MIAMI BEACH, FL – March 28, 2014 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) – With a strong star presence and a national Hispanic media and social media stage as the backdrop, Hispanicize 2014 organizers today unveiled the event’s film festival selections, celebrity screenings and professional development sessions. Hispanicize 2014 (http://www.hispanicizeevent.com/), the largest annual event for Latino trendsetters and newsmakers in social media, journalism, advertising, public relations, film, music and innovation, will take place at the Intercontinental in downtown Miami, April 1-4.
This year’s film selections are: “ Cesar Chavez”, “Water and Power”, “Sleeping with The Fishes”, “Avenues”, “The House That Jack Built”, and six short films: “Missing Grandma,” “J-1”, “Tender Love”, “Reason Y I’m Single”, “ The Price We Pay” and “Stereotypically Me”.
Hollywood celebrities confirmed to attend the festival’s red carpets and sessions are: Oscar nominee Edward James Olmos, Nicholas Gonzales, Cesar Chavez’s family and more to be announced soon.
This year’s festival was directed by Hispanicize Film Showcase director and founder of the New York International Latino Film Festival, Calixto Chinchilla.
“Hispanicize prides itself on being a cultural incubator for Latino filmmakers in the U.S. and this year’s festival will deliver exciting films from acclaimed and up-and-coming directors,” said Manny Ruiz, organizer and creative director of Hispanicize 2014. “During Hispanicize 2014 the Intercontinental and our film screenings will be buzzing with celebrities, tastemakers and top media all of which share our love for film.”
“We’re proud to have the support of AARP, myLingo, Yo Soy Segundo and Regal Cinemas in presenting this year’s showcase. Our films feature a strong new crop of films and filmmakers that I know attendees will enjoy. We’re also excited to introduce a short film lounge, a chill suite located at the InterContinental Hotel in Downtown Miami, where Hispanicize attendees can relax and check out a short film. Attendees should all be prepared as the team at Hispanicize have set the bar high this year.” said Hispanicize Film Showcase Director Calixto Chinchilla.
Special Hispanicize Film and Music Festival Badges for limited access to those portions of the event are available online for via Hispanicize’ Facebook page or Hispanicizevevnt.com. Hispanicize 2014 will take place at the Intercontinental in downtown Miami April 1-4 you can register here http://www.hispanicizeevent.com/attend-2
Below is a detailed, day-by-day schedule of the sessions and films playing at Hispanicize 2014.
Tuesday April 1st 8PM
Opening Night
Chavez: a special entre familia screening
Directed by: Diego Luna
Cesar Chavez chronicles the birth of a modern American movement led by famed civil rights leader and labor organizer, Cesar Chavez. Torn between his duties as a husband and father and his commitment to bringing dignity and justice to others, Chavez embraced non-violence as he battled greed and prejudice in his struggle for the rights of farm workers. His triumphant journey is a remarkable testament to the power of one individual’s ability to change the system.
Wednesday April 2nd 7PM
Water and Power
Directed by: Richard Montoya
Edward James Olmos and lead actor Nicolas Gonzalez will be presenting.
Twin brothers nicknamed “Water” and “Power” find themselves on opposite sides of the law in East Los Angeles. One is a decorated cop, the other a corrupt senator, but both are forced to reconcile their differences when a violence threatens their futures. Based on his own play, director Richard Montoya (a member of Culture Clash) pays homage to the classic film noir with this modern tale of regret, fatality, and betrayal. Narrated by Emilio Rivera (Sons of Anarchy) and co-starring the late Lupe Ontiveras.
9PM
Sleeping With the Fishes
Directed by: Nicole Gomez-Fisher
Director, Nicole Gomez-Fisher will be presenting
Sleeping with the Fishes is the story of a woman who finds herself stuck. After the death of her philandering husband, Alexis is both broke and broken-hearted. But it’s not until she is called back to Brooklyn for a distant relative’s funeral that she realizes what she thought was her rock bottom, clearly wasn’t… going home is. Sleeping with the Fishes is the story of one woman’s comedic journey back to where it all went wrong, to face her dysfunctional cross-cultural family and admit that the perfect life with the perfect man wasn’t so perfect after all.
Friday April 4th at 7PM
The House That Jack Built
Directed by: Henry Barrial
Director, Henry Barrial will be presenting
Hot-blooded and ambitious, Jack is the kind of guy who takes care of his own. He sets his extended family up in a single Bronx apartment complex and then expects them to play by his rules. But his parents still bicker non-stop, his brother can barely keep it together, and his sister continues to entertain lady lovers. Tensions rise, and his dream unravels into an uncontrollable hot mess.
9 P.M.
Avenues
Directed by: Aaref Rodriguez
Director, Aaref Rodriguez will be presenting
Saul Sanchez returns home to the rough Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park, also known as The Avenues, after serving a decade-long prison sentence. Once back, Saul seeks a reunion with his estranged young daughter. Guided by a sympathetic parole officer, who discovers his hidden illiteracy, Saul begins writing a letter to his daughter and begins a journey of self-discovery amid pressure from his gangland Avenidas familia. As Saul separates himself from old friends, he mentors a troubled teenage neighbor following an all-too-familiar gang path. Based on a true story, “Avenues” tells a deeply personal story of fatherhood and the isolation felt by former convicts.
Hispanicize 2014 Film Showcase Short Film Selections
Yo Soy Segundo presents the Film Chill Room. A lounge spot open throughout the conference to chill, relax, catch a good short, and be inspired!
Featuring new short films from emerging filmmakers; the program will also feature inspirational short films from Yo Soy Segundo, featuring today’s actors, athletes, musicians and business leaders.
Reasons Y I’m Single
Directed by: Elaine del Valle
Written and directed by Elaine del Valle, Reasons Why I’m Single is a Comedy Web Series about being Single, Over 35 and Under Fabulous. Episodes featured are: “I Tweet Jay-Z”and “The Latina Date”.
Missing Grandma
Directed by: Adel L. Morales
A 60-year-old grandmother, Mita, who doesn’t hesitate to throw a slipper at you, is in the early stages of dementia, as she tries to impress upon her 16-year-old granddaughter, Tammi, the need to act like a lady. The generational gap widens and bonds are nearly broken after Mita finds an open box of condoms in Tammi’s room. Harsh words are spoken and feelings are hurt. Later as the smell of sofrito hangs in the air, Mita puts away her Rosary and gives Tammi awkward but valuable advice on sex.
J-1
Directed by: Geoffery Guerrero
Every Summer young college students from Eastern Europe and Russia come to America through the J-1 Visa Program issued by the U.S. State Department. Inspired by a true story, when Oksana meets her J-1 Sponsor in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn she soon learns her initial job offer no longer exists and she is forced to dance at a strip club for little to no pay.
Tender Love
Directed by Peter Alton & Benjamin Byron Davis
A love story unlike anything you’ve seen… a tale of love and loss, between a man and his shorty from around the way, his TiVo remote control.
Stereotypically Me
Directed by: Linda Nieves-Powell
Perception in our world is everything. It is what our eyes determine on the surface. To be good, bad, right, wrong, intelligent, average, pretty, or ugly. These perceptions are informed by our experiences, worldview, education or lack thereof, and what we accept as truth delivered to us via our media. Meet Lydia, a writer who has muses to get rid of, in an effort to write her truth against a world full of stereotypes.
The Price We Pay
Directed by: Jesse Garcia
A film about a scarred soldier, suffering from PTSD, who comes home from war to find his relationship with his neighborhood, best friend and wife, not how he left it. But, is what he’s seeing, real?
About Hispanicize 2014
Now in its fifth year, Hispanicize 2014 (http://www.HispanicizeEvent.com) (#Hispz14) is the iconic, largest annual event for Latino trendsetters and newsmakers in social media, journalism, advertising, PR, technology, film and music.
Title sponsored by P&G and co-chaired by award winning journalist Maria Hinojosa of NPR’s Latino USA and Patricia Pineda, Group Vice President of the Hispanic Business Strategy Group of Toyota Motor North America, Hispanicize 2014 is expected to gather more than 1,700 of the nation’s most influential Latino professionals from the industries of blogging, journalism, technology, music, marketing, film and business over four full days. Featuring U.S. Hispanic thought leaders and celebrities, the 5th anniversary edition of Hispanicize will be taking place at the InterContinental Miami hotel with several offsite events at major cultural venues.
The event is a launch pad for creative endeavors, new products, technologies, marketing campaigns, films, books and more targeting Latinos in the U.S. and/or Puerto Rico.
Hispanicize 2014, a partnership of the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA), Hispanicize and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), will be held at the InterContinental Miami hotel, April 1-4, 2014 in downtown Miami.
Hispanicize 2014 Film Showcase Sponsors
The Hispanicize 2014 Film Showcase is presented by AARP and co-sponsored by: MyLingo.com, and hosted by Regal Cinemas. The Hispanicize Short Film Lounge is Presented by Yo Soy Segundo.
