Follow Your Beat tells the story of aspiring DJ Yamilet, a young Salvadoran-American, following in the steps of her late father, DJ Hex, who threw legendary kickbacks and community events when she was a kid. These days, Yamilet and her friends are unimpressed with the nightlife in their hometown of Escondido, CA– nothing but overpriced drinks, gentrified spots, and DJs that can't spin. What's worse, the only remaining neighborhood spot, Track City, where Yamilet works, is on the brink of closing. Amidst the threat of being kicked out by her older sister, but desperate to save the store, Yamilet plans a huge fundraiser in her backyard. The question is: will anyone show before her sister finds out?

From Writer & Director of Follow Your Beat, Karina Ramos Villalobos:

"Being born and raised in Escondido, with roots in El Salvador, I often felt like I had to explain who I was and where my culture came from. I admired cities like Los Angeles, where Salvadoran and Central American communities have created visible spaces to celebrate their culture through music, art, businesses, and community events. Today, I feel like social media has helped more people learn about Central American culture, but attending cultural events outside of my hometown has always made me wonder: Why can’t we have more of that here in Esco, specifically for our Central American community? That question is what led me to tell this story.

Follow Your Beat is a love letter to Escondido, rooted in my longing for more cultural spaces and representation in my hometown. As a Salvadoran-American filmmaker who grew up here, I want to explore what it means to create spaces that are for us, by us, and reflect the communities that call Escondido home. Through music and perseverance, the film explores what becomes possible when a community comes together."

So, Why Support Us?:

If you've ever felt that longing for community– for a space to feel connected, supported, and fulfilled– you're part of our family and this project is dedicated to you.

Follow Your Beat is currently in pre-production. We are staffing, casting, and most importantly, raising money for our film in order to pay for the elaborate production design, location costs, and best possible accommodations for our hardworking cast and crew.

Our strategy to raise momentum is unique- the call to action of the film is to support community spaces by throwing in-person events, so that’s exactly what we’re doing in the San Diego area! In order to gain momentum for our film and crowdfunding campaign, we trace the steps of the main character, Yamilet, to her place of work, Track City Records in Escondido, California – where we will be shooting part of the film later this year! We'll be throwing a listening party featuring an exclusive set from DJ Abby Boulevard! This will be on the opening day of our campaign, the producers and director of the film will be there to mingle with customers and talk about the production, gathering some donations along the way!

Our last notable event is at the tail end of the campaign. We will be hosting a community event at Cafeina Cafe, a Salvadoran-owned cafe in City Heights, San Diego, where attendees can listen to music, grab a drink, and learn about the film, with a live campaign countdown projected onto the wall! 

Once we secure the support needed to fund the production, we move quickly towards our shoot dates at the end of October. With screen tests, production coordination, wardrobe adjustments, and equipment checks done, we will then enter our busy shoot!

Quickly afterwards, the post-production team gets to work editing the project. From there, its destination is to be seen by all of our donors and supporters, and submitted to local and national film festivals!

Collaborations

This film is all about paying it back to the communities that made us who we are and creating new spaces, opportunities, and sense of belonging to future generations. We've been fortunate enough to partner with some amazing local businesses and artists around San Diego & Escondido. If you know or are affiliated with any small businesses or local creatives that center Central American/Latine voices, community-building, or independent filmmakers, we'd love to work with you!

Contact us through this campaign, our website, or via Instagram.

Join the Rhythm!

Do you know a local filmmaker or actor that should be on the Follow Your Beat team? Cast and crew applications are open until August 28th, so share this with them. All information can be found here!

Making a film takes a village and funding one takes... several villages. If you want to support a diverse group of emerging filmmakers and our project's mission, you can help in a number of ways!

1. Making a contribution (but you already knew that): Every dollar in our budget has a purpose and goes to the common good of our production – production design, feeding our crew, wardrobe, rentals, etc.
2. Following us: Following our campaign here on Seed & Spark shows the platform that people are interested in what we're doing and will help push our page beyond just our network. You can also follow us on TikTok and Instagram to get more film updates and see shout-outs for our amazing contributors!
3. Sharing our campaign: If you've already contributed, or even if you can't, sharing this page with your friends, family, and followers helps us gain traction and momentum! You can even copy and paste these pre-written blurbs into emails, texts, and posts:

Help filmmaker @bbimsalvi by supporting her bold MFA film FOLLOW YOUR BEAT about a Salvadoran-American DJ reconnecting to her late father through music and community. Join them on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/follow-your-beat

I'm so excited to see the short film FOLLOW YOUR BEAT, by Salvadoran-American director/writer @bbimsalvi, that's filming in Escondido, CA this fall! Support them on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/follow-your-beat

Special Thanks To

Track City Records

Cafeina Cafe

Andrew Benavides

Abby Boulevard

Alex Castillo

Dennyce Martinez