Recently interviewed by DEEP RED PRESS about my photography.
I recently had a nice interview with the folks over at Deep Red Press about my photography. We talked about my process on set as an actor and photographer. Head over to their website and take a look at some of my work. You won’t be disappointed.
Spike in Demand for ‘Narcos’ Seen as Season 4 Launch Nears
MEDIA PLAY NEWS / Wednesday, October 10, 2018 Thomas K. Arnold
The Netflix original series “Narcos,” produced for the streaming giant by the French film company Gaumont, currently ranks as the fifth most in-demand digital original series in the world for 2018, Parrot Analytics announced Oct. 8.
Further, anticipation for the upcoming fourth season of the drama series is driving demand beyond that of any previous season’s debut.
According to Parrot Analytics’ most recent data, U.S. demand for “Narcos: Mexico” (season 4) is accelerating ahead of its Nov. 16 release. Comparing pre-release demand data for season 3 with season 4 over the same 30-day period ahead of launch, Parrot Analytics has found that audience demand for the forthcoming season is on average 318% greater.
Parrot Analytics used a proprietary metric call Demand Expressions to measure global demand for TV content through a wide variety of data sources, including video streaming, social media activity, photo sharing, blogging, commenting on fan and critic rating platforms, and downloading and streaming via peer-to-peer protocols and file sharing sites.
A “digital original” is described as a multi-episode series in which the most recent season was first made available on a streaming platform such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
“We have every indication that the upcoming ‘Narcos: Mexico’ will be the most popular yet,” said Courtney Williams, European regional director for Parrot Analytics. “The release of the trailer for the new season served to super-charge interest and we have seen a considerable spike in demand.
Gaumont retained Parrot Analytics last year to quantify cross-platform, country-specific audience demand for its roster of established and new television shows and has recently renewed their agreement with company for another year.
The first two seasons of “Narcos” were set and filmed in Colombia and were based on the story of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who became a billionaire through the production and distribution of cocaine. The two seasons also focused on Escobar’s interactions with drug lords, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, and various rival drug gangs. Season three picks up after the fall of Escobar and continues to follow the DEA as they try to shut down the rise of the infamous Cali Cartel.
On July 18, 2018, the directors announced that the fourth season would instead “reset” as a new Netflix original series, titled Narcos: Mexico, set in Mexico in the 1980s.
Formed in 1895, Gaumont says it is the first and oldest film company in the world, with offices in Paris and Los Angeles. In the past few years, the company’s release schedule has continued to increase across film and television production, in both the French and English languages.
The film library now encompasses over 1,100 titles, including films from such directors as Luc Besson, Matthieu Kassovitz, Francis Veber, Jean-Jacques Beineix, Federico Fellini, Maurice Pialat, Jean-Luc Godard and, most recently, Toledano and Nakache for The Intouchables, the highest-grossing French-language movie ever with more than $450 million in revenues to date.
Gaumont also produces and distributes TV programming worldwide. Key drama series include “Narcos” for Netflix; the critically acclaimed “Hannibal”; winner of “Best Series” (Festival of Fiction TV); “The Frozen Dead”; “The Art of Crime”; and “Nox.”
https://www.mediaplaynews.com/spike-in-demand-for-narcos-seen-as-season-4-launch-nears/
‘Narcos’ Showrunner Reveals Key Cast Members Joining Season 4
MAY 17, 2018
Speaking to Variety at the LA Screenings, “Narcos” showrunner-executive producer Eric Newman revealed the names of key cast members of the upcoming fourth season of Netflix’s global hit series. The much-anticipated season, shot on location in Mexico, is likely to be released in the fall like past seasons.
The previously announced leads, Diego Luna and Michael Pena, head a cast that includes Tenoch Huerta (“Spectre”), Joaquin Cosio (“Quantum of Solace”), Jose Maria Yazpik (who starred in Season 3), Mexican-American thesp Teresa Ruiz (“The Last Ship”), and American actress Alyssa Diaz (“Red Dawn”).
“Narcos” Season 4 has also enlisted award-winning Mexican helmers including Amat Escalante, who won the Silver Lion Best Director award at Venice 2016 with his sci-fi drama “The Untamed,” and Alonso Ruizpalacios, whose “Museum” won the Silver Bear in Berlin.
Colombian director Andi Baiz, who helmed several episodes of the first three seasons shot in Colombia, has also directed some episodes of Season 4, which remains in production. Baiz is a partner in the Colombian company that provided production services to the first three “Narcos” seasons, Dynamo.
Seasoned Mexican producer Stacy Perskie of Redrum, whose high-profile credits include “Elysium” and “Spectre” and the upcoming “Godzilla: King of Monsters” and “Bel Canto,” provided production services in Mexico.
Newman admitted that the show has had to enlist more security in Mexico, given the unfortunate start to the production in September when a location scout, Carlos Muñoz Portal, was killed while checking out a site. “They suspect that he may have stumbled upon a crime,” said Newman, who says that the mystery behind the murder has not been solved.
In staging action scenes, most of which involve the use of firearms, they have followed the same standards and practices as they did in Colombia, he said.
Newman had originally developed “Narcos” as a movie for some 10 years before he pitched it to Netflix, which suggested a series. Together with co-executive producer Jose Padilha, his movie idea became the series that it is today. Newman was a producer on Padilha’s “Robocop.”
Aside from “Narcos,” Newman is currently working on the sequel to Will Smith-toplined Netflix feature, “Bright.”
Newman and Bryan Unkeless, his partner in their newly launched company, Screen Arcade, recently inked a multiyear first-look deal with Netflix. Gaumont is offering linear broadcasting rights to “Narcos” at the LA Screenings.
Link to article: https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/narcos-cast-season-4-tenoch-huerta-joaquin-cosio-1202814294/
Eric Newman
Executive Producer of NARCOS
ROSE feature mentioned in ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY.
Nice to recently see ROSE feature film mentioned in the Entertainment Weekly magazine. Cybill Shepherd stars in the film alongside James Brolin and Pam Grier, the film is directed by Rod McCall. I had the pleasure of working with her and sharing every one of my scenes with the feisty star. We spent a lot of time talking in between set ups and takes about dogs, her kids, my kids and her love affair with Elvis Presley. I enjoyed every story she was willing to share.
Here we are sharing stories with each other as we are about to shoot another car scene.
Director Rod McCall takes a moment in between set ups during our chapel scene.
THE BIG SCREEN PODCAST : SUPPORTING SICARIO.
I had fun talking to Stephen Becker (KERA producer) and Chris Vognar (film critic of THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS) on their show THE BIG SCREEN about Denis Villeneuve's film SICARIO starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin. Take a listen to our small conversation. The film is showing in selected markets and will open nationwide on Oct. 2nd.
In Sicario, members of an elite U.S. taskforce cross the border into Mexico in search of a drug kingpin. The movie stars Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt among others. This week, we talk with Benbrook actor Julio Cesar Cedillo about the pivotal scene he shot with Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro.
PHOTO BY RICHARD FOREMAN
USA Film Festival presents a special advanced screening of SICARIO Wednesday Sept. 16th.
I just wanted to remind everyone about the advanced screening of SICARIO one of the most anticipated films for 2015. The Rolling Stone describes it as "the most gripping and tension-packed spin through America's covert war on drugs since Steven Soderbergh's TRAFFIC 15 years ago." Richard Roeper of the Chicago Times after seeing the film at THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL hails Benicio Del Toro's performance as "to rival his Oscar winning work in TRAFFIC!"
I was fortunate enough to have seen the film this past June at the Lionsgate screening room in Santa Monica. I was invited by Trent Luckinbill, one of the producers of Sicario. He was kind enough to include me in on a screening by the Lionsgate marketing team.
Even though I read the entire script and knew that some things would change within the script (most films on average never stick exactly to what's written) and I knew the tone and feel of the film...it still kept me on edge and tension was thick. This is a very smart approach by our director as he maneuvered through this genre with the masterful cinematographer, Roger Deakins. The actors also executed every note with full intensity. What I did notice was how Benicio's dialogue was reduced to a minimum compared to the original script. But it serves the script well. Show me more and tell me less is employed here creating mystery filled with a dark vagueness...exactly what the drug war experience invokes.
I am a huge fan of Ann Alexander, the managing director of the USA FILM FESTIVAL. She has hosted several films I've been a part of, the most recent one was FRONTERA starring Ed Harris, Michael Peña and Eva Longoria. So when she reached out to invite me as a special guest I said yes of course. However I had to remind her that even though I'm the cartel boss they're hunting down through the whole film...I only have one scene...great scene...but nonetheless only one scene. So I will be attending the screening in support of Ann and the great folks over at THE USA FILM FESTIVAL, not as a self absorbed actor.
Come on out and join us. Tickets are available at the USA FILM FESTIVAL office at (214)821-6300 or at www.usafilmfestival.com
Thanks!
THE AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES "THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA."
A unique moment for us to reminisce about the making of one of the most important films in my life. I shared the stage with some of the hardest working guys in Texas, our Assistant Director, Phil Hardage, Eric A. Williams (Line Producer for THREE BURIALS & executive producer of FRONTERA), Larry Madaras (assistant editor of THE HOMESMAN, and THE THREE BURIALS. Editor for FRONTERA), and of course our director, TOMMY LEE JONES.
This special reunion was held last year but now made available to watch.
Click on the play button to enjoy this very special event.
LA FILM FEST 2015 REVIEW : POCHA.
Another great review of our film POCHA. Click on the black labeled button to go directly to the review or just read it directly below. THANKS.
America has long been viewed as a refuge, replete with a melting pot of cultural identities and origins; but despite how things may seem, such a concept is still an unattainable luxury for some. Director Michael Dwyer and writer Kaitlin McLaughlin explore the harsh reality of this ideal and what happens when both sides of your heritage don’t want you in Pocha (Manifest Destiny). A powerful script, exceptional performances and haunting score are only some of the elements that make the film an unbelievable experience.
The film follows Claudia (Veronica Sixtos), a 22-year-old Mexican woman raised in the US. She is arrested for credit card fraud and deported to her “homeland” of Mexico. Speaking no Spanish and not knowing anyone who can help her, she goes to her father Andres’ (Julio César Cedillo) cattle ranch where he lives with her grandmother, Lita (María del Carmen Farías). Working with her father’s ranch hands, she meets Ricky (Roberto Urbina), a smuggler who offers her a chance to return home and make some money helping him out on a few of his runs.
Sixtos as Claudia delivers a chillingly brilliant performance. A true fish out of water, she plays much of the film with only her body language and facial expressions. Her costars do most of the talking, wonderfully enhancing her alienation and solitude. This is an amazing foil for co-star Cedillo – playing Sixtos’ father Andres, he perfectly exudes the rugged, chiseled facade of a man who’s had to work hard for everything he’s received in life. A lesson he tries to teach to Claudia throughout the film is that nothing comes easily, which she frequently, at times unwillingly, rejects. On the opposite spectrum of Cedillo, is Urbina’s Ricky, who is every bit as slimy as his eerily perfect smile.
Dwyer and McLaughlin’s work on the picture is a smart cohesion of influences which make up a visually stunning, singular whole. The cold electronic score a la John Carpenter collides with the claustrophobic, but rich look of Roger Deakins’ photography on No Country For Old Men. Sweeping landscapes are beautifully used, and they contrast against the lay of the land, as rough and unforgiving as life itself is something wonderfully portrayed in the film. The nighttime sequences are dark while daytime settings are sometimes overexposed. A wonderful moment catches Claudia and her father riding on horse back with a landscape behind them that is washed out on one side and vibrant on the other.
When all is said and done, the unforgiving ending is something you just can’t walk away from and simply brush off. Claudia’s attempts to manipulate those around her or to sway the occurrence of things offer a refreshingly exciting take on a moral tale. As an audience, we get a sense of where the story will go, but how we arrive there is grueling and intense. Pocha (Manifest Destiny) is an amazing film that explores the collision of cultural identities and what happens when the American Dream collapses or turns out to be a cruel pipe dream. Pocha, a slang term for a Mexican person who speaks little to no Spanish, originates from “pocho,” a term for rotten fruit. Is Claudia a bad apple for thinking of herself first? Are her means to an end justified? These questions rage on long after the film has ended. What the film does best is continue a necessary and frequent debate, particularly for those who feel disconnected from their family’s culture.
GREAT INTERVIEW WITH POCHA FILM DIRECTORS.
Check out this interview with Michael Dwyer (cinematographer and director) and Kait McLaughlin (screenwriter and co-director) from the award-winning film POCHA.
Click on the play button to hear the interview or scroll through.
POCHA WINS BIG AT THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL.
Pocha won two great awards at the 2015 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL. It won the AUDIENCE AWARD for BEST FICTION & A SPECIAL JURY AWARD for BEST DIRECTION. The premiere was completely sold out to the point where people were waiting in the rush line to see if any tickets were left over from anyone who pre-purchased a ticket and didn't show up.
We had an exciting crowd and tons of questions from the audience. The film looks so beautiful thanks to our director who also photographed the film. It hits all the vibrant colors of an epic western. And the sound design is flawless and masterful...it doesn't hurt that we had the Warner Brothers sound designers from TOMMY LEE JONES' films THE HOMESMAN and THE THREE BURIALS behind it. The music is superbly scored and unexpected choices bring the scenes to another level.
I am so proud of this cast and crew. You can see the actors pouring their hearts into every frame of the film. All their fears and joys displayed like a beautiful composition, hitting all the right notes. Michael Dwyer (our D.P. and director) and Kait McLaughlin (screenwriter & co-director) stayed true to their vision and nurtured this film to life.
Thank you Jesse Garcia for bringing me into this film along with the other great cast members you helped select.
Can't wait for everyone to see the film soon. POCHA will move on to other festivals as we hope to win more awards. AND DON'T FORGET TO CLICK BELOW TO LIKE THE FILM ON FACEBOOK!
Partial cast of POCHA.
Michael Dywer (Our director & cinematographer)
Our screenwriter, Kait McLaughlin answers questions from the audience.
Jaime Jimenez, Jorge A. Jimenez, Roberto Urbina, and Julio César Cedillo.
SICARIO -- OFFICIAL TRAILER IS RELEASED
One of our producers of SICARIO got me into a special screening of the film this past Thursday. I can't say much but brace yourselves...it keeps you on the edge of your seat! Enjoy the trailer.
LITTLE BOY by METANOIA FILMS.
Grab a DVD copy of this film as soon as it becomes available. Metanoia Films produces this family film and is directed by Alejandro Monteverde. I was fortunate enough to have worked with my good friend Alonso Alvarez Barreda on THE FINDING, a short film that Metanoia Films produced. The film company has a strong producing and writing team with Leo Severino, Eduardo Verástegui, Pepe Portillo & Alejandro Monteverde.
LITTLE BOY has a stellar cast with Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Rapaport, Kevin James and the young lead Jakob Salvati. Jakob is amazing and he steals the show. The film is about the capacity to love big, dream big, to forgive big and to do great things with your life.
Here we are on location in Tampico, Mexico for THE FINDING discussing our scene. Alejandro is on the far right and Alonso is wearing the light blue cap.
You can watch our short here (http://julioactor.com/the-finding/).
DESCRIPTION
An eight-year-old boy is willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II so he can bring his father home. The story reveals the indescribable love a father has for his little boy and the love a son has for his father.
POCHA Trailer unveils for the 2015 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL.
The first feature film trailer for Pocha is finally here! I've been looking forward to sharing this with everyone since I had the privilege of seeing it before it became public. This film is a labor of love for our director, Michael Dwyer, screenwriter, Kait McLaughlin, producer, Alicia Dwyer and the rest of the producing team along with countless people who shared a love for the story. I was brought in by Jesse Garcia, executive producer for Pocha. This film was beautifully crafted and supported by an amazing crew. You are nothing without a caring crew.
Hope you enjoy the trailer!
Please share with everyone.
SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT
- #PochaMovie is our official hashtag, and #LAFilmFest is the official hashtag for the festival
- Our Twitter and Instagram handles are both @pochamovie. They need some love, so follow us.
- Link for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pocha-Manifest-Destiny/421452998027666?fref=ts
- Link to buy tickets (which is also accessible on the Facebook page): bit.ly/1IP2zvm
POCHA CREW
VARIETY CANNES REVIEW: SICARIO "an impeccably well-crafted film."
In a terrific performance that recalls the steely ferocity of Jodie Foster in “The Silence of the Lambs” and Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty,” Emily Blunt stars here as Kate Macer, an FBI field agent.
VARIETY REVIEW
BY SCOTT FOUNDAS Chief Film Critic
http://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/sicario-film-review-cannes-1201494744/
'Prisoners' director Denis Villeneuve returns with a blisteringly suspenseful, ever surprising cartel thriller.
In a terrific performance that recalls the steely ferocity of Jodie Foster in “The Silence of the Lambs” and Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty,” Emily Blunt stars here as Kate Macer, an FBI field agent who has been forced to don a Teflon exterior in order to rise through the Bureau’s male-dominated ranks, and to cope with the depravity she frequently witnesses in the line of duty. “Sicario” begins with one such grisly find: dozens of rotting human corpses hidden behind the drywall in a suburban Arizona home belonging to an arm of a powerful Mexican drug cartel. But the carnage doesn’t end there, and when the next round of violence erupts with startling force, it sets the apocalyptic tone for everything that follows. Indeed, the opening of “Sicario” unfolds at such an anxiety-inducing pitch that it seems impossible for Villeneuve to sustain it, let along build on it, but somehow he manages to do just that. He’s a master of the kind of creeping tension that coils around the audience like a snake suffocating its prey.
Together with “Prisoners” and Villeneuve’s previous, Oscar-nominated “Incendies,” “Sicario” forms a loose trilogy about the politics of revenge and the value of a human life. But whereas those earlier films were panoramic in scope and choral in structure, “Sicario” unfolds almost entirely through the eyes of Kate, as she wades into the murky waters of an inter-agency task force assembled to give the U.S. a tactical leg up in the war on drugs. Helping to draw her in is Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), a sandal-clad, stoner-cadenced mystery man who claims to be a Defense Department contractor, though Kate and her partner (Daniel Kaluuya) suspect from the start that he could be CIA. Like more than one character in “Sicario,” Graver can claim almost as many identities as he can ulterior motives.
Graver tells Kate that his operation needs her unique expertise, and while she isn’t fully convinced, she’s still young and naive enough to believe that there’s a right side in this war and that the U.S. is on it. Riding shotgun with Graver is another shadow man known only as Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) — the “sicario” (a slang term for hitman) of the title — who is said to be a former Mexican prosecutor, and who has the solemn intensity of a man determined to get his way or die trying. “Nothing will make sense to your American ears, and you will doubt everything we do,” he tells Kate matter-of-factly on their first meeting — words that double as advice to the movie’s audience.
The knotty plot that follows demands close attention but never becomes too difficult (or self-consciously opaque) to follow. It involves multiple trips back and forth across the U.S.-Mexico border as the agents attempt to use one high-ranking cartel boss (Bernardo Saracino) to flush out an even bigger one (Julio Cesar Cedillo), though exactly why is a crucial detail “Sicario” holds close to the vest until late in the third act. In the meantime, Villeneuve stages one extraordinary suspense setpiece after another, starting with an epic traffic jam at the border that ensnares the Americans just as they are heading back home with a piece of very precious cargo in tow. Using no special tricks — just the sharp, color-saturated compositions of cinematographer Roger Deakins; the airtight cutting of editor Joe Walker; and the subtly menacing score of composer Johan Johannsson — Villeneuve creates a sequence as nail-biting as any “Fast and the Furious” car chase, except that here all the cars are standing perfectly still.
As in the films of Clint Eastwood (whose “Mystic River” exuded an obvious influence on “Prisoners”) and Michael Mann, the violence in Villeneuve’s work is savage and startling, but never overstated or sensationalized, and every bullet fired ripples with consequences for both the victim and the trigger man (or, as the case may be, woman). Navigating the crossfire, Blunt is mesmerizing to watch, her intense blue eyes ablaze with intelligence as she tries to sort out the facts of the case from its attendant fictions, and whether Graver and Alejandro’s endgame justifies its ethically dubious means.
Every bit as impressive is Del Toro, who has worked both sides of the street where cartel dramas are concerned (“Traffic,” “Savages”), but whose Alejandro is cut from considerably more complicated cloth. He is a swift, unforgiving man, with a wolfish jowl and the preternatural calm of the predator lying in wait. Yet he also shudders in his sleep, reveals flashes of battered humanity when one least expects it, and even, fleetingly, a Hannibal Lecter-ish lust for the flinty young woman thrust into his path. And as the film hurtles towards its climactic abyss, it is Del Toro who holds us rapt with a nearly silent performance that is the very embodiment of character through action.
Working with a mix of technical collaborators old and new, Villeneuve has once again delivered an impeccably well-crafted film, not least in Deakins’ arresting widescreen lensing, which alternates between vast aerial canvases that capture the epic sprawl of the border land, and closeups so carefully framed and lit as to show particles of dust dancing on a shaft on sunlight.
SICARIO : CANNES PRESS CONFERENCE
SICARIO : CANNES INTERVIEW
WHITE GOD FILM REDEFINES AN ANIMAL'S RELATIONSHIP TO HUMANS.
My lovely second mother (my wife's mother) called me and urged me to see this film. She didn't want to give away any important storyline content but she said,"You must see the phenomenal work with all these dogs on screen and the emotions evoked from the lead dog!"
My lovely second mother (my wife's mother) called me and urged me to see this film. She didn't want to give away any important storyline content but she said,"You must see the phenomenal work with all these dogs on screen and the emotions evoked from the lead dog!"
Well I did go see it. And OH MY GOD...WHITE GOD DELIVERS! It's a simple structure but if you have been a fan of the Lassie or Benji movies...this is not for you. This is a visceral film where a loving mixed breed dog exacts revenge on all humans who have tormented him. However, it is a dog's longing to belong but he becomes a victim of circumstance. The film kept me on edge as I watched all these dogs run together as an army heading along with the same intention...LET'S GO GET THOSE HUMANS!!!
Check it out when you can or rent it as soon as it is available.
SICARIO POSTER FOR 2015 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL.
The first poster for Denis Villenueve's film SICARIO, just in time for the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
The first poster for Denis Villenueve's film SICARIO, just in time for the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
From the official Cannes Press Kit:
A BORDERLAND THRILLER
“You will not survive here. You are not a wolf. This is the land of wolves now.” —Alejandro
From director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Incendies) comes a searing emotional-thriller that descends into the intrigue, corruption and moral mayhem of the borderland drug wars.
When Arizona FBI agent and kidnap-response-team leader Kate Macer (Golden Globe® winner Emily Blunt) uncovers a Mexican cartel’s house of death, her shocking find leads to profound consequences on both a personal and global level. Kate is recruited to join a covert black-ops mission headed by a mysterious Colombian operative known only as Alejandro (Academy Award® winner Benicio Del Toro, Best Supporting Actor, Traffic, 2000) along with special agent Matt Graver (Academy Award® nominee Josh Brolin, Best Supporting Actor, Milk, 2008). Even as Kate tries to convince herself she’s on a hunt for justice, she is thrust into the dark heart of a secret battleground that has swept up ruthless cartels, kill-crazy assassins, clandestine American spies and thousands of innocents.
The jagged line of the U.S. and Mexican border is now awash in some of the most pressing questions of our times – drugs, terror, illegal immigration, corruption and an escalating swath of dark crime that has left people on both sides frightened and vigilant. Sicario explores the journey of an intelligence operation that pushes the rules to engage with those who don’t play by any.
Says director Denis Villeneuve, “Sicario takes a powerful look at black-ops operations and the Mexican cartels. But this story is also about America, about the idealism and realism that clash when it comes to dealing with the problems of other countries.”
“It’s a movie about choices,” adds Benicio Del Toro, who dives into one of his most conflicted roles as the equal parts vengeful and tender hit man Alejandro. “It’s tough to say whether any character in Sicario is truly good or bad. Do the means justify the ends? What happens when go into a situation where you want to kill one guy and you kill 20 innocent people? You got the bad guy, but at what cost?”
“Kate is tempted by this world,” says Emily Blunt, who breaks the mold with her portrait of a fierce female character whose life is in jeopardy throughout every second of the film. “She realizes she was barely scratching the surface doing things by the book and now she wants to believe she can do something that will make a real difference. Yet the very idea of no longer following the rules turns Kate’s whole world upside down. Nothing makes sense anymore.”
Josh Brolin, who is known for characters who ply the edges, was intrigued by the movie’s subtext of big questions about values versus security and whether fighting criminals with outlaw behavior darkens hearts beyond repair. “This movie is a human mystery that you get to grab at and put together for yourself,” Brolin says. “It’s a suspenseful and emotional puzzle.”
POCHA (aka Manifest Destiny): World Premiere at THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL.
Great news! Pocha directed by Michael Dwyer and screenplay by Kait McLaughlin will premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 14th at 6:30pm.
Great news! Pocha directed by Michael Dwyer and screenplay by Kait McLaughlin will premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 14th at 6:30pm.
The film features several extraordinary actors beginning with Roberto Urbina, one of Colombia's finest young actors who is currently playing the Jesse Pinkman character in Metástasis, the Colombian adaptation of Breaking Bad, Maria Del Carmen Farias (Mexican Ariel Award nominee for El Sueño de Lu), Jorge Jimenez (director/actor of Hermoso Silencio, a beautifully crafted film), Jesse Garcia (best known for his indie performance in Quinceañera), and newcomer Veronica Sixtos. And yes I'm in it as well.
Hope you all can make it!
Pocha (aka Manifest Destiny)
After being deported from the U.S.A. for credit card fraud, Claudia (22) is forced to go to her estranged father’s cattle ranch in northern México. Struggling to adapt to family and a way of life she has never known, she partners with a local smuggler who promises to get her back to America if she helps him trespass on her family’s ranch. While both a slow burning thriller and classic western, POCHA interrogates current American moral quandaries through Claudia’s transformative journey between the dark places of two cultures.
TICKETS
Tickets go on sale at 10am on May 19th. Link below for more info.
https://tickets.lafilmfest.com/Online/
Look for Manifest Destiny when you log onto the ticketing link.
SPANISH SPEAKING TALENT NEEDS NURTURING.
I want to thank everyone who came out to this event last week. I certainly appreciate the efforts the local and national SAG-AFTRA union is attempting to draw in and engage Spanish speaking talent (actors, writers, directors, producers, etc.).
SAG-AFTRA National Spanish Language Media Committee free screening FRONTERA at the Latino Cultural Center.
I want to thank everyone who came out to this event last week. I certainly appreciate the efforts the local and national SAG-AFTRA union is attempting to draw in and engage Spanish speaking talent (actors, writers, directors, producers, etc.). The efforts are admirable but it's going to take a collective effort to truly wrangle existing and future talent. I'm referring to real talent and real bi-lingual folks. People who dominate both languages without any noticeable accent. People who have a drive and are committed to creating a career and not some hobbyist.
I was flattered to be featured by my union but I hesitated in the beginning since I don't want to be the poster boy for this type of topic. I guess I'm considered to be a "successful" Latin actor in this market. But guess what? It didn't happen by accident. And why is that? I never considered myself a local anything. I never thought small and I always think out of the box...always. First, I never think of myself as a Latin actor. I'm an actor first without me ever thinking of the Latin title. Second, my drive to succeed was fueled by my upbringing and my parents' struggles. Third, my drive led me to ask hard questions...like CAN I MAKE A LIVING AT THIS?, AM I GOOD ENOUGH?, WHAT ARE MY STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES?, WHO IN MY AREA IS SUCCESSFUL AND HOW CAN I MEET THESE PEOPLE?, etc. I honed in on my common sense and what I didn't know I chased after it (resources, information, education). Ultimately what makes any actor successful is their persistence armed with preparation. To work you need a bad ass agent/manager and you need to better your odds (more auditions means a better chance to land work), to get the work you have to be available as much as possible. It's not rocket science. Your material (head shots, demo reels: film/tv and voice-over, talent listings) is an ongoing evolution. The more quality work the better your materials. Again not rocket science. If you focus on your smaller goals they eventually add up to the bigger ones. Pace yourself. Your journey is uniquely your own. Ultimately you might outgrow your own market...then it might be a great time to head to L.A. or NY. Or take your chances and head out there anyway...but have a solid plan for survival because guess what? You'll spend more time working to survive rather than working as an actor. It doesn't mean you can't get there but you have to have a solid plan. All of my years in this love and hate relationship with my profession has taught me several things. Sincere professional relationships matter...nurture them. I have been cast in several big projects due to my relationships. I've also learned that success is lateral and not top to bottom analogies. My family comes first, being kind to myself matters and impulsive decisions are fleeting and full of hot air. I learned a lot quickly through people like George C. Scott, Billy Bob Thornton, Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Daniel Craig...but it wasn't what they were doing, that was obvious...I learned from what they didn't do. I learned about leaving a legacy and not being afraid. I learned to engage and make myself valid in my work. I learned to treat people with respect but when I didn't receive it I went into self-preservation mode to get my work done. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I learned that I'm a storyteller and my job is to help in that process. That's it...nothing else.
Now the issue of nurturing specifically Spanish speaking talent is important. In fact it will take talent agents, casting directors, and acting schools to go into the communities (local union theaters, neighborhood playhouses, elementary schools, high schools, and universities) to educate and scout out that talent. But guess what? It won't happen because agencies feel it's not their job. They feel it's up to acting schools to draw in that talent into the marketplace. Casting directors won't do it because they don't have time and they don't have the resources (space, money, staff, etc.). A well known casting director once told me, "I can't make money that way." Wow. Well if you foster that talent and plant those seeds, eventually we will get better bi-lingual talent and we will draw in more work. The sad outlook is that how can we have such a dismal talent pool (bi-lingual) in this part of the country where Mexico is our closest neighbor. I don't see things changing. I once tried to take the baton and run with it but I realized it was an uphill battle. Ultimately, the only thing we're left with is hoping that any actor whether bi-lingual or not will succeed through their own perseverance. I don't agree with not helping. So I decided to help by leading by example. That's all I can do.
Many blessings to my fellow actors. You are all special creatures with hearts bigger than you can handle. Be kind to yourselves and be real with your life.
SICARIO will compete at the 2015 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL.
I had the opportunity to discuss my concerns with our director, Denis Villeneuve about the scene months in advance and leaving room to play and improv with one of our great actors, Benicio Del Toro.
On set in New Mexico shooting SICARIO with Benicio Del Toro. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and masterfully photographed by Roger Deakins.
I can now say I am in two films that can add the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL on their cinematic resumes. Ten years ago with THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA and now with SICARIO. My role in THREE BURIALS was substantial but my role in SICARIO is significantly smaller...just one scene to be precise but a highly important scene. Obviously I can't say anything or give details other than I'm proud of the scene. I had the opportunity to discuss my concerns with our director, Denis Villeneuve about the scene months in advance and leaving room to play and improv with one of our great actors, Benicio Del Toro. I'm elated for personal reasons since I was treated with respect as an actor and was fully involved in the process. Wishing everyone involved in front and behind the camera all the best and cheering you on for a job well done.