Reyes, Cruz the Winners of Heineken VOCES Grant to be Honored atTribeca Film Festival

"I strive to partner with institutions that are going to respect my vision and point of view; otherwise you do a disservice to the ideas that initially bring about a project," commented filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes. "The Heineken VOCES Grant supports creative, bold films, while also setting a high expectation for filmmakers to deliver on their vision."

Reyes and Yolanda Cruz are the 2014 recipients of the Heineken VOCES Grant. Both filmmakers will be honored April 17 at a private event hosted by Heineken during the 13th Annual Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), which began April 16th and will continue through April 27th, in New York City. This year the company, which has been the official beer sponsor of TFF for the past six years, is also offering many enriched event experiences. Read more.

The Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) and Heineken established the Heineken VOCES Award in 2012. The award is part of the Latin America Media Arts Fund and provides two grants to Latino filmmakers (over the age of 21) who live and work in the U.S. The goal is to encourage each to create unique stories that reflect their U.S. Latino cultural perspective. In addition to cash prizes, the winners receive year-round project support from TFI.

Rodrigo Reyes (photo provided)

Reyes received the grant to work on his documentary, Sanson and Me, which is described as a coming-of-age story focusing on two Mexican immigrants with parallel lives. The filmmaker, who was born in Mexico City, explained the documentary was inspired by a deep, personal connection with his friend, Sanson. He's also appreciative of his experienced team:

I feel lucky to be a part of his [Sanson's] life and to be able to delve into his story and my own. What lies at the heart of my inspiration to make Sanson and Me is the process of grappling with the anxiety and emotional roller-coaster of having a bond with someone who is incarcerated. I'm also fortunate to have an experienced team that believes in the film and urges me forward. Since early on, producer's Su Kim and Inti Cordera have been enthusiastic supporters who have helped me organize and get the film moving. I'm also grateful to director Alan Berliner who encouraged me to embrace the ups and downs of the process; to be patient and allow the story to grow.

Cruz' film La Raya is a narrative. As she says, "...there are some stories that can only be told in a narrative format." The film, about how the mysterious appearance of a refrigerator in the outskirts of a remote village in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico -- La Raya -- promises business, money and success for 11-year-old Papio, is inspired by her family's stories and adventures when moving to Oaxaca. They had dreams of one day owning a refrigerator. The filmmaker, who earned an M.F.A. from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and founded Petate Productions in 2000, explained what led her to apply for the grant:

Yolanda Cruz (photo provided)

I developed the script for La Raya at the Sundance Directors and Screenwriters Lab in 2011, but since La Raya is a personal story about migration, set in a small village in Oaxaca, Mexico, Hollywood didn't come knocking at my door. In 2013, I met Rachel Miller at the Morelia Lab, and she mentioned the projects Tribeca Film Institute was supporting and that the Heineken VOCES Grant was specific for Latinos living in the U.S. I knew my project would be a good fit. Right about the same time, I met with Pablo Cruz, from Canana Films, and he agreed to come on board as my producer. Now, six months later, I'm packing my suitcase to go to New York to meet industry professionals, fellow filmmakers, and watch some films.

Reyes, who attended college at U.C. San Diego, also in Madrid and Mexico City, earned a degree in International Studies. In 2012, he was selected to the IFP Documentary Independent Filmmaker Labs with his documentary, Purgatorio. He said winning the Heineken VOCES Grant helped motivate his team, enabling them to build their production. He also said TFI is the first organization to bet his film.
  "Receiving their support at this early stage, when we are still in development, created tremendous potential for the project," Reyes said. "TFI has an incredible track record of films that have gone through its programs, and we are benefiting from all their expertise in order to nurture Sanson and Me."
  Cruz offered similar thoughts on TFI.
  "The projects that have come out of the Tribeca Film Institute program are of high quality, so having the TFI team advising, encouraging and guiding me while I prep La Raya is a great honor," she said.
 Cruz also mentioned that over the next couple of months, the grant will allow her to shift the focus from financially supporting herself and her project to the creative side of film making.
   Both filmmakers offer advice to other up-and-coming Latino filmmakers who also want to tell important stories.
  "Don't give up on your dream, work hard on honing your skills, and tell stories that your mother, brother, grandma, sister and father would be proud of and enjoy," Cruz said.
  "We are not campaigners, we are artists, and that means that we should consider how our stories touch people in a universal way," Reyes said.  "Consider that your background, culture and personal history are assets that should help your work gain depth while touching on universal, human themes."
 Click for here more information on the Tribeca Film Institute.

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I Will Never Forget

It's hard to believe it's been 12 years since I stepped out of a New York City subway, walked up the stairs and outside onto West 4th Street in Greenwich Village, saw traffic had stopped and people were standing in the middle of the street pointing toward the sky at a gaping hole in one of the World Trade Center towers surrounded by smoke and fire.
 
With such a tumultuous beginning, I had no idea how the day, September 11, 2001, would end. I'm grateful for my New York University friends who were with me as we navigated our way through chaos and uncertainty. And, I'm grateful for miraculously meeting up with my sister in Manhattan, eight hours later, amongst crowds of people, and us finding our way home.
 
The memory of September 11 will always be a part of my life. My heart aches for the loved ones of those lost, as for many the pain of that day remains the same. I recently looked through a journal I kept during that time, and found a poem I wrote about the day after.
 


 

The Day After
It was a long night after an unbearable day
A friend of mine said on the phone today
Strike back, cause fear!
I heard a man yell into another man’s ear
More than 2,000 perished, I can’t believe my eyes!
A woman said aloud while reading a newspaper as she walked by
Photos upon photos of loved ones
Some flying through the air
Each one representing heightened despair
Flickering candles
Ave Marias
Fighters jets
Inhalers for breathing
Thick clouds of smoke prevent from telling the season
Is there a reason?
A homeless man said while shaking his head
Debris and rubble have taken the place of his bed
Volunteers donate cheers
To a band of brothers
In search of one another
Political ambition in remission
As heads of state contemplate
A decision
On a collision
That attempted division
Or a division
That resulted in a collision
Though united we stand
With red, white and blue flags in our hands
Reeling from the effects of hate
Trying to understand
 
-Sheryl Estrada

GeekPhilosopher: Instant download of free stock photos, images, backgrounds, and desktop wallpapers. Pictures can be used for personal and commercial web sites.

An Artistic Afternoon in Bushwick

When I attended Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) June 1, I felt as if I had a special invitation into the sanctuaries of artists who were present and welcoming even in the midst of a 90 degree heat wave.

Completing its seventh year, BOS is a three-day arts and culture festival hosted by the volunteer organization Arts in Bushwick (AiB).  The purpose of the festival is to showcase the community’s arts scene while creating a relationship between local artists and residents.

This year, BOS was from May 31 to June 2, and according to their website, included 627 shows throughout Bushwick, Brooklyn.  The New York Times reports the festival extended into neighboring East Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Ridgewood, Queens.  The event was free and open to the public.

I was only in Bushwick for one afternoon, so I focused on one location and explored the open studios on the second and third floors of 1717 Troutman. On the outside, it only appears to be a huge, warehouse/industrial-looking building.

But inside there are studios housing artists who create a wide-range of art, from portrait painting to technology-based art to furniture design. You name it; you'll find it in that building. And, the rooftop has stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.

Below are photos of some of the studios I enjoyed visiting:

The studio of Julia Norton.

Bobby Hill's studio

Artwork by Bobby Hill

Todd Polenberg holds an orange ball, which determines the movement of the LED light

display. Polenberg is the associate creative director, technology and effects for the Blue Man Group.

  

Created by AppliedDesconstruction101

 

  

Tim Okamura's studio

  

Origami by Max Steiner Design

 

A view of the Manhattan skyline on a hot and hazy afternoon, including One World Trade Center, from the rooftop of 1717 Troutman.

A beautiful mural on the side of a building facing Troutman Street.

Boxing With Art

"Round Zero" artists' reception at The Art Directors Club in Manhattan.

Artistic painting and boxing are two activities most wouldn't pair together. But when you think about it, an artist and boxer do share many things in common. 

For starters, to be successful as a painter or boxer, one must have an innate talent. Sure, you can be taught how the direction of paint brush strokes influence the result of artwork. And, you can be taught how to throw a jab or an uppercut.

Though, there’s a difference between a painter who uses technique to enhance their vision, and a painter who uses technique, trying to create a vision. A boxer who follows rehearsed moves over and over again is no match for a boxer whose instinct and agility surpass anything they’ve learned.

Throughout history great artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso and Romare Bearden, to name a few, used their art as a form of social commentary. And, great boxers like Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali had a huge cultural impact on society. The boxer and artist each fight for their talent literally and figuratively. It’s a struggle that draws spectators.


Event poster featuring "Fist" by Taha Clayton

When I attended the artists’ reception for the fine art exhibition “Round Zero” on May 15 at the Art Directors Club in New York City, I saw the merging of the artist and boxer. The latest work of four Brooklyn-based figurative painters Joseph Adolphe, Taha Clayton, Tim Okamura and Jerome Lagarrigue were exhibited as a collection curated by Dexter Wimberly.  The artists used prize fighting as inspiration for their work.


I marveled at the vision each piece of art expressed. From Adolphe’s portrait of Muhammad Ali as a young fighter to Clayton’s painting of a fighter’s wrapped-fist in the air to Okamura’s interpretations of the female boxer to Lagarrigue’s three-part portrait of an actual boxer in training -- the expression of talent in the collection is abundant.

The well-attended reception was definitely a hit. It seemed as if there was a collective enthusiasm for the art and the artists. Living in South Florida, I’ve had the opportunity to attend annual art shows such as SCOPE Miami and PULSE Miami, where I was first introduced to Okamura’s work. The same excitement that exists at these shows, which occur simultaneously with Art Basel in Miami Beach, is the same excitement that filled the Art Directors Club for “Round Zero.”

In addition, artwork created by students from Brotherhood / Sister Sol, a Harlem-based youth organization, was on display at the event. A portion of proceeds will go to the organization.

There was also another layer to the artistic experience. Filmmaker and former amateur boxer Jeff Martini filmed the reception for the upcoming feature, “Heavyweightpaint.” The documentary showcases the four artists and their struggle to navigate the challenges of the art world and their attempt to create the “Round Zero” exhibition. The reception is the culmination of the film project.

Through a Kickstarter campaign, Martini and the artists raised money for the documentary. Further support for the film is welcome, click here.

If “Round Zero” is any indication of what we can expect in “Heavyweightpaint,” it will surely be a knockout.

Check out photos of some of the paintings as well as the film trailer below.

Tim Okamura: "Raw Potential (Slugger)" (detail), oil, mixed media on canvas, 36 x 48, 2012.

Joseph Adolphe: "Ali Forever" 2012 Oil on canvas 80 x 80 in



Jerome Lagarrigue: "Near Martin," 2012-2013, oil on linen 79 x 99 in.

Check out the trailer for "Heavyweightpaint":

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