The Film - 72
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
I feel an urgency to share this middle-class immigrant story that breaks away from limited narratives about Cubans, Latinx folks, and immigrants in general.
The Film - 72
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Family
Green Light
This campaign raised $13,165 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
68 supporters | followers
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I feel an urgency to share this middle-class immigrant story that breaks away from limited narratives about Cubans, Latinx folks, and immigrants in general.
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
72 is a short proof of concept film for my feature debut of the same title that is part of Sundance’s Feature Film Development Track and PGA’s Create Fellowship.
The short begins New Year’s Eve 1972 at Cuban immigrant Gloria Cienfuegos’s Manhattan apartment. We hear Cuban music and a boisterous crowd partying for the end to an extremely challenging year that includes; social unrest, a president being impeached, hijackings, and the war in Vietnam. The party is underway as Gloria frantically retreats into the kitchen after her 18-year-old daughter, Violetta, aka Viv, has made a shocking announcement. Gloria tries to collect herself as her friends, Afro-Cuban Ofelia and Cuban actress Natalia, try to comfort her.
For Gloria, it is hopefully her family’s final New Year’s in the States, and at midnight she hears the inevitable Cuban American toast, “Next year in Havana.” For Viv, this New Year’s represents a newfound determination to make a place for herself in the U.S. The two women navigate the loving bond between them, and the explosive conflict that their opposing aspirations lead them to.
Cuban music will be interrupted by an early 70’s funky electric guitar sound. These sounds battle one another and try to overtake the other, mirroring the conflict between Gloria And Viv. We see Viv and her friends Darla, Lisa, Fernando, and wounded Vietnam vet Frank smoking pot and trying to process the after-effects of Viv’s announcement. They talk politics and are ready to make the world better, do better than their parents were able to. These young women are daughters of the women’s movement the year title 9 passes and the voting age was changed from 21 to 18. They are the first generation to reap the benefits of the women’s and civil rights movements, and are determined to achieve what no other generation of women before them could. Viv reveals that she will be sworn in that week to be an American citizen, which is the cause of Gloria’s shock and grief. It signifies that they will not be “going back” and the New Year’s toast of “Next year in Havana” is now a hollow lie. The film ends with Gloria and Viv cleaning up after the party and Gloria extending to her daughter a peace offering, a “white rose” from the poem by Cuban poet José Martí.
In the end the Cuban music and the funky electric guitar will blend in an eclectic soul stirring blend. 72 is a rite of passage, the challenging journey to belong, and a celebration of how a community of immigrants create rituals in order to find sanctuary.
I was nineteen years old when I saw a film with a character like me for the first time. The film was Leon Ichaso and Orlando Jimenez’s El Super. It was an astounding realization that I had never, in all my life, encountered anything made by Latinos about Latinos living in the U.S. Seeing that film moved me tremendously. It was as if I’d found water in a broiling hot desert.
Today, that thirst continues. It was the need to see the people I grew up with honored and represented on film that drove me to write this screenplay. I feel an urgency to share this middle-class immigrant story. In particular, I want to break away from the pervasive limited narratives about Cubans, Latinx folks, and immigrants in general. 72 is an intergenerational project that will attract audiences of all ages, but will also be a source of pride for the Latino and immigrant communities. Our team are in the process of creating a captivating story imbued with the music, tone, and delicious lush looks of that exciting and complicated time. Nearly all of the film takes place on one night. This vibrant gathering will show how immigrants navigate living in a culture that is often hostile to them. Dancing wildly easily mingles with passionate political and philosophical conversations.
It is a New Year’s party during a time very much like our own, full of intense political upheaval, wonderous creative expressions, and a young generation fiercely taking on the status quo. The struggle between Gloria and Viv is a classic mother daughter one that many audience members will relate to. It’s those we love the most who can hurt us most deeply, and this truth is dramatized through Gloria and Viv’s heated relationship. I am driven to share this period drama which is in many ways a mirror for today. I am determined to expand and complicate the terrain of Latino representation which up until now has been extremely limited. Through this screenplay I put forward a portrait of middle-class immigrants rooted in my own personal experiences. The characters I've written are all based on people I grew up with. It is in their memory that I am dedicated to having their stories told.
Inspirations for this work include artists such as: Misha Green, SteveMcQueen, Lulu Wang, Tanya Saracho and many others who are bravely forging new ground for immensely imaginative underrepresented work to emerge. I am also drawing visual elements from great films of that time such as Klute and The Candidate.
Films inspire me:
I am driven to share this intergenerational period drama that is in many ways a mirror for today. I am determined to expand and complicate the terrain of Latinx representation which, up until now, has been extremely limited. Through this screenplay, I put forward a portrait of middle-class immigrants rooted in my own personal experiences.
All the support we will receive for this project will go towards the production and post-production stages of the film. We will film this short on Jan 20th-22nd, 2023, in LA, with support from CalArts. We will be filming in the permenent set at CalArts, with some logistic support from the film school. We will work with SAG on our casts' agreements and follow the union rules during filming.
As what we did in the past three years, we will follow the guidelines of CDC, CalArts and Unions, such as SAG, to make sure we will be a COVID-safe set. WE will always have the COVID Compliance Office on set to ensure the safe envitonrment for the team. We are also the fan of the GREEN SET concept. We will do out best to limit the usage of plastic bottles and mateirals to save the earth.
We will start the post-production right after the wrap and aim to finish the film by the end of April. Later, we will submit the film to festivals all around the country, and hopefully, a few big ones, whether South by Southwest, the Tribeca Festival, Sundance, or any other ones of particular note. While the short goes to the festival run and creats bigger communicty, we will be developing the feature, 72. The festival run will guide us to the direction of distribution. We started the conversation with some platforms and sales agents.
The feature film was selected for the Sundance Screenwriting Intensive program. We will keep working on the development and launch the financing after the festival runs for this concept short. We will be seeking a distribution partner to get the film out to a broader audience's watching.
Our goal of $15,000 through a dedicated audience on Seed & Spark will cover the costs of casts and crew pay, set design, and food. All your generously givings will bring this film beatifully to life.
We greatly appreciate your generous GIVE!!
Please spread the word about our project and crowdfunding campaign with everyone you know!
https://seedandspark.com/fund/the-film-72
Please use Tweeter, Instagram, FB, TikTok, Twitch and any types of social media platform to shout out for us. We would greatly appreciate any of your time, energy, and funds supported towards our project.
Please Follow our core creative team & Share!
Hashtag: #thefilm72
Find us on Instagram:
The Film: @the72film
Wirter/Director: Marissa Chibas: @mchibas
Producer: Rui Xu @rae.xurui
DP: Siru Wen @siruwen
Gloria: Cheryl Umaña Bonilla @lachepps
Viv: Diana Garle @dianagarle
Darla: SarahJeen François @iamsarahjeenfrancois
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING OUR PROJECT
- Marissa and Rui
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Feed People
Costs $1,800
Our team will be working extremely hard for 12 hours a day, and we want to feed them well.
Finishing Line
Costs $3,000
Take the film to the finishing line to get the editing, sound design and color-grading work done.
About This Team
WRITER and DIRECTOR
MARISSA CHIBÁS is a Cuban American Nuyorkina LA based writer, filmmaker, and actor. She is a 2022 Sundance Fellow and a #1 new release author on Amazon for her book, Mythic Imagination and the Actor. Her short film, Finding Shelter, won best documentary short at the San Diego Latino FF, an award from NewFilmmakers LA and is currently streaming on DocsNow. Her film, A Cuban Documemory, won best documentary at the Cuban American International Film Festival. Marissa’s solo show, Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary, toured the U.S., Europe, and Mexico. Other shorts include; Zohra which was nominated for best actress and best comedy awards at Official Latino Film Festival and streamed on BronxNet, Nostalgia presented at Fabrica de Arte in Havana, and Clandestino. Her films have screened at; Barcelona International FF, Anthology Film Archive, Pasadena International FF, and The Segal Center in NYC among others.
CAST
Cheryl Umaña as Gloria Cienfuegos has had the pleasure of working with, The Latino
Theatre Company (Mother of Henry, La Virgen,) Company of Angels (This Land), Artists at Play
(In Love and Warcraft), Breath of Fire (Digging up the Dirt), Repertory Theatre of St Louis (Luis
Alfaro’s Mojada) and CalArts CNP (Octavio Solis’, Scene with Cranes). Most recently she
appeared in the title role in CTG’s Alma, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.
Diana Garle as Viv Diana Garle is a bilingual bicoastal actor (Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami). Diana
Garle is known for 9 Windows, Love in the Sun (2019) and Just My Type (2021). Diana was
named one of American Theatre Magazine:“People to Watch: Theatre Workers You Should
Know.” Diana is also the creator and host of the We’re So Young Podcast. Diana wrapped her
latest feature film opposite Mary Louise Parker and will be shooting a Disney 50th Anniversary
Campaign late November. Diana is set to take on the lead role of Tania in Native Gardens By
Karen Zacarias at GableStage June 2023 in Coral Gables, Florida.
Andres Velez as Fernando played Carlos Rincón on ABC/Hulu’s Promised Land.
On the feature side, he starred in The Woods, directed by Michelle Schumacher and opposite
J.K. Simmons. He was also a lead in the feature film on HBO Coyote Lake, opposite Adriana
Barraza. Velez has an upcoming supporting role in Netflix: Night Teeth, directed by Adam
Randall, and additionally wrapped another independent feature Coast, which premiered at
the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Cristina Fernandez as Natalia is a Cuban-Puerto Rican performer and writer.
TV and Film credits include Powerless (NBC), Still Wylde (SXSW), Last Week Tonight With John
Oliver (HBO), and Mark Burnett’s CliffsNotes Films. Her latest published work is featured in the
recently released anthology, Our Red Book, published by Simon Schuster.
Cristina has also performed at legendary venues including The Comedy store and Laugh Factory.
She’s worked alongside Conan O’Brien and Christopher Guest.
Sarahjeen Francois as Darla is a Haitian-American performer and playwright from Miami, Fl. She
is known for her roles in Netflix Original Series, Pretty Smart (2021), QCODE Media’s suspense-
thriller podcast, e Burned Photo (2022), and films such as Neckline (2022) and e Graveyard Shift
(2012). Her artistic endeavors in theater have led her to work with CalArts Center for New
Performance, Teatro Línea de Sombra, REDCAT, Horizon Theatre Company, Peach State Opera,
The Atlantic Center for the Arts, Castello San Basilio, Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, and
others.
Cinematographer
Siru Wen is a Chinese-born video artist and cinematographer based in LA, whose practice intersects between installation, film, and photography. She meditates on the balance of opposing forces, meanings, and sentiments that originate from and flow between the bodies/interior and nature/exterior. Siru’s video art will be screened at Sheffield DocFest and A.I.R. Gallery, NY. As a cinematographer, her work has won the Deuxième Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, La Cinéfondation, the Audience Award at the New Orleans Film Festival. Additionally, they have been screened at the Singapore International Film Festival, Guanajuato International Film Festival, and others.
COMPOSERS
Gladys “Bobi” Céspedes has been at the forefront of representing Cuban music in the
Bay Area and internationally for over 40 years. Bobi’s music integrates Cuban folkloric and
modern elements in an authentic and distinctive sound. Her resonant voice and dynamic stage
presence lead audiences on a journey from Yoruba incantations to the Cuban son. She can belt
out a rumba or move you to tears through a heart wrenching rendition of a classic bolero.
Along the way she shares her narratives of family life and love, and the wisdom of Afro Cuban
fables. Always present is her chambo—that vibrant Cuban soul–creative and resilient.
Caleb Veazy is a guitarist, composer and singer-songwriter based in Los
Angeles. He is known by peers for his clear compositional voice, his thoughtful and
collaborative spirit, and virtuosic guitar playing. Caleb makes music in many genres but his
intentionality and voice elegantly permeate through. Caleb has performed and recorded with
Bennie Maupin, Three Dog Night, Derrick Hodge, Kenneth Whalum, Rufus Reid, Vinny Golia,
Lauren Baba, Disney and many other wonderful artists. His compositions and guitar playing
have been featured around the world at festivals and in television/film.
Editor
Costantino Ciminiello was raised in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas by his immigrant parents of Argentine and Italian descent. Costa edits commercial projects as well as independent films, which have screened at hundreds of filmfestivals around the world. His commercial work expands to 20th Century Fox, American Express, and Call of Duty to name a few.
Colorist / Producer
John Hawk is a native of Seattle,Washington. His work has been screened and exhibited at numerous museums, galleries and film festivals, including the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, the Seattle Art Museum, 911 Media Arts in Seattle, EZTV in Los Angeles as well as PBS and CNN television. He was a grand prize winner with his video, The Anabaptists in the 1994 Seattle Video Shorts Festival. Collaborating with biologist Michael Bryant their film Menopause in Guppies was screened at the Berlin Directors Lounge Festival 2013. The Echo Park Film Center presented a retrospective of his film and installation work.
Producer
Rui Xu (Producer) is an LA-based award-winning producer. Xu's producer credits include Hieu, the Deuxième Prix winner of the Cinéfondation Selection at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019; Finis Terrae, the Special Mention FEDIC for Best Short Film winner at the 2020 Venice International FilmFestival. Xu is a 2022 Producing Fellow in the Film Independent Project Involve, Spotlight Dorado, and PGA CREATE Program.
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
72 is a short proof of concept film for my feature debut of the same title that is part of Sundance’s Feature Film Development Track and PGA’s Create Fellowship.
The short begins New Year’s Eve 1972 at Cuban immigrant Gloria Cienfuegos’s Manhattan apartment. We hear Cuban music and a boisterous crowd partying for the end to an extremely challenging year that includes; social unrest, a president being impeached, hijackings, and the war in Vietnam. The party is underway as Gloria frantically retreats into the kitchen after her 18-year-old daughter, Violetta, aka Viv, has made a shocking announcement. Gloria tries to collect herself as her friends, Afro-Cuban Ofelia and Cuban actress Natalia, try to comfort her.
For Gloria, it is hopefully her family’s final New Year’s in the States, and at midnight she hears the inevitable Cuban American toast, “Next year in Havana.” For Viv, this New Year’s represents a newfound determination to make a place for herself in the U.S. The two women navigate the loving bond between them, and the explosive conflict that their opposing aspirations lead them to.
Cuban music will be interrupted by an early 70’s funky electric guitar sound. These sounds battle one another and try to overtake the other, mirroring the conflict between Gloria And Viv. We see Viv and her friends Darla, Lisa, Fernando, and wounded Vietnam vet Frank smoking pot and trying to process the after-effects of Viv’s announcement. They talk politics and are ready to make the world better, do better than their parents were able to. These young women are daughters of the women’s movement the year title 9 passes and the voting age was changed from 21 to 18. They are the first generation to reap the benefits of the women’s and civil rights movements, and are determined to achieve what no other generation of women before them could. Viv reveals that she will be sworn in that week to be an American citizen, which is the cause of Gloria’s shock and grief. It signifies that they will not be “going back” and the New Year’s toast of “Next year in Havana” is now a hollow lie. The film ends with Gloria and Viv cleaning up after the party and Gloria extending to her daughter a peace offering, a “white rose” from the poem by Cuban poet José Martí.
In the end the Cuban music and the funky electric guitar will blend in an eclectic soul stirring blend. 72 is a rite of passage, the challenging journey to belong, and a celebration of how a community of immigrants create rituals in order to find sanctuary.
I was nineteen years old when I saw a film with a character like me for the first time. The film was Leon Ichaso and Orlando Jimenez’s El Super. It was an astounding realization that I had never, in all my life, encountered anything made by Latinos about Latinos living in the U.S. Seeing that film moved me tremendously. It was as if I’d found water in a broiling hot desert.
Today, that thirst continues. It was the need to see the people I grew up with honored and represented on film that drove me to write this screenplay. I feel an urgency to share this middle-class immigrant story. In particular, I want to break away from the pervasive limited narratives about Cubans, Latinx folks, and immigrants in general. 72 is an intergenerational project that will attract audiences of all ages, but will also be a source of pride for the Latino and immigrant communities. Our team are in the process of creating a captivating story imbued with the music, tone, and delicious lush looks of that exciting and complicated time. Nearly all of the film takes place on one night. This vibrant gathering will show how immigrants navigate living in a culture that is often hostile to them. Dancing wildly easily mingles with passionate political and philosophical conversations.
It is a New Year’s party during a time very much like our own, full of intense political upheaval, wonderous creative expressions, and a young generation fiercely taking on the status quo. The struggle between Gloria and Viv is a classic mother daughter one that many audience members will relate to. It’s those we love the most who can hurt us most deeply, and this truth is dramatized through Gloria and Viv’s heated relationship. I am driven to share this period drama which is in many ways a mirror for today. I am determined to expand and complicate the terrain of Latino representation which up until now has been extremely limited. Through this screenplay I put forward a portrait of middle-class immigrants rooted in my own personal experiences. The characters I've written are all based on people I grew up with. It is in their memory that I am dedicated to having their stories told.
Inspirations for this work include artists such as: Misha Green, SteveMcQueen, Lulu Wang, Tanya Saracho and many others who are bravely forging new ground for immensely imaginative underrepresented work to emerge. I am also drawing visual elements from great films of that time such as Klute and The Candidate.
Films inspire me:
I am driven to share this intergenerational period drama that is in many ways a mirror for today. I am determined to expand and complicate the terrain of Latinx representation which, up until now, has been extremely limited. Through this screenplay, I put forward a portrait of middle-class immigrants rooted in my own personal experiences.
All the support we will receive for this project will go towards the production and post-production stages of the film. We will film this short on Jan 20th-22nd, 2023, in LA, with support from CalArts. We will be filming in the permenent set at CalArts, with some logistic support from the film school. We will work with SAG on our casts' agreements and follow the union rules during filming.
As what we did in the past three years, we will follow the guidelines of CDC, CalArts and Unions, such as SAG, to make sure we will be a COVID-safe set. WE will always have the COVID Compliance Office on set to ensure the safe envitonrment for the team. We are also the fan of the GREEN SET concept. We will do out best to limit the usage of plastic bottles and mateirals to save the earth.
We will start the post-production right after the wrap and aim to finish the film by the end of April. Later, we will submit the film to festivals all around the country, and hopefully, a few big ones, whether South by Southwest, the Tribeca Festival, Sundance, or any other ones of particular note. While the short goes to the festival run and creats bigger communicty, we will be developing the feature, 72. The festival run will guide us to the direction of distribution. We started the conversation with some platforms and sales agents.
The feature film was selected for the Sundance Screenwriting Intensive program. We will keep working on the development and launch the financing after the festival runs for this concept short. We will be seeking a distribution partner to get the film out to a broader audience's watching.
Our goal of $15,000 through a dedicated audience on Seed & Spark will cover the costs of casts and crew pay, set design, and food. All your generously givings will bring this film beatifully to life.
We greatly appreciate your generous GIVE!!
Please spread the word about our project and crowdfunding campaign with everyone you know!
https://seedandspark.com/fund/the-film-72
Please use Tweeter, Instagram, FB, TikTok, Twitch and any types of social media platform to shout out for us. We would greatly appreciate any of your time, energy, and funds supported towards our project.
Please Follow our core creative team & Share!
Hashtag: #thefilm72
Find us on Instagram:
The Film: @the72film
Wirter/Director: Marissa Chibas: @mchibas
Producer: Rui Xu @rae.xurui
DP: Siru Wen @siruwen
Gloria: Cheryl Umaña Bonilla @lachepps
Viv: Diana Garle @dianagarle
Darla: SarahJeen François @iamsarahjeenfrancois
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING OUR PROJECT
- Marissa and Rui
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Feed People
Costs $1,800
Our team will be working extremely hard for 12 hours a day, and we want to feed them well.
Finishing Line
Costs $3,000
Take the film to the finishing line to get the editing, sound design and color-grading work done.
About This Team
WRITER and DIRECTOR
MARISSA CHIBÁS is a Cuban American Nuyorkina LA based writer, filmmaker, and actor. She is a 2022 Sundance Fellow and a #1 new release author on Amazon for her book, Mythic Imagination and the Actor. Her short film, Finding Shelter, won best documentary short at the San Diego Latino FF, an award from NewFilmmakers LA and is currently streaming on DocsNow. Her film, A Cuban Documemory, won best documentary at the Cuban American International Film Festival. Marissa’s solo show, Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary, toured the U.S., Europe, and Mexico. Other shorts include; Zohra which was nominated for best actress and best comedy awards at Official Latino Film Festival and streamed on BronxNet, Nostalgia presented at Fabrica de Arte in Havana, and Clandestino. Her films have screened at; Barcelona International FF, Anthology Film Archive, Pasadena International FF, and The Segal Center in NYC among others.
CAST
Cheryl Umaña as Gloria Cienfuegos has had the pleasure of working with, The Latino
Theatre Company (Mother of Henry, La Virgen,) Company of Angels (This Land), Artists at Play
(In Love and Warcraft), Breath of Fire (Digging up the Dirt), Repertory Theatre of St Louis (Luis
Alfaro’s Mojada) and CalArts CNP (Octavio Solis’, Scene with Cranes). Most recently she
appeared in the title role in CTG’s Alma, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.
Diana Garle as Viv Diana Garle is a bilingual bicoastal actor (Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami). Diana
Garle is known for 9 Windows, Love in the Sun (2019) and Just My Type (2021). Diana was
named one of American Theatre Magazine:“People to Watch: Theatre Workers You Should
Know.” Diana is also the creator and host of the We’re So Young Podcast. Diana wrapped her
latest feature film opposite Mary Louise Parker and will be shooting a Disney 50th Anniversary
Campaign late November. Diana is set to take on the lead role of Tania in Native Gardens By
Karen Zacarias at GableStage June 2023 in Coral Gables, Florida.
Andres Velez as Fernando played Carlos Rincón on ABC/Hulu’s Promised Land.
On the feature side, he starred in The Woods, directed by Michelle Schumacher and opposite
J.K. Simmons. He was also a lead in the feature film on HBO Coyote Lake, opposite Adriana
Barraza. Velez has an upcoming supporting role in Netflix: Night Teeth, directed by Adam
Randall, and additionally wrapped another independent feature Coast, which premiered at
the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Cristina Fernandez as Natalia is a Cuban-Puerto Rican performer and writer.
TV and Film credits include Powerless (NBC), Still Wylde (SXSW), Last Week Tonight With John
Oliver (HBO), and Mark Burnett’s CliffsNotes Films. Her latest published work is featured in the
recently released anthology, Our Red Book, published by Simon Schuster.
Cristina has also performed at legendary venues including The Comedy store and Laugh Factory.
She’s worked alongside Conan O’Brien and Christopher Guest.
Sarahjeen Francois as Darla is a Haitian-American performer and playwright from Miami, Fl. She
is known for her roles in Netflix Original Series, Pretty Smart (2021), QCODE Media’s suspense-
thriller podcast, e Burned Photo (2022), and films such as Neckline (2022) and e Graveyard Shift
(2012). Her artistic endeavors in theater have led her to work with CalArts Center for New
Performance, Teatro Línea de Sombra, REDCAT, Horizon Theatre Company, Peach State Opera,
The Atlantic Center for the Arts, Castello San Basilio, Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, and
others.
Cinematographer
Siru Wen is a Chinese-born video artist and cinematographer based in LA, whose practice intersects between installation, film, and photography. She meditates on the balance of opposing forces, meanings, and sentiments that originate from and flow between the bodies/interior and nature/exterior. Siru’s video art will be screened at Sheffield DocFest and A.I.R. Gallery, NY. As a cinematographer, her work has won the Deuxième Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, La Cinéfondation, the Audience Award at the New Orleans Film Festival. Additionally, they have been screened at the Singapore International Film Festival, Guanajuato International Film Festival, and others.
COMPOSERS
Gladys “Bobi” Céspedes has been at the forefront of representing Cuban music in the
Bay Area and internationally for over 40 years. Bobi’s music integrates Cuban folkloric and
modern elements in an authentic and distinctive sound. Her resonant voice and dynamic stage
presence lead audiences on a journey from Yoruba incantations to the Cuban son. She can belt
out a rumba or move you to tears through a heart wrenching rendition of a classic bolero.
Along the way she shares her narratives of family life and love, and the wisdom of Afro Cuban
fables. Always present is her chambo—that vibrant Cuban soul–creative and resilient.
Caleb Veazy is a guitarist, composer and singer-songwriter based in Los
Angeles. He is known by peers for his clear compositional voice, his thoughtful and
collaborative spirit, and virtuosic guitar playing. Caleb makes music in many genres but his
intentionality and voice elegantly permeate through. Caleb has performed and recorded with
Bennie Maupin, Three Dog Night, Derrick Hodge, Kenneth Whalum, Rufus Reid, Vinny Golia,
Lauren Baba, Disney and many other wonderful artists. His compositions and guitar playing
have been featured around the world at festivals and in television/film.
Editor
Costantino Ciminiello was raised in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas by his immigrant parents of Argentine and Italian descent. Costa edits commercial projects as well as independent films, which have screened at hundreds of filmfestivals around the world. His commercial work expands to 20th Century Fox, American Express, and Call of Duty to name a few.
Colorist / Producer
John Hawk is a native of Seattle,Washington. His work has been screened and exhibited at numerous museums, galleries and film festivals, including the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, the Seattle Art Museum, 911 Media Arts in Seattle, EZTV in Los Angeles as well as PBS and CNN television. He was a grand prize winner with his video, The Anabaptists in the 1994 Seattle Video Shorts Festival. Collaborating with biologist Michael Bryant their film Menopause in Guppies was screened at the Berlin Directors Lounge Festival 2013. The Echo Park Film Center presented a retrospective of his film and installation work.
Producer
Rui Xu (Producer) is an LA-based award-winning producer. Xu's producer credits include Hieu, the Deuxième Prix winner of the Cinéfondation Selection at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019; Finis Terrae, the Special Mention FEDIC for Best Short Film winner at the 2020 Venice International FilmFestival. Xu is a 2022 Producing Fellow in the Film Independent Project Involve, Spotlight Dorado, and PGA CREATE Program.