperate for new stories that don’t underestimate the audience.

LatinoBuzz: Pick a film to re-make (you have to!) Who is the lead?

Felipe: That’s are many choices, but I would really love to adapt ‘Ashes and Diamonds’ to the current South American political turmoil. There are a few recent cases of assassinations of prosecutors and whistleblowers that could base a great remake. The lead… Joao Miguel, who’s in ‘Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures’, ‘Xingu’ and many other great films. In my opinion he’s one of the most complete actors in Brazil’s cinema.

LatinoBuzz: Where to next?

Felipe: I am currently working on a story of faith and corruption involving money-making mega-churches. I am also working on a feature version of "Partiu" as I created the short in order to explore the subject in deep. This is also my thesis project for Nyu Tisch School of the Arts. - felipe.prado@nyu.edu

You can find screening times and more info at: http://www.firstrunfestival.com/

Written by Juan Caceres . LatinoBuzz is a feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow [At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook...