"You said he was dead. Now he wants revenge." Netflix has dropped the full trailer for the Barcelona-set revenge action thriller titled Xtreme, also known as Xtremo in Spanish. Running away is not an option. Revenge is his only plan. This one starts streaming June 4th on Netflix. Two years after the murder of his son and his father, a retired hitman sets in motion a carefully crafted revenge plan against the killer: his own brother. This is directed by Barcelona-born filmmaker Daniel Benmayor, who states: "Just as signature Spanish horror was created in the past, with Xtremo we have the opportunity to create a Spanish standard of action films." The film stars Teo García, Óscar Jaenada, Óscar Casas, Andrea Duro, Luis Zahera, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Juan Diego, and Nao Albet. This looks so badass! Fast-paced, stylish, hard-hitting action. I'm in! Very curious to see how this turned out and if...
- 5/12/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"There's only one plan. I'm going to kill them all." Netflix has unveiled an official teaser trailer for revenge action thriller titled Xtreme, also known as Xtremo in Spanish. Launching on Netflix this June. Two years after the murder of his son and his father, a retired hitman sets in motion a carefully crafted revenge plan against the killer: his own brother. Directed by Barcelona-born filmmaker Daniel Benmayor, he explains the concept: "Xtremo brings to Barcelona a genre of film rarely exploited in Spanish-speaking films. It will be a relentless action film with a spectacular cast that brings together renowned international actors with new talents and a technical team of the highest level that brings a new style to our cinema. Just as signature Spanish horror was created in the past, with Xtremo we have the opportunity to create a Spanish standard of action films." The film stars Teo García,...
- 5/7/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Miami — Breaking barriers, Netflix is preparing to unleash “Xtremo,” billed as one of Spain’s first full-on action thriller movies, starring Oscar Jaenada and action specialist Teo García.
A Netflix Original Film directed by Daniel Benmayor, “Xtremo” also marks the first production of Showrunner Films, the new production company set up by Spanish sales agent Vicente Canales and partner Julieta Videla.
“’Xtremo’ was born as a play to create action cinema made here in Spain. A film designed for the global market but with the character and originality of Spanish cinema,” Canales said in a press release.
For Netflix it’s certainly a gamble in bringing a new genre to a territory, but the bet is a calculated one as action thriller films have performed well for the service internationally. In 2019, the Michael Bay, Ryan Reynolds vehicle “6 Underground” was a massive success around the world.
Although the film only premiered on Dec.
A Netflix Original Film directed by Daniel Benmayor, “Xtremo” also marks the first production of Showrunner Films, the new production company set up by Spanish sales agent Vicente Canales and partner Julieta Videla.
“’Xtremo’ was born as a play to create action cinema made here in Spain. A film designed for the global market but with the character and originality of Spanish cinema,” Canales said in a press release.
For Netflix it’s certainly a gamble in bringing a new genre to a territory, but the bet is a calculated one as action thriller films have performed well for the service internationally. In 2019, the Michael Bay, Ryan Reynolds vehicle “6 Underground” was a massive success around the world.
Although the film only premiered on Dec.
- 1/21/2020
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Profiles of major Spanish shows at Mipcom. S: International distribution.
3 Caminos
(Ficción Producciones, Beta Film)
Five friends of different nationalities connect on the St. James Way. An Amazon Prime Vídeo pickup, shooting from February.
S: Beta Film
Caronte
(Mediaset España, Big Bang Media)
Legal procedural from Verónica Fernández, creator of Netflix’s upcoming “Hache,” about an ex-cop and an ex-con turned criminal lawyer. Acquired by Amazon for worldwide streaming.
S: Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group, Imagina International Sales
The Countryside
(Mediaset España, Contubernio)
Vegan, choral comedy created by Alberto Caballero (“La que se avecina”) Premiered on Amazon Prime Video España then Mediaset España channels.
S: Mediterráneo
Central Market
(Rtve, Diagonal TV)
Serial from producers of post-Civil War soap“Love in Difficult Times.” A slice of life take on workers at a major city market. S: Rtve
Dangerous Moms
(Mediaset España, Mandarina Producciones)
Black comedy series marking Mediaset España’s best fiction release in five years.
3 Caminos
(Ficción Producciones, Beta Film)
Five friends of different nationalities connect on the St. James Way. An Amazon Prime Vídeo pickup, shooting from February.
S: Beta Film
Caronte
(Mediaset España, Big Bang Media)
Legal procedural from Verónica Fernández, creator of Netflix’s upcoming “Hache,” about an ex-cop and an ex-con turned criminal lawyer. Acquired by Amazon for worldwide streaming.
S: Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group, Imagina International Sales
The Countryside
(Mediaset España, Contubernio)
Vegan, choral comedy created by Alberto Caballero (“La que se avecina”) Premiered on Amazon Prime Video España then Mediaset España channels.
S: Mediterráneo
Central Market
(Rtve, Diagonal TV)
Serial from producers of post-Civil War soap“Love in Difficult Times.” A slice of life take on workers at a major city market. S: Rtve
Dangerous Moms
(Mediaset España, Mandarina Producciones)
Black comedy series marking Mediaset España’s best fiction release in five years.
- 10/14/2019
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid — To face up to global platforms, high-end series from Europe have to be different. That’s almost a truism these days. One way is for shows to drink deep at the well of their national culture.
So the question of what makes a show “Spanish” threaded many of the panel reflections and presentations this week at an upbeat Rtve Showcase, a enterprising launch pad for new shows and seasons from the public broadcaster which ran May 26-28 at the Hotel Puerta de América in Madrid.
At a centerpiece panel, “Creating Fiction for a Global Audience,” answers were supplied by some of the finest minds and creators in Spain’s business: Showrunners Ramón Campos and Daniel Ecija, producers José Manuel Lorenzo at Banijay’s Dlo/Magnolia and Tedy Villaba at Boomerang and screenwriter Joaquín Oristrell (“Cuéntame cómo pasó”).
The panel was moderated by Fernando Lopez Puig, Tve content & fiction production director,...
So the question of what makes a show “Spanish” threaded many of the panel reflections and presentations this week at an upbeat Rtve Showcase, a enterprising launch pad for new shows and seasons from the public broadcaster which ran May 26-28 at the Hotel Puerta de América in Madrid.
At a centerpiece panel, “Creating Fiction for a Global Audience,” answers were supplied by some of the finest minds and creators in Spain’s business: Showrunners Ramón Campos and Daniel Ecija, producers José Manuel Lorenzo at Banijay’s Dlo/Magnolia and Tedy Villaba at Boomerang and screenwriter Joaquín Oristrell (“Cuéntame cómo pasó”).
The panel was moderated by Fernando Lopez Puig, Tve content & fiction production director,...
- 5/31/2019
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Reviewed as part of the 27th Leeds International Film Festival (6-21 Nov, 2013)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dir: Javier Ruiz Caldera, 2012
A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal…sound familiar? Unlike its central band of spectres, the influences on this supernatural Spanish comedy are plain to see. Opening and closing with a prom scene, Ghost Graduation (‘Promoción fantasma’) revisits the American high-school movies of the Eighties, emerging like a cross between Ghostbusters and The Breakfast Club- with more than just a dance montage as a nod to the latter.
Our humble, hangdog hero is Modesto (Raúl Arévalo), a high school teacher plagued with the ability to see the dead. Rather than realise his gift, he instead begins to worry that he’s losing his mind. Regular visits to a psychiatrist only seem to make matters worse- not least because Modesto is distracted by his...
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dir: Javier Ruiz Caldera, 2012
A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal…sound familiar? Unlike its central band of spectres, the influences on this supernatural Spanish comedy are plain to see. Opening and closing with a prom scene, Ghost Graduation (‘Promoción fantasma’) revisits the American high-school movies of the Eighties, emerging like a cross between Ghostbusters and The Breakfast Club- with more than just a dance montage as a nod to the latter.
Our humble, hangdog hero is Modesto (Raúl Arévalo), a high school teacher plagued with the ability to see the dead. Rather than realise his gift, he instead begins to worry that he’s losing his mind. Regular visits to a psychiatrist only seem to make matters worse- not least because Modesto is distracted by his...
- 11/21/2013
- by Dan Wakefield
- Obsessed with Film
From comedies to thrillers, the gambit of zombie-themed videos is varied this year. Some titles may seem cringe-worthy but others will bring on some cheerleader style thrills. At least most fans will want to flock towards purchasing the seminal release of "The Walking Dead" series that's redefining television: "The Walking Dead" Season Two Limited Edition Set In case fans have not heard, this ultimate Blu-ray set comes packaged inside a sculpted zombie head case that is designed by Greg Nicotero and created by McFarlene Toys. Available here: The Walking Dead on Blu-Ray at Amazon Juan of the Dead Director/writer: Alejandro Brugués. Cast: Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andrea Duro, and Andros Perugorría. When Havana begins to fill up with zombies, Juan, a 40-year-old slacker, is forced to become a hero, defend his country and protect his own on an island that has turned into a real bloodbath.
- 10/1/2012
- by noreply@blogger.com (Ed Sum)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Juan of the Dead
Directed by Alejandro Brugués
Written by Alejandro Brugués
Cuba, 2011
The only thing more recycled than zombie films are the zombies themselves. It takes a special talent to reinvigorate the genre of the undead, and when Edgar Wright made Shaun of the Dead, it seemed like he finally created the be all and end all.
However, the zombie flick is uncharted territory for a country like Cuba, so when writer and director Alejandro Brugués decided to have go with Juan of the Dead, fanboys across the world waited with bated breath. Unfortunately, all that forlorn hope is in vain, because Juan of the Dead, as the title portends, offers a strictly superficial change from the genre norm.
In Havana, 40-year old Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas) saunters through life at a lackadaisical pace with his best friend, the ribald Lazaro (Jorge Molina), and Lazaro’s son, the...
Directed by Alejandro Brugués
Written by Alejandro Brugués
Cuba, 2011
The only thing more recycled than zombie films are the zombies themselves. It takes a special talent to reinvigorate the genre of the undead, and when Edgar Wright made Shaun of the Dead, it seemed like he finally created the be all and end all.
However, the zombie flick is uncharted territory for a country like Cuba, so when writer and director Alejandro Brugués decided to have go with Juan of the Dead, fanboys across the world waited with bated breath. Unfortunately, all that forlorn hope is in vain, because Juan of the Dead, as the title portends, offers a strictly superficial change from the genre norm.
In Havana, 40-year old Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas) saunters through life at a lackadaisical pace with his best friend, the ribald Lazaro (Jorge Molina), and Lazaro’s son, the...
- 6/28/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
“Juan of the Dead,” Cuba’s first zombie movie, has garnered attention just for its mere existence -- a zom-com shot on location in Havana! What a new and exciting cinematic oddity! Despite, and because of its exotic origins, “Juan of the Dead” lives up to the hype, more than delivering the goods as a raucous horror comedy, deeply schooled in the zombie genre, with a uniquely Cuban flavor.
A Spanish/Cuban co-production directed by Cuban native Alejandro Brugués, half of the pleasure in the film is enjoying the scenery and grand architecture of this majestic, dilapidated city. Havana truly is one of the characters in the film, and plays an important story role. But first, we need to meet our middle-aged heroes: the lanky, laconic Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas), a survivor of most everything, and the rotund Lazaro (Jorge Molina), his goofy sidekick, who fills out a wetsuit like nobody’s business.
A Spanish/Cuban co-production directed by Cuban native Alejandro Brugués, half of the pleasure in the film is enjoying the scenery and grand architecture of this majestic, dilapidated city. Havana truly is one of the characters in the film, and plays an important story role. But first, we need to meet our middle-aged heroes: the lanky, laconic Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas), a survivor of most everything, and the rotund Lazaro (Jorge Molina), his goofy sidekick, who fills out a wetsuit like nobody’s business.
- 6/20/2012
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
Director: Alejandro Brugués. Writer: Alejandro Brugués. Cast: Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina and Andrea Duro. Fidel Castro must have been sleeping when his government greenlit Juan of the Dead also known as Juan de los Muertos. This film is set in Havana, Cuba and it hosts an assortment of pro-capitalist messages in a socialist country. Apparently, zombie bashing is profitable. Similar to Shaun of the Dead, Juan of the Dead is meant to be comedic. Yet, many of the bits are silly at best and groan inducing at worst. Only the politicalness of this picture sets it apart from others in the flooded zombie genre. Juan is a petty thief, a bad father and a boozer. He has few qualities to aspire to. However, when the chips are down, Juan rises up with many of friends to fight off a zombie apocalypse. The newscasters call the undead "imperialists," "dissidents" and other anti-capitalist names,...
- 6/18/2012
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
★★★☆☆ Is there any meat still to be found on the rotting bones of the mythical 'zombie apocalypse' which purveyors of horror have been warning us of since the dawn of cinema? According to the new Cuban gut-muncher Juan of the Dead (Juan de los Muertos, 2011), there just might be Written and directed with striking sparseness by Argentinian filmmaker Alejandro Brugués and starring Alexis Dias de Villegas, Jorge Molina and Andrea Duro, this latest flesh-eater outing is a striking, gory take on one of horror's favourite sub-genres.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 5/3/2012
- by CineVue
- CineVue
More from the Latino scene from our woman in L.A., free lance festival programmer extraordinaire, Christine Davila, from her blog Chicana from Chicago:
Looking at yesterday’s announcement of Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival reveals a healthy Latino presence among the 62 features and 48 short films in the program. Here’s how I break down the Latino/ Ibero/ U.S. Latino component of the program.
Chile continues to give Argentina a run for its cache of exciting and growing cinematic output from South America with the inclusion of Thursday Til Sunday (Isa & Distributor: FiGa) written and directed by Dominga Sotomayor ♀, in Narrative Competition.
Although the traveling Mexican film festival Ambulante is no longer a program spotlight, Mexican films continue to be a mainstay of the festival. There are four feature-length films and three short films from/about Mexico. In Narrative Competition, The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man (Isa: Kafilms, Argentina) written and directed by Arturo Pons [about a young Mexican aiming for Chicago], and in Documentary Competition, Drought by Everado González (recently awarded Best Documentary at FICG27) . Out of competition is the gorgeously shot documentary, Canícula, and although the funding is mainly stateside, Bernardo Ruiz paints a fascinating portrait of the risky journalistic practice and history of the seminal Tijuana weekly, Zeta in Reportero.
Also of note in the program is that four short films list Cuba as a co-production/origin of country.
But what of the U.S. Latino filmmakers and stories? Last year Los Angeles Film Festival was a great launchpad for Mamitas (Distributor: ScreenMedia, Producer rep: Traction Media), an authentic Chicano portrayal of young love set in Echo Parque written and directed by Nicolas Ozeki (a non-Latino), co-starring fast rising hot talents Veronica Diaz-Carranzo (Blaze You Out) and E.J. Bonilla. The film is currently in theaters now. (Big recommend,theater listings here-go support it!)
The closest we have to representing U.S. Latino in the features section is Four, the feature debut of Joshua Sanchez who hails from Houston, Texas. Based on a Christopher Shinn play, the July 4th-eve-set story is a snapshot of two disparate relationships tensely intertwined and their at-odd dynamics of desire. Coincidentally, E.J. Bonilla also stars (this guy is blowing up!). I would also include as U.S. Latino, Searching for Sugar Man, the documentary by Malik Bendjelloul about singer songwriter Sixto Rodriguez’s fascinating rise and fall into obscurity as a Uj.S. Latino story. As a matter of fact, the film seems to suggest that perhaps Sixto’s Mexican-American identity might have been a reason he was not embraced by the 60s and 70s mainstream. [Per Sydney: The film was snatched up at Sundance by Sony Pictures Classics and by Isa Protagonist who is screening it twice in Cannes.]
As for U.S. Latino shorts, Fireworks written and directed by Victor Hugo Duran, which is also incidentally centered around 4th of July, is an L.A. set story about boys trying to rap on girls.
My favorite Miami based hooligans, Jillian Mayer and Lucas Leyva, keep representing with their fresh and experimental short film, Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke. They are part of a collective of go-there filmmakers, Borscht Corp who had four crazy shorts screen at SXSW (and they were a riot to bootie shake dance with at SXSW Film’s Closing Night Party). You must carve out an hour and look at their work on the site (Nsfw!)
And lastly, in front of camera there’s some America Ferrera in Todd Berger’s It’s a Disaster (Isa: Maya), and rising boriqua actress April Hernandez Castillo, of hit webseries East Willy B, Dexter and other TV, is in The History of Future Folk [Per Sydney: one of 7 horror films in the festival, another being It's A Disaster per Dread Central, so take note Latino distributors like Lionsgate because horror films are a favorite of a certain Latino demographic!] by J. Anderson Mitchell and Jeremy Kipp Walker, described as a “sweet sci-fi musical comedy”. Below is the rest of the Latino and Ibero-American (includes Spain and Portugal). Descriptions provided by L.A. Film Festival, and bold cap commentary by me.
Narrative Competition:
o All Is Well – Portugal (Director Pocas Pascoal ♀, Producer Luis Correia Cast Cheila Lima, Ciomara Morais) – Strangers in a strange land, two beautiful Angolan sisters fleeing a civil war in their homeland struggle to survive in Lisbon. Pocas Pascoal’s deeply personal saga shows us the face of exile with quietly stunning power. North American Premiere
o The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man – Mexico (Director/Writer Arturo Pons Producer Ozcar Ramírez González Cast Gael Sanchez Valle, Pedro Gamez, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Eligio Melendez, Luis Bayardo, Marco Perez) – A young man and a dead man journey north through a subtly surreal desert landscape, picking up a wagonful of odd characters as they go in this darkly humorous satire of contemporary Mexico. North American Premiere
o Four – (Director/Writer Joshua Sanchez Producer Christine Giorgio Cast Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, Aja Naomi King, E.J. Bonilla) – Over the course of a steamy 4th of July night, a father and daughter, each trapped in loneliness, reach out for sexual connection — he with a self-hating teenage boy, she with a smooth-talking wannabe homeboy — in this psychologically complex, beautifully acted drama. World Premiere
o Thursday till Sunday – Chile (Director/Writer Dominga Sotomayor ♀ Producers Gregorio González, Benjamin Domenech Cast Santi Ahumada, Emiliano Freifeld, Francisco Pérez-Bannen, Paola Giannini) – With uncommon beauty and style, this Chilean road movie finds a family at a crossroads, as the daughter slowly realizes the divide between the adults in the front seat and the kids in back. North American Premiere
Documentary Competition:
o Drought – Mexico (Director Everado González Producer Martha Orozco) – Contrasting the lives of a cattle-ranching community with the arid northeastern Mexican landscape that surrounds them, this cinema vertité documentary paints a poetic portrait of a community on the verge of extinction. Us Premiere
o Sun Kissed – (Directors Maya Stark ♀, Adi Lavy ♀ Producers Jocelyn Glatzer, Maya Stark, Adi Lavy) – With remarkable strength of spirit, a husband and wife examine their lives and why their children and others have been struck with a rare genetic disorder in this powerful portrait of a small Navajo community. World Premiere ~ Okay Not Latino But It'S Native American So I’M Giving It A Shout Since There Are Not Enough Native American Stories.
International Showcase:
o Canícula – Mexico (Director José Álvarez Writers Sebastián Hoffman, José Álvarez Producer Mauricio Fabre Cast Hermelinda Santes, Esteban González, Mario García) – This is a hauntingly beautiful portrait of the rituals and crafts of contemporary Indians in remote Veracruz, who teach their boys to fly. ~ See My Interview With Jose Here.
o The Last Elvis – Argentina (Director Armando Bo Writers Armando Bo, Nicolás Giacobone Producers Steve Golin, Hugo Sigman, Patricio Alvarez Casado, Victor Bo, Armando Bo Cast John McInerny, Griselda Siciliani, Margarita Lopez) – John McInerny gives a staggering performance in this poignant tale of a Buenos Aires Elvis impersonator who only comes alive when he dons the King’s clothes to perform. How can he reconcile his dreams of glory with his dead end factory job and an estranged wife and daughter who can’t live inside his fantasies?
o Neighboring Sounds – Brazil (Director/Writer Kleber Mendonça Filho Producer Emilie Lesclaux Cast Irandhir Santos, Gustavo Jahn, Maeve Jinkings, W.J. Solha) – Kleber Mendonca Filho’s astonishing, suspenseful debut film focuses on one upscale street in the seaside town of Recife, where a private security team is enlisted to protect the residents from crime. By its startling conclusion, you feel you’ve seen all of Brazilian society exposed.
o The Strawberry Tree – Canada/Cuba/Italy (Director/Producer Simone Rapisarda Casanova) – Filmed in a small Cuban fishing village mere weeks before a hurricane decimated the entire region, this stunning documentary unknowingly captures the town’s final days even as it reframes the usual filmmaker-film subject relationship.
Summer Showcase:
o La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus – USA/Guatemala (Director Mark Kendall Producers Mark Kendall, Rafael González, Bernardo Ruiz) – The journey and transformation of a yellow American school bus into a vibrant Central American camionetasensitively reveals both the beauty and violence of everyday life in Guatemala.
o Reportero – (Director Bernardo Ruiz Producers Bernardo Ruiz, Patricia Benabe, Anne Hubbell Featuring Sergio Haro Cordero, Adela Navarro Bello) – A look at the incredible danger facing journalists in Mexico through the eyes of investigative reporter Sergio Haro and other staff at Zeta, the defiant Tijuana-based newsweekly.~ See My Interview With Bernardo Here
o Searching for Sugar Man – (Director/Writer Malik Bendjelloul Producers Simon Chinn, Nicole Stott, George Chignell) – Years after fading into obscurity at home, the music of ’70s U.S. singer/songwriter Rodriguez became an underground sensation in South Africa. Decades after his disappearance, two fans uncover the startling truth behind the legend.
Beyond:
o Juan of the Dead – Cuba (Director/Writer Alejandro Brugués Producers Gervasio Iglesias, Inti Herrera Cast Alexis Días de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andrea Duro, Andros Perugorría, Jazz Vila, Eliecer Ramírez) – The streets of Havana are alive with the undead in Cuba’s first zombie comedy, a wild and bloody romp that sinks its sharp satirical teeth into the Cuban body politic. Castro may not be amused, but you will be.
Short Film Competition:
Against the Sea (Contra el mar) – Mexico, USA (Director) Richard Parkin
Black Doll (Prita Noire) – Mexico (Director) Sofia Carrillo
Kendo Monogatari – Cuba, Guatemala (Director) Fabián Suárez
Scanning (Ecografía) – Cuba (Director) Aleksandra Maciuszek Mukoid
Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke – (Directors) Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva ~Crazy Talented! Miami Represent!
Fireworks – (Director) Victor Hugo Duran -
Kendo Monogatari – Cuba, Guatemala (Director) Fabián Suárez
Paraíso – (Director) Nadav Kurtz ~Doc Subject Is About 3 Mexicans
Scanning (Ecografía) – Cuba (Director) Aleksandra Maciuszek Mukoid
Voice Over – Spain (Director) Martín Rosete
For full lineup and more info go to L.A. Film Festival...
Looking at yesterday’s announcement of Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival reveals a healthy Latino presence among the 62 features and 48 short films in the program. Here’s how I break down the Latino/ Ibero/ U.S. Latino component of the program.
Chile continues to give Argentina a run for its cache of exciting and growing cinematic output from South America with the inclusion of Thursday Til Sunday (Isa & Distributor: FiGa) written and directed by Dominga Sotomayor ♀, in Narrative Competition.
Although the traveling Mexican film festival Ambulante is no longer a program spotlight, Mexican films continue to be a mainstay of the festival. There are four feature-length films and three short films from/about Mexico. In Narrative Competition, The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man (Isa: Kafilms, Argentina) written and directed by Arturo Pons [about a young Mexican aiming for Chicago], and in Documentary Competition, Drought by Everado González (recently awarded Best Documentary at FICG27) . Out of competition is the gorgeously shot documentary, Canícula, and although the funding is mainly stateside, Bernardo Ruiz paints a fascinating portrait of the risky journalistic practice and history of the seminal Tijuana weekly, Zeta in Reportero.
Also of note in the program is that four short films list Cuba as a co-production/origin of country.
But what of the U.S. Latino filmmakers and stories? Last year Los Angeles Film Festival was a great launchpad for Mamitas (Distributor: ScreenMedia, Producer rep: Traction Media), an authentic Chicano portrayal of young love set in Echo Parque written and directed by Nicolas Ozeki (a non-Latino), co-starring fast rising hot talents Veronica Diaz-Carranzo (Blaze You Out) and E.J. Bonilla. The film is currently in theaters now. (Big recommend,theater listings here-go support it!)
The closest we have to representing U.S. Latino in the features section is Four, the feature debut of Joshua Sanchez who hails from Houston, Texas. Based on a Christopher Shinn play, the July 4th-eve-set story is a snapshot of two disparate relationships tensely intertwined and their at-odd dynamics of desire. Coincidentally, E.J. Bonilla also stars (this guy is blowing up!). I would also include as U.S. Latino, Searching for Sugar Man, the documentary by Malik Bendjelloul about singer songwriter Sixto Rodriguez’s fascinating rise and fall into obscurity as a Uj.S. Latino story. As a matter of fact, the film seems to suggest that perhaps Sixto’s Mexican-American identity might have been a reason he was not embraced by the 60s and 70s mainstream. [Per Sydney: The film was snatched up at Sundance by Sony Pictures Classics and by Isa Protagonist who is screening it twice in Cannes.]
As for U.S. Latino shorts, Fireworks written and directed by Victor Hugo Duran, which is also incidentally centered around 4th of July, is an L.A. set story about boys trying to rap on girls.
My favorite Miami based hooligans, Jillian Mayer and Lucas Leyva, keep representing with their fresh and experimental short film, Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke. They are part of a collective of go-there filmmakers, Borscht Corp who had four crazy shorts screen at SXSW (and they were a riot to bootie shake dance with at SXSW Film’s Closing Night Party). You must carve out an hour and look at their work on the site (Nsfw!)
And lastly, in front of camera there’s some America Ferrera in Todd Berger’s It’s a Disaster (Isa: Maya), and rising boriqua actress April Hernandez Castillo, of hit webseries East Willy B, Dexter and other TV, is in The History of Future Folk [Per Sydney: one of 7 horror films in the festival, another being It's A Disaster per Dread Central, so take note Latino distributors like Lionsgate because horror films are a favorite of a certain Latino demographic!] by J. Anderson Mitchell and Jeremy Kipp Walker, described as a “sweet sci-fi musical comedy”. Below is the rest of the Latino and Ibero-American (includes Spain and Portugal). Descriptions provided by L.A. Film Festival, and bold cap commentary by me.
Narrative Competition:
o All Is Well – Portugal (Director Pocas Pascoal ♀, Producer Luis Correia Cast Cheila Lima, Ciomara Morais) – Strangers in a strange land, two beautiful Angolan sisters fleeing a civil war in their homeland struggle to survive in Lisbon. Pocas Pascoal’s deeply personal saga shows us the face of exile with quietly stunning power. North American Premiere
o The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man – Mexico (Director/Writer Arturo Pons Producer Ozcar Ramírez González Cast Gael Sanchez Valle, Pedro Gamez, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Eligio Melendez, Luis Bayardo, Marco Perez) – A young man and a dead man journey north through a subtly surreal desert landscape, picking up a wagonful of odd characters as they go in this darkly humorous satire of contemporary Mexico. North American Premiere
o Four – (Director/Writer Joshua Sanchez Producer Christine Giorgio Cast Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, Aja Naomi King, E.J. Bonilla) – Over the course of a steamy 4th of July night, a father and daughter, each trapped in loneliness, reach out for sexual connection — he with a self-hating teenage boy, she with a smooth-talking wannabe homeboy — in this psychologically complex, beautifully acted drama. World Premiere
o Thursday till Sunday – Chile (Director/Writer Dominga Sotomayor ♀ Producers Gregorio González, Benjamin Domenech Cast Santi Ahumada, Emiliano Freifeld, Francisco Pérez-Bannen, Paola Giannini) – With uncommon beauty and style, this Chilean road movie finds a family at a crossroads, as the daughter slowly realizes the divide between the adults in the front seat and the kids in back. North American Premiere
Documentary Competition:
o Drought – Mexico (Director Everado González Producer Martha Orozco) – Contrasting the lives of a cattle-ranching community with the arid northeastern Mexican landscape that surrounds them, this cinema vertité documentary paints a poetic portrait of a community on the verge of extinction. Us Premiere
o Sun Kissed – (Directors Maya Stark ♀, Adi Lavy ♀ Producers Jocelyn Glatzer, Maya Stark, Adi Lavy) – With remarkable strength of spirit, a husband and wife examine their lives and why their children and others have been struck with a rare genetic disorder in this powerful portrait of a small Navajo community. World Premiere ~ Okay Not Latino But It'S Native American So I’M Giving It A Shout Since There Are Not Enough Native American Stories.
International Showcase:
o Canícula – Mexico (Director José Álvarez Writers Sebastián Hoffman, José Álvarez Producer Mauricio Fabre Cast Hermelinda Santes, Esteban González, Mario García) – This is a hauntingly beautiful portrait of the rituals and crafts of contemporary Indians in remote Veracruz, who teach their boys to fly. ~ See My Interview With Jose Here.
o The Last Elvis – Argentina (Director Armando Bo Writers Armando Bo, Nicolás Giacobone Producers Steve Golin, Hugo Sigman, Patricio Alvarez Casado, Victor Bo, Armando Bo Cast John McInerny, Griselda Siciliani, Margarita Lopez) – John McInerny gives a staggering performance in this poignant tale of a Buenos Aires Elvis impersonator who only comes alive when he dons the King’s clothes to perform. How can he reconcile his dreams of glory with his dead end factory job and an estranged wife and daughter who can’t live inside his fantasies?
o Neighboring Sounds – Brazil (Director/Writer Kleber Mendonça Filho Producer Emilie Lesclaux Cast Irandhir Santos, Gustavo Jahn, Maeve Jinkings, W.J. Solha) – Kleber Mendonca Filho’s astonishing, suspenseful debut film focuses on one upscale street in the seaside town of Recife, where a private security team is enlisted to protect the residents from crime. By its startling conclusion, you feel you’ve seen all of Brazilian society exposed.
o The Strawberry Tree – Canada/Cuba/Italy (Director/Producer Simone Rapisarda Casanova) – Filmed in a small Cuban fishing village mere weeks before a hurricane decimated the entire region, this stunning documentary unknowingly captures the town’s final days even as it reframes the usual filmmaker-film subject relationship.
Summer Showcase:
o La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus – USA/Guatemala (Director Mark Kendall Producers Mark Kendall, Rafael González, Bernardo Ruiz) – The journey and transformation of a yellow American school bus into a vibrant Central American camionetasensitively reveals both the beauty and violence of everyday life in Guatemala.
o Reportero – (Director Bernardo Ruiz Producers Bernardo Ruiz, Patricia Benabe, Anne Hubbell Featuring Sergio Haro Cordero, Adela Navarro Bello) – A look at the incredible danger facing journalists in Mexico through the eyes of investigative reporter Sergio Haro and other staff at Zeta, the defiant Tijuana-based newsweekly.~ See My Interview With Bernardo Here
o Searching for Sugar Man – (Director/Writer Malik Bendjelloul Producers Simon Chinn, Nicole Stott, George Chignell) – Years after fading into obscurity at home, the music of ’70s U.S. singer/songwriter Rodriguez became an underground sensation in South Africa. Decades after his disappearance, two fans uncover the startling truth behind the legend.
Beyond:
o Juan of the Dead – Cuba (Director/Writer Alejandro Brugués Producers Gervasio Iglesias, Inti Herrera Cast Alexis Días de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andrea Duro, Andros Perugorría, Jazz Vila, Eliecer Ramírez) – The streets of Havana are alive with the undead in Cuba’s first zombie comedy, a wild and bloody romp that sinks its sharp satirical teeth into the Cuban body politic. Castro may not be amused, but you will be.
Short Film Competition:
Against the Sea (Contra el mar) – Mexico, USA (Director) Richard Parkin
Black Doll (Prita Noire) – Mexico (Director) Sofia Carrillo
Kendo Monogatari – Cuba, Guatemala (Director) Fabián Suárez
Scanning (Ecografía) – Cuba (Director) Aleksandra Maciuszek Mukoid
Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke – (Directors) Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva ~Crazy Talented! Miami Represent!
Fireworks – (Director) Victor Hugo Duran -
Kendo Monogatari – Cuba, Guatemala (Director) Fabián Suárez
Paraíso – (Director) Nadav Kurtz ~Doc Subject Is About 3 Mexicans
Scanning (Ecografía) – Cuba (Director) Aleksandra Maciuszek Mukoid
Voice Over – Spain (Director) Martín Rosete
For full lineup and more info go to L.A. Film Festival...
- 5/2/2012
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
The lineup of the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival was announced today, and while there are a lot of impressive entries heading to the West Coast, not many of them are horror films. But there are a few that caught our eye so read on for the details.
This year's Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 14th-24th; click here for ticket info. Below are the horror and horror-ish sounding films on the fest's slate; visit the official La Film Festival website for the full list.
Vampira and Me – (Director/Producer R. H. Greene) – Before Elvira there was Vampira, the playfully ghoulish host of a local L.A. late night horror movie show who became a national celebrity, then disappeared. This loving, personal portrait reveals the remarkable woman behind the chalk-white mask. ★ World Premiere
P-047 – Thailand (Director/Writer Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Producers Soros Sukhum, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Cast Parinya Kwamwongwan, Aphichai Trakulphadejkrai) – Part meditation,...
This year's Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 14th-24th; click here for ticket info. Below are the horror and horror-ish sounding films on the fest's slate; visit the official La Film Festival website for the full list.
Vampira and Me – (Director/Producer R. H. Greene) – Before Elvira there was Vampira, the playfully ghoulish host of a local L.A. late night horror movie show who became a national celebrity, then disappeared. This loving, personal portrait reveals the remarkable woman behind the chalk-white mask. ★ World Premiere
P-047 – Thailand (Director/Writer Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Producers Soros Sukhum, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Cast Parinya Kwamwongwan, Aphichai Trakulphadejkrai) – Part meditation,...
- 5/1/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Juan Of The Dead
Stars: Alexis Diaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andrea Duro | Written and Directed by Alejandro Brugues
I’m a fan of zombie films; I’ve seen so many that I’ve lost count. I know there are some out there I’ve not seen but if one is on I’ll always watch it. Sometimes this can be a real problem, take the remake of Day of the Dead for example, it has to be one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. I mean come on, who the hell wants to see a vegetarian zombie? So yes, there are some real stinkers out there. Then there are zombie films that come along that make it all worth it, just like Juan of the Dead.
Juan is the ultimate slacker, he enjoys the laid back lifestyle that Cuba offers him and he has no intentions of...
Stars: Alexis Diaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andrea Duro | Written and Directed by Alejandro Brugues
I’m a fan of zombie films; I’ve seen so many that I’ve lost count. I know there are some out there I’ve not seen but if one is on I’ll always watch it. Sometimes this can be a real problem, take the remake of Day of the Dead for example, it has to be one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. I mean come on, who the hell wants to see a vegetarian zombie? So yes, there are some real stinkers out there. Then there are zombie films that come along that make it all worth it, just like Juan of the Dead.
Juan is the ultimate slacker, he enjoys the laid back lifestyle that Cuba offers him and he has no intentions of...
- 4/27/2012
- by Pzomb
- Nerdly
Many of you have been asking when Juan of the Dead would make it to the Us and today we have an answer for you. Outsider Pictures today announced the acquisition of the international hit Juan of The Dead, from Guadalajara-based international film sales and distribution company Latinofusion, for Us theatrical distribution in the United States. Juan of the Dead is directed by Alejandro Brugués (Fabula), and stars Andrea Duro (Ghost Graduation), Jorge Molina and Luis Alberto Garcia (Love by Mistake).
- 1/27/2012
- Best-Horror-Movies.com
A new one-sheet and trailer have arrived for Javier Ruiz Caldera's new Spanish horror comedy 'Promocion fantasma' (Aka 'Ghost Graduation'). The new one-sheet for the movie makes it look more like an 'American Pie' sequel (or 'Spanish Pie' I guess), but at least the trailer moulds it more into supernatural territory. I'm certain that if any of us here at the Horror Asylum spoke Spanish we'd probably think everything being said in the new trailer would be hilarious! Perhaps one of our Spanish readers could give us a heads up on this. Either way the trailer features hot Spanish schoolgirls, possession and a Ouiji board so do we really care at this stage? Raul Arevalo, Andrea Duro (below), Javier Bodalo, Alexandra Jimenez, Jaime Olias, Alex Maruny, Anna Castillo and Aura Garrido. Check out the plot info, new one-sheet and the trailer below!...
- 12/2/2011
- Horror Asylum
Javier Ruiz Caldera ( Spanish Movie ) has completed his latest effort, another mix of horror and comedy called Promocion Fantasma ( Ghost Graduation ). Raúl Arévalo, Andrea Duro ( Juan of the Dead ) and Javier Bódalo ( The Devil's Backbone ) star and, today, we have a look at the poster and trailer. Arévalo plays Modesto, a teacher suffering from spectral visions, meaning he occasionally sees dead people. Not only has this cost him a fortune in psychiatric payments, but has been the reason behind his dismissal at various schools. However, his luck changes when he gets hired at el Monforte, and is put in charge of five troubled pupils who have converted the prestigious school into a house of horrors. But getting these five kids to graduate won't be an easy task -- they've all...
- 12/2/2011
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Get ready, kids! We have a gaggle of new stills waiting for your hungry eyes for several of the bigger and stranger films playing at this year's Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, which runs from September 22-29! Watcha waitin' for? Dig it!
Cost of Living
Director: BenDavid Grabinski
Starring: Brandon Routh, Bret Harrison
"Silas (Brandon Routh) and Jerry (Bret Harrison) work for an unusual corporation. One day things go wrong... Scary things."
Juan of the Dead
Director: Alejandro Brugués, Spain/Cuba
Starring: Andrea Duro, Luis Alberto García and Jorge Molina
"The zombie world has yet to witness one last stand - Cuba. An outbreak hits the island on the anniversary of the revolution, so Juan and his friends set out to conquer the undead who, according to government reports, are unruly Americans continuing their quest of undermining the regime."
Julia X
Director: P.J. Pettiette
Starring: Kevin Sorbo, Valerie Azlynn, Joel David Moore...
Cost of Living
Director: BenDavid Grabinski
Starring: Brandon Routh, Bret Harrison
"Silas (Brandon Routh) and Jerry (Bret Harrison) work for an unusual corporation. One day things go wrong... Scary things."
Juan of the Dead
Director: Alejandro Brugués, Spain/Cuba
Starring: Andrea Duro, Luis Alberto García and Jorge Molina
"The zombie world has yet to witness one last stand - Cuba. An outbreak hits the island on the anniversary of the revolution, so Juan and his friends set out to conquer the undead who, according to government reports, are unruly Americans continuing their quest of undermining the regime."
Julia X
Director: P.J. Pettiette
Starring: Kevin Sorbo, Valerie Azlynn, Joel David Moore...
- 9/12/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
More films have been added to the already staggering lineup of the 36th annual Toronto International Film Festival, running September 8th-18th, and you know what that means ... Yep! More eye candy! Dig it!
For the full lineup and more details, visit the official Toronto International Film Festival website.
The Awakening
Director: Nick Murphy
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton
Haunted by the death of her fiancé, Florence Cathcart is on a mission to expose all séances as exploitative shams. However, when she is called to a boys' boarding school to investigate a case of the uncanny, she is gradually forced to confront her skepticism in the most terrifying way, shaking her scientific convictions and her sense of self to the very core. Haunting and moving in equal measure, The Awakening is a sophisticated psychological/supernatural thriller in the tradition of The Others and The Orphanage, but with...
For the full lineup and more details, visit the official Toronto International Film Festival website.
The Awakening
Director: Nick Murphy
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton
Haunted by the death of her fiancé, Florence Cathcart is on a mission to expose all séances as exploitative shams. However, when she is called to a boys' boarding school to investigate a case of the uncanny, she is gradually forced to confront her skepticism in the most terrifying way, shaking her scientific convictions and her sense of self to the very core. Haunting and moving in equal measure, The Awakening is a sophisticated psychological/supernatural thriller in the tradition of The Others and The Orphanage, but with...
- 8/16/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Juan of the Dead aka Juan de los Muertos a play on Shaun of the Dead is Cuba’s first horror movie. Juan of the Dead starts 50 years after the Cuban Revolution, when a new Revolution is about to begin. The film follows Juan a 40-year-old loser who decides to make the most of a zombie plague by attempting to cash on the zombie outbreak by killing the walking dead for money. The film will be released in Cuba this year. The film is slated to be released in United States, but no release date has been set. Juan of the Dead is directed by Alejandro Brugués (Fabula), and stars Andrea Duro (Ghost Graduation), Jorge Molina and Luis Alberto Garcia (Love by Mistake).
- 7/12/2011
- Best-Horror-Movies.com
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