News

July 28, 2008

9th Annual New York International Latino Film Festival Announces Award Winners

The 9th edition of the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) concluded with some of the most exciting films in cinema, indelible red carpets events and remarkable attendance records this year. NYILFF announced the winners of its festival awards at its Closing Night ceremony on Sunday, July 27, at El Morocco (3534 Broadway). Awards were given out in four categories, and the winners were as follows:

BEST PICTURE AWARD
Vicious Circle

Director Paul Boyd was the recipient of the Best Picture Award, presented by HBO, for his narrative feature, Vicious Circle—a tragic punk rock Latino love story, starring Paul Rodriguez, Jr. and Emily Rios, delivering the tales of a raw, edgy, teenage Romeo and Juliet with a murder mystery twist. Producer Angelina Boyd, who accepted on behalf of Paul Boyd, was presented with a prize of $2,500 provided by HBO and $500.00 in Kodak Motion Picture film stock.

BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Transvestites Also Cry | La Americana

In an unexpected tie, NYILFF honored both Transvestites Also Cry and La Americana for Best Documentary. Directed by Sebastiano d'Ayala Valva,Transvestites Also Cry which tells the story of two Ecuadorian transsexuals who work as prostitutes in Paris, demonstrates how life is often a precarious balance between willful optimism and a quiet fatalism. The second winning documentary, La Americana, is an unforgettable story woven into the current immigration debate in the United States, putting a human face on this timely and controversial issue. This film was directed by Nicholas Bruckman and John Mattiuzzi.

BEST SHORT AWARD
Rojo Red

First-time filmmaker Juan Manuel Betancourt received the award for Best Short for Rojo Red, a tale of a young boy who pulls apart the threads of reality in this brilliantly imaginative Colombian short that fuses live action, stop-motion and 3D animation. Betancourt, d’Ayala Valva and Bruckman/Mattiuzzi all received an Avid DV Pro System and $500.00 in Kodak Motion Picture Stock.

Malta Con Huevo

The Heineken Red Star Award was presented to a director whose film pushes the boundaries of creativity, providing a unique vision and execution. Cristobal Valderrama won the prize for his direction of Malta Con Huevo, a twisting story of two mismatched friends who decide to move in together, resulting in unintended, truly far-reaching consequences. This film’s innovative storyline is a testament to the type of thought provoking films the Heineken Red Star Award recognizes. Heineken has partnered with Variety Magazine and the Independent Film Channel (IFC) to bring well-deserved publicity and visibility to the Heineken Red Star Award recipients and their films. Valderamma received a crystal statuette created by Tiffany and Co., a two-page spread in Variety, and a trip to Los Angeles to meet with executives and network with other winners from the Red Star Award Program.

Check out pictures from the 2008 NYILFF Awards Night!

 

July 1, 2008

The 2008 NYILFF web site launches and tickets are now on sale!

June 28-29, 2008

Paco Farias and his team completed the shoot for "El Tux", the winning short of the 2008 HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition. Producer, Jennifer Stetson, kept a log of the entire weekend's shoot.

Paco Farias and his team completed the shoot for "El Tux", the winning short of the 2008 HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition. Producer, Jennifer Stetson, kept a log of the entire weekend's shoot.

"El Tux" Production Update - Day 1 (Saturday)

What a fantastic first day. Crew call yesterday morning was at 6:30AM. The director was determined to be the "key master" and was first to set at 5:15AM, school keys in hand, followed shortly by his producer, first AD and production manager. Craft service showed up early to get a delicious hot breakfast ready for the crew, and by 7AM, we were in full swing.

First shot up was in the limo, and we needed the two stars of the show: Bobby and the tux. Here they are below with director Paco Farias.

We were working with a few minors, and we had a great studio teacher, Jean Erikson, who checked everyone's work permits and made sure we were following the rules. One of our minors, Darlene Mendoza, had just had a quiceañiera of her own, so this was old hat. Here she is smiling with costume designer Ivy Thaide on the left and make-up assistant Carolina Salcedoon the right. Her "date", actor Ryan Weltzien, is standing behind her.

To view the rest of Jennifer's blog about the "El Tux" shoot, visit the NYILFF's blog.