Coming to A Theater or Streaming Platform Near You

Independent films are usually a hit or miss—but for the most part, they have a lot of heart. And it’s always interesting to see what comes from not having huge budgets. Sometimes, there’s some great creativity that happens. Below are three films I checked out recently.

Moon Heart/El Corazón de la Luna (2022)
Peru’s entry for Academy consideration.

Micaela Cajahuaringa

I’m not going to lie, this film left me very depressed. It deals with so much without any dialog at all. The amount of grief, mental health, homelessness and old age is up front and in your face.

The actress, Haydeé Cáceres is very convincing in this role. Her expressions showed her thoughts and strong emotions. And the cinematography by Micaela Cajahuaringa is wonderful. Her lighting was amazing.

Synopsis: M is alone, almost invisible to society, not an outcast, just old, poor, homeless and ignored. Her only friend is a lone ant. M’s world is full of nostalgic memories and a dark presence that haunts her. Then one day, a “mechanical angel” arrives to help change her life.  

At its core, this is a film about marginalization and the abandonment and mental anguish that homeless people suffer.

Directed by Aldo Salvini. Other cast include Bruno Balbuena, César Chirinos, Mirta Urbina, and Sergio Velasco.

 

Car 24 (2023)

This crime thriller is not perfect, but it’s entertaining. For the most part, I enjoyed the film. There were two scenes, I could have seen less or not at all. All in all, very impressive for a first time director.

Synopsis: Two hit men who don’t know each other end up trapped in a car for 24 hours parked in a Los Angeles street awaiting orders to kill a target. Both men will undergo a conscience check as well as human existence conflicts.

The film is by first time director, Matias Desiderio (Walter). Who co-wrote, co-produced and co-starred with Salvatore di Costanzo (Toto). Rounding out the cast are Lexy Panterra, Cody Renne Cameron, Tony Panterra, Ciera Foster, Tony Tanelli, and Frank Trenado.

The film was nominated in the “Best Feature Narrative” category for the 25th annual Arpa International Film Festival (Arpa IFF). 

Directed by Matias Desiderio from Film on Vimeo.

 

Free Dead or Alive (Streaming)

Not a perfect script but it has some good things going for it. Some of the action is good and I found Dyana Ortelli’s part compelling as Teresa, Dragon’s (Seth Michaels) mother. 

Synopsis: A young El Salvadorian woman flees abuse and falls in love with a hard-hearted coyote along a deadly journey through the treacherous Mexican migration route. The film is set along a dangerous trail to the Mexican border, where every migrant is prey to assault, extortion, sexual abuse and murder, perpetrated by a wide range of violent characters. The story captures Eva, a proud knife-wielding heroine born into circumstances of poverty, that force many women into a life of prostitution and abuse. Unwilling to compromise, she will risk it all to be free. Her aspirations for education and a better life fuel a deep hatred for all men, until she meets a skilled coyote named Dragon, the one man who can protect her dream through the journey through hostile lands where the cartels are the law.

Written and directed by Erik Bernard. Starring Edy Ganem, Robert Avellanet, Patricia Velasquez, Alejandro De Hoyos, Al Coronel, Robert LaSardo, Marco-Angela La Porta, Marcus DeAnda, Juan Pablo Olyslager, Thomas Hennessy, Christiana Leucas, and Anna Carvalho.

Depth of Field is Surprisingly Full of Heart

A month ago, I had the pleasure of screening the film, Depth of Field. The indie drama, premiered at Cannes’ Marché du Film back on May 18th.

Bobby Cloud and John F. Uranday
©2022 Angela María Ortíz S.

Before the screening, which took place in Santa Monica, California, I did a short interview with the writer, producer and director, John F. Uranday (Lost Souls, Trolled) and producer Bobby Cloud (Lost Souls, Trolled). Together, they are co-founders of Penwheel Universe. 

A fast growing company, based on creating and telling stories that they feel aren’t being told. Or ideas that come from stories they have read, events in their personal lives or even just a meme seen on FB.

L-r: Director John F. Uranday, Rafael Petardi and Jay Acovone

About Depth of Field, is the story of Charles, a widower who has given up on life until he meets a foster child next door that would change his life forever.

The film has a good pace and I found it very satisfying at the end.

Depth of Field stars Rafael Petardi (Red Notice), George Stroumboulopoulos (The Communist Daughter), Jay Avocone (Lethal Weapon), Carrie Quinn Dolin (Bruce Almighty), Ella Thomas (NCIS: Los Angeles), Diana Diaz (Music), and Thea Saccoliti in the role of Valerie.

The film is doing the festival circuit now. —A.O.

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me Premieres Globally on Apple TV+

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me will premiere globally on Apple TVon November 4.

The announcement was made on World Mental Health Day (October 10), in support of global mental health education and awareness, as Selena bravely shares her own journey in this revealing film. 

Selena Gomez, ALMA Awards
©2009 Angela María Ortíz S.

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

As a recording artist, Gomez has sold more than 210 million singles worldwide and amassed over 45 billion global streams of her music. This year, she received a Grammy nomination for her first all-Spanish EP and an Emmy nomination for her role in the critically acclaimed and award-winning series Only Murders in the Building (HULU), in which she stars opposite Steve Martin and Martin Short.

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, is directed and produced by Alek Keshishian (Madonna: Truth or Dare). 

Amazon Studios, YCP, LA Collab Hollywood’s Multicultural Future

On Monday evening, we attended Amazon Studios celebration of Latino heritage and culture. 

Where they announce their Latino community initiatives, and partnerships with the Latino Film Institute and LA Collab. Which will help redefine the Hollywood pipeline.

“After two decades of building the pipeline from our community into Hollywood, we are excited that Amazon Studios is supporting our work with the Youth Cinema Project. Only together will we be able to create Hollywood’s multicultural future,” said LFI founder Edward James Olmos

The studio has joined forces with Edward James Olmos’ Latino Film Institute and is the exclusive sponsor of its Youth Cinema Project (YCP) Alumni Program for the 2022-2023 school year. YCP’s Alumni program connects over 300 program graduates from low income, under-resourced public schools to hands-on access and learning opportunities across the industry, including mentoring and assistance with college applications. 

L-r: Gloria Calderon Kellett, Edward James Olmos, YCP Executive Director Erika Sabel Flores,
and Global Head of DEIA for Amazon Studios Latasha Gillespie
(Photo by Jc Olivera/Amazon Studios)

LA Collab Co-Founder Ivette Rodríguez, Latasha Gillespie, LA Collab Co-Founder Beatriz Acevedo
(Photo by Jc Olivera/Amazon Studios)

Amazon Studios is also funding the inaugural YCP Fellowship, which will provide 15 college bound students with resources to make a high-quality short film as a team to strengthen their film school applications and scholarship opportunities. The film will then screen at The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) in 2023.

LFI Founder Edward James Olmos, Global Head of DEIA for Amazon Studios, Freevee and IMDb Latasha Gillespie
(Photo AMOS Art 2022)

Amazon Studios is also continuing its support of local non-profit LA Collab to build the entertainment vertical of LTX Match platform from the ground up. The smart tech platform will use technology to match Latino talent at scale with jobs, mentorship, boards, capital, and community, at all levels of the Hollywood ecosystem, helping to address the all-too-common statement “we can’t find Latinos to work in entertainment.”

“It is time to put the incredible tech innovation that exists today to help fix the brokenbridge between Hollywood and our Latino creative community not finding each other, with LTX Match, we aim to connect our community with access to make sure we have equal opportunity to thrive in Hollywood,” said Beatriz Acevedo, Co-founder of LA Collab.

L-r: Edward James Olmos, Se Fija!’s Angela Ortiz and Martin Alfalan

The event also featured a conversation between showrunner Gloria Calderon Kellett (Amazon’s With Love), Director of the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative at UCLA, author of the UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report and LFI board member Dr. Ana Christina-Ramón, and Amazon Studios Sr. Executive Lorenza Muñoz as well as performances from rising Chicana songstress Doris Anahi and Latin electronica project Jguero.

We met some young amazing filmmakers and everything looks and sounds promising. And it was great to see many old friends and acquaintances.
— A.O.

Tim Burton’s Wednesday Coming this Fall on Netflix

YES! We’ve been waiting for this this series to happen. And the trailer doesn’t disappoint.

Wednesday, an upcoming Netflix series from the imagination of Tim BurtonWednesday Addams—starring Jenna Ortega in the title role, alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Issac Ordonez, Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci and more—is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Snap snap.

Bella and Paul’s Forest Walk: Sneak Peek Ep.105 Moonhaven

AMC’s new thriller series, Moonhaven, which airs every Thursday exclusively on AMC+. We are sharing an exclusive clip from episode 5 before it airs on Thursday, July 28. Watch new episodes weekly.

Synopsis: A skeptic in Paradise, Earth pilot Bella Sway is sucked into a conspiracy to gain control of Moonhaven, a utopian colony on the Moon 100 years in the future. She must team up with local detective to stop forces that want to destroy Earth’s last hope before they are destroyed themselves. 

Starring: Emma McDonald, Dominic Monaghan, and Joe Manganiello.

Action-Thriller PREY Screens For Fans in San Diego 

On July 21, film fans in San Diego Comic-Con were treated to an advance screening of 20th Century Studios’ action-thriller Prey earlier tonight. Immediately following the screening at the Mission Valley AMC 20, the cast and filmmakers from the latest entry in the Predator franchise participated in a Q&A hosted by Collider’s Steve Weintraub. Participants included Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, director Dan Trachtenberg and producer Jhane Myers.

L-R: Moderator Steve Weintraub, Dan Trachtenberg, Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, and Jhane Myers attend the special fan screening of 20th Century Studios’ Prey during San Diego Comic-Con 2022 on July 21, 2022 in San Diego, California.
(Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

Synopsis: Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

Prey will stream August 5, as a Hulu Original in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America, and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories.

Official Trailer for Disney Original Documentary Mija

Disney Original Documentary released the official trailer and key art for Mija, the award-winning feature documentary debut from director Isabel Castro. The film was produced by Castro under her production company Tertulia Pictures alongside independent producers Tabs Breese and Yesenia Tlahuel

Mija features Doris Muñoz and Jacks Haupt, two daughters of undocumented immigrants from Mexico who are both navigating their careers in the music industry. Seeking to provide for their families while achieving their dreams, Doris and Jacks bond over the ever-present guilt of being the first American-born members of their undocumented families and the financial risks of pursuing their dreams. For them, the pressure of success is heightened due to their families’ hope for green cards and reunification.

Mija is a poignant and emotional dedication to immigrants and their children. Director Isabel Castro’s intimate debut feature constructs an ethereal vision and homage to the daughters that fight for their families, their dreams and themselves.

The film will be released in theaters in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco on Friday, August 5. It will stream globally on Disney+ later this year. Mija premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival as an Official Selection of the NEXT section that features innovative works with a forward-thinking approach to storytelling.

We Support the Panamanian International Film Festival!

UPDATE! Success!

The festival raised more than its minimum goal so the creators will receive the funds they raised. Congrats!

I look forward to the Panafest every year and this year, it could use some additional help. Below is a little about the festival and what it is going through.

Carlos Carrasco
and Laura Patalano
©2021 AMOSArt

The Panamanian International Film Festival (PanaFest22) was created nine years ago as a bridge between the filmmaking talent in Latin America and the United States. In the eight seasons produced so far, PIFFLA has showcased storytellers from Venezuela, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panamá, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Canada, Ecuador, Guatemala, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, and Puerto Rico as well as different Latino communities in the United States. Throughout its existence, the organization has also strived to provide educational content for creators by hosting industry panels with working professionals covering topics as wide ranging as fundraising initiatives and demographic crossover challenges. To learn more about the festival’s crowdfunding, click here.

The thing about putting on a festival is that you need a place to do it that comes with screens, seats, at least one projector and a guy to run it. Money, honey. Then you need a team to help you with all the tasks involved. Click here if you could help out with a few dollars.

Watch the video below from the festival director, Carlos Carrasco.

PIFFLA_Avenida.mp4 from Carlos Carrasco on Vimeo.

Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder Official Trailer

We are looking forward to Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder, offering long-awaited clues to what’s in store for the God of Thunder. The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced–a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods.

Synopsis: To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who–to Thor’s surprise–inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. Directed by Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum. 

Thor: Love and Thunder opens in theaters July 8.

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