Exclusive: Cast has been set on Finding Forever, a UK romantic-comedy from writer-director Clare Anyiam-Osigwe.
Arnold Oceng (The Good Lie), Vanessa Donovan (The Truth) Tim Reid (Swagger) Brandi Harvey and Femi Oyeniran (The Intent 2: The Come Up) will lead the pic, which is set in a gospel church in London.
The story follows three best friends at different stages in their respective relationships: one is a serial dater (Oyeniran); another is in a fledgling marriage (Philips Nortey); and another is a bachelor (Oceng) newly engaged to Destiny (Donovan). Things take a turn as pressures from work and a nagging fiancée tip the groom over the edge.
Also joining cast are Georgia Curtis (Black Widow), Winston Ellis (No Time To Die), Ellen Thomas (Johnny English Reborn), Verona Rose, Vincent Jerome (Wonder Woman), Evelyn Duah (It’s A Sin), Kane L Pearson (Small Axe), Adi Alfa (The Intent), Wil Johnson (Fedz), Judith Jacob (No Shade), Frankie Clarence,...
Arnold Oceng (The Good Lie), Vanessa Donovan (The Truth) Tim Reid (Swagger) Brandi Harvey and Femi Oyeniran (The Intent 2: The Come Up) will lead the pic, which is set in a gospel church in London.
The story follows three best friends at different stages in their respective relationships: one is a serial dater (Oyeniran); another is in a fledgling marriage (Philips Nortey); and another is a bachelor (Oceng) newly engaged to Destiny (Donovan). Things take a turn as pressures from work and a nagging fiancée tip the groom over the edge.
Also joining cast are Georgia Curtis (Black Widow), Winston Ellis (No Time To Die), Ellen Thomas (Johnny English Reborn), Verona Rose, Vincent Jerome (Wonder Woman), Evelyn Duah (It’s A Sin), Kane L Pearson (Small Axe), Adi Alfa (The Intent), Wil Johnson (Fedz), Judith Jacob (No Shade), Frankie Clarence,...
- 10/29/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Investment
Media group Vivendi has acquired a stake in France and U.K. headquartered Pernel Media, the independent production company behind “Legends of the Pharaohs,” “The Real War of Thrones,” “Wheeler Dealers France,” “Attila’s Forbidden Tomb” and “Ancient Superstructures.
Pernel will remain an autonomous entity led by Samuel Kissous and will keep expanding the range of broadcast partners and platforms it is working with in France and internationally. The company goal aims to accelerate its international business, consolidate factual output with premium global series, and firm up its scripted projects.
As part of the financing restructure, previous shareholders Alliance Entreprendre and Odyssee Venture are exiting the company.
In July, Pernel hired former head of Arte Distribution Celine Payot Lehmann as international executive producer.
Streaming
HBO Max will stream original drama series “Kamikaze” on Nov. 14 in 46 countries and territories where the streamer is available across Europe, the U.S. and Latin America.
Media group Vivendi has acquired a stake in France and U.K. headquartered Pernel Media, the independent production company behind “Legends of the Pharaohs,” “The Real War of Thrones,” “Wheeler Dealers France,” “Attila’s Forbidden Tomb” and “Ancient Superstructures.
Pernel will remain an autonomous entity led by Samuel Kissous and will keep expanding the range of broadcast partners and platforms it is working with in France and internationally. The company goal aims to accelerate its international business, consolidate factual output with premium global series, and firm up its scripted projects.
As part of the financing restructure, previous shareholders Alliance Entreprendre and Odyssee Venture are exiting the company.
In July, Pernel hired former head of Arte Distribution Celine Payot Lehmann as international executive producer.
Streaming
HBO Max will stream original drama series “Kamikaze” on Nov. 14 in 46 countries and territories where the streamer is available across Europe, the U.S. and Latin America.
- 10/15/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The film will launch at next month’s American Film Market.
UK-based sales agent 101 Films International has picked up international rights to Clare Anyiam-Osigwe’s relationship drama Finding Forever.
101 picked up the project via this week’s Production Finance Market, the two-day film financing event held during the BFI London Film Festival.
Anyiam-Osigwe has written and will direct the film; it is currently at casting stage, aiming for production in 2022. 101 will launch the title at next month’s online American Film Market (November 1-5).
The UK title will be produced by Jesse Quinones for Woolfcub Productions, Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe for Buff Originals,...
UK-based sales agent 101 Films International has picked up international rights to Clare Anyiam-Osigwe’s relationship drama Finding Forever.
101 picked up the project via this week’s Production Finance Market, the two-day film financing event held during the BFI London Film Festival.
Anyiam-Osigwe has written and will direct the film; it is currently at casting stage, aiming for production in 2022. 101 will launch the title at next month’s online American Film Market (November 1-5).
The UK title will be produced by Jesse Quinones for Woolfcub Productions, Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe for Buff Originals,...
- 10/15/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Our friends at Indiecan Entertainment have acquired the Canadian rights to Jesse Quinones' Mma action flick Cagefighter: Worlds Collide. The plan is to give the flick a digital release on November 24th. Cagefighter stars real-life professional fighters Alex Montagnani, Chuck Liddell, Jon Moxley, Luke Rockhold and Jay Reso. It also start professional badass Gina Gershon. We have included the trailer and making of videos from prodution studio Trilight Entertainment down below. Indiecan Entertainment Aquires The Canadian Rights To Trilight Entertainment’S Cagefighter: Worlds Collide Indiecan Entertainment has acquired the Canadian distribution rights to Trilight Entertainment’s mixed martial arts action film Cagefighter:worlds Collide which is set for Digital release on November 24, 2020. Cagefighter:Worlds Collide was written and directed by Jesse Quinones, Produced by Trilight Entertainment’s...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/15/2020
- Screen Anarchy
"In Mma, anything can happen." Screen Media has debuted an official trailer for an Mma fight film titled Cagefighter (not to be confused with The Cage Fighter doc film), written and directed by Jesse Quinones. Another of these cliche fight movies where it's about a champ going up against a rival. Reiss Gibbons is the greatest champion to ever fight in a Legends cage. But when promoter Max Black pits him against wrestling superstar Randy Stone, Reiss finds himself in the toughest fight of his life. Starring Alex Montagnani (Pro Mma Fighter) as Reiss Gibbons, Jonathan Good aka Jon Moxley as his opponent Randy Stone, along with Gina Gershon, Chuck Liddell, Elijah Baker, Luke Rockhold, Jay Reso, and Georgia Bradner. The big twist in this is that it's a professional wrestler taking on a professional Mma fighter, but it's still the same anyway. Train hard and take him down. Here's...
- 10/1/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: Screen Media is ready to pack a punch with the forthcoming mixed martial arts action film Cagefighter. The company has acquired the U.S. rights to the pic written and directed by Jesse Quinones and has slated a day and date release for October 9.
The story follows Reiss Gibbons (Alex Montagnani) who is looking to take the throne as the greatest to ever step inside the Legends cage. Reiss has it all: five title defenses under his belt, his beautiful wife Ellie (Georgia Bradner), a ball-busting agent Reggie (Elijah Baker) who has hooked him up with endless sponsorships, and the support of coach and mentor Marcus (Chuck Liddell). Things take a turn when promoter Max Black (Gina Gershon) pits him toe-to-toe against pro wrestling superstar Randy Stone (Jon Moxley) in the company’s first-ever cross-promotional event — which can very well be the toughest fight of his life.
The story follows Reiss Gibbons (Alex Montagnani) who is looking to take the throne as the greatest to ever step inside the Legends cage. Reiss has it all: five title defenses under his belt, his beautiful wife Ellie (Georgia Bradner), a ball-busting agent Reggie (Elijah Baker) who has hooked him up with endless sponsorships, and the support of coach and mentor Marcus (Chuck Liddell). Things take a turn when promoter Max Black (Gina Gershon) pits him toe-to-toe against pro wrestling superstar Randy Stone (Jon Moxley) in the company’s first-ever cross-promotional event — which can very well be the toughest fight of his life.
- 8/26/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Titles include ‘Cagefighter: Worlds Collide’ and ‘The Mongolian Connection’.
US sales and distribution company Princ Films has closed a raft of deals on four features, which it introduced to buyers at the virtual Cannes market in June.
The sales are led by Mma action feature Cagefighter: Worlds Collide, written and directed by Jesse Quinones and starring Gina Gershon and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell.
The film has sold to the US and Canada (Screen Media), France (Ily Films Unlimited), German-speaking Europe (Ascot Elite), New Zealand (Sky TV), Benelux (Three Lines Pictures), Cis and Baltics (Volgafilm) and Southeast Asia...
US sales and distribution company Princ Films has closed a raft of deals on four features, which it introduced to buyers at the virtual Cannes market in June.
The sales are led by Mma action feature Cagefighter: Worlds Collide, written and directed by Jesse Quinones and starring Gina Gershon and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell.
The film has sold to the US and Canada (Screen Media), France (Ily Films Unlimited), German-speaking Europe (Ascot Elite), New Zealand (Sky TV), Benelux (Three Lines Pictures), Cis and Baltics (Volgafilm) and Southeast Asia...
- 8/7/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Stars: Alex Montagnani, Jon Moxley, Gina Gershon, Chuck Liddell, Jay Reso, Brenna Coates, Lowell Dean, Elijah Baker, Rigan Machado, Luke Rockhold | Written by and Directed by Jesse Quinones
The film Jon Moxley made in-between his run in WWE as Dean Ambrose and his debut in Aew (this film uses footage from that promotion And seemingly used some fans for the fight crowd scenes too) Cagefighter: Worlds Collide is another sports underdog story – this time seemingly built around the same fighter comes good story, the road to redemption arc, that made the Rocky films such classics. Though this film doesn’t go the bombastic route that the Rocky franchise did. No, whilst we do get the typical tropes of a fight movie – training montages, uplifting score etc. – it also presents a somewhat realer story that you’d expect.
I was honestly surprised at how “British” Cagefighter: Worlds Collide is. Filmed in Canada and London,...
The film Jon Moxley made in-between his run in WWE as Dean Ambrose and his debut in Aew (this film uses footage from that promotion And seemingly used some fans for the fight crowd scenes too) Cagefighter: Worlds Collide is another sports underdog story – this time seemingly built around the same fighter comes good story, the road to redemption arc, that made the Rocky films such classics. Though this film doesn’t go the bombastic route that the Rocky franchise did. No, whilst we do get the typical tropes of a fight movie – training montages, uplifting score etc. – it also presents a somewhat realer story that you’d expect.
I was honestly surprised at how “British” Cagefighter: Worlds Collide is. Filmed in Canada and London,...
- 6/12/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar, with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmakers Podcast #163: How to make an action film with Cagefighter: Worlds Collide...
For those unfamiliar, with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmakers Podcast #163: How to make an action film with Cagefighter: Worlds Collide...
- 5/18/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Exclusive: Mma action feature Cagefighter has pulled together new cast with production due to start on November 1 in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Pic follows Mma knock-out specialist Reiss Gibson, now to be played by UK Mma fighter Alex Montagnani. With five title defences under his belt, Gibson is on the verge of becoming a legend of the cage. However, when his promoter, Max Black (Gina Gershon), sets up a cross-promotional bout against international Pro Wrestling showman, Randy Stone (former WWE Champion Jon Moxley), Gibson faces the fight of his life and challenges on multiple fronts.
Cast also includes WWE multi-time champion Jay “Christian” Reso (pictured) and former Ufc champions Chuck Liddell and Luke Rockhold.
Jesse Quinones (Calloused Hands) is writer-director on the movie which is being sold by UK outfit Kaleidoscope. Producers are Shayne Putzlocher (Cold Brook) and Jessica Gaube of Trilight Entertainment, Sara Shaak (Girl) of Anamorphic Media and Lorianne Hall...
Pic follows Mma knock-out specialist Reiss Gibson, now to be played by UK Mma fighter Alex Montagnani. With five title defences under his belt, Gibson is on the verge of becoming a legend of the cage. However, when his promoter, Max Black (Gina Gershon), sets up a cross-promotional bout against international Pro Wrestling showman, Randy Stone (former WWE Champion Jon Moxley), Gibson faces the fight of his life and challenges on multiple fronts.
Cast also includes WWE multi-time champion Jay “Christian” Reso (pictured) and former Ufc champions Chuck Liddell and Luke Rockhold.
Jesse Quinones (Calloused Hands) is writer-director on the movie which is being sold by UK outfit Kaleidoscope. Producers are Shayne Putzlocher (Cold Brook) and Jessica Gaube of Trilight Entertainment, Sara Shaak (Girl) of Anamorphic Media and Lorianne Hall...
- 10/21/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Former WWE star Jonathan Good, aka Dean Ambrose, is joining the cast of Mma-themed action feature Cagefighter.
Currently in pre-production, the film tells the story of a lauded Mma champion who unexpectedly loses a heavily promoted match to a professional wrestling star making his crossover debut in the Mma fighting world. Humiliated by the defeat, he must fight his way back to the top and earn his place for a rematch.
Starring are real-life Mma fighter and actor Josh Herdman (Harry Potter) alongside Michael Jai White (Universal Soldier), Gina Gershon (Face/Off), Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman), and Jason Maza (Brotherhood). Mma stars set to feature include Anderson Silva, Georges St Pierre and Alexander Gustafsson.
Jesse Quinones (Calloused Hands) directs; producers are Lorianne Hall (Shoplifters of The World) with Trilight Entertainment’s Shayne Putzlocher (Dead Shack) and Anamorphic Media’s Sara Shaak (Cold Brook). Executive producer is former WWE star Jay “Christian” Reso.
Currently in pre-production, the film tells the story of a lauded Mma champion who unexpectedly loses a heavily promoted match to a professional wrestling star making his crossover debut in the Mma fighting world. Humiliated by the defeat, he must fight his way back to the top and earn his place for a rematch.
Starring are real-life Mma fighter and actor Josh Herdman (Harry Potter) alongside Michael Jai White (Universal Soldier), Gina Gershon (Face/Off), Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman), and Jason Maza (Brotherhood). Mma stars set to feature include Anderson Silva, Georges St Pierre and Alexander Gustafsson.
Jesse Quinones (Calloused Hands) directs; producers are Lorianne Hall (Shoplifters of The World) with Trilight Entertainment’s Shayne Putzlocher (Dead Shack) and Anamorphic Media’s Sara Shaak (Cold Brook). Executive producer is former WWE star Jay “Christian” Reso.
- 5/8/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Kaleidoscope boards sports action film.
Cagefighter, Jesse Quinones’ upcoming Mma/WWE film starring Michael Jai White and Gina Gershon, has been boarded for international sales by UK outfit Kaleidoscope.
The project will shoot in the UK and Us later this year. Josh Herdman, Michelle Ryan and Jason Maza are also among the cast.
The film follows mixed martial arts champion Reiss (Herdman) who unexpectedly loses a heavily promoted match to Randy Stone, a WWE star who is making his crossover debut in the Mma fighting world.
Director Quinones is producing through his company Woolfcub Productions with Lorianne Hall and Terry Bird for Norton Place Pictures.
Cagefighter, Jesse Quinones’ upcoming Mma/WWE film starring Michael Jai White and Gina Gershon, has been boarded for international sales by UK outfit Kaleidoscope.
The project will shoot in the UK and Us later this year. Josh Herdman, Michelle Ryan and Jason Maza are also among the cast.
The film follows mixed martial arts champion Reiss (Herdman) who unexpectedly loses a heavily promoted match to Randy Stone, a WWE star who is making his crossover debut in the Mma fighting world.
Director Quinones is producing through his company Woolfcub Productions with Lorianne Hall and Terry Bird for Norton Place Pictures.
- 2/9/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Jesse Quinones directing sports action film.
Michael Jai White, Gina Gershon, Josh Herdman, Michelle Ryan and Jason Maza have boarded the cast of Cagefighter, an Mma/WWE sports drama from writer-director Jesse Quinones (Calloused Hands).
The film follows mixed martial arts champion Reiss (Herdman) who unexpectedly loses a heavily promoted match to Randy Stone, a WWE star who is making his crossover debut in the Mma fighting world. It will shoot in the UK and Us.
Director Quinones is producing through his company Woolfcub Productions with Lorianne Hall (Shoplifters Of The World) and Terry Bird for Norton Place Pictures.
Hall...
Michael Jai White, Gina Gershon, Josh Herdman, Michelle Ryan and Jason Maza have boarded the cast of Cagefighter, an Mma/WWE sports drama from writer-director Jesse Quinones (Calloused Hands).
The film follows mixed martial arts champion Reiss (Herdman) who unexpectedly loses a heavily promoted match to Randy Stone, a WWE star who is making his crossover debut in the Mma fighting world. It will shoot in the UK and Us.
Director Quinones is producing through his company Woolfcub Productions with Lorianne Hall (Shoplifters Of The World) and Terry Bird for Norton Place Pictures.
Hall...
- 1/29/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Michael Jai White (Dragged Across Concrete), Gina Gershon (Bound), Josh Herdman (Harry Potter franchise), Michelle Ryan (The Last Photograph) and Jason Maza (Welcome To The Punch) are set to star in Mma/WWE sports drama Cagefighter.
Pic revolves around mixed martial arts champion Reiss (Herdman) who unexpectedly loses a heavily promoted match. A downward spiral sends him to the brink of losing his wife (Ryan) and his best friend and agent (Maza). Deemed erratic and out of control, he alienates his long-time trainer (Jai White) and the biggest Mma promoter in the business (Gershon). He must dig deep to find a path back to victory.
Writer-director is Jesse Quinones (Calloused Hands) who himself holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Actor and Mma fighter Jai White holds black belts in eight different styles of martial arts and Herdman has experience as an amateur Mma fighter.
Cameos from the Mma...
Pic revolves around mixed martial arts champion Reiss (Herdman) who unexpectedly loses a heavily promoted match. A downward spiral sends him to the brink of losing his wife (Ryan) and his best friend and agent (Maza). Deemed erratic and out of control, he alienates his long-time trainer (Jai White) and the biggest Mma promoter in the business (Gershon). He must dig deep to find a path back to victory.
Writer-director is Jesse Quinones (Calloused Hands) who himself holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Actor and Mma fighter Jai White holds black belts in eight different styles of martial arts and Herdman has experience as an amateur Mma fighter.
Cameos from the Mma...
- 1/28/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
"Calloused Hands" tells the near autobiographical coming-of-age story of director Jesse Quinones. This is a unique Latino film that showcases touching storytelling and deals with a12-year-old mixed and interfaith boy growing up in Miami. The acting alone behind Jesse's direction make this a must see film to support. (Also seeing my fellow Chilena Julia Grob in the film made me proud!).
LatinoBuzz: This is a deeply personal story, was there any fear of telling it?
Jesse Quinones: While I was writing it especially, that process was quite painful, and I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to delve back into some of those memories. It definitely brought up some stuff for me. Once I got into the pre-production and production side of things, there was so much to do, that there was little room to think about the fact that this was a personal story. At that point, we were just trying to make a film. But there were some moments during the film that definitely caught me off guard, where I had to step away from the monitor and gather myself. The actors and crew were really respectful of that, which I appreciated a lot. They knew they were telling a story based on my life, and they really worked hard to honor that.
LatinoBuzz: What is your background?
Jesse Quinones: My father is from Cuba and my mother is from Ireland and she’s Jewish. So I’m pretty mixed up!
LatinoBuzz: What was the fundraising process? Did it come from the UK or Stateside?
Jesse Quinones: Funding for the film largely came from private investors in the UK. And then we got some finishing funds from a private investor out of Miami. We also got a lot of in-kind support from the crew. They were amazing and worked tirelessly for very little.
LatinoBuzz: How did you get into the industry? Was there a particular filmmaker or film that influenced you?
Jesse Quinones: I had a real indirect way into the industry. I started off as a reporter in print journalism, then moved into theater, and from there into documentaries, and finally into feature films. You know I’ve had a lot of influences. I think my earliest memory of going to the cinema and just being so touched by what I saw was Malcolm X by Spike Lee. It was just such a powerful film, and really stayed with me. Spike Lee is a great story teller and definitely up there for me. More recent influences, Derek Cianfrance is a big inspiration to me. I loved both Blue Valentine and Place Beyond the Pines. I love the performance in his films, the pacing, the tone, when you see one of his films, you kind of get taken for this ride, he really goes there. I’d love my films to create that same feeling.
LatinoBuzz: Has any members of your family seen it?
Jesse Quinones: Yeah my mother saw it. She’s real proud of me. She’s no stranger to using her own life as a creative template, she’s a writer herself, and has written a book about her life. So when I started working on Calloused Hands she gave me her blessing. She’s been real supportive of it.
LatinoBuzz: What's the next project?
Jesse Quinones: I have a few projects in the pipeline. I'm working on a British set fight movie about a Cagefighter who has to fight his demons both in and outside of the cage. That is being produced by Paula Crickard, who also produced Calloused Hands. I'm also working on a romantic comedy called Carlito y Jane, which is about a British playwright that goes to Cuba and ends up marrying a young Cuban playboy. That has the Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta attached. And then I'm attached to direct a project called The Nanny, which was written by Braulio Montovani, he also wrote City of God.
Also working on some short form stuff, I just shot a music video for a great singer named Kathrin deBoer, which I’m real excited about. You can check out some of her work at www.kathrindeboer.com . And recently I was signed to the agency Irresistible Films, who represent me for commercials and documentaries. So at the moment just trying to stay busy and creative!
LatinoBuzz: Luca and Andre have incredible and heartbreaking chemistry. How did you find them?
Jesse Quinones: Luca was found via a very traditional audition process. I had a staged reading in La about a year before we shot the film and we saw about 50 kids for it, and all of them were really good. But there was just something about Luca. I think he reminded me a lot of me. He’s serious, big for his age, kind of looks real quiet on the outside but has a lot going on underneath. Andre, we connected via a mutual friend Julia Grob, who also has a role in the film. She hit him up on Twitter, and asked if he’d be interested in reading my script. He was, and read it, and asked to meet me.
I live in London and he lives in La so I was hoping a ‘meet’ might be translated into a Skype. But he really wanted a face to face, I think he wanted to see if I was for real. It’s Andre Royo, he played the most favorite character (Bubbles) on one of America’s most favorite shows (The Wire). So I got myself on a plane, headed to La, and we met and talked about the project. He had lots of questions, lots of notes, but ultimately I think he saw enough in it. The film wouldn’t have been the same without those two, they brought a huge amount to their parts, stuff that wasn’t necessarily on the page.
Written by Juan Caceres , LatinoBuzz is a weekly 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...
LatinoBuzz: This is a deeply personal story, was there any fear of telling it?
Jesse Quinones: While I was writing it especially, that process was quite painful, and I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to delve back into some of those memories. It definitely brought up some stuff for me. Once I got into the pre-production and production side of things, there was so much to do, that there was little room to think about the fact that this was a personal story. At that point, we were just trying to make a film. But there were some moments during the film that definitely caught me off guard, where I had to step away from the monitor and gather myself. The actors and crew were really respectful of that, which I appreciated a lot. They knew they were telling a story based on my life, and they really worked hard to honor that.
LatinoBuzz: What is your background?
Jesse Quinones: My father is from Cuba and my mother is from Ireland and she’s Jewish. So I’m pretty mixed up!
LatinoBuzz: What was the fundraising process? Did it come from the UK or Stateside?
Jesse Quinones: Funding for the film largely came from private investors in the UK. And then we got some finishing funds from a private investor out of Miami. We also got a lot of in-kind support from the crew. They were amazing and worked tirelessly for very little.
LatinoBuzz: How did you get into the industry? Was there a particular filmmaker or film that influenced you?
Jesse Quinones: I had a real indirect way into the industry. I started off as a reporter in print journalism, then moved into theater, and from there into documentaries, and finally into feature films. You know I’ve had a lot of influences. I think my earliest memory of going to the cinema and just being so touched by what I saw was Malcolm X by Spike Lee. It was just such a powerful film, and really stayed with me. Spike Lee is a great story teller and definitely up there for me. More recent influences, Derek Cianfrance is a big inspiration to me. I loved both Blue Valentine and Place Beyond the Pines. I love the performance in his films, the pacing, the tone, when you see one of his films, you kind of get taken for this ride, he really goes there. I’d love my films to create that same feeling.
LatinoBuzz: Has any members of your family seen it?
Jesse Quinones: Yeah my mother saw it. She’s real proud of me. She’s no stranger to using her own life as a creative template, she’s a writer herself, and has written a book about her life. So when I started working on Calloused Hands she gave me her blessing. She’s been real supportive of it.
LatinoBuzz: What's the next project?
Jesse Quinones: I have a few projects in the pipeline. I'm working on a British set fight movie about a Cagefighter who has to fight his demons both in and outside of the cage. That is being produced by Paula Crickard, who also produced Calloused Hands. I'm also working on a romantic comedy called Carlito y Jane, which is about a British playwright that goes to Cuba and ends up marrying a young Cuban playboy. That has the Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta attached. And then I'm attached to direct a project called The Nanny, which was written by Braulio Montovani, he also wrote City of God.
Also working on some short form stuff, I just shot a music video for a great singer named Kathrin deBoer, which I’m real excited about. You can check out some of her work at www.kathrindeboer.com . And recently I was signed to the agency Irresistible Films, who represent me for commercials and documentaries. So at the moment just trying to stay busy and creative!
LatinoBuzz: Luca and Andre have incredible and heartbreaking chemistry. How did you find them?
Jesse Quinones: Luca was found via a very traditional audition process. I had a staged reading in La about a year before we shot the film and we saw about 50 kids for it, and all of them were really good. But there was just something about Luca. I think he reminded me a lot of me. He’s serious, big for his age, kind of looks real quiet on the outside but has a lot going on underneath. Andre, we connected via a mutual friend Julia Grob, who also has a role in the film. She hit him up on Twitter, and asked if he’d be interested in reading my script. He was, and read it, and asked to meet me.
I live in London and he lives in La so I was hoping a ‘meet’ might be translated into a Skype. But he really wanted a face to face, I think he wanted to see if I was for real. It’s Andre Royo, he played the most favorite character (Bubbles) on one of America’s most favorite shows (The Wire). So I got myself on a plane, headed to La, and we met and talked about the project. He had lots of questions, lots of notes, but ultimately I think he saw enough in it. The film wouldn’t have been the same without those two, they brought a huge amount to their parts, stuff that wasn’t necessarily on the page.
Written by Juan Caceres , LatinoBuzz is a weekly 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...
- 11/21/2014
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
"Calloused Hands," which features an award winning performance from "Wire" star Andre Royo, is to receive its theatrical release November 14th at the Laemmle Theatre in Los Angeles, followed by screenings in Miami and New York. The hard-hitting drama, which is based on the life story of its writer/director Jesse Quinones, tells the story of Josh, a 12-year-old mixed race boy growing up in Miami who shows promise as a baseball player. He neglected by his mother, and is abused by her boyfriend Byrd. He manages to forge his own path when his estranged grandfather insists he study for his Bar Mitzvah. "Calloused Hands," made on a...
- 9/22/2014
- by Press Release
- ShadowAndAct
Exclusive: Micro-budget finance market to run alongside London’s Pfm.Scroll down for full list of projects
FilmLondon is launching a new UK-wide micro-budget finance market that will run alongside London’s Production Finance Market.
The Micro-Market, supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, will provide 19 production teams with one day of meetings with financiers looking for films budgeted at €1m ($1.36m) and under.
The teams will meet representatives from sales companies, investment funds, post houses, online and VOD platforms and public agencies and also get training in pitching ahead of the market which will take place on Oct 16-17.
Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and British Film Commission, said: “Having identified a need among emerging UK producers, we have developed a unique event connecting micro-budget film-makers with financiers looking for projects in that bracket.
“The Micro-Market also includes a critical training component, so we are encouraging essential skills around pitching and packaging projects...
FilmLondon is launching a new UK-wide micro-budget finance market that will run alongside London’s Production Finance Market.
The Micro-Market, supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, will provide 19 production teams with one day of meetings with financiers looking for films budgeted at €1m ($1.36m) and under.
The teams will meet representatives from sales companies, investment funds, post houses, online and VOD platforms and public agencies and also get training in pitching ahead of the market which will take place on Oct 16-17.
Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and British Film Commission, said: “Having identified a need among emerging UK producers, we have developed a unique event connecting micro-budget film-makers with financiers looking for projects in that bracket.
“The Micro-Market also includes a critical training component, so we are encouraging essential skills around pitching and packaging projects...
- 10/7/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
The Oregon based film festival, BendFilm (October 10-13) has announced the full slate of films competing in the tenth annual festival. The films totaling 16 narratives, 17 documentaries and 49 shorts, are competing for the Brooks Resources Corporation five thousand dollar prize for best in show and Best Narrative Feature juried awarded with a $60,000 camera rental prize from Panavision. Below find the full lineup, with synopses courtesy of BendFilm. The Narrative Features are:"Bouy"-In writer/director Steven Doughton, a mother answers the phone to hear a voice from her distant past—their conversation tests the strength of a deep yet betrayed love."Calloused Hands"-Written and directed by Jesse Quinones, in which a neglected and abused 12-year-old manages to forge his own path in life when his grandfather insists he study for his Bar Mitzvah.(Pacific Northwest Premiere""The Cold Lands"-Tom Gilroy’s tale of young Atticus who flees into...
- 9/3/2013
- by James Hiler
- Indiewire
Exclusive: New writers chosen for Save Our Scripts workshop; producers to follow.
Eight new screenwriters and six writer-directors have been selected for The Bureau’s Sos development programme.
During the seven-month programme writers will develop a feature screenplay and producers will fast-track development.
Projects include Calloused Hands writer-director Jesse Quinones’ love-story between an English woman and a young Cuban man who meet on holiday but struggle adapting to London life, and Selina Lim’s adaptation of London-based short Painkiller.
Al Mackay takes a group of beautiful and potentially dangerous individuals volunteering at an organic farm in Southern France with fatal consequences and art-director Keith Slote is working on a high concept period romantic-comedy set in Renaissance Italy.
Each writer will be assigned a mentor. Speakers during the first module include writer Christopher Hampton, script editor Paul Welsh and Metrodome MD Jezz Vernon.
From the second module, writers will be paired with producers to continue the development process...
Eight new screenwriters and six writer-directors have been selected for The Bureau’s Sos development programme.
During the seven-month programme writers will develop a feature screenplay and producers will fast-track development.
Projects include Calloused Hands writer-director Jesse Quinones’ love-story between an English woman and a young Cuban man who meet on holiday but struggle adapting to London life, and Selina Lim’s adaptation of London-based short Painkiller.
Al Mackay takes a group of beautiful and potentially dangerous individuals volunteering at an organic farm in Southern France with fatal consequences and art-director Keith Slote is working on a high concept period romantic-comedy set in Renaissance Italy.
Each writer will be assigned a mentor. Speakers during the first module include writer Christopher Hampton, script editor Paul Welsh and Metrodome MD Jezz Vernon.
From the second module, writers will be paired with producers to continue the development process...
- 7/31/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Kino Lorber has announced its acquisition of all North American rights to Calloused Hands, the coming-of-age drama starring Andre Royo - the debut feature from director Jesse Quinones. Based on a true story, Calloused Hands is described as a gritty and hard-hitting drama telling the story of Josh, a 12-year-old mixed race boy growing up in Miami who shows promise as a baseball player. He neglected by his mother, and is abused by her boyfriend Byrd. He manages to forge his own path when his estranged grandfather insists he study for his Bar Mitzvah. The film is largely based on the tumultuous life of Quinones, the 31-year-old writer and director of the...
- 6/27/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Celebrating its 10th year, Film London has announced a selection of titles screening at the London UK Film Focus (Luff) 2013 taking place June 24-27, 2013. Backed by the Mayor of London, Luff offers a platform for emerging British filmmakers seeking sales representation, plus providing a chance for international buyers to monitor upcoming UK talent. At least five of the 2012 Breakthrough films have since been picked up by sales agents. This year's Breakthrough titles include the coming-of-age drama Calloused Hands which is the debut feature from director Jesse Quinones and stars Andre Royo. Calloused Hands is described as a gritty and...
- 5/21/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Andre Royo is set to debut his upcoming feature film Calloused Hands at the 30th Miami International Film Festival. Calloused Hands is described as a gritty and hard-hitting drama telling the coming-of-age story of Josh, a 12-year-old mixed race boy growing up in Miami who shows promise as a baseball player. He is abused by his mother’s boyfriend Byrd, and neglected by his mother Debbie. He manages to forge his own path when his estranged grandfather insists he study for his Bar Mitzvah. The film is largely based on the tumultuous life of Jesse Quinones, the 31-year-old writer and director of the project. “Calloused Hands is deeply personal and a long time in the making,”...
- 2/28/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.