Gabriela Ortega Starring in the International Thriller “52nd State”

Gabriela Ortega is ready to thrill…

The Dominican actress, writer and producer has joined the ensemble cast of the international thriller 52nd State.

Gabriela Ortega Ortega is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Bo MitchellAlice Kremelberg, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell and Oliver Yellin.

Directed by Todd S. Yellin , the film is currently in production across Colombia and Costa Rica, with Bogota-based production company Jaguar Bite overseeing physical production.

The new cast additions join previously announced leads Moisés Arias, Teresa Ruiz, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio and Ken Jeong.

Inspired by real events, 52nd State centers on Felipe, a disillusioned Costa Rican IT worker who stumbles into a high-stakes scam operation that preys on vulnerable Americans.

As the scheme spirals out of control, Felipe teams with a relentless local investigator and a worn-down U.S. Postal Inspector, played by Jeong, in a tense bid to dismantle the network from within.

Ortega plays Elena Grynspan, a Costa Rican investigator driven by justice and personal stakes.

Ortega, who is best known as a director, recently garnered attention for her short film Huella, executive produced by Lena Waithe and selected for the Sundance Film Festival. She is building a reputation as one of the most original new voices in Latine storytelling.

The film’s cinematography is led by Lucas Gath, a director of photography known for his bold visual storytelling and striking realism across documentaries and narrative films alike.

Jalmer Caceres Among 10 Filmmakers Selected for Indeed & Lena Waithe’s ‘Rising Voices’ Program

Jalmer Caceres is a rising voice, indeed

Indeed, Lena Waithe and her company Hillman Grad Productions have named the Salvadoran filmmaker/writer as one of its 10 filmmakers for the second edition of their Rising Voices program.

Jalmer CaceresCaceres is among a roster of filmmakers that includes Cara Lawson, Gbenga Komolafe, Georgia Fu, Justin Floyd, Leon Cheo, Shanrica Evans, Tara Motamedi, Travis Wood and Urvashi Pathania.

Indeed: Rising Voices was created to uncover, invest in and share stories created by BIPOC filmmakers across the U.S.

Executives from Hillman Grad Productions, Indeed and Ventureland selected participants’ screenplays from a pool of 900 submissions.

Each will be given a production budget of $100,000 to create a short film of less than 15 minutes in length, which will debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in June.

Their journey with Rising Voices will see them receive access to a crew through Hillman Grad and 271 Films, and a $10,000 writing and directing fee, as well as mentorship from Waithe and other filmmakers including Calmatic, Destin Daniel Cretton, Justin Chon, Melina Matsoukas and Rayka Zehtabchi.

Indeed has tripled the investment put into the first cycle of Rising Voices for the latest edition, bringing $3M to that program, as well as a new Production and Development Lab for filmmakers from Rising Voices 1 including Johnson Cheng, Stacy Pascal Gaspard and Gabriela Ortega.

“Indeed’s Rising Voices not only levels the playing field for BIPOC creators in Hollywood by creating opportunities for individuals to be seen, heard and represented, but also empowers the next generation of storytellers, providing access to funding, on-site skill, career development and mentorship,” said Waithe. “Our continued mission at Hillman Grad Productions is to ensure that program mentees are truly set up for success as they continue to grow within their individual careers.”

“Indeed’s mission is to help people get jobs. Season One of Rising Voices proved our belief that talent is universal but opportunity is not,” added Indeed CEO Chris Hyams. “With Season Two, we are thrilled to bring 10 brilliant new voices to the story of the power of jobs to change lives.”

The first season of Rising Voices resulted in the creation of more than 650 jobs, with finalists’ films debuting in June of last year.

Learn more about the program here.