Mercedes Ruehl Starring in Brad Furman’s Indie Drama “People Not Places”

Posted on July 20, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Mercedes Ruehl is joining the people…

The 76-year-old part-Cuban American Oscar-winning actress will star in director Brad Furman’s indie drama People Not Places, which was scripted by his mother Ellen Brown Furman.

Ruehl is among seven new cast additions that includes Yul Vazquez, Laurence Mason, Obba Babatundé, Joey Bicicchi, Colleen Camp and Olivia Jude.

They join previously announced cast members Shirley MacLaine, Stephen Dorff, Julia Mayorga and Allegra Leguizamo.

People Not Places centers on Clare (MacLaine), an elderly widow living in Atlantic City who meets an erratic homeless man (Dorff) who sleeps in cars. Their shared loneliness causes them to bond, as they find the courage to face his regrettable past and her shortened future.

Furman and Jess Fuerst are producing the film under their Road Less Traveled Productions banner.

Best known for her Oscar-winning performance in The Fisher King, Ruehl has also been seen in films like Hustlers, Last Action Hero and Big, among many others.

She’s also been seen on series like New Amsterdam, Bull and Power, to name just a few.

Currently starring on MGM+’s Hotel Cocaine, Vazquez will next be seen in the Paul Greengrass film The Lost Bus for Apple TV+.

His other recent credits include Parish, White House Plumbers, Godfather of Harlem, Promised Land and Severance.

Julia Mayorga to Star in the Indie Drama “People Not Places”

Posted on July 18, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Julia Mayorga has found her people…

The Latina actress has landed in the indie drama People Not Places, hailing from director Brad Furman.

Mayorga is joined by Allegra Leguizamo as new cast additions to the film that will star Shirley MacLaine and Stephen Dorff.

Written by Ellen Brown Furman, the filmmaker’s mother, the film centers on Clare (MacLaine), an elderly widow living in Atlantic City who meets an erratic homeless man (Dorff) who sleeps in cars. Their shared loneliness causes them to bond, as they find the courage to face his regrettable past and her shortened future.

Mayorga plays Sarah, Clare’s stunning daughter-in-law with an artistic flair, who creates jewelry. Her husband Cole is torn between his need to support Sarah’s ambition and his mother’s need for more time with her son.

Leguizamo plays Allison, a young woman who asked for a gardener but got much more.

Furman and Jess Fuerst are producing the film under their Road Less Traveled Productions banner.

Currently, Mayorga can be seen opposite Jeff Daniels, Bill Camp and Maura Tierney on Showtime’s American Rust, which moved to Prime Video for its second season earlier this year.

She can also be seen leading the drama Rare Objects, marking the latest directorial outing of Katie Holmes.

Seen on series like The Equalizer and New Amsterdam, Leguizamo will next appear in Furman’s action thriller Tin Soldier, starring Jamie Foxx, Robert De Niro and Scott Eastwood, as well as Rachel Israel’s comedy The Floaters starring Jackie Tohn, Aya Cash, Jake Ryan and Seth Green.

Recently, she wrapped production on Flash Warning, a short film she stars in, which she also wrote and directed.

Cassandra Sanchez-Navarro Signs with Buchwald & Anonymous Content for U.S. Representation

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Cassandra Sanchez-Navarro is ready to crossover stateside…

The 30-year-old Mexican actress and telenovela star has signed with Buchwald and Anonymous Content for representation in the United States.

Sanchez-Navarro starred in the romantic comedy Cindy La Regia, a film that went on to become the most successful film in her native Mexico in 2020.

She most recently appeared in the Pantaya release El Peligro En Tu Miranda, currently available for viewing on streaming platforms.

Up next, she will appear in two films: Malcriados and Enfermo Amor opening in Mexico later this year.

Other credits include appearances in Netflix’s Sense 8 and El Dragon: Return of the Warrior for Univision and Televisa.

Sanchez-Navarro was classically trained at LA’s Lee Strasberg Academy and New York American Musical and Dramatic Academy, before going to London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

She’s a fifth-generation actor and granddaughter of Manolo Fabregas, often referred to as ‘The Man of Theater’, and the first Mexican to perform on Broadway, starring opposite legends including Shirley MacLaine and Clint Eastwood.

She continues to be represented by manager Prensa Danna in Mexico.

Bardem to Serve as a Presenter at This Year’s Academy Awards

Posted on February 18, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Bardem has a date with Oscar…

The 47-year-old Spanish actor, who won an Academy Award for his role in No Country for Old Men, will serve as a presenter at the 89th Academy Awards on February 26.

In addition to Bardem, the latest list of presenters includes

Amy Adams, Riz Ahmed, John Cho, Dwayne Johnson, Felicity Jones, Leslie Mann, Janelle Monáe, David Oyelowo, Emma Stone and Charlize Theron, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Previously announced presenters include Halle Berry, Jamie Dornan, Chris Evans, Gael García Bernal, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Dakota Johnson, Shirley MacLaine, Kate McKinnon and Hailee Steinfeld.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. ABC will broadcast the ceremony live.

Garcia Bernal Among the Presenters at This Year’s Academy Awards

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Gael García Bernal has a date with Oscar…

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has announced the second group of presenters for the 89th Academy Awards on February 26, with the 38-year-old Mexican actor, director and producer making the list.

Garcia Bernal, a Golden Globe-winner for Best Actor for his recently renewed series Mozart in the Jungle, joins a roster that includes Halle Berry, Jamie Dornan, Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Dakota Johnson, Shirley MacLaine, Kate McKinnon and Hailee Steinfeld.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the trophy show is set for February 26 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. ABC will carry the ceremony live.

Vazquez’s “Rob the Mob” to Premiere at the Miami International Film Festival

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Yul Vazquez is preparing to rob the mob in Miami…

The Cuban American actor’s latest film, Rob the Mob, will have its world premiere at the Miami International Film Festival in March.

Directed by Raymond De Felitta and starring Andy Garcia, the film also stars Michael Pitt, Ray Romano, Burt Young, Griffin Dunne, Frank Whaley, Cathy Moriarty, Aida Turturro and Nina Arianda.

Rob the Mob, which centers on a couple that targets the Mafia for heists and stumbles upon something big at an underground club, is one of nearly 100 films set to be screened at the Miami International Film Festival.

The North American premiere of the Shirley MacLaine–Christopher Plummer pairing Elsa & Fred will take place at the 10-day event, which runs March 7-16.

Directed by Michael Radford, the film is a remake of the 2008 Argentine/Spanish film of the same name. Also in the cast are Marcia Gay Harden, George Segal, Chris Noth, James Brolin, Wendell Pierce, Jaime Camil and Osvaldo Rios.

In total, 92 feature films and 28 shorts representing 38 countries will premiere at this year’s festival, which marks its 31st edition.

“The programming team believes the selection of films showcased in the festival this year is a reflection of our passion for film, and we hope that it will strengthen our community’s love and appreciation for the art of filmmaking,” MIFF executive director Jaie Laplante said.

The festival will present actor-director John Turturro with its Career Achievement Tribute. Turturro will present his latest film, the Woody Allen starrer Fading Gigolo. The film, which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival, also stars Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara.

Here’s the complete list of competition films:

Festival Competition Categories:

The Knight Competition, open to dramatic works from Latin America, Spain and Portugal as well as Latino-themed works produced in the United States:

All About The Feathers (Por las plumas) (Costa Rica, directed by Neto Villalobos) U.S. Premiere
Asteroid (Asteroide) (Mexico, directed by Marcelo Tobar) World premiere
Club Sandwich (Mexico, directed by Fernando Eimbcke)
The Man of the Crowd (O homem das multidões) (Brazil, directed by Marcelo Gomes and Cao Guimarães) North American premiere
Memories of the Desert (Romance policial) (Brazil/Chile, directed by Jorge Durán) World premiere
Natural Sciences (Ciencias naturales) (Argentina, directed by Matias Lucchesi) North American premiere
Séptimo (Spain/Argentina, directed by Patxi Amexcua) North American premiere
To Kill A Man (Matar un hombre) (Chile/France, directed by Alejandro Fernández Almendras)
We All Want What’s Best For Her (Tots volem el millor per a ella) (Spain, directed by Mar Coll) North American premiere
A Wolf at the Door (O lobo atrás da porta) (Brazil, directed by Fernando Coimbra)

Knight Documentary Competition, open to engaging and thought-provoking feature-length documentaries created by international filmmakers that examine social issues, diverse cultures, icons and inspiring people:

The Art Rush (France, directed by Marianne Lamour) North American premiere
The Dog (U.S.A., directed by Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren)
Europe in 8 Bits (Spain, directed by Javier Polo)
Finding Vivian Maier (U.S.A., directed by Charlie Siskel and John Maloof)
Ivory Tower (USA, directed by Andrew Rossi)
Locations: Looking For Rusty James (Locaciones: buscando a Rusty James) (Chile, directed by Alberto Fuguet)
The Notorious Mr. Bout (U.S.A./Russia, directed by Tony Gerber and Maxim Pozdorovkin)
The Overnighters (U.S.A., directed by Jesse Moss)
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (U.S.A., directed by Mike Myers)
Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (U.S.A., directed by Joe Berlinger)

The Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition for first-time feature filmmakers emerging from Spain, Portugal and Latin America:

Here’s the Deal (Somos gente honrada) (Spain, directed by Alejandro Marzoa) U.S. premiere
Mateo (Colombia/France, directed by Maria Gamboa) World premiere
Stockholm (Estocolmo) (Spain, directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen) U.S. premiere
We Are Mari Pepa (Somos Mari Pepa) (Mexico, directed by Samuel Kishi Leopo)

Papi Shorts Competition:

A Big Deal (China, directed by Yoyo Yao) U.S. premiere
Blue (U.S.A., directed by Justin Malone) World premiere
Chub (U.S.A., directed by Samuel Albis) World premiere
Flamingo (Venezuela, directed by Carl Zitelmann)
Grace (Graça) (Brazil, directed by Anna Clara Peltier) North American premiere
The Phone Call (United Kingdom, directed by Mat Kirkby)
Skin (France, directed by Cédric Prévost) North American premiere
Shirt Out, Game Over! (Switzerland, directed by Eric Paternot) World premiere
Unicorn (Unicornio) (Bolivia, directed by Rodrigo Bellott)
Xenos (United Kingdom/Greece/Denmark, directed by Mahdi Fleifel) North American premiere

A list of noncompetition films and seminars can be found at MiamiFilmFestival.com.

Santana Named One of This Year’s Kennedy Center Honorees

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Santana is being celebrated for his American influence…

The 66-year-old Mexico-born musician has been selected as one of the honorees for the 36th annual Kennedy Center Honors.

Recipients are recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts – whether in dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures or television – and are selected by the Center’s Board of Trustees.

“From his legendary performance at Woodstock to his sweep at the 2000 Grammys and beyond, Carlos Santana’s artistry transcends genres while entertaining millions,” says Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein.

In 2003 Rolling Stone listed Santana at number 20 on the magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He’s won 10 Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards.

In addition to Santana, actress Shirley MacLaine, pianist/singer/songwriter Billy Joel, opera singer Martina Arroyo and pianist/band leader/composer Herbie Hancock will also be honored.

“The Kennedy Center celebrates five extraordinary individuals who have spent their lives elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world,” said Rubenstein.

The annual event at Washington’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has been broadcast on CBS every year since its debut 36 years ago.

This year’s broadcast will air on Sunday, December 29, from 9:00 – 11:00 pm ET.

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Celebrating the Latino Influence

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