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Exclusive: Myriad Pictures has acquired the U.S. rights to the adventure-comedy Las Tres Sisters (previously known as Sisters) with plans to release it in theaters in the first quarter of 2025.

The film stars Cristo Fernández, Marta Méndez Cross, Valeria Maldonado and Virginia Novello. Fernández also executive produces through his Espectro Mx Films production banner.

Las Tres Sisters follows three sisters who reunite after years of estrangement to complete their beloved grandmother’s pilgrimage through rural Mexico. When Maria (Cross), the eldest, discovers that she has breast cancer, she cooks up a plan to bring her sisters Lucia (Maldonado) and Sofia (Novello) along with her in the search for a miracle. With an old map, no hiking experience and their lives unraveling around them, the trio encounter hilarious and touching experiences on the “camino,...

Myriad Pictures has boarded international sales and will commence talks in Cannes on the comedy drama, Sisters featuring Cristo Fernández from Ted Lasso.

Marta Méndez Cross, Valeria Maldonado, Virginia Novello, Maya Zapata, and Gonzalo García Vivanco star in the Las Caminantas Films production.

Sisters tells of a woman with cancer who tricks her estranged siblings into joining her on her pilgrimage to find a miracle along a path in Mexico used by their beloved grandmother.

Mar Novo directed from a screenplay by Virginia Novello, Marta Méndez Cross, Valeria Maldonado, and Youssef Delara.

Producing are Denisse Prieto, Novello, Cross, and Maldonado.

The Movie Partnership has debuted a trailer for the affecting drama inspired on true events ‘Foster Boy’.

Based on writer Jay Paul Deratany’s experiences as a trial lawyer fighting for child welfare in Chicago, the film follows the trial of a for-profit Foster care agency, who puts a known sex offender into the same foster home as a lawyer’s young client, Jamal, with catastrophic results. Each man heals the other in the pursuit of justice, as they expose the horrifying corrupt agency.

Executive Producer Shaquille O’Neal says, “A lot of what you see in that film, actually happened in the courtroom and Shane shows us the trauma and crushing emotional baggage foster kids carry for the rest of their lives.”

A firm festival favourite, the film is produced by Peter Samuelson; founder of First Star, a charity that gives academic support to young adults in the care system...

The courtroom drama Foster Boy, starring Matthew Modine, Louis Gossett Jr. and Danny Glover, is set to open the virtual Toronto Black Film Festival on Feb. 10.

The indie, executive produced by Shaquille O’Neal and directed by Youssef Delara, will launch the 9th edition of Canada’s biggest showcase of Black cinema, organizers said on Tuesday.

And the festival will close with Mia Donovan’s Dope is Death, a documentary about Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and fellow Black Panthers creating the first acupuncture detoxification program in the U.S. in 1973 to help heroin addicts deal with withdrawal ...

The courtroom drama Foster Boy, starring Matthew Modine, Louis Gossett Jr. and Danny Glover, is set to open the virtual Toronto Black Film Festival on Feb. 10.

The indie, executive produced by Shaquille O’Neal and directed by Youssef Delara, will launch the 9th edition of Canada’s biggest showcase of Black cinema, organizers said on Tuesday.

And the festival will close with Mia Donovan’s Dope is Death, a documentary about Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and fellow Black Panthers creating the first acupuncture detoxification program in the U.S. in 1973 to help heroin addicts deal with withdrawal ...

Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures is adding to its growing acquisition slate with the lastest pick-up, Foster Boy, a courtroom drama starring Matthew Modine, Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr., Julie Benz, and Shane Paul McGhie. Gravitas has the North American distribution rights and is planning a theatrical and on-demand release on September 25.

Brenda Bakke, Amy Brenneman, Michael Beach, and Greg Germann also star in the film, which has played at a number of festivals including the International Black Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, and Woodstock Film Festival.

Directed Youssef Delara, the pic follows Michael Trainer, a hardened corporate lawyer unwittingly dragged into an ominous trial in which a for-profit foster care agency put a known sex offender into the same foster home as his young client Jamal, resulting in catastrophic trauma and immediately altering Jamal’s future. He wants nothing to do with Jamal’s case until a Judge forces him to represent him.

Matthew Modine, Shane Paul McGhie, Amy Brenneman star.

Jason Moring’s Toronto-based sales agent Double Dutch International (Ddi) has boarded worldwide rights to Foster Boy starring Matthew Modine and will launch sales at the Cannes virtual market in June.

Modine plays a high-powered corporate attorney who rediscovers his humanity when he represents a young man let down by a corrupt foster care system.

Shane Paul McGhie also stars alongside Julie Benz, Amy Brenneman, Michael Beach, and Greg Germann.

Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal served as executive producer on the film directed by Youssef Delara from a screenplay by Jay Paul Deratany,...

It’s no secret that I have suffered some losses lately. For better or worse, my pain and grief are public. But I understand the opportunity to face the pain, learn from it, and model a behavior. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

But there are hundreds of thousands of kids across the U.S. — 30,000 just in Los Angeles County – who struggle, suffer, and grieve every day, too often alone, usually unnoticed, and without much public understanding and support. They are foster kids.

Life has challenges and, as a kid, I faced my fair share. But there was someone in my life who, along with my parents, was always there for me. His name is Michael Parris, whom I affectionally call “Uncle Mike.”

Mike was a police officer in my hometown of Newark, N.J. He was a mentor and role model, and it is hard for me...

It’s a case of art imitating life and vice versa. This month, a legal thriller about the abuse of an African-American kid in the foster system from producer Peter Samuelson (Arlington Road) is in post-production and readying for festivals. But just last week, the screenwriter for the film Foster Boy won a $45M judgment against a social services agency — the largest award in the history of the state of Illinois in a case involving the death of a toddler in the foster system.

It was a case the producer/screenwriter/lawyer Jay Paul Deratany handled himself.

But a year before Deratany even knew about the the death of 2-year-old Lavandis Hudson in the foster system, the attorney was writing a screenplay about an African-American boy who is abused by a private social services company. Deratany has been practicing law for about 30 years — 16 of them handling cases involving foster care negligence and child neglect.

Sex and the City and Californication alum Evan Handler has joined Foster Boy, the Youssef Delara-directed indie drama based on a script by Jay Paul Deratany. The film stars Matthew Modine as Michael Trainer, whose life as a condescending, elitist corporate attorney is turned upside down when he's ordered to take on a pro bono case representing a 19-year-old African-American youth who was victimized when a known sexual predator was placed into his foster home. Handler will…...

Exclusive: Jason Moring announced on Friday a deal for the company to handle international sales in Berlin on Youssef Delara’s drama.

Freestyle Releasing plans a wide Us theatrical release on March 18 for The Bounce Back, about a relationship expert on a book tour whose life is turned upside-down when he falls for a talk show circuit therapist who is convinced he is a charlatan.

Shemar Moore stars alongside Nadine Velazquez and Kali Hawk.

Producers on The Bounce Back are Ray Brown, Amir Delara and Victor Teran, while Moore served as executive producer.

“Ddi is extremely excited about The Bounce Back, a hilarious romantic comedy with a diverse cast that will appeal to a global audience,” said Moring.

“Shemar delivers a touching performance as a single father and author who struggles to find love.”...

It was less about 2 1/2 years ago when actor Shemar Moore raised over $630,000 on Indiegogo to help fund his feature film "The Bounce Back," which he stars in and also executive produces. Directed by Youssef Delara ("Filly Brown") and written by Delara and Victor Teran from a story by Staci Robinson, the romantic comedy stars Moore as an author who's marketing a relationship book but hasn't gotten over his own heartbreak. Bill Bellamy co-stars as his friend and manager, and Nadine Velasquez as his love interest. The official synopsis reads: Father, author and relationship expert, Matthew Taylor is on a whirlwind book tour promoting his new best seller,...

From the filmmaking team of Youssef Delara and Victor Teran (Bedrooms) comes the thriller Enter The Dangerous Mind, starring Jake Hoffman (The Wolf of Wall Street), Nikki Reed (Twilight franchise), Thomas Dekker (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Jason Priestley (“Beverly Hills, 90210”), Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”) and Scott Bakula (“NCIS: New Orleans”). Debuting on Blu-ray™ and DVD April 14 from Well Go USA Entertainment and Amplify, the film … Continue reading →

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The weekend is chalk full of new Specialty releases, though most will likely be low performers in terms of dollars at the box office. Entertainment One is opening Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen starrer Outcast with limited runs and will likely find tepid returns at the theatrical box office, though it may shine in the digital/on-demand space where it will also bow this weekend. Documentary Ballet 422 (Magnolia Pictures), meanwhile, has had solid buzz heading into the weekend and should score well in its niche market. Monterey Media is hoping to have traction with stars Wes Bentley, Vincent Piazza and Amber Tamblyn as it opens 3 Nights In The Desert in theaters and on-demand, while Freestyle Releasing is targeting the rom-com crowd for its debut, One Small Hitch. Other Specialty openers this weekend include First Run Features’ doc The Other Man: F.W. de Klerk And The End Of Apartheid In South Africa,...

Fusing the world of Edm, psychological thriller, and romance might not seem like an obvious choice, but that's the ambitious blend put together by directors Youssef Delara and Victor Teran in "Enter The Dangerous Mind." Today we have an exclusive clip from the upcoming film. Starring Jake Hoffman, Nikki Reed, Thomas Dekker, Jason Priestly, Scott Bakula, and Gina Rodriguez, the story follows a slightly unhinged Edm musician, weighed down a trouble past and voices in his head, who finds possible hope for the future when he strikes up a relationship with a social worker. But soon, he becomes obsessed by his new beau and violence surfaces. However, in the clip below, you can see the more innocent, early stages of the romance, before it goes down a dark path. "Enter The Dangerous Mind" opens on February 6th in theaters and on iTunes.

As indicated by its title's weak quasi-pun, Enter the Dangerous Mind riffs on the ubiquitous musical form Edm (a/k/a electronic dance music) as popularized by the likes of Skrillex and David Guetta. Yet it quickly becomes clear that the genre is being used by co-directors Youssef Delara and Victor Teran as little more than a trendy hook upon which to hang a narratively repetitive thriller suffused with movie-psycho clichés. A wild-eyed yet nondescript Jake Hoffman (Dustin's son) stars as Jim, a twitchy, reclusive beatmaker saddled with a Tyler Durden–esque imaginary buddy (Thomas Dekker) who pumps crassly misogynist invective into his ear. Jim briefly finds succor in a potential relationship with an inexplicably supportive social-work student (Nikki Reed), b...

Electronic dance music (Edm) becomes a backdrop for horror in “Enter the Dangerous Mind.” The film, written by Victor Teran aand co-directed by Teran and Youssef Delara stars Jake Hoffman, Nikki Reed, Thomas Dekker, Jason Priestly, Scott Bakula and Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez. The film will be in theaters Feb. 6 on iTunes and theaters simultaneously. The film focuses on an Edm musician whose crush unleashes the darker side of his mind. “Enter the mind of Jim (Jake Hoffman) – a socially awkward Edm musician with a traumatic past, a tenuous grip on reality, and voices in his head. When he meets Wendy (Nikki Reed), he thinks he might [ Read More ]

The post Check Out Stills from Enter the Dangerous Mind appeared first on Shockya.com.

Back in 2012, a small indie film called "Filly Brown" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Instantly it was a breakout hit. In Park City, on the internet, in trade publications, and on blogs people could not stop talking about the talented newcomer Gina Rodriguez. Her dazzling performance in "Filly Brown" as a tough, young rapper from East Los Angeles put her and the film, directed by Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos, on the map.

Rodriguez, who is Puerto Rican, was immediately courted by film studios and TV networks and soon after the fest signed a holding deal with ABC. She was presented various roles but turned them down. While promoting her new show Jane the Virgin during the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills this past weekend she was asked about her choice of roles. Her responses, in addition to being incisive and incredibly intelligent, made us want to be her Bff. Keep an eye on this talented Latina, very big things are to come.

On why she turned down Devious Maids

When I was presented with Devious Maids after Sundance, after I did a film at Sundance and I had an ABC holding deal, I found it limiting that that was the one that was available to me. I found it limiting for the stories that Latinos have. For the stories that Americans have, I feel like there’s a perception that people have about Latinos in America specifically — somebody growing up in Chicago, English being my first language, Spanish being my second — that we are perceived a very certain way.

On the perception of Latinos in America

Our stories have been told, and they’re not unmoralistic [sic], you know, being a maid is fantastic. You know, I have many family members that have fed many of their families on doing that job, but there are other stories that need to be told. And I think that the media is a venue and an avenue to educate and teach our next generation. And, sadly, right now the perception they have of Latinos in America are very specific to maid, landscape, pregnant teen.

On why she became an actor

I didn’t become an artist to be a millionaire. I didn’t become an actor to wear Louis Vuitton. I have to give this dress back when we’re done. I became an actor to change the way I grew up. The way I grew up, I never saw myself on screen.

On how she chooses her roles

So every role that I’ve chosen has been ones that I think are going to push forward the idea of my culture, of women, of beauty, my idea of liberating young girls, of feeling that they have to look at a specific beauty type. And I wasn’t going to let my introduction to the world be one of a story that I think has been told many times

On whey she said yes to Jane the Virgin

I wanted it to be a story that was going to liberate young girls and say, ‘Wow, there we are too, and we’re the doctors, and we’re the teachers, and we’re the writers, and we’re the lawyers, and I can do that too. And I don’t have to be a perfect size zero. I can be a perfect size me.’ And that’s what I live. So Jane, I waited for her patiently. And now she’s here. And thank you for being here with us. Because this is a dream come true to me.

Jane the Virgin premieres this fall on the CW. Check out the trailer here.

It was less than a year ago that actor Shemar Moore raised over $630,000 on Indiegogo to help fund his feature film "The Bounce Back," which he stars in and also executive produces. Directed by Youssef Delara ("Filly Brown") and written by Delara and Victor Teran from a story by Staci Robinson, the romantic comedy stars Moore as an author who's marketing a relationship book but hasn't gotten over his own heartbreak. Bill Bellamy co-stars as his friend and manager, and Nadine Velasquez as love interest. As "Bounce Back" recently wrapped production in Los Angeles, Shadow And Act spoke with Moore and Bellamy about the movie and what other projects they have coming up, including a...

As the leading presenter of Latin American Cinema in the U.S. Cinema Tropical advocates for the Latino filmmaking community and honors their achievements. Cinema Tropical Awards now in its fourth edition have announced this year's nominees

The winners of the 4th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards will be announced at a special event at The New York Times Company headquarters in New York City in late January, 2014.

The nominees for this year’s Cinema Tropical Awards were selected by a nine-member jury panel from a list of Latin American and U.S. Latino feature films of a minimum of 60 minutes in length that were premiered between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013 (January 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013, for U.S. Latino productions). The list was culled by a nominating committee composed of 17 film professionals from Latin America, the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

The Cinema Tropical Awards are presented in partnership with Voces, Latino Heritage Network of The New York Times Company. Media Sponsors: LatAm Cinema and Remezcla. Special thanks to Mario Díaz, Andrea Betanzos, and Tatiana García.

Best Feature Film

- Gloria (Sebastián Lelio, Chile/Spain, 2013)

- No (Pablo Larraín, Chile/USA/France/Mexico, 2012)

- Post Tenebras Lux (Carlos Reygadas, Mexico/France/Germany/Netherlands, 2012)

- Tanta Agua | So Much Water (Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Uruguay/Germany/Mexico, 2013)

- VIolA (Matías Piñeiro, Argentina, 2012)

Best Director, Feature Film

- Sebastián Silva, Crystal Fairy (Chile, 2013)

- Pablo Larraín, No (Chile/USA/France/Mexico, 2012)

- Carlos Reygadas, Post Tenebras Lux (Mexico/ France/ Germany/ Netherlands, 2012)

-Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Tanta Agua | So Much Water

(Uruguay/ Germany/ Mexico, 2013)

- Matías Piñeiro, Viola (Argentina, 2012)

Best Documentary Film

- El Alcalde | The Mayor (Emiliano Altuna, Carlos F. Rossini, Diego Osorno, Mexico, 2012)

- La Chica Del Sur | The Girl from the South (José Luis García, Argentina, 2012)

- La Gente Del RÍO | The River People (Martín Benchimol and Pablo Aparo, Argentina, 2012)

- El Huaso (Carlo Guillermo Proto, Chile/Canada, 2012)

- El Otro DÍA | The Other Day (Ignacio Agüero, Chile, 2012)

Best Director, Documentary Film

- José Luis García, La Chica Del Sur | The Girl from the South (Argentina, 2012)

- Priscilla Padilla, La Eterna Noche De Las Doce Lunas | The Eternal Night of the Twelve Moons (Colombia, 2013)

- Martín Benchimol, Pablo Aparo, La Gente Del RÍO | The River People (Argentina, 2012)

- Mercedes Moncada, Palabras MÁGICAS (Para Romper Un Encantamiento) | Magic Words (Breaking a Spell) (Mexico/Guatemala, 2012)

- Ignacio Agüero, El Otro DÍA | The Other Day (Chile, 2012)

Best First Film

- Carne De Perro | Dog Flesh (Fernando Guzzoni, Chile/France/Germany, 2012)

- El Limpiador | The Cleaner (Adrián Saba, Peru, 2012)

- Melaza | Molasses (Carlos Díaz Lechuga, Cuba/France/Panama, 2012)

- Tanta Agua | So Much Water (Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge, Uruguay/Germany/Mexico, 2013)

- Los Salvajes | The Wild Ones (Alejandro Fadel, Argentina, 2012)

Best U.S. Latino Film

- American Promise (Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, USA, 2013)

- Filly Brown (Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos, USA, 2012)

- Mosquita Y Mari (Aurora Guerrero, USA, 2012)

- Reportero (Bernardo Ruiz, USA, 2012)

- Wonder Women! The Untold Story Of American Superheroines (Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, USA, 2012)

2013 Jury:

Chris Allen, founder and director, UnionDocs; Melissa Anderson, film critic, Artforum; Beth Janson, executive director, Tribeca Film Institute; Daniel Loría, overseas editor, BoxOffice; Mike Maggiore, programmer, Film Forum; Paco de Onís, filmmaker; Anita Reher, executive director, Robert Flaherty Film Seminar; Julia Solomonoff, filmmaker; Maria-Christina Villaseñor, film curator and writer.

2013 Nominating Committee:

Cecilia Barrionuevo, programmer, Mar del Plata Film Festival, Argentina; Raúl Camargo, programmer, Valdivia Film Festival, Chile; John Campos Gómez, director, Transcinema Film Festival, Peru; Inti Cordera, director, DocsDF Film Festival, Mexico; Christine Davila, programmer, Sundance, Los Angeles Film Festival, Ambulante USA; Eugenio del Bosque, director, Cine Las Américas, USA; Raciel del Toro, Cinergia, Costa Rica; Vanessa Erazo, film programmer and journalist, indieWIRE/LatinoBuzz, Remezcla, USA; Lisa Franek, programmer, San Diego Latino Film Festival, USA; Robert A. Gomez, film journalist, Cinemathon, Venezuela; Jaie Laplante, director, Miami Film Festival, USA; Agustín Mango, film journalist, Hollywood Reporter, Argentina; Jim Mendiola, programmer, CineFestival, San Antonio, USA; Luis Ortiz, director, Latino Public Broadcasting, USA; Rafael Sampaio, programmer, Sao Paulo Latin American Film Festival, Brazil; Eva Sangiorgi, programmer, Ficunam, Mexico; Gerwin Tamsma, programmer, Rotterdam Film Festival, Netherlands.

Belle

The 2014 Athena Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of narrative, documentary and short films.

The New York Premiere of Belle, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and directed by Amma Asante, is the Athena Film Festival’s Opening Film, screening on Thursday evening. Decoding Annie Parker, starring Helen Hunt and Samantha Morton and directed by Steven Bernstein, is the festival’s Centerpiece Film, and will be screened on Friday evening. Geraldine Ferraro: Paving The Way, directed by her daughter, Donna Zaccaro, is the festival’s Closing Film, screening on Sunday evening.

The festival honors extraordinary women in the film industry and showcases films that address women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world. Now in its fourth year, the festival runs from Thursday, February 6 through Sunday, February 9 on the Barnard College campus in Morningside Heights. Artemis Rising Foundation is the Founding Sponsor of the Festival.

The Book Thief

Among...

Mexico City, July 11 (Ians/Efe) The family of late Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera came to Mexico to present the film "Filly Brown", featuring the music star's big-screen debut.

"We are anxious to see the reaction of the Mexican people, who have given my sister so much and loved her so much," Juan Rivera said.

Co-directed by Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos, "Filly Brown" opened in the Us in April amid great expectations among fans of Rivera, who appears as the mother of the protagonist, a struggling Latina rapper portrayed by Gina Rodriguez.

Also starring in the film are Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Gustavo, another of Jenni's brothers, said the character she depicts in the film,.

From the press release:

Are you ready for a spine-chilling global avalanche of Indian zombies, Israeli oldboys, vengeance-crazed Vikings, Swedish mesmerists, Irish telekinesis, Argentine undead, Aussie bone-crushers, murderous Mormons and Chilean assassins?

Film4 FrightFest 2013, returning for its 4teenth year, has unveiled its biggest line-up in history. From Thurs 22 August to Monday 26 August, the UK’s leading event for genre fans will be at the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square to present 51 films on three screens. Empire 1 will house the main event while the Discovery strands will play in Empires 2 & 4. The new FrightFest Xtra strand, also in Screen 2, will allow fans to catch up with sold-out performances of the most popular attractions.

This year there are eleven countries representing five continents with a record-breaking thirty-three UK or European premieres and ten world premieres.

The world premieres include our opening night attraction The Dead 2: India from the Ford Brothers,...

Last month, we brought you an exclusive dubstep track from the SXSW thriller "Snap." Co-directed by Youssef Delara, the film featured msuic by longtime industry veteran and musician Reza Safinia, but it wasn't the first time they worked together. They had previously collaborated on "Filly Brown," which premiered at Sundance in 2012. And with that picture now out in theaters, we have another exclusive track to share with you.  Starring Gina Rodriguez -- who also sings on the tune along with Diamonique -- the film follows young Latina rap star who is offered a shot at the big time, but has to choose between compromising her artistic ideals and abandoning her friends or making her lifelong dream come true. This remix of "This Is My Life" adds some speaker shaking bass drops, adding to a whole other dimension to what had originally been a more straightforward hip hop song. "Reza drew...

In the underdog vein of hip-hop stardom dramas like Hustle & Flow, Get Rich or Die Tryin', and gold standard 8 Mile, co-directors Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos's variation on the too-familiar subgenre (the rising inner-city superstar here is a Latina tomboy) is more heartfelt, humanistic, and entertaining than such a clichéd showbiz cautionary tale has any right to be. Or maybe those superlatives should be spit about breakout lead Gina Rodriguez, a two-fisted knockout as streetwise L.A. wunderkind Majo "Filly Brown" Tonorio, whose angriest sociopolitical rhymes have been borrowed wholesale from an uneasy inspiration: "My moms is up in Chino on a 10 count," Majo admits to her new loverboy DJ, just before her image is sexed up by a small-time producer an...

"Filly Brown,' which features the late Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera in a supporting role, debuted with a strong $1.3 million at the specialty box office this weekend. The film, written by Youssef Delara who co-directs with Michael D. Olmos, follows a promising hip-hop rhymer from Los Angeles (Gina Rodriguez) who finds herself in a gray area when a record producer offers her a compromising shot at stardom. Also read: Tom Cruise Rebounds at Box-Office as 'Oblivion' Debuts No. 1 With $38M Lou Diamond Phillips co-stars, along with Edward James Olmos and Rivera (photo...

Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos' "Filly Brown" and David Boyd's "Home Run" each scored this weekend with semi-limited debuts. Both films ended up in the overall top 15 with screen counts under 500, grossing $1.3 million and $1.6 million, respectively. "Brown" -- which Indomina bought back at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival before partnering with Pantelion (a division of Lionsgate) for the release -- debuted on 188 screens. Starring Gina Rodriguez and recently deceased Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera (who died in a plane crash this past December), the film managed an impressive $1,363,000 gross, averaging $7,250. Its the final film released (at least in part) by Indomina, which announced it will cease North American distribution earlier this year. “It’s a strong opening that focused on the core Latino audience. The film will expand into more markets this week.” Rob Williams, Production Exec for Indomina Media, told Indiewire. "Brown" received a promising "A-" score from.

In the rousing hip-hop drama "Filly Brown," newcomer Gina Rodriguez gives a commanding turn as the titular young hip-hop artist. Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos' Sundance indie centers on Brown, a Los Angeles-based struggling rapper with a mother in prison (the late Jenni Rivera) and one big shot at stardom. Read More: Newcomer Gina Rodriguez On Learning to Rap for 'Filly Brown' and Acting Opposite the Late Jenni Rivera Rodriguez, an Nyu Tisch School of the Arts graduate best known for her brassy performance in the teen dance comedy "Go for It!," also raps in the film -- a first for the actress. Watch her show off her new-found skills in an exclusive scene from the film below. "Filly Brown" opens in select theaters today.

I can't say enough good about Filly Brown, the first film from directing team Michael Olmos and Youssef Delara. They have both directed their own features independently, but clearly this was a team that was meant to be. Not only is Filly Brown expertly directed, but Gina Rodriguez is stellar in her breakout performance. Like Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone two years ago - this girl is going places. Bolstered by a solid supporting cast lead by Lou Diamond Phillips, an amazing soundtrack and a script that hits every beat perfectly, Filly Brown is a must see. Rodriguez plays Filly Brown, a feisty young woman who has had to grow up quickly. Whether it's taking care of her little sister, working in her uncle's tattoo...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

[Editor's Note: This interview originally ran during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The film, starring the late Jenni Rivera, opens in select theaters on April 19th.] Why She's On Our Radar: In the Sundance U.S. Dramatic contender "Filly Brown" from directors Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos, Gina Rodriguez gives a commanding turn as the titular young hip-hop artist. The drama centers on Brown, a Los Angeles based struggling rapper with a mother in prison and one big shot at stardom. Rodriguez, an Nyu Tisch School of the Arts graduate best known for her brassy performance in the teen dance comedy "Go for It!," also raps in the film. "Filly Brown" world premieres tonight in Park City. What's Next: Rodriguez, who recently signed a talent deal with ABC, is currently in talks to appear in Olmos' next project, an untitled boxing bio pic. "Michael had approached me after 'Filly Brown,' talking about an autobiography of this girl who was a boxer," Rodriguez said. "She grew up...

Edward James Olmos executive produces the inspirational and gritty portrait of a young Los Angeles hip-hop artist in Filly Brown. The film was a family affair with his son co-directing and other son producing. The Academy Award nominee talks about how the indie film came together with Kevin Smith coming in to save the day.

Directed by Youssef Delara and Michael Olmos, Filly Brown boasts an impressive cast featuring Lou Diamond Phillips, Edward James Olmos and the legendary Jenni Rivera in her final on-screen performance. The lead, Gina Rodriguez, is being heralded as the new “it” girl for her performance as the fierce “Majo” Tonorio aka Filly Brown.

CineMovie’s Pili Montilla sat down with Edward James Olmos who stars and executive produces Filly

Read more...

Check out poster 3 for Filly Brown which shows Gina Rodriguez and Jenni Rivera in the film also starring Lou Diamond Phillips, Edward James Olmos. Youssef Delara and Michael Olmos direct the film fused with a fierce hip-hop score, and propelled by an exceptional cast. Majo Tonorio, a.k.a. “Filly Brown,” is a raw, young Los Angeles hiphop artist who spits rhymes from the heart. With an incarcerated mother, and a father struggling to provide for his daughters, a record contract could be the ticket out for her family. But when a record producer offers Majo a crack at stardom, she is suddenly faced with losing who she is as an artist and the friends who helped her reach the cusp of success. Filly Brown is an inspiring and gritty portrait of a young artist’s striving to find her voice and seize her dreams without compromise that celebrates the power of music and family.

Check out poster 3 for Filly Brown which shows Gina Rodriguez and Jenni Rivera in the film also starring Lou Diamond Phillips, Edward James Olmos. Youssef Delara and Michael Olmos direct the film fused with a fierce hip-hop score, and propelled by an exceptional cast. Majo Tonorio, a.k.a. “Filly Brown,” is a raw, young Los Angeles hiphop artist who spits rhymes from the heart. With an incarcerated mother, and a father struggling to provide for his daughters, a record contract could be the ticket out for her family. But when a record producer offers Majo a crack at stardom, she is suddenly faced with losing who she is as an artist and the friends who helped her reach the cusp of success. Filly Brown is an inspiring and gritty portrait of a young artist’s striving to find her voice and seize her dreams without compromise that celebrates the power of music and family.

Reza Safinia, a multi-instrumentalist composer raised on Barry White, Michael Jackson, and Quincy Jones Productions, has worked in the music industry producing and engineering records for artists from Kylie Minogue to Ms Dynamite. Recently, however, he has begun composing for film and has managed to incorporate his passion for textured, electronic music into the cinematic realm. This is apparent in his most recent film Snap, which premiered this year at SXSW and features a primarily dubstep-driven score. Safinia was kind enough to talk to us about his journey from record producer to film composer and how electronic music has shaped the art of film scoring.

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What were some of your earliest musical influences?

When I was five years old my aunt gave me a cassette of Barry White and I used to play it every night on auto repeat on those [cassette players] where it would turn around when it got to the end of one side,...

Pantelion Films has released the theatrical poster and trailer for Sundance favorite Filly Brown starring Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera who was killed in a plane crash last month. The film is based on the life of Majo … a Mexican-American hip-hop prodigy from Los Angeles, who is in a search to find her voice and to accomplish her personal and music career dreams. The upcoming hip-hop drama movie is directed by Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos. Along with Rivera the film also stars starring Gina Rodriguez, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Edward James Olmos. Check out the trailer and poster below and be sure to let...

Click to continue reading Sundance Hit Filly Brown Poster and Trailer on | FilmoFilia

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"Twilight" actress Nikki Reed made a big dent at SXSW this year, showing off her acting chops in the gritty indie "Snap" and singing opposite her husband (and former "American Idol" contestant) Paul McDonald at a number of live gigs throughout Austin for the music portion of the festival. Like her musical foray, "Snap" is a passion project for Reed, who took on double duties as producer/star after reading Victor Teran's script. Directed by Teran and Youssef Delara ("Filly Brown"), "Snap" centers on Jim Whitman (Jake Hoffman), a brilliant but painfully introverted dubstep musician who develops a crush on a young social worker, Wendy (Reed). Initially drawn in by Jim's musical genius, Wendy soon comes to discover his inner demons as their romance takes a turn for the dour. In between performing sets with McDonald in Austin last week, Indiewire sat down with Reed to discuss her unique experience at this year's festival,...

Another year and another great festival wraps up deep in the heart of Texas. As the curtains draw to a close on the Paramount and the music fades, Friday marked the end of another great festival at South by Southwest. With over a hundred films screened, this year’s festival has introduced a plethora of great films to audiences. The festival has been a chance to showcase big headliners like Evil Dead as well as highlight fantastic indies like Zero Charisma. The greatest thing about these festivals is the air of collaboration between various artists, admirers, and professionals alike. Hearing a conversation between a music badge holder, film badge press, and interactive entrepreneurs sums up South by Southwest succinctly. It really captures the spirit of South by Southwest and reminds us why Austin is a true Mecca for creativity and collaboration. Signing off from Austin, TX, see y’all next year!

Youssef Delara and Victor Teran gave themselves quite the challenge with “Snap.” Not only does the story have roots in disturbing true events and a touchy mental condition at the core, but then they infuse it with an exceptional dose of style and set it all to a beat, ultimately making the film feel as though it has a pulse. Jake Hoffman leads as Jim, an antisocial shut-in who expresses himself through music, making beats, uploading them to the web and amassing a following all from the comfort of his own home. When Jake gets a gig fixing an office computer and crosses pathes with Wendy (Nikki Reed), she inspires [ Read More ]

The post SXSW 2013 Interview: Nikki Reed, Thomas Dekker And The Directors Of Snap appeared first on Shockya.com.

Snap

Directed by Youssef Delara, Victor Teran

Written by Victor Teran

Snap is a psychological thriller that plays like a dubstep song on celluloid. It’s loud, abrasive, with hard cuts, and loud imagery. The film follows Jim Whitman (Jake Hoffman), a musically talented schizophrenic as he traverses an introverted life, trying to keep a darkness inside him at bay. The film charts his struggles to keep the Hyde-like alter personality (Thomas Dekker) at bay as he befriends, and eventually obsesses over, Wendy (Nikki Reed), a caring social worker with demons of her own.

The film starts as typical thrillers do, Jim living a quiet life with just enough darkness boiling underneath. He is content with creating dubstep tracks and uploading them pseudonymously, as long as the one dark voice stays quiet. His music is the one way in which he staves off that part of him. It fills the...

Last night, Harmony Korine's "Spring Breakers" hit the SXSW Film Festival, bringing with it mayhem and a pushed-to-the-red soundtrack fuelled by Skrillex. But it's far from the only movie in Austin with cutting edge tunes that play an important role in the thrust and texture of the narrative. "Snap," co-directed by Youssef Delara (who was behind last year's buzzed-about "Filly Brown") and Victor Teran, is a psychological thriller set within the dubstep scene and we've got an exclusive track from Reza Safinia to give you a flavor of what will be coming out of movie theater speakers at SXSW. After previously working with Delara on "Filly Brown," they reunited for "Snap," with Safinia expanding his role as composer to include producer. A longtime music industry veteran and musician in his own right, Safinia told us he sees more opportunities for electronic artists in the film world, thanks one film in particular.

The team behind Sundance 2012 breakout film “Filly Brown” are reuniting, as Deadline reports actress Gina Rodriguez, director Youssef Delara and the “Filly Brown” producers will next tackle musically-tinged family drama “Marching Banda.” Rodriguez will play the single mother of a high school trumpet player. When the boy’s estranged father shows up, he bonds with [...]

The post Gina Rodriguez Reunites with “Filly Brown” Team for “Marching Banda” appeared first on Up and Comers.

Quickly after premiering Filly Brown at Sundance in 2012, filmmakers Youssef Delara and Victor Teran moved into production on their newest feature, Snap. As close collaborators for many years on other films, Delara and Teran teamed up again to co-direct and produce Snap. Set in the explosive world of underground dubstep, the film explores the dangerous psyche of a young man as a social worker and her mentor try to uncover his secrets before his violent past erupts. Snap stars Jake Hoffman (Barney’s Version), Nikki Reed (Thirteen, Twilight), Scott Bakula (American Beauty, TV’s Quantum Leap), and Thomas Dekker (Kaboom), and makes its world premiere tomorrow at SXSW in …...

In case you’re not so familiar with the Snap movie, we’re here to inform you that it’s an upcoming psychological thriller set in (watch out!) the world of dubstep! Another great thing about this project is that it stars Dustin Hoffman’s son Jake Hoffman and Nikki Reed, it is set to premiere at this year’s SXSW, and today we have the first teaser trailer to share with you! That’s more than just one good thing, actually… Directed by Youssef Delara and Victor Teran, the movie will take us on a dark and terrifying journey into the depths of the psychopathic mind that threatens to explode into...

"Snap" stars Jake Hoffman (son of Dustin Hoffman) as a mentally unstable dubstep savant who becomes obsessed with social worker Nikki Reed ("Twilight") and quickly unravels to menacing proportions. The psychological thriller is co-directed by Youssef Delara ("Filly Brown") and Victor Teran, and has its world premiere at SXSW on March 11. Watch a pulsing, enigmatic teaser below. Thomas Dekker ("Kaboom") and Scott Bakula ("Quantum Leap") also star. The film is written by Victor Teran ("Bedrooms").  ...

Watch the SXSW Film Festival Teaser Trailer for Snap, starring Jake Hoffman, Nikki Reed, Thomas Dekker and Scott Bakula. Youssef Delara and Victor Teran direct the psychological thriller scripted by Teran, which makes it's World Premiere at the SXSW fest. The film's produced by Filly Brown's Amir Delara, Ryland Aldrich, Victor Teran and Youssef Delara. Jim is a painfully shy, socially awkward music savant whose inner demons get stirred up when he develops an obsession with Wendy, a young clinical social worker, who is drawn to Jim by her naïve desire to save people. His fixation grows more menacing after she rejects his romantic advances and Wendy is forced to seek out the counsel of her mentor, Kevin. Together they attempt to unravel the secrets of Jim's inner torment...

Watch the SXSW Film Festival Teaser Trailer for Snap, starring Jake Hoffman, Nikki Reed, Thomas Dekker and Scott Bakula. Youssef Delara and Victor Teran direct the psychological thriller scripted by Teran, which makes it's World Premiere at the SXSW fest. The film's produced by Filly Brown's Amir Delara, Ryland Aldrich, Victor Teran and Youssef Delara. Jim is a painfully shy, socially awkward music savant whose inner demons get stirred up when he develops an obsession with Wendy, a young clinical social worker, who is drawn to Jim by her naïve desire to save people. His fixation grows more menacing after she rejects his romantic advances and Wendy is forced to seek out the counsel of her mentor, Kevin. Together they attempt to unravel the secrets of Jim's inner torment...

More SXSW business this morning as we now have the teaser trailer for Snap starring Jake Hoffman, Nikki Reed, Thomas Dekker, Scott Bakula, and Jason Priestley.

Jim is a painfully shy, socially awkward music savant whose inner demons get stirred up when he develops an obsession with Wendy, a young clinical social worker, who is drawn to Jim by her naïve desire to save people. His fixation grows more menacing after she rejects his romantic advances and Wendy is forced to seek out the counsel of her mentor, Kevin. Together they attempt to unravel the secrets of Jim's inner torment before it spirals out of control. A raw psychological thriller set in the underground world of dubstep DJ scene, Snap takes us on a dark and terrifying journey into the depths of the psychopathic mind as it threatens to explode into horrific violence.

Youssef Delara directed from a script by Victor Teran.

Shades of Scorsese and Refn follow much of Victor Teran and Youssef Delara's psychological thriller "Snap," but the directors are able to adeptly insert their own demented to twists to make the film something both unique and frightening. Sensitive souls should stay far away, but those looking for something more shocking in their SXSW lineup should be sure to give the film a shot. What is it about? A stylish psychological thriller set against the underground dub step DJ scene that takes the audience on a dark and terrifying journey into the depths of the psychopathic mind as it threatens to explode into horrific violence. About the filmmaker: We've been working as a team in one way or another since 2004 when Youssef wrote and directed and Victor produced our first film, English As A Second Language.We've made three more films together since then -- Bedrooms, Filly Brown (which...

You know about those young whippersnappers out there dancing and grinding and convulsing to a new brand of electronic music that they've titled dubstep, right? Well, who would have thought that anybody would ever make a dark, psychological drama with that music genre right at it's core. You may not have been thinking it, but Filly Brown filmmakers Youssef Delara and Victor Teran were one step ahead of you with their new film Snap. Set to have its world premiere at SXSW this Monday, March 11th, the gnarly teaser trailer for the film is now embedded below. Oh, and full disclosure, while our Festivals Editor Ryland Aldrich is heading up coverage of the fest for us, he's also headed to Austin as a producer on...

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The 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival (March 8-16, 2013, in Austin, Texas) is gearing up for another round of film madness, and next on tap for you cats looking forward to the event is the trailer premiere for Snap.

Youssef Delara and Victor Teran’s Snap, stars Jake Hoffman, Nikki Reed, Thomas Dekker, Scott Bakula, and Jason Priestley. Click on the image below for the trailer which is online and not embeddable over at EW.com.

Synopsis

Jim is a painfully shy, socially awkward music savant whose inner demons get stirred up when he develops an obsession with Wendy, a young clinical social worker, who is drawn to Jim by her naïve desire to save people. His fixation grows more menacing after she rejects his romantic advances and Wendy is forced to seek out the counsel of her mentor, Kevin. Together they attempt to unravel the secrets of Jim’s...