Our Vision Caribbean and Latino The Vision Podcast 🎥🎙️

On this episode, we speak with Musician, Producer and Filmmaker Gabriel Lemus Tampico's Mexico own.

At an early age his father Daniel Lemus Baruch taught him the first chords on the guitar and the musical influence of his older brother Juan de Dios marked his life as he embarked on the path of music. He graduated as a Music Professor from the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, in addition to developing his career in other areas such as production and film. For 10 years he formed an “underground” heavy metal band called “Holy Harmony” focused on evangelism in universities, prisons and plazas. Since 1998 he has collaborated in the direction and training of various musical ministries. Dinorah's husband and father of two children, Efraín and Daira.

Currently he continues to create and produce for various audiovisual projects, artists and ministries.

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.

Louis Carrasco director of Puerto Rican Jew and  experienced Videographer with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Skilled in Field Production, Microsoft Word, Lighting, Sound, and Management. Strong arts and design professional with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) focused in multimedia from City University of New York-Herbert H. Lehman College. Talks about his short film Puerto Rican Jew and the film festival circuit.

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.

Louis Carrasco

Director of Puerto Rican Jew and experienced Videographer with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Skilled in Field Production, Microsoft Word, Lighting, Sound, and Management. Strong arts and design professional with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) focused in multimedia from City University of New York-Herbert H. Lehman College.

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.

On this episode, we speak with tattoo artist and aspiring actress about her journey as a tattoo artist and then becoming a film actress.

About Fanny Cortez

Originally from Tampico, Tamaulipas, she is a nurse by profession and a professional tattoo artist with 12 years of experience. Passionate about the arts and human development. The Driver marks her acting debut; her artistic and spiritual nature drives her to explore various fields, standing out as a versatile and creative individual.

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.

 On this episode, we speak with the most important person in Haitian cinema, filmmaker, cinema professor, and executive director of the Haiti International Film Festival (August -17, 2024), Jacquil Constant, MA. We discuss his groundbreaking multi-award-winning documentary, Haiti is a Nation of Artists, the Haiti International Film Festival.
 
 

ABOUT Jacquil Constant 🎬

Jacquil Constant holds a Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Pan African Studies and Cinema Television and Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production from California State University Northridge. Jacquil is an Adjunct Cinema Professor at Pasadena Community College. As the Founder and Executive Director of the Haiti International Film Festival, Jacquil leads the development, promotion and implementation of all festival activities including strategic partnerships, fundraising, marketing and priority setting.

ABOUT The Haiti International Film Festival #HIFF2023 🎬

The Haiti International Film Festival (HIFF) is a niche film festival that specializes in portraying the humanity of Haitian culture through the curation of amazing films from the Haitian Diaspora such as short films, documentaries, and feature films. HIFF is the HBO for Haitian films. The goal of HIFF is to inform diverse audiences about the rich culture of the Haitian diaspora through innovative cinema. HIFF produces an annual film festival that builds a stronger ecosystem for Haitian filmmakers through partnerships with non-profit organizations and educational institutions to make a bigger impact in Hollywood and Haiti.
 
 

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.

🎙️ On this episode, we speak with actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, director, and producer Javier Ruiz. We also discuss Ruiz’s his feature film work, “Poseído” and the art and craft of writing, directing, and producing  films.
 
 ABOUT Javier Ruiz 🎬
 
Screenwriter, director, producer and distributor and co-founder of films at Around Cinema. He has made 19 short films as a producer at film festivals, Javier Ruiz arrived at Cannes in 2016, he also directed and wrote his first feature film “Poseído” which is currently on the VIX platform. He is coordinator of the international film festival Shorts Mexico and is currently a producer of FICCMADERO

 
 
 ABOUT The Madero City International Film Festival (FICCMA) 🎬

FICCMA celebrates independent cinema with freedom of expression, stories, emotions, unique moments, open windows, fragments of life, series of images and much more. FICCMA promotes the talent of both established and emerging filmmakers which positions the city of Madero as tourist attraction for its diverse culture and beautiful beaches.

Learn more about FICCMA by visiting https://www.ficcma.com or sending an email to [email protected]. 
 
 
 

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.

🎙️ On this episode, we speak with actor, filmmaker, and screenwriter Javier Carreón. We also discuss Carreón’s latest work, a short film entitled, “Dulce Sabor [Sweet Hesitation]” and the art and craft of writing, directing, and producing short films.
 
ABOUT Javier Carreón 🎬

Javier graduated from Actors Studio of Orange County and El Set. Carreón has worked in more than 40 theater and cinema productions as an actor and director. Winner of more than 10 national and international awards, including The Madero City International Film Festival’s (FICCMA) award for 2 consecutive years, Gralha International Film Award for Best Screenplay, and Horror Hazzard Film Festival for Best Horror Short Film, among others...

Connect with Javier Carreón on Facebook @javier.carreon1.

ABOUT The Madero City International Film Festival (FICCMA) 🎬

FICCMA celebrates independent cinema with freedom of expression, stories, emotions, unique moments, open windows, fragments of life, series of images and much more. FICCMA promotes the talent of both established and emerging filmmakers which positions the city of Madero as tourist attraction for its diverse culture and beautiful beaches.

Learn more about FICCMA by visiting https://www.ficcma.com or sending an email to [email protected]. 
 
 

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.

Description 

On this week’s episode, Marie Kellier, Founder of the LA Carnival. We will talk to Marie about her life as a student at UCLA and wining student film writing awards when she was at UCLA and ultimately being disappointed with the film industry.

About Marie Kellier

Born in Jamaica Marie Kellier came to America as a young woman to pursue her education. As a writer, she ultimately landed at UC LA in the writer’s program. She talks about her struggles as a black woman at UCLA and all the different hurdles she had to overcome.

LA Carnival 

Marie Kellier founded LA Carnival in 1998 to bring a little piece of the Caribbean to Los Angeles but yet still maintaining a very distinctive LA feel to it. We talked about the 2024 carnival that's coming up in June in Leimert Park Village Los Angeles. We also talked about the beginning days of the carnival, the ups and downs of making the carnival happen, the hard work, and all the roadblocks she had to face in order to make this carnival happen.

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.

🎙️ On this episode, we speak with emerging filmmaker Áron Ferenc Kostyál about how he explores and interprets culture as a Mexican-ized Hungarian born filmmaker living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We also have an in-depth discussion about Áron’s latest work, a short film entitled, “Hide!”

ABOUT Áron Ferenc Kostyál 🎬

Born in Budapest, Aron Kostyal is a young mexicanized Hungarian filmmaker. His experience in a cultural clash, added to his experience editing and creating YouTube videos, has given him the knowledge and tools to make artistic short films based on Mexican life and culture.

After writing and directing the shorts “Love Cut Into Pieces”, and “Chronicle of a Victory”, “Hide”, his new short film, might be the best one yet.

Connect with Áron Ferenc Kostyál on Instagram @crepe.ye.

ABOUT Hide! 🎬

Mario, a Jr. High student, runs and hides during recess, wherever and however he can from his classmate José. Meanwhile, José searches for Mario and does everything in his power to find him. The tension between classmates culminates when one of them finally finds the other…

I chose to direct this film because of the deep message I believe it will have on each viewer. After telling the story to many friends and family members, I realized that everyone had a vastly different interpretation of it. This inspired me even more to direct the film, since, personally, I think creating a sandbox of interpretations and emotions is what all great movies should do. 

I am really happy we got permission to shoot this film in an actual school, and that we could cast real students of said school to play the characters. Creating this movie was a magical experience, one that made me re-live many childhood memories.

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.

🎙️ On this episode, we present the 12+1 Best Black Film Festivals for Emerging Independent Films and Filmmakers 🍿.

ABOUT 12+1 Best Black Film Festivals for Emerging Independent Films and Filmmakers 🎬

When I wrote my first list of the “Top 12 Black Film Festivals” in 2008 for eZineArticles, I had no idea that nearly 15 years later, it would emerge as the most-referenced and borrowed-from definitive list of Black film festivals. By popular demand, I have updated the original list with a fresh take on the “12 Best Black Film Festivals for Independent Filmmakers” in 2023.

A good film festival strategy includes applying to as many film festivals as you can with a goal of 40 festivals submissions, if you can swing it. Those 40 submissions should be evenly divided between large festivals, medium size festivals, niche festivals, and micro-film festivals.

For your niche film festival strategy targeting film festivals that specifically support emerging independent filmmakers of color, you should apply to all 12+1 of these film festivals which I have ranked in order of friendliness, impact, and likelihood of becoming an official selection.

My Black film festival selection criteria is based upon the combination of the size of the film festival slate, number of films that are curated versus programmed through open submissions, and how often the film festival programs films that do not have any high-profile Hollywood celebrities attached to the films. But if your independent film was financed with a larger budget and has stars, you definitely want to work your way through the list from the bottom up.

When your film is an official selection, you are granted an all-access pass to all the screenings, events, and activities for the film festival, including numerous insider official selection filmmaker only events and networking opportunities. After you start screening your film on the festival circuit and your film generates buzz and racks up domestic and international awards, you’ll discover that film festivals will reach out to you to screen your film, and many will pay to fly you out to the festival.

As you begin to screen rack up festival screenings and awards, please share your success stories with us, and give us and this list a shout out on social media. We want to celebrate your wins with you.

🎯 CLICK HERE to submit your film to the next "Our Vision Caribbean and Latino Film Festival" to share your work, reach your audience, and turn your dreams into reality.