“Long Gone Summer” Documentary, Highlighting Sammy Sosa’s 1998 Home Run Chase, Headed to ESPN

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Sammy Sosa’s summeris heating up…

The 51-year-old Dominican former professional baseball right fielder will be the focus of a special documentary to air on ESPN.

Sosa, who played in the Major League Baseballfor 19 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs, is part of the focus of AJ Schnack’s, Long Gone Summer, an official selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.

It chronicles Mark McGwire and Sosa’s storied 1998 home run chase. For the first time, both men discuss that summer at length, including its undeniable complications.

The 1998MLB home run chase was between McGwire, a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Seattle Mariners’ Ken Griffey Jr., and Sosa, a right fielder for the Cubs. It resulted in McGwire and Sosa breaking Roger Maris‘ long-standing and highly coveted record of 61 home runs.

McGwire broke Maris’s record on September 8 against the Cubs and finished with 70 home runs. Sosa finished with 66.

The documentary will air on Sunday, June 14 at 9:00 pm ET.

The film will be made available on ESPN+immediately after its premiere, along with the rest of the 30 for 30 library.

Vadhir Derbez to Star Opposite Guy Pearce in the Exorcism Horror Film “The Seventh Day”

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Vadhir Derbezis getting some excorsize…

The 28-year-old Mexican actor will co-star with Guy Pearce in Justin P. Lange’s exorcism horror movie The Seventh Day.

Pitched as “Training Day meets The Exorcist,“ the film follows a renowned exorcist who teams up with a rookie priest for his first day of training. As they plunge deeper into hell on earth, the lines between good and evil blur, and their own demons emerge.

Lange is directing from his own script. His credits include 2018 Tribeca Film Festivalpremiere The Dark, which was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Awardfor Best First Featurein 2019.

The project is being produced by Fangoria, the horror brand owned by Dallas-based producer Cinestate.

Shooting is scheduled to start in February in Dallas and New Orleans.

Derbez’s previous credits include How to Be a Latin Loverand Netflix’s Sense8.

He has more than 4.2 million followers on Instagramand has been acting in Spanish-language content since he was six.

“Finding someone who can go toe-to-toe with Guy Pearce is no small task, but I’m confident we’ve found our man with Vadhir Derbez,” said director Lange.

Starz to Premiere Season 2 of Melissa Barrera’s Series “Vida” in May

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Melissa Barrerais returning to lifethis May…

Starz has set Thursday, May 23 for the season 2 premiere of its critically praised series Vida, starring the 28-year-old Mexican actress and singer.

All 10 half-hour episodes will be available on the Starz app and Starz On-Demandin the U.S. and Canada and on StarzPlay in the UK and Germany.

The series will broadcast its linear premiere Sunday, May 26 at 8 PM, airing weekly for the following nine weeks. Vida Season 2 will make its world premiere as an Official Selectionof the upcoming 2019Tribeca Film Festival.

Created and executive produced by Tanya Saracho, Vida stars Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Mirandaand recently announced Roberta Colindrez. Raúl Castilloand Adrian Gonzalezjoin as guest stars this season.

Lyn and Emma begin the monumental task of rebuilding their mother’s business while navigating financial constraints, competing developers, and the growing anti-gentrification movement. Lyn and Emma must contemplate the relationships in their lives, including their own, and are forced to dig deep to unearth what their mother’s legacy means to them.

Hispanic-household viewing of Vida has nearly tripled since its premiere on Sunday, May 6, 2018, growing by 171% to earn the series the largest Hispanic audience composition for premium series in 2018, according to Starz. Additionally, on the Starz app, the series audience grew by more than 60% from the season premiere to the finale.

Orion Classics Acquires Rights to Laia Costa’s Self-Discovery Drama “Maine”

Posted on October 11, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Laia Costa is ready to share her Maineevent with audiences…

Orion Classics has acquired North American and Latin American rights to the self-discovery drama Maine, starring the 33-year-old Spanish actress and Thomas Mann.

The Matthew Brown-helmed film, which had its world premiere earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival, will now hit theaters on December 13 ahead of a digital launch the next day.

Costa plays a married Spanish woman named Bluebird who attempts to hike the entire Appalachian Trailsolo to find clarity. Her solitude is interrupted by a young American hiker (Mann), and they develop an emotional and romantic connection while traveling together. But Bluebird ultimately must face the trail and her feelings alone.

Brown wrote and directed the film.

Pfening Named International Best Actor at the Tribeca Film Festival

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Guillermo Pfening is making a name for himself in the Big Apple…

The 38-year-old Argentine actor picked up the Best Actor in an International Narrative Feature Film award at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Pfening won the award for his performance in Nobody’s Watching, directed by Julia Solomonoff.

Nobody’s Watching centers on Nico, a famous actor in Argentina, but an unknown face in New York. After giving up a successful career in his home country for a chance to make it in the Big Apple, he needs to juggle bartending, babysitting and odd jobs to keep himself afloat. Starting from square one is hard in the city of dreams. With each role Nico takes on, he puts on a new persona in order to fit in. He performs the ideal bartender, the up-and-coming actor, the friend, the father figure. But when old friends from Buenos Aires come to visit, he needs to juggle the image of his old life with the reality of the struggling actor in New York City.

Here’s the full list of winners:

U.S. NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature
Keep The Change, written and directed by Rachel Israel

Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film
Alessandro Nivola in One Percent More Humid

Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film
Nadia Alexander in Blame

Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film
Chris Teague for Love After Love

Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film
Abundant Acreage Available written by Angus MacLachlan

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Best International Narrative Feature
Son of Sofia written and directed by Elina Psykou (Greece, Bulgaria, France)

Best Actor in an International Narrative Feature Film
Guillermo Pfening in Nobody’s Watching (Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, USA, Spain)

Best Actress in an International Narrative Feature Film
Marie Leuenberger in The Divine Order (Switzerland)

Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature Film
Mart Taniel for November (Estonia, Netherlands, Poland)

Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature Film
Ice Mother written by Bohdan Sláma (Slovakia, France)

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Best Documentary Feature
Bobbi Jene, directed by Elvira Lind (USA, Denmark, Israel)

Best Documentary Cinematography
Elvira Lind for Bobbi Jene (USA, Denmark, Israel)

Best Documentary Editing
Adam Nielson for Bobbi Jene (USA, Denmark, Israel)

Special Jury Mention
True Conviction, directed by Jamie Meltzer

BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR COMPETITION

Best New Narrative Director
Rachel Israel, director of Keep the Change (U.S.)

BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION

Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award
Sarita Khurana and Smriti Mundhra for A Suitable Girl (U.S./India)

Special Jury Mention
Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell

THE NORA EPHRON PRIZE

The 2017 Nora Ephron Prize
Petra Volpe, writer/director of The Divine Order (Switzerland).

Special Jury Mention
Keep the Change, written and directed by Rachel Israel

SHORT FILM COMPETITION

Best Narrative Short
Retouch, directed by Kaveh Mazaheri (Iran)

Best Animated Short
Odd is an Egg directed by Kristin Ulseth (Norway).

Best Documentary Short
The Good Fight directed by Ben Holman (U.S., UK, Brazil)

Special Jury Mention
Resurface

Student Visionary Award
Fry Day directed by Laura Moss (U.S.).

Special Jury Mention
Dive

STORYSCAPES AWARD

Storyscapes Award
Treehugger: Wawona, created by Barnaby Steel, Ersin Han Ersin and Robin McNicholas of Marshmallow Laser Feast

TRIBECA X AWARD

Tribeca X Award
Chris Fonseca: Keep It Moving by 72andSunny for Smirnoff Ice. Directed by Zachary Heinzerling

TRIBECA SNAPCHAT SHORTS (previously announced)

Tribeca Snapchat Short Award
Magic Show directed by Annie Hubbard

Luna Joins Voice Cast of John Legend’s Animated VR Series “Rainbow Crow”

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Luna is chasing the Rainbow…

The 37-year-old Mexican actor has joined the voice cast of Rainbow Crow, the new animated virtual reality series from Baobab Studios that John Legend is producing and toplining.

The first chapter of the series, which is based on a Native American legend, will be unveiled Friday in a world premiere screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.

In the series, carefree forest animals imagine that spring will last forever. However, winter comes and the animals soon realize that their lives are in danger. What they need is a hero: what they need is Rainbow Crow (Legend).

Luna will voice Moth, one of Rainbow Crow’s companions helping him along his journey to save the forest.

“Rainbow Crow is a tale about sacrifice, diversity, and self-acceptance, so we are proud to have an incredibly distinctive cast of talented storytellers who share our values. We can’t wait for audiences to experience what these wonderful actors have created,” said Baobab Studios CEO and founder Maureen Fan.

Baobab co-founder and chief creative officer Eric Darnell, whose credits include writing and directing DreamWorks Animation’s Madacascar franchise and Antz, is directing.

Luna, who starred in the blockbuster Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, previously formed part of the voice cast of Guillermo del Toro’s The Book of Life.

Barrio’s “The Trip to Spain” to Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Marta Barrio is making a special Trip to New York City…

The third installment of Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip series, The Trip to Spain, starring the Spanish actress, will debut theatrically on August 11.

In addition to Barrio, the IFC Films release also stars Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon and Claire Keelan. will make its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 22.

After jaunts through northern England and Italy, Coogan and Brydon embark on another deadpan culinary road trip in Spain. Over plates of pintxos and paella, the pair exchange barbs and their patented celebrity impressions, as well as more serious reflections on what it means to settle into middle age.

The Trip was released in June 2011 and grossed $2M while its sequel The Trip to Italy made close to $3M stateside, close to $6M overall worldwide, in August 2014.

Prieto to Make Feature Directorial Debut with the Revenge Thriller “Bastard”

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Rodrigo Prieto is stepping into the director’s chair…

The 51-year-old Mexican cinematographer, who has worked on films such as Martin Scorcese’s Silence and Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, will make his directorial debut with the revenge thriller Bastard.

Based on an original script penned by Bill Gullo, Bastard is a taut revenge thriller with a riveting antagonist at its core, set against a looming flood that will ravage the small town of Bird’s Point, Missouri.

A Mexico-City native, Prieto started his career shooting television commercials at the age of 22 before moving into features in 1992. He broke out into the film scene with his work on Amores Perros, which kicked off his collaboration with director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Prieto boasts a top-notch list of film credits including Julie Taymor’s Frida; Curtis Hanson’s 8 Mile; Spike Lee’s 25th Hour; Iñárritu’s 21 Grams and Babel; Oliver Stone’s Alexander; Kevin Macdonald’s State of Play; Pedro Almodóvar’s Broken Embraces; Francis Laurence’s Water for Elephants; Cameron Crowe’s We Bought A Zoo; Lee’s Brokeback Mountain; Ben Affleck’s Argo; and a clutch of Scorcese titles.

He’s most recently worked on HBO series Vinyl and Silence, the latter of which saw him earn an Oscar nomination.

Prieto directed his first short film Likeness, starring Elle Fanning, which premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.

Production is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2018.

Rodriguez to Sit Down with Barbra Streisand at the Tribeca Film Festival

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Rodriguez is ready to babble on with Babs…

The 48-year-old Mexican American filmmaker will partner with Barbra Streisand for a special talk at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Streisand, an icon in multiple entertainment fields, will converse on her unparalleled career and force field of creativity with filmmaker Rodriguez, the mastermind behind such films as El Mariachi, Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, as part of the festival’s Tribeca Talks: Storytellers series.

Streisand has attained unprecedented achievements as a recording artist, actor, director, producer, concert performer, author and songwriter. Streisand has been awarded two Oscars, five Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys plus two special Grammys, a special Tony Award in 1970, and two CableACE Awards – the only artist to receive honors in all of those fields of endeavor.

Rodriguez, a horror/cult movie maestro, will pose questions to Streisand on her storied career.

But he isn’t the only Latino taking part in this year’s Tribeca Talks…

Alejandro González Iñárritu will talk part in the Tribeca Talks: Director Series, a series of will “intimate talks and discussions.”

The Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker, who directed Birdman and The Revenant, will discuss his own body of work.

The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 19-30. Visit the festival’s website for more details.

Here’s more on the two Tribeca Talks:

Tribeca Talks: Directors Series
Today’s most groundbreaking filmmakers discuss their careers and highlights.

Alejandro González Iñárritu
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, one of only three directors to ever win consecutive Oscars and the first to do so in 65 years, will talk about his beautifully varied work on films such as Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Biutiful, Babel, and most recently, The Revenant. Iñárritu is the first Mexican filmmaker to have been nominated for Best Director and Best Producer in the history of the Academy Awards.
DATE: Saturday, April 22
TIME: 2:30PM

Tribeca Talks: Storytellers
Some of today’s most innovative creators broke from traditional roles and pioneered their own forms of storytelling, often mastering multiple mediums. This series will celebrate the illustrious careers of those individuals who have broken from the mold.

Barbra Streisand with Robert Rodriguez
Widely recognized as an icon in multiple entertainment fields, Barbra Streisand has attained unprecedented achievements as a recording artist, actor, director, producer, concert performer, author and songwriter. Streisand has been awarded two Oscars, five Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys plus two special Grammys, a special Tony award in 1970, and two CableACE Awards – the only artist to receive honors in all of those fields of endeavor. She will converse on her unparalleled career and force field of creativity with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.
DATE: Saturday, April 29
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center

Breaking Glass Pictures to Release Martinez’s Indie Film “Actor Martinez”

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Arthur Martinez is heading to the big screen…

Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired the North American distribution rights to the indie pic Actor Martinez, starring the Latino actor.

From the writer/director duo of Mike Ott and Nathan Silver, the film follows a local Denver computer repairman and aspiring actor (Martinez) who hires two indie filmmakers to come to town and make a film with him as the star.

The film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, will have a limited theatrical release in December before expanding in first quarter of 2017, along with a DVD and digital platform release.

Additionally, Actor Martinez will screen at the Denver Film Festival and American Film Institute’s (AFI) AFI Fest in the American Independent Section.

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