Where Do You Draw The Line?
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Romance
Love can be hard to define. Sometimes what we think is love is an attachment to the feeling of what we thought we needed at a certain time. And maybe we did. But where do you draw the line between love and attachment? Esmeralda and Manny's connection shows why boundaries are important.
Where Do You Draw The Line?
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Romance
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,480 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
74 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Love can be hard to define. Sometimes what we think is love is an attachment to the feeling of what we thought we needed at a certain time. And maybe we did. But where do you draw the line between love and attachment? Esmeralda and Manny's connection shows why boundaries are important.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Where Do You Draw The Line? focuses on Esmeralda and Manny's experiences with love. From the moment they meet, their attraction to one another is undeniable and quickly turns into a romance. However, when their past starts to seep into the relationship, their attraction is no longer enough to sustain their bond.
Manny and Esmeralda must decide, where do you draw the line in a relationship where unhealed traumas and codependency begin to consume you?
The film understands that it is within our nature to rush into new scenery and act impulsively while not recognizing the inner work that must be done on both sides of the relationship for it to be long-lasting and successful. Esmeralda and Manny later realize that although love remains, life goes on.
We are an independent film mostly made of Latine cast & crew. It has been rewarding to come together on a film with such similar backgrounds and experiences.
We're tired of seeing stories that stereotype our experiences. We strive to create stories that represent us through a holistic lens, and that support Latine love stories and filmmakers!
The film will experiment with the idea of how a whirlwind love looks and feels. This will be done both visually and musically, through the use of drawing, small moments of singing and Latin Jazz.
The cinematography and color palette of the film will gradually transition from a nostalgic New York atmosphere look to a more saturated The Umbrellas of Cherbourg-like musical look when the relationship begins. When the whirlwind hits, the relationship begins to feel like a blur, and fast forwards into a downward spiral.
Visual References:
Once Esmeralda and Manny start dancing, everything around them moves in slow-motion. Their relationship grows into a montage filled with colors that later appear diluted, to capture the pencil-snapping abruptness of a loss of interest in one another.
Latin jazz music acts as a character in the film, to comment on both the duration of their relationship and on the way that both characters experience each other.
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Our director, Sam, started this project at the Third World Newsreel Production Fellowship program, and decided to expand it. She is currently a City Film MFA student at The City College of New York, a NYWIFT member, and a recent alumn of the BDC Films Fellowship.
Where Do You Draw The Line? has been in pre-production since August 2022. Sam conceptualized the film through her vulnerability to tell a personal story through a compilation of past connections. As a team, we took our time to write a script that was authentic and did this narrative justice.
While our producers, built our budget, crowdfunding campaign, and everything else in between, Sam worked on every element of this film, from scriptwriting, production design, music, and cinematography. Sam works hard to create an environment where the entire crew feels valued and excited to work.
We’ve taken our time with development and pre-production to make sure we’re giving every step the time and attention necessary to be well executed without exhausting our resources and our valuable team. It's imperative that we keep our team safe as COVID-19 remains a threat, so we will stay up to date and encourage CDC guidelines while our film is in production for the well-being of our team.
We’ll be filming for 6-7 days during March-April 2023. Once shooting wraps, we’ll go into post-production for 4-months. We’ll be back to launch a second crowdfunding campaign for festival submissions in the summer. We’re hoping to win some grants along the way so we don’t have to ask for much!
It’s not easy for us to ask for money. That’s why we’ve done our best to cut down costs as much as possible. We’re fortunate to have resources like location and equipment directly from our crew and community. We want to make a great film and need the help of supporters like you. The contributions will go directly into production and compensation. Here’s what we need:
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We are grateful for any dollar you can give towards our initial goal of $7,980. We aspire to reach beyond our target amount. Any additional funds raised will go directly into post-production, lowering the costs of future funds to raise. Post-production funds include festival fees and music. We hope to release Where Do You Draw The Line? in 2023!
WE'RE CLOSER THAN MOST CREWS! MOST OF US ARE RECENT GRADUATES FROM THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK, BFA FILM PROGRAM - MARKED WITH A RED *
OUR CAST & CREW ARE NEARLY ALL LATINE!
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Real representation is important for anyone who yearns to see themselves on screen. When I hear and see stories about Latine romantic relationships, I rarely see the poetic dance at the start of the bonding and the whirlwind decline like I do in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or The Before Trilogy. While those stories are great to see, it's not me who I’m seeing on the screen. I can’t truly identify. Because of this, I wanted to create a project that I haven’t seen before but also resembles people that many of us may feel connected to.
With the support of my team, I can make this project a reality. With the support of fellow film lovers, filmmakers, and pledgers, we are able to make this film. With the budget we created, we can financially cover compensation, food, travel, props, and other essentials. We want real stories. With your help, we can bring that to the table.
Pledge
We're grateful for any support offered, but if you’re really interested in supporting this project, you can pledge your contribution! We need at least 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep the funds. We're thankful for every dollar contributed and we want to show our thanks with some incentives of your choosing. Please pledge only what you can--any budget is appreciated!
Follow & Share
If you're unable to pledge, but still want to support us, click on the “Follow project” at the top and share this campaign. Both are just as valuable, as Seed&Spark rewards us for the audience we build through their platform. It helps to improve our campaign, boost our exposure with the algorithm so that others can find us, and helps with perks from Seed&Spark, including festival fee waivers!
Sharing our campaign on social media and with your community is a HUGE help. Follow our film’s Instagram page here to stay updated with everything Where Do You Draw The Line?.
Sample messages you can use:
- Support @salvarez_art’s debut narrative film @wheredoyoudrawthe_–a film featuring & created by Latine filmmakers–to follow the whirlwind love story of Manny & Esmeralda. https://bit.ly/wheredoyoudrawtheline
- @WhereDoYouDrawthe_ just dropped their mock shoot. Join me in supporting their crowdfunding campaign on @SeedandSpark. https://bit.ly/wheredoyoudrawtheline
***
THANK YOU! If you’ve read through the entire campaign we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We're beyond grateful for your time and interest in our film. Here’s to all the Latines, BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ communities, hopeless romantics, our allies, & supporters! This one’s for you!
Forever grateful, the Where Do You Draw The Line? team.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location
Costs $500
Funds will be used for location fees like a cafe and restaurant.
Emergency
Costs $200
For any emergencies that may happen during shooting not covered by insurance or not allocated for.
Travel
Costs $300
Funds will cover travel costs for cast or crew when deemed necessary e.g. DP traveling with gear.
Set Design
Costs $150
Funds will be used to purchase props for set design and production.
Grant Applications
Costs $100
Funds will cover grant application fees to raise potential funds for future costs e.g. festivals.
Wardrobe
Costs $100
Funds will cover wardrobe costs for cast e.g. cafe uniforms.
Crew Meals
Costs $1,200
Funds will cover crew meals for 6-7 days of shooting for up to 13-20 people.
Insurance
Costs $2,500
Funds will cover insurance costs for 6-7 days of shooting, including equipment, location, etc.
Cast & Crew
Costs $2,680
Funds will cover costs for the entire crew and leading cast.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Production Supplies
Costs $250
Funds will be used for items like external hard drives, black-out paper, etc.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Nancy Katheryn Gomez is a Colombian actress based in Queens, New York. She aims to create art for systemic change and seeks to generate narratives to represent marginalized groups through storytelling. She has appeared in staged productions including Significant Other, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Dreams/Nightmares. Her film work includes More Than A Woman and Home. She has trained in theater at Talent Unlimited and Baruch College. Nancy is currently studying the Meisner Technique at the Neighborhood Playhouse and directing a show celebrating stories by Black and Latinx women called Women/Mujer. She works as a Teaching Arts Associate at Park Avenue Armory.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-katheryn-g-0b65b91a5/
Harry “Cappytann” Santiago is a Bronx-based filmmaker who has written, directed, produced, and starred in several short films including, “The Space Between”, “Early Exit”, “Its Death, Not Delivery”, as well as “Funny The Way It Is” which won multiple awards along with 1st Place Film at the Third Annual Bronx 48 Hour Film Challenge. “Funny The Way It Is” was also selected by the Newark Short Film Awards, and the Mott Haven Film Festival where it was nominated for Best Comedy, and Best Cinematography.
He produced a Limited Series that aired on Bronxnet Television entitled “Cappytann’s Corner Presents” which documented the Cultures and Lifestyles of everyday Bronxites. Aside from assisting his peers with their films, Cappytann is currently working on a feature-length documentary following the lives of a New York-based Latin band. He currently serves as a board member of The Bronx Filmmakers Collective (TBxF).
website: www.cappytann.com
Samantha Alvarez is an independent filmmaker born and raised in the Bronx. Alvarez started her career as a multidisciplinary teaching artist. She now works as a video freelancer and is a recent alum of both the Bronx Documentary Center Films Fellowship and NBCU Academy Fellowship. She is a current fellow in Third World Newsreel’s 2022 Production Workshop. She received a BFA in Film at The City College of New York with a minor in Journalism and is continuing her studies there as a Film graduate student.
Alvarez was recently named the 2022 NYWIFT Outstanding Woman Content Creator at the Nova Frontier Film Festival for her short mixed-media documentary, In the Body. The Society of Professional Journalists also recognized Samantha as a video journalist finalist for the 2022 Mark of Excellence Awards.
Tyler Hernandez is an Award-winning filmmaker/Screenwriter who resides in the Bronx. His Screenplay for his unproduced Thesis Film, "A Night With Death," won Best Screenplay in Fiction at the 2022 Reel City Film Festival at Lincoln Center. He plans to produce the full film sometime in 2023 for film festival submission. His passion lies in telling a great story that captures the heart and humor of the human experience.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-hernandez-803b14224
Monique Carchi is a Filipino/Ecuadorian filmmaker and advertiser native to Queens, New York. She holds a BFA degree in Film Production and a BA in Advertising/ PR from the City College of New York. Her short thesis film, “I’m Sorry.” won her Best Director in Fiction at the 2022 Reel City Film Festival at Lincoln Center.
Monique aims to tell unique and impactful stories that push the boundaries of traditional tropes in storytelling, most especially for women, POC, and LGBTQ+ communities. She also loves stories that explore realistic narratives that question society and how these aforementioned minority groups navigate through their stereotypes.
Kimberly López Castellanos is a filmmaker born and raised in the Bronx with ancestral roots in Mexico. Her work focuses on identity and belonging, with a goal to center relatable stories with authentic representation. In 2018, she received her bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic with a focus on communications and international politics.
Kimberly is a recent alum of the Bronx Documentary Center’s Film Fellowship, where she produced, filmed, and edited her short documentary “Oh Life.” Most recently, Kimberly has kept busy as a Content Specialist for Bronx Film 48, a Bronx-based film initiative, a mentee for Beyond the Screen hosted by Made In Her Image & A24, and a freelance producer.
Fernando Rocha is a Mexican-American Cinematographer based out of the U.S. East Coast whose work spans scripted and unscripted genres. He is a 2022 Southern Exposure Film Fellow, a Part 107 certified drone pilot, and was selected as a 2022 Sundance X Adobe Ignite Fellow.
In 2021, Fernando won a Fulbright Grant to create a short-documentary project about water rights and accessibility in the Bajo Lempa region of El Salvador. He is currently working as Cinematographer on his first feature-length documentary.
He graduated Summa Cum Laude from American University in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the school’s Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars program.
Jordi Guzmán was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. His passion for Cinema germinated when he was 13, as a cinephile. He then decided to strive for something different, his dream was to become a filmmaker. By 17, he moved with his family to New York City where he attended The Cinema School for his senior year. Through TCS he applied to the Film Honors Program offered by the Ghetto Film School. In 2016 he was part of the program’s Thesis Film shot in the Frick Collection as the Director of Photography. He has mainly worked in the camera department which led to his development as a cameraman, he became passionate about visuals and developed his style.
Ezra Cubero is a New York-based filmmaker who put his passion for the filmmaking craft into practice. He attended The City College of New York and graduated with a BFA in Film in June 2022. The films that inspire him as a creative are the ones that tap into the emotions of lost souls. His goal is to tell deeply intimate stories that reflect the complexities that people face as they navigate this Earth. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote, edited, and directed his first short film titled “Nearly Every Day” as his thesis, due for release in late 2022.
Jessica Sanchez is a Colombian / Ecuadorian freelance creative artist raised in Jackson Heights, Queens. She is a graduate of Queens College focusing on Media studies and Communication. She is passionate about using art as a tool to heal, especially from all different types of trauma. She aims to live a life that is authentic and intentional, which is how she became a part of this project (shout out to Sam).
Maeve Brind'Amour is a filmmaker and recent graduate of The City College of New York where she majored in film production and psychology. She hopes to create films that inspire empathy or at the very least make people laugh. In her work, she enjoys jarring transitions, symmetry, bright colors, wide-angle closeups, editing to music, bridges, absurdism, and relatable characters. Though she's eager to take on any role on set, she especially enjoys crafting a film's visual environment with props, set design, and location choices.
Kainoa Presbitero is an award-winning Indigenous Hawaiian/Japanese filmmaker born and raised in Kāne’ohe, Hawai’i. Kainoa aims to give voices to underrepresented groups, most especially fellow Hawaiians. His documentary short film, “A Hui Hou” was screened at the 2022 Hawaii International Film Festival and won the jury award for documentary at the Directors Guild of America Student Film Awards. Kainoa’s fiction short film, “The Distance Between Us” was screened at the 2021 International Asian American film festival, and “She” won the LGBTQ Image Award at the 2020 CUNY film festival. He recently graduated from The City College of New York as a Documentary BFA film student and an NBCU fellow. He currently works as a director/producer in New York City.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Where Do You Draw The Line? focuses on Esmeralda and Manny's experiences with love. From the moment they meet, their attraction to one another is undeniable and quickly turns into a romance. However, when their past starts to seep into the relationship, their attraction is no longer enough to sustain their bond.
Manny and Esmeralda must decide, where do you draw the line in a relationship where unhealed traumas and codependency begin to consume you?
The film understands that it is within our nature to rush into new scenery and act impulsively while not recognizing the inner work that must be done on both sides of the relationship for it to be long-lasting and successful. Esmeralda and Manny later realize that although love remains, life goes on.
We are an independent film mostly made of Latine cast & crew. It has been rewarding to come together on a film with such similar backgrounds and experiences.
We're tired of seeing stories that stereotype our experiences. We strive to create stories that represent us through a holistic lens, and that support Latine love stories and filmmakers!
The film will experiment with the idea of how a whirlwind love looks and feels. This will be done both visually and musically, through the use of drawing, small moments of singing and Latin Jazz.
The cinematography and color palette of the film will gradually transition from a nostalgic New York atmosphere look to a more saturated The Umbrellas of Cherbourg-like musical look when the relationship begins. When the whirlwind hits, the relationship begins to feel like a blur, and fast forwards into a downward spiral.
Visual References:
Once Esmeralda and Manny start dancing, everything around them moves in slow-motion. Their relationship grows into a montage filled with colors that later appear diluted, to capture the pencil-snapping abruptness of a loss of interest in one another.
Latin jazz music acts as a character in the film, to comment on both the duration of their relationship and on the way that both characters experience each other.
Our director, Sam, started this project at the Third World Newsreel Production Fellowship program, and decided to expand it. She is currently a City Film MFA student at The City College of New York, a NYWIFT member, and a recent alumn of the BDC Films Fellowship.
Where Do You Draw The Line? has been in pre-production since August 2022. Sam conceptualized the film through her vulnerability to tell a personal story through a compilation of past connections. As a team, we took our time to write a script that was authentic and did this narrative justice.
While our producers, built our budget, crowdfunding campaign, and everything else in between, Sam worked on every element of this film, from scriptwriting, production design, music, and cinematography. Sam works hard to create an environment where the entire crew feels valued and excited to work.
We’ve taken our time with development and pre-production to make sure we’re giving every step the time and attention necessary to be well executed without exhausting our resources and our valuable team. It's imperative that we keep our team safe as COVID-19 remains a threat, so we will stay up to date and encourage CDC guidelines while our film is in production for the well-being of our team.
We’ll be filming for 6-7 days during March-April 2023. Once shooting wraps, we’ll go into post-production for 4-months. We’ll be back to launch a second crowdfunding campaign for festival submissions in the summer. We’re hoping to win some grants along the way so we don’t have to ask for much!
It’s not easy for us to ask for money. That’s why we’ve done our best to cut down costs as much as possible. We’re fortunate to have resources like location and equipment directly from our crew and community. We want to make a great film and need the help of supporters like you. The contributions will go directly into production and compensation. Here’s what we need:
We are grateful for any dollar you can give towards our initial goal of $7,980. We aspire to reach beyond our target amount. Any additional funds raised will go directly into post-production, lowering the costs of future funds to raise. Post-production funds include festival fees and music. We hope to release Where Do You Draw The Line? in 2023!
WE'RE CLOSER THAN MOST CREWS! MOST OF US ARE RECENT GRADUATES FROM THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK, BFA FILM PROGRAM - MARKED WITH A RED *
OUR CAST & CREW ARE NEARLY ALL LATINE!
Real representation is important for anyone who yearns to see themselves on screen. When I hear and see stories about Latine romantic relationships, I rarely see the poetic dance at the start of the bonding and the whirlwind decline like I do in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or The Before Trilogy. While those stories are great to see, it's not me who I’m seeing on the screen. I can’t truly identify. Because of this, I wanted to create a project that I haven’t seen before but also resembles people that many of us may feel connected to.
With the support of my team, I can make this project a reality. With the support of fellow film lovers, filmmakers, and pledgers, we are able to make this film. With the budget we created, we can financially cover compensation, food, travel, props, and other essentials. We want real stories. With your help, we can bring that to the table.
Pledge
We're grateful for any support offered, but if you’re really interested in supporting this project, you can pledge your contribution! We need at least 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep the funds. We're thankful for every dollar contributed and we want to show our thanks with some incentives of your choosing. Please pledge only what you can--any budget is appreciated!
Follow & Share
If you're unable to pledge, but still want to support us, click on the “Follow project” at the top and share this campaign. Both are just as valuable, as Seed&Spark rewards us for the audience we build through their platform. It helps to improve our campaign, boost our exposure with the algorithm so that others can find us, and helps with perks from Seed&Spark, including festival fee waivers!
Sharing our campaign on social media and with your community is a HUGE help. Follow our film’s Instagram page here to stay updated with everything Where Do You Draw The Line?.
Sample messages you can use:
- Support @salvarez_art’s debut narrative film @wheredoyoudrawthe_–a film featuring & created by Latine filmmakers–to follow the whirlwind love story of Manny & Esmeralda. https://bit.ly/wheredoyoudrawtheline
- @WhereDoYouDrawthe_ just dropped their mock shoot. Join me in supporting their crowdfunding campaign on @SeedandSpark. https://bit.ly/wheredoyoudrawtheline
***
THANK YOU! If you’ve read through the entire campaign we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We're beyond grateful for your time and interest in our film. Here’s to all the Latines, BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ communities, hopeless romantics, our allies, & supporters! This one’s for you!
Forever grateful, the Where Do You Draw The Line? team.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location
Costs $500
Funds will be used for location fees like a cafe and restaurant.
Emergency
Costs $200
For any emergencies that may happen during shooting not covered by insurance or not allocated for.
Travel
Costs $300
Funds will cover travel costs for cast or crew when deemed necessary e.g. DP traveling with gear.
Set Design
Costs $150
Funds will be used to purchase props for set design and production.
Grant Applications
Costs $100
Funds will cover grant application fees to raise potential funds for future costs e.g. festivals.
Wardrobe
Costs $100
Funds will cover wardrobe costs for cast e.g. cafe uniforms.
Crew Meals
Costs $1,200
Funds will cover crew meals for 6-7 days of shooting for up to 13-20 people.
Insurance
Costs $2,500
Funds will cover insurance costs for 6-7 days of shooting, including equipment, location, etc.
Cast & Crew
Costs $2,680
Funds will cover costs for the entire crew and leading cast.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Production Supplies
Costs $250
Funds will be used for items like external hard drives, black-out paper, etc.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Nancy Katheryn Gomez is a Colombian actress based in Queens, New York. She aims to create art for systemic change and seeks to generate narratives to represent marginalized groups through storytelling. She has appeared in staged productions including Significant Other, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Dreams/Nightmares. Her film work includes More Than A Woman and Home. She has trained in theater at Talent Unlimited and Baruch College. Nancy is currently studying the Meisner Technique at the Neighborhood Playhouse and directing a show celebrating stories by Black and Latinx women called Women/Mujer. She works as a Teaching Arts Associate at Park Avenue Armory.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-katheryn-g-0b65b91a5/
Harry “Cappytann” Santiago is a Bronx-based filmmaker who has written, directed, produced, and starred in several short films including, “The Space Between”, “Early Exit”, “Its Death, Not Delivery”, as well as “Funny The Way It Is” which won multiple awards along with 1st Place Film at the Third Annual Bronx 48 Hour Film Challenge. “Funny The Way It Is” was also selected by the Newark Short Film Awards, and the Mott Haven Film Festival where it was nominated for Best Comedy, and Best Cinematography.
He produced a Limited Series that aired on Bronxnet Television entitled “Cappytann’s Corner Presents” which documented the Cultures and Lifestyles of everyday Bronxites. Aside from assisting his peers with their films, Cappytann is currently working on a feature-length documentary following the lives of a New York-based Latin band. He currently serves as a board member of The Bronx Filmmakers Collective (TBxF).
website: www.cappytann.com
Samantha Alvarez is an independent filmmaker born and raised in the Bronx. Alvarez started her career as a multidisciplinary teaching artist. She now works as a video freelancer and is a recent alum of both the Bronx Documentary Center Films Fellowship and NBCU Academy Fellowship. She is a current fellow in Third World Newsreel’s 2022 Production Workshop. She received a BFA in Film at The City College of New York with a minor in Journalism and is continuing her studies there as a Film graduate student.
Alvarez was recently named the 2022 NYWIFT Outstanding Woman Content Creator at the Nova Frontier Film Festival for her short mixed-media documentary, In the Body. The Society of Professional Journalists also recognized Samantha as a video journalist finalist for the 2022 Mark of Excellence Awards.
Tyler Hernandez is an Award-winning filmmaker/Screenwriter who resides in the Bronx. His Screenplay for his unproduced Thesis Film, "A Night With Death," won Best Screenplay in Fiction at the 2022 Reel City Film Festival at Lincoln Center. He plans to produce the full film sometime in 2023 for film festival submission. His passion lies in telling a great story that captures the heart and humor of the human experience.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-hernandez-803b14224
Monique Carchi is a Filipino/Ecuadorian filmmaker and advertiser native to Queens, New York. She holds a BFA degree in Film Production and a BA in Advertising/ PR from the City College of New York. Her short thesis film, “I’m Sorry.” won her Best Director in Fiction at the 2022 Reel City Film Festival at Lincoln Center.
Monique aims to tell unique and impactful stories that push the boundaries of traditional tropes in storytelling, most especially for women, POC, and LGBTQ+ communities. She also loves stories that explore realistic narratives that question society and how these aforementioned minority groups navigate through their stereotypes.
Kimberly López Castellanos is a filmmaker born and raised in the Bronx with ancestral roots in Mexico. Her work focuses on identity and belonging, with a goal to center relatable stories with authentic representation. In 2018, she received her bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic with a focus on communications and international politics.
Kimberly is a recent alum of the Bronx Documentary Center’s Film Fellowship, where she produced, filmed, and edited her short documentary “Oh Life.” Most recently, Kimberly has kept busy as a Content Specialist for Bronx Film 48, a Bronx-based film initiative, a mentee for Beyond the Screen hosted by Made In Her Image & A24, and a freelance producer.
Fernando Rocha is a Mexican-American Cinematographer based out of the U.S. East Coast whose work spans scripted and unscripted genres. He is a 2022 Southern Exposure Film Fellow, a Part 107 certified drone pilot, and was selected as a 2022 Sundance X Adobe Ignite Fellow.
In 2021, Fernando won a Fulbright Grant to create a short-documentary project about water rights and accessibility in the Bajo Lempa region of El Salvador. He is currently working as Cinematographer on his first feature-length documentary.
He graduated Summa Cum Laude from American University in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the school’s Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars program.
Jordi Guzmán was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. His passion for Cinema germinated when he was 13, as a cinephile. He then decided to strive for something different, his dream was to become a filmmaker. By 17, he moved with his family to New York City where he attended The Cinema School for his senior year. Through TCS he applied to the Film Honors Program offered by the Ghetto Film School. In 2016 he was part of the program’s Thesis Film shot in the Frick Collection as the Director of Photography. He has mainly worked in the camera department which led to his development as a cameraman, he became passionate about visuals and developed his style.
Ezra Cubero is a New York-based filmmaker who put his passion for the filmmaking craft into practice. He attended The City College of New York and graduated with a BFA in Film in June 2022. The films that inspire him as a creative are the ones that tap into the emotions of lost souls. His goal is to tell deeply intimate stories that reflect the complexities that people face as they navigate this Earth. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote, edited, and directed his first short film titled “Nearly Every Day” as his thesis, due for release in late 2022.
Jessica Sanchez is a Colombian / Ecuadorian freelance creative artist raised in Jackson Heights, Queens. She is a graduate of Queens College focusing on Media studies and Communication. She is passionate about using art as a tool to heal, especially from all different types of trauma. She aims to live a life that is authentic and intentional, which is how she became a part of this project (shout out to Sam).
Maeve Brind'Amour is a filmmaker and recent graduate of The City College of New York where she majored in film production and psychology. She hopes to create films that inspire empathy or at the very least make people laugh. In her work, she enjoys jarring transitions, symmetry, bright colors, wide-angle closeups, editing to music, bridges, absurdism, and relatable characters. Though she's eager to take on any role on set, she especially enjoys crafting a film's visual environment with props, set design, and location choices.
Kainoa Presbitero is an award-winning Indigenous Hawaiian/Japanese filmmaker born and raised in Kāne’ohe, Hawai’i. Kainoa aims to give voices to underrepresented groups, most especially fellow Hawaiians. His documentary short film, “A Hui Hou” was screened at the 2022 Hawaii International Film Festival and won the jury award for documentary at the Directors Guild of America Student Film Awards. Kainoa’s fiction short film, “The Distance Between Us” was screened at the 2021 International Asian American film festival, and “She” won the LGBTQ Image Award at the 2020 CUNY film festival. He recently graduated from The City College of New York as a Documentary BFA film student and an NBCU fellow. He currently works as a director/producer in New York City.