The Dominican actress, writer and producer has joined the ensemble cast of the international thriller 52nd State.
Ortega is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Bo Mitchell, Alice 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.
The 45-year-old Mexican actor, director and producer will star in the indie thriller Eleven Days opposite Taylor Kitsch from Concussion director Peter Landesman.
The film is set in the sweltering heat of a Texas summer in 1974, when ruthless prisoner Federico Carrasco (Luna) plays a deadly game against Jim Estelle (Kitsch), head of the Texas Department of Corrections, after taking over Huntsville Penitentiary and holding dozens hostage when his pre-planned escape goes awry. Lines between captor and captive, and justice and survival, begin to blur as the siege spirals for 11 endless, terrifying days.
The screenplay is written by Kevin Sheridan with revisions by Landesman, based on the book Eleven Days In Hell: The 1974 Carrasco Prison Siege at Huntsville,Texas by William T. Harper.
The film, which will shoot in Texas in September, is produced by Vincent Newman and Vance Howard.
Luna has already had himself quite a year following the second season of the Disney+ series Andor.
Luna also received Golden Globe and Gotham TV Award nominations for his role in Hulu’s first Spanish-language limited series La Máquina, where he plays the self-destructive manager of an aging boxer. He stars alongside longtime collaborator Gael García Bernal, and the pair produced the series through their company La Corriente del Golfo, which they founded in 2018 to tell global stories across film, TV, theater and audio.
Up next, Luna stars opposite Jennifer Lopez in Bill Condon’s adaptation of Kiss of the Spider Woman, a Sundance Film Festival standout set for release by Lionsgate on October 10.
Luna was introduced to worldwide audiences with his starring role in Alfonso Cuarón’s 2001 award-winning road epic Y Tu Mama Tambien, alongside García Bernal.
Glorimar Marrero Sánchez has landed a monumental deal…
Monument Releasing has acquired the North American theatrical rights to the 47-year-old Puerto Rican film director, screenwriter and interdisciplinary artist’s Puerto Rican ecofeminist drama The Fishbowl (La Pecera), which recently debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.
The debut of writer-director Marrero Sánchez is set to debut in U.S. theaters in March 2025, coinciding with Puerto Rican Emancipation Day on March 21.
A streaming release will follow on May 21, 2025.
The Spanish-language film is one of only a few Puerto Rican-produced features to ever premiere at Sundance.
Set on the island of Vieques—a U.S. military testing ground for toxic munitions like napalm, depleted uranium, and Agent Orange—The Fishbowl tells the story of Noelia (Isel Rodríguez), a 40-year-old artist grappling with terminal cancer.
Determined to use her remaining time resisting the ecological and social consequences of U.S. colonialism, Noelia’s journey unfolds as both a personal and collective act of resilience.
After discovering her cancer has returned and metastasized, Noelia retreats to her home in Vieques, where she reconnects with her mother and her community.
Choosing to keep her illness a secret in the absence of local medical care, she devotes herself to protesting the enduring environmental devastation caused by military activity. As a hurricane looms and her health deteriorates, she rekindles a past romance and faces a profound decision: to leave and seek treatment or to remain with her people and her cause.
Monument Releasing stated: “The history of Puerto Rico is a parallel to the history of colonization and the rise of the United States as a world power. The Fishbowl takes this multi-century narrative and focuses it on a very human and personal story, set in modern times. Told with an empathetic paintbrush we believe audiences will be excited to learn more about the island’s story and will relate to the strong women that populate this magnificent film, both in front of and behind the camera.”
The 43-year-old half-Mexican American actress and Tracey Nyberg’s Lady Metalmark Entertainment has boarded Queens, Switzerland’s official selection for the international feature Oscar, as executive producer.
The film follows two teenage sisters living in Peru in 1992 as the country slides into political unrest. They are about to leave with their mother to live in the U.S. but they need their father to sign consent papers — he’s been absent for years but now he decides to win back his two “queens.”
Abril Gjurinovic, Gonzalo Molina, Luana Vega and Jimena Lindo star. The film won the Audience Award at this year’s Locarno Film Festival and the Grand Prix in Generation Kplus at the Berlinale, after world premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.
Reynicke, who co-wrote the screenplay with Diego Vega Vidal, drew on her own experience of leaving Peru as a young girl during a period of political turmoil in the early 1990s. She now lives in Switzerland, and the film is a Swiss-Peruvian co-production.
The film is a great fit for actor, producer and businesswoman Alba, who founded the Honest Company. Her shingle Lady Metalmark Entertainment is committed to work with diverse artists and to champion female-driven, culturally diverse and Latino inspired stories.
“We are honored to join Klaudia Reynicke’s extraordinary film Queens as executive producers,” said Alba and Nyberg in a joint statement. “This powerful story illuminates the unshakable strength of a mother’s love and her relentless drive to create a better future for her children. Capturing stellar performances amidst the rugged beauty of Lima, Peru, Klaudia is a filmmaker of exceptional talent — something we are excited for audiences to discover as they laugh and cry alongside Elena and her daughters, with a story that will resonate long after the credits roll.”
“In Queens, I wanted to craft a film that was both personal and universal, a story about sisterhood, identity, migration and love,” said Reynicke. “Jessica Alba understands these themes on an emotional level, which is why having her as an executive producer feels like a dream. With her passion and heritage guiding the film, Queens becomes more than just a story, it’s a tribute to the strength of families and the hope that carries us forward. I am equally thrilled that her partner, Tracey Nyberg, is joining us as an executive producer, bringing her expertise and dedication to amplify the impact of this story. This collaboration is a testament to the power of women supporting each other to tell stories that matter — stories about childhood, parenthood, resilience, and the strength we find in hope.”
Patricia Cardoso is part of an array of Hollywood talent opening up about their work.
The Colombian filmmaker will participate in Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY 360 conversation and screening series, which is back for a fifth year.
In addition to Cardoso, the event will feature participation by Bill Duke and Ed Zwick over the next two months.
Starting on August 3, Cardoso will be kicking off the 2024 program at ARRAY’s Creative Campus in LA’s Historic Filipinotown with a screening of her Sundance Film Festival award winning 2002 film Real Women Have Curves.
The director, who helmed a May 30, 2018 episode of the DuVernay created OWN TV series Queen Sugar, will provide live commentary on the acclaimed picture for the Scene on Screen event.
Tickets for all the screenings and conversations are free, with registration starting 14 days before each event. So, go here to ARRAYPLAY to get those Real Women Have Curves tickets now.
Here’s the full ARRAY 360 schedule:
August 3 Scene on Screen with Patricia Cardoso
Live director commentary featuring REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)
August 17 ARRAY Maestro: A Filmmaker Tribute for Bill Duke
Showcasing A RAGE IN HARLEM (1991), HOODLUM (1997) and DEEP COVER (1992) with a special fireside chat with Mr. Duke moderated by Ava DuVernay
September 14 Scene on Screen with Ed Zwick
Live director commentary featuring GLORY (1990)
September 28 Liberated Lit: Films for Banned Book Week featuring marathon screenings of Francis Ford Coppola’s THE OUTSIDERS (1983), Ang Lee’s BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005) and Spike Lee’s MALCOLM X (1992)
September 29 Reel Retro: A Spotlight on Silent Cinema featuring the work of Black 7-27artists and activists.
Vertigo Releasing has acquired Your Monster, starring the 33-year-old Mexican actress, from Bankside Films.
The debut feature from writer-director Caroline Lindy blends romantic musical elements with comedy-horror.
In addition to Barrera, the film also stars Meghann Fahy, Tommy Dewey, Kayla Foster and Edmund Donovan.
The story centers on Laura (Barrera), an actress who, after battling illness and a breakup, returns to her childhood home. There, she discovers a monster (Dewey) living in her closet. As they bond, the monster helps Laura confront her ex and reclaim a promised Broadway role. Their relationship evolves as Laura rediscovers her voice and embraces her inner strength.
Your Monster premiered in the Midnight section at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and won the Audience Favorite Award at the festival’s London edition.
Vertigo Releasing will distribute the film in the U.K. and Ireland in the fall.
Vertigo head of acquisitions and business development, Ed Caffrey, said: “We fell in love with Your Monster during Sundance so it was very exciting to see the Sundance London audience connect so strongly with the film. We can’t wait to bring it to U.K. cinemas.”
Your Monster is a Bombo and Merman Films production, in association with Gentile Entertainment Group, with international sales represented by Bankside Films.
Barrera’s previous credits include Abigail, Carmenand Scream 6.
René Pérez Joglar’s acclaimed feature film will open this year’s Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
The Latino Film Institute has set its lineup for the 23rd Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, with the 46-year-old Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter and filmmaker’s In the Summers set to open the event.
Perez Joglar, simply known as Residente in the music world, makes his feature acting debut in the film, directed by Alessandra Lacorazza, alongside Sasha Calle, Lío Mehiel and Leslie Grace.
The film’s accolades include the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award for Lacorazza at the Sundance Film Festival.
The film tells the story of Violeta and Eva who, every summer, visit their loving but reckless father Vicente, who tries to atone for the past by creating a world of wonder for them to experience. But old wounds do not heal easily and despite the fun facade, Vicente’s battle with addiction gradually erodes the magic, culminating in a devastating tragedy.
LALIFF will close with the World Premiere of Grassland, written and directed by William Bermudez and Sam Friedman and starring Mía Maestro, Jeff Kober, Quincy Isaiah, Ravi Cabot-Conyers and Sean Convery. The film explores the failures of the criminal justice system through the lens of a single Latina mother whose illegal marijuana business is jeopardized when her young son befriends their new neighbors.
The LALIFF will take place from May 29th through June 2nd at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood.
The complete lineup includes feature films, short films, episodic works, animation, masterclasses, panels, networking sessions, musical performances and LALIFF’s first film market. Tickets are available for purchase now on the festival’s site. Additionally, LALIFF is expanding by creating a new section, LALIFF Eastside, showcasing films by L.A.-based filmmakers at the Regal L.A. Live.
“LALIFF serves as a platform to uplift and highlight the remarkable contributions of Latino creators in film and television, and as the yearly culmination of programs under our institute’s umbrella. As we expand our footprint, we will continue to be driven by a simple but powerful goal: excellence,” said Edward James Olmos, Co-Founder of LALIFF.
“This is an incredible opportunity for studios, education professionals, and the artistic Latino community to come together,” Axel Caballero, CEO of LFI shared. “The generous support of our sponsors has allowed us to broaden our offerings with an expanded industry program, a new film market, and a second venue for our screenings. Supporting our community is always top priority, and this year we are hyper-focused on amplifying the work of Latinas in front of and behind the camera. We look forward to this year’s celebration.”
Here are more details on the lineup:
Features
Feature films from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, U.S., Uruguay and Venezuela make up the program of 22 films, 7 of which will be presenting their world premieres.
This section of the festival will feature a selection of female directors including multidisciplinary artist Mabel Valdiviezo with her latest documentary Prodigal Daughter, Mar Novo with Sisters, María Zanetti with Alemania, Gabriela A. Moses with Boca Chica, Antonella Sudasassi Furniss with Memories of a Burning Body, Carolina Markowicz with Toll, Ángeles Cruz with Valentina or the Serenity, and Lillah Halla with Power Alley.
Featured world premieres include the documentaries Paper Butterfly, directed by Rafael Medina Adalfio, a co-production between Venezuela and the U.S. and Speaking Out, directed by John Solis. The Strike, a documentary directed by JoeBill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey.
The following titles complete the international selection: About 30 by the Argentinian director Martín Shanly; the documentary film Igualada, directed by Juan Mejia Botero; Bionico’s Bachata directed by Yoel Morales, from the Dominican Republic; and Rain, a Mexican film by director Rodrigo García Saiz.
LALIFF Eastside will celebrate four world premieres with screenings at the Regal L.A. Live. Eastside’s lineup includes F.L.Y., directed by Rafael Albarran and Trent Kendrick; Say a Little Prayer, directed by Patrick Perez Vidauri; The Unexpecteds, directed by Alejandro Montoya Marín; and The Wingwalker, directed by Alonso Alvarez-Barreda.
LIVE ACTION AND ANIMATED SHORTS The short film selection comprises 36 live-action and 12 animated shorts originating from over 11 countries. Out of the overall selection, 31 are directed by U.S. Latinos, 22 by women and 12 will be presenting their world premieres. The short films can be seen either as standalone screenings or paired with featured films.
Among the programs is “Nosotras,” featuring 9 shorts portraying women’s experiences, all directed by women. Notable is the Chilean film Yaya, directed by Leticia Akel Escárate. “Unhinged” offers a captivating journey through films exploring the loss of innocence, providing a compelling examination of the human condition. A highlight of this program is the Puerto Rican film Cousins, directed by Ricardo J. Varona.
“Spaces/Places” delves into the nostalgia for lost places and people, guiding viewers through an exploration of the reciprocal relationship between spaces and individuals. Anchoring the films on this program is Querido Pequeño Haití, directed by Diana Larrea. Carnívora, directed by Felipe Vargas, embodies the spirit of “Ocaso,” a program that presents a diverse array of fantasy and horror films, each featuring characters entangled in the allure of art, religion, family, death and the American dream.
The “Anímate” program showcases the work of Latino animators and the imaginative worlds they create. Highlighted in this program is The Other Side, directed by Niki López.
EPISODICS
The festival will present the World Premiere of ESPN Deportes’ Las Amazonas de Yaxunah, directed by Alfonso Algara, written by Tlatoani Carrera and narrated by Academy Award-nominated actress Yalitza Aparicio and the U.S. premiere of the animated action-comedy Rey Mysterio vs The Darkness, written and directed by Calavera Hermanos.
A selection of episodic shorts will include the world premieres of two titles. Dreams & Schemes, created by Dolores Rivera and co-directed by Daniel Fermín Pfeffer and Carlos Cardona, and Gringo Latino, created and directed by Eric Delgado. It also includes the U.S. Premieres of The LAnd, created by Andrés Orellana and co-directed with Brittany Anders Esparza, and Vida which is created and directed by Maria Valdez.
AWARDS
The Best U.S. Episodic Short will be presented by FX and the jury members for this category are: Shola Ajewole, Senior Vice President of Creative and Cultural Diversity for FX and FX Productions; Lynette Coll, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of The Rabble; and Anthony Nardolillo, award-winning film and television director and producer.
The Best Animated Short will be presented by LatinX in Animation (LXiA) with the support of Cartuna, and the jury members for that category are: Sydney Bright, Head of Global Animation at Wattpad WEBTOON Studios; Louis Gonzalez, animator; and Angeline Izquierdo, creative director.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
The festival will feature special screenings of all films created throughout the year by the LFI Fellowships, including the Inclusion Fellowship, the Spark Animation Fellowship and YCP Alumni Fellowship. The program will also showcase films from the 2024 NGLmitú x Walmart Filmmaker Mentorship Program, featuring directors selected in collaboration with LFI.
More than 150 short films will be showcased at LALIFF’s student festival within the festival. The Youth Cinema Project (YCP), one of LFI’s signature programs, works in the classrooms of public schools, integrating filmmaking with 21st century learning skills and utilizing a rigorous standards-based curriculum and a hands-on approach that integrates social-emotional learning and English Language Arts. YCP@LALIFF is a two-day event where students will take part in red carpets, panels, workshops, and masterclasses. The acclaimed YCP LiveReads, where Latinx Hollywood will take the stage to perform live readings of scripts written by public school students, will return this year.
LALIFF FILM MARKET
A brand new initiative from LFI, the LALIFF Film Market will offer a carefully curated catalog of commercially viable U.S. Latino films to sales agents and buyers for potential acquisition and distribution. Employing a meticulous selection process, the market will present a selected group of features that are in post-production during LALIFF 2024. Moreover, the market will showcase the U.S. Latino world premieres included in the festival’s official selection.
LALIFF INDUSTRY FORUM
The LALIFF Industry Forum will feature panels and workshops presented by Amazon MGM Studios, ESPN Films, Nickelodeon, Sony Pictures Animation, Starz, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. The forum will also include three-day masterclasses on distribution and visual storytelling presented by Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo.
Melissa Barrera is bringing her monster to North American theaters…
Following its world premiere at the SundanceFilm Festival, the horror rom-com Your Monster, starring the 33-year-old Mexican actress and Tommy Dewey, has landed at Vertical for North American distribution.
Marking the feature directorial debut of Caroline Lindy, who adapted the script from her own short film, Your Monster also stars Edmund Donovan, Kayla Foster and Meghann Fahy.
No word yet on a release date.
The film tells the story of the soft-spoken actor Laura Franco (Barrera), who is dumped by her longtime boyfriend (Donovan) while recovering from surgery and retreats to her childhood home to recover. With her future looking bleak, insult is added to injury when Laura discovers her ex is staging a musical that she helped him develop. But out of these gut-wrenching life changes emerges a monster (Dewey) with whom she finds a connection, encouraging Laura to follow her dreams, open her heart and fall in love with her inner rage.
“We were captivated by Caroline’s film at Sundance and thrilled it has made a home here at Vertical,” Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey said. “Marking her directorial feature debut, she has created a fantastic, fresh, genre-defying film that perfectly balances the mix of comedy, romance and horror topped off with a dash of musical theater that will captivate and delight audiences later this year.”
Stated Lindy: “I’m beyond thrilled to collaborate with Vertical on the release of Your Monster. Their strategies and commitment to innovative distribution aligns perfectly with our movie, and their passion for the film and desire to support my first feature means the world to me. The Sundance crowds were incredible, and I’m excited that more audiences will soon have a chance to see Your Monster in theaters and beyond.”
The film is produced by Foster, Lindy, Kira Carstensen, Melanie Donkers and Shannon Reilly, and executive produced by Bob Potter, Dewey, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford. Jackson Sinder, Jack Taylor Cox and Alex Peace-Power were co-producers.
Mariah Carey is making a special cameo to highlight a legendary singer…
The first trailer has been released for Luther: Never Too Much, a documentary that features an appearance by the 54-year-old half-Venezuelan Grammy-winning singer, ahead of the film’s world premiere on Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival.
Dawn Porter directs the film about the late Luther Vandross, widely considered one of the greatest vocalists in recording industry history but whose talents as a songwriter have gone under-recognized.
As the film explores, early in his career Vandross became a much sought after background singer – performing with Barbra Streisand, RobertaFlack, Bette Midler and other big names – and became a major success of a singer of television jingles (for Juicy Fruit gum, Miller beer, among other products).
He carefully crafted his own solo career, building it around hits he wrote himself including “Power of Love,” “Any Love,” and “Never Too Much.”
“Luther: Never Too Much… chronicles the story of a vocal virtuoso,” notes a description of the film, which debuts in the Premieres section of Sundance. “Using a wealth of rarely seen archives, Luther tells his own story with assistance from his closest friends and musical collaborators including Carey, who performed “Endless Love” with him, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson and Flack. The film relives the many stunning moments of Luther’s musical career, while exploring his unrequited love life, health struggles, and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved.”
Luther: Never Too Much is an acquisition title at Sundance, with Sony Music Entertainment handling sales. A section of the film is devoted to Vandross’s collaboration with David Bowie on the latter’s 1975 album Young Americans. Vandross began by doing background vocals on the project, but his role expanded as Bowie recognized the breadth of his gifts.
“Luther arranges the entire album with David Bowie — as a 20-something year old kid,” Porter told Deadline in an interview at Sundance. “And then he takes Luther on tour with him. And so when you see the generosity of an artist like David Bowie, and you think about that kind of combination of sounds, that is what music and art is all about. These artists, they’re responding to what inspires them. And I feel like that’s kind of something we could all think about. We’re thinking a lot about our differences and these artists, they’re showing us how we’re the same.”
Click here to see the official trailer on Deadline.com.
The 26-year-old half-Cuban American actress/singer will make her feature directorial debut with Color Your Hurt, the true story of a young gay man growing up in the Bible Belt.
Thorne has started the casting process on the project, which is based on her original screenplay and a short film she has made called Unsettled, which is in post-production.
Filming is being lined up for the Midwest and Italy in spring of this year.
The Midnight Sun and Babysitteractress made Unsettled in June 2023 (around the same time her short film Paint Her Reddebuted at the Taormina Film Festival) with producers JenGatien and Eddie Alcazar. It was edited by Ron Dulin with additional editing from Alfonso Gonçalves.
Gatien will produce Color Your Hurt along with David Lipper and Robert A. Daly Jr. of Latigo Films, Dani Druz and Mark Emms, with Adam Sigal and actor CG Lewis serving as executive producers.
Previously, Thorne worked with Sigal, Druz and Lipper and Daly on The Tower, currently in post-production, Gatien on Midnight Sun, and Alcazar on Divinity, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last year.
“Color Your Hurt is not just a screenplay; it’s one of the most inspiring projects I’ve ever penned. As I step into my new role as a movie director, it symbolizes the beginning of a truly impactful and exhilarating chapter in my career. I could not be more honored to tell a true story that has moments I deeply connect with,” said Thorne.
“Bella is remarkably talented, and Bob Daly and I want to support her vision in what is a very important story that needs to be told,” added Lipper.
Thorne, who has also released music, in 2019 directed adult short film Her & Him.
Ortega is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Bo Mitchell, Alice Kremelberg, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell and Oliver Yellin.
