The Kid From Brooklyn

I met Cesar De Leon at NALIP. He was at a table full of filmmakers chatting away about their projects and was kind enough to let me rudely interrupt. I made my way around the table asking each one, what they were working on and why they had come. Cesar quietly waited. I was almost intimidated to get to him. That statement, undoubtedly shocks those of you who know me, but this guy is intense. He has this stare that makes you feel like he knows all your secrets, then he blinks and a warm smile emerges…

Cesar is complex and bold. He seems to have lived a million lives already. This week alone he has sent a rough cut of his feature SALUD to a potential distributor and is applying to the IFP Rough Cut Lab coming in June, he shot a student film, and has landed a small role in the upcoming Natalie Portman film "I love New York. "

I just uploaded his interview (http://bullfighterscafe.com/bfc_filmlounge/cesardeleon.html) and it is fantastic. His trailer is also now playing in our theater (http://bullfighterscafe.com/bfc_theater/03_cesarDeLeon.html). I urge you to check him out asap.

Top 10 Latina Movies

It's Saturday morning and I'm going over my list of things to do, which always includes movies that I want to see with Rico. While I anxiously await Maldeamores, Garcia Girls and August Evening to come to our small Mexican town (aka Los Angeles), I thought I’d put together a list of movies that have contributed to my love of film and to the careers of a few of my favorite Latinas in film.

#1 Mi Vida Loca (1994)
This is a film that actually changed my life. Written and directed by Allison Anders and released by HBO pictures. MVL was one of the first auditions I went on after moving to LA from NYC. I fell in love with the project on so many levels. It enjoyed the privilege of being an art house gem so we traveled the world film festival circuit. Hey did you know that the even had copies of MVL in the Middle East? I always found that interesting…With the tagline: “Mothers. Warriors. Sisters. Survivors.” How could Mi Vida Loca be anything but, interesting!

Selena (1997)
Jennifer Lopez has been a superstar for a while. OK! I’ll admit, at one point in my life I used to compete with her for parts and I simply had NO LOVE for her. After Selena, however, my view of JLo changed. Say what you will about her singing or acting…(haters!) She took on this role with remarkable passion, and a performer emerged. Passion is something that I think she shared with the beloved protagonist in the film and as a result the work was wonderful. JLo has gone on to countless roles, some less honorable than Selena but what she has done for Latina power in Hollywood is extraordinary.

Do the Right Thing (1989)
Not only was this a movie a brave statement about racism and intolerance, it introduced the world to Rosie Perez! With that piercing voice and killer bod, Rosie quickly became a go to gal for comedic female roles. This is not a review or commentary on her acting but an observation of what her role in cinema was at the time (at least by my account ;-) In Rosie, America found a safe love interest for male characters of any ethnicity. She was the prototype for Jlo and Selma. Some of us have always known that brown is beautiful but Do The Right Thing gave Rosie Perez further opportunity to cash in on it.

I Like It Like That (1994)
A character driven film about a young couple learning to “work it out!” I haven’t seen this movie in a while but I remember thinking it was great because (much like members of my own family) it walked the fine line between camp and reality. This film launched the careers of Lauren Velez and Lisa Vidal and also starred the brilliant Jesse Borrego.

Como Agua Para Chocolate (1992)
Laura Esquivel wrote an amazing book and then penned the screenplay that was directed by her husband Alfonso Arau…That, in itself sounds like a romance novel. I love food and film and this movie brilliantly ties the two together. The cast is awesome and includes a favorite actress of mine Yareli Arizmendi, along with the beautiful Marco Leonardi and Lumi Cavazos. Mexican cinema has been tremendous for almost a century but I think this movie introduced it to a new generation of film fans, I most certainly was blown away.

Desperado (1995)
Following the success of El Mariachi, Robert Rodriguez made Desperado. I had the great privilege of being in this film but who paid attention? All eyes were on the positively GORGEOUS female lead, Selma Hayek. I had worked on Mi Vida Loca with Selma and she had recommended me for the part of Zamira. While on set, I knew immediately that this film was going to propel her to stardom. We called Antonio and Selma the Latino Ken and Barbie, they were just so perfect. Great film, great direction and great casting!

Mujeres Al Borde De Un Ataque De Nervios (1988)
I jumped on the Almodóvar bandwagon when this movie came out. Campy films may not be your thing and I fully respect that but I found this movie completely HILARIOUS. The women in this cast were amazing.
Julieta Serrano as the crazy wife continues to be a model of absolute commitment to a role and it’s no wonder Carmen Maura is a European fave. Some people might argue that Spaniards are not Latinos. I say…whatever.

Real Women Have Curves (2002)
Ok, this movie takes the cake: wonderful breakout role for America Ferrer, beautiful direction by Patricia Cardoso and based on a play written by Josefina Lopez. This story was particularly powerful for me because it dealt with issues that I feel existed at a certain level in my own life. Ana had to struggle to find herself in spite of her family’s expectations. My family was the polar opposite; in our neighborhood, we were the weird ones. But I always felt like people judged me because I didn’t live up to what they expected a good “Latina” should be.

Fantastic Four (2005)
I can just hear the teeth gritting from people who hate Jessica Alba because she doesn’t claim to be a “Latina actress.” I have my own opinions on this matter and will share them on another blog BUT I will spill on what made Fantasic 4 pivotal for me. She’s brown. I don’t care what she says, how she was raised- which btw, is very common these days. When you look at her you can tell she’s brown. They bleached her hair, gave her some blue contacts and Chris Evans for a brother; and guess what? People watched it! I’ve seen it a billion times with my own kids. Commercial successes only improve the chances of other Latina actresses having the chance to work on parts not specifically written for the “HOLLYWOOD HISPANIC.”

Maria Full of Grace (2004)
A powerful movie about the use of poor people to transport drugs to the U.S. Unfortunately the filmmakers could have easily replaced the Columbian location with any number of places where young people dream of better life only to be disappointed and worse.Catalina Sandino Moreno was amazing in this film. Sandino's role in this movie made her the 3rd Latin American Actress nominated for an Academy Award.


This is not a complete list, by any means. I am a film fanatic and as you see, always have a ton to say. If you into Latino Film and interesting movie blogs check these out too:
http://www.nylatinofilm.blogspot.com/
http://www.latinaviva.com/50226711/latin_movies.php
http://www.ahorre.com/weblogs/bitacoras/bolivia/raquel_welch_found_her_bolivian_identity/

…coming up my 2 cents on La Misma Luna

Producers Top 10 Action List

Angel and Cory Fernandez

This weekend BFC attended the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Conference 9; being invited to attend as press, was an honor. Pablo and I were excited but had never attended before and really didn’t know what to expect. To say that the event was amazing would be a cop out and yet to try to eloquently express what went on would probably just be self-indulgent. I have been to my fair share of conferences in my years as a media producer and nothing comes close to the energy and excitement of this one. Is it because Latinos are finally THE target market? Has the moment finally arrived when the media is going to stop trying to dictate what my personal Latino experience should be and instead, ASK what it is?

If you are considering any kind of career in film, you should be attending conferences, BUT if you want to go to a conference that is as nurturing to your business as it is to your development as a human being, I urge you to make it to NALIP next year. I will be uploading tons of footage shot during the event but I hope to tease you with this list first:

#1 Offer Hospitality
Abel Salas, thank you!

I walked away from the film industry over ten years ago. Although, I’d never have admitted this to Paul on the way down to Dana Point, my stomach was in knots. My first love was dance, but a broken foot turned my attention to acting. I’m just gonna keep it real here. If you want to be in the biz, it’s HARD. You don’t just stroll into a part and have your career take off. It takes the 33% equal part solution talent/luck/perseverance to make it and I just didn’t love acting enough stay. I DID however love storytelling and the filmmaking process. I met some great people and had some incredible experiences back in my acting days.

Abel was a young hippie/roc writer who wrote the best piece of press on me that I’ve ever read. When I saw him at the NALIP information desk, I didn’t recognize him. He recognized me, remembered all the details of our first meeting, and proceeded to introduce me to everyone who passed by. Abel has this INCREDIBLE memory. I don’t know if he took a course or what but man did he inspire me. Abel is the kind of person that makes everyone around him feels important. He doesn’t do it in a fake “Hollywood “ sort of way, but in a manner that makes you feel like you’re a part of something big and beautiful. I want to do that…I am going to start today. Abel’s a fancy pants writer now for the major newspapers but you can catch what he has to say at www.chicanos-chilangoides.blogspot.com

#2 Share Your Vision
Rodrigo Garcia, you rock!

Funny that one of the complaints that I received about the Mi Vida Loca movie was that it “Romanticized Cholas.” My response was always, “Hey I wore big hair and black lipstick for 8 weeks, blame Rodrigo Garcia!” Rodrigo simply can’t help sharing what he sees with the world. He’s a brilliant cinematographer and director.

Rodrigo sat on the panel of “Creating A Pan Latino Cinema With Global Appeal.” Some very interesting questions arose, among them: what does it mean or not mean to identify as a “Latino” filmmaker and of course the always allusive “What is Latino?” Rodrigo said that the roles he wrote for Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, just weren’t believable for him in a Latin context. Yareli Arizmendi challenged him with a “why not?” "Why can’t we break out of seeing OURSELVES in certain ways?" In the end the artists all agreed that telling the truth from wherever you stand is most important. This may seem obvious to the countless aspiring artists out there, but when you’re inside the business, lines are easily convoluted. It was incredibly encouraging to see the respect that the panelist had for each other as filmmakers and people. My favorite line from Rodrigo Garcia when asked about his choices for making films was “Me and the market have a mutual disregard for each other.” Funny he should say something like that. I’ve seen all his films 10 times! http://imdb.com/name/nm0006554/

#3 Make a Difference
Chelo Alvarez you brought me to tears.

I will not say too much here because I not only got a great interview with Chelo on tape but I also will be posting her feature article soon. Chelo’s film “Sold in America” deals with sex trade in America and follows a 55-minute documentary she previously co-produced on the same subject, “Tin Girls.” Tin Girls resulted in the formation of the Masala project, an income-generating project in Nepal. Hearing things like this reminds me that we can all DO SOMETHING to make a difference in this world. http://www.soldinamerica.net/masalaproject/index.html

#4 Open your Eyes
Camila and Alexis…Buena Suerte!

Two gorgeous women rushed the desk while I was talking with Abel. Camila Martins and Alexis Beauford were invited to the Latino Media Market™. (From NALIP - The 2008 Latino Media Market™ is designed to bring Funders, Studio Executives, Distributors, Dealmakers, Agents, Mentors and Employers together with NALIP members and their projects. The Latino Media Market™ consists of a meeting series for up to 32 selected projects. Filmmaker participants meet one-on-one with industry representatives who can commission pilot scripts and episodes, provide broadcast licenses or documentary completion funds, as well as fund feature development or production.) After they set their appointment, they agreed to meet with us to discuss their film, a documentary about the people occupying Skid Row in Los Angeles. These women met on the set of a big budget commercial and were looking for places to volunteer their time. Although Camila is from a very poor city in Brazil and Camila is a native Angelino, both women said that the biggest tragedy on The Row is that is exists smack dab in the middle of one of the most glamorous places on earth.

#5 Go A Little Crazy
Kiki Melendez you GO girl!

I met Kiki on a TV show she was shooting. My memory leaves a lot to be desired, I have a strict write it down or it aint' happening policy, but Kiki is unforgettable. I love comedy and I don’t care what the backlash is here, I have always felt it is a harder road for the women of comedy. Kiki has this bit in her act where she gives her best dance performance only to find it’s a gay club. She really takes her physicality to another level and it cracks me up. Kiki has a TV show of her own in development and I can’t wait to see it. I grew up in a crazy family and she would fit right in. http://www.kikikiss.com/

#6 Be Brave
Anthony Nardolillo you da bomb!

If you come to LA and think there is a fireworks show, it just may be this kid. He is a Puerto Rican/Italian, CPA, who professionally dances and has become a filmmaker. MANO the movie http://www.manothemovie.com/ is a short that is intended to serve as the treatment for the full-length feature but it has become a phenomenon! With over 150,000 views on his myspace page and superstar line up coming out to the premiere of the SHORT, you know this film is hot! Check out the trailer, if you know dance you will get the chills. Like the filmmaker, the dancing is the real deal. I will have video on Anthony so I won’t say too much except for this, it takes more than charm, looks and talent to make it in this biz and he has it…more.

#7 Give to Others
Daniel Hastings YOU are an Angel!

NALIP is all about networking and sometimes it happens in the most beautiful ways. We were in the business office after dinner on Saturday because it was the only place quiet enough to do our interview with Alicia Villarreal-Wallach. Daniel needed to do some printing and thoughtfully waited for us to end our shoot before running off his copies. When we were done he came over, shook Alicia’s hand and said “Wow! Your story is so inspiring I would like to offer my help to you. I can shoot your movie poster if you’d like…” Some of you may not be floored and I beg you to visit his website http://www.atomicuscreativegroup.com/. Daniel shoots the kind of pictures that can change your life. Seriously, how many times have you seen an ordinary person transformed into a supermodel? Perhaps you’ve seen a record cover that made you think, “that looks off the chain…” and off you went to buy it; that was probably Daniel’s work. He’s shot hundreds of celebs, covers for rock stars, you name it, on Saturday he shared some of his family history with us and I would love to get him to do an interview for BFC. I am sometimes awed by great talent but always moved to the core by random acts of kindness.

#8 Encourage Laughter
Cory Fernandez (Fernandez-Aviles) I have just adopted you.

I overheard Cory sharing with Jeff Valdez that he’d be performing at the comedy show set up for Saturday night. Being the nosey “reporter”, I quickly chased him down for an interview. He was so polite and of course HILARIOUS in his interview. We got it on tape so; I’ll show you later. When tape stopped rolling I told him how much I respected comedians, having come from a family like mine. He asked me who in my family performed and I mentioned my brothers, Rick Aviles (R.I.P.) and Rod Reyes. He couldn’t believe it. He told me he had had a shirt made up with my brother on one side and Freddy Prince on the other. He’d never had a chance to see Rick perform but it was his way of thanking these guys for paving the way. I, of course, was boo hooing, but that didn’t last too long around Cory. In my experience with comedians, there is a unique intensity about them. Maybe it’s because they observe the world in a whole different way. My brother was/is like that. Intense almost absent sometimes and suddenly out of nowhere, busting out jokes. I loved the shirt, which he offered to give me, but it brought up too much emotion and for that day, I just wanted to enjoy Cory in all his funny glory.

#9 Honor your Past
Alicia Villarreal, Si se Puede!

I’m on the dinner line and the cutest couple is standing in front of me. It is Alicia Villarreal-Wallach and her dad, Roberto M. Villarreal. They hand me their cards and we exchange pleasantries until I ask her what her film is about. Atanasia is inspired by the true story, of her great-great-grandmother Atanasia Escobedo, illegitimate daughter of the great Mexican General Mariano Escobedo. Atanasia features war, murder, kidnapping and the violence of 19th Century Mexico and South Texas. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? It’s sheer madness if you’re a first time filmmaker but that didn’t stop the Villarreal family. While Alicia admits to breaking every rule she ever read in her filmmaking books she also states that with her dad as the driving force, the story was going to be told no matter what. They wrote the script, financed, shot on HD, built sets, made costumes, got music…all in their little town in South Texas. I haven’t seen the movie yet but they are super heroes in my mind for getting the film made! For everyone that has stopped short of living his or her dreams the Villarreal’s are callin’ you out!

#10 Be Humble
Jose Rivera…The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. Proverbs 16:21

This guy wrote a little film called the “Motorcycle Diaries,” perhaps you’ve seen it? Rivera was the first Puerto Rican to be nominated for the "Best Adapted Screenplay" Academy Award. AMAZING! I sat in this workshop and was unable to even speak to him afterwards. This might have been a good thing, as I would’ve probably just babbled something silly. He floored me! Rarely do I ever hear someone speaking and think it’s pure poetry but that was Jose. I’ll just type in what I wrote in my notes on what Jose had to say about:
Literary influences - “Literature is important but life, is more important.”
Mentorship - “The most fundamental kind of education for making art, is sitting beside a wise man with a big heart.”
Latinos - “From the time Columbus landed and called this India, we’ve been in an identity crisis.” “For me the juxtaposition of living life as a Latino is Sci-Fi in and of itself.”
There was so much said here about his life and his first screenplay. He was funny and humble, not in a false way, looking for compliments but in a way that allowed us insight into his way of surviving the business. I read that he grew up in a home where only the Bible was read. Excuse me while I burn down my library… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Rivera_(playwright)

So I’ll admit this list is a tad unconventional, but I was inspired and I hope you will be too.
You Can Make Dreams Come True. I want to see you get there.
Sin Cera,
Angel