LA ShortsFest / New York Latino Film Festival - Blast Beat
Carly, a Colombian metalhead and a new resident of the American suburbs, takes a bold leap into adulthood to save the future of his family.
Interview with Writer/Director Esteban Arango
Watch Blast Beat on Prime Video, YouTube and iTunes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Blast Beat was born out of our desire to put on the screen the type of cool and edgy multi-cultural cinema we want to see as American Latinos. We wanted to put up mirrors that would depict more truthfully the Latino experience in the United States.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Blast Beat is packed with adventure and heart in a way you have never seen before. It has an amazing cast and it is beautifully shot in a way that evokes nostalgia for the 90s. It’s a different look into a Latino immigrant who is not a victim.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
This story is very personal for my co-writer-producer, Erick Castrillon, and me. We knew from early on that brotherhood was our way in. Erick and I have brothers and we were brought into the United States from Colombia when we were around the same age as teenagers. We have been friends since high school and have been collaborating creatively since then when we used to play in punk and metal bands.
As immigrants coming into the states we found a safety heaven in the South Florida’s metal music scene, filled with angst and confusion. We believe that being uprooted is something that a lot of people can relate to. Additionally, we made sure that the dilemmas of our characters were anchored in other universal themes like family secrets, alienation, coming of age, and love.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
We spent a long time on the script. Erick and I went through so many iterations, I lost count at some point. We had to get the story right because we wanted to attract Moises Arias and Mateo Arias. We knew from the beginning that this story was for them… so we really tried to make it specific for them. Mario Rodriguez and Ana Souza, our co-producers, also influenced the development through many conversations. We made sure every detail was on the page before going into production but even so, it evolved up until the moment we executed each scene. I had several in-depth discussions with our wardrobe, production design, stunt coordinators, and cinematographer to achieve what you see on the screen. Everybody stepped up to the plate and left their creative mark.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Blast Beat has been screened around the world and by now the general consensus is that it has killer performances and amazing cinematography. People respond to our subject matter in different ways but it always sparks an interesting conversation. Because our film is rooted in universal themes, there are always several aspects of the story audiences from different places can relate to. My favorite feedback happened at the Clermont-Ferrand Shorts Festival Expresso Talk where a journalist expressed that our movie felt different because it wasn’t didactic: it was thoroughly entertaining while still commenting on an important social issue.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Both. The feedback from the filmmakers and the audience throughout the festival run has been generally positive… but during the circuit you can’t help but get into deep conversations with fellow filmmakers about your film. Through those conversations I was able to put into context the way that different people relate to the characters in our short. This has been hugely helpful for Erick and I as we tackle the script of our next project: Blast Beat the feature.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Our collective of multi-cultural and open-minded storytellers aims to fulfill the high demand for truthful Hollywood-style portrayals of underrepresented voices in modern media. We are hoping to show the world how to tell multi-cultural stories the right way.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We want to attract other festivals that may want to showcase Blast Beat. Our plan is to keep building our audience and brand awareness for the feature version of this story, coming PRONTO.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We want to inspire young American Latinos with heroes that mirror more closely their reality. We want to offer them the kind of experience they have been waiting for.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How has the American experience changed you if this is not your home country?
Would you like to add anything else?
With this story we are exploring a timely political issue about and around migrants. Our story matters because it provides a unique point of entrée into the personal lives of very specific and sophisticated people. This is not a story about crossing borders, or about gardeners, or gangsters… We want to normalize the immigrant to start having a healthier discussion about our laws on the matter.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Our team is working on the feature version of Blast Beat.
Interview: September 2016
_______________________________________________________________________________
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
_______________________________________________________________________________
Blast Beat
Carly, a Colombian metalhead and a new resident of the American suburbs, takes a bold leap into adulthood to save the future of his family.
Length:
17 minutes
Director:
Esteban Arango
Producer:
Erick Castrillon
Mario Rodriguez
Ana Souza
Writer:
Erick Castrillon & Esteban Arango
About the writer, director and producer:
Writer / Director:
Esteban Arango - As a director, Arango focuses on highly entertaining, visually striking, character driven adventure dramas. He is developing several narrative projects showcasing underrepresented voices in modern media.
Writer / Producer:
Erick Castrillon has a special knack for generating fascinating, highly imaginative, and complex characters that bring into focus a truthful perspective of the human condition.
Producers:
Being a Latin filmmaker is important to Mario Rodriguez because the stories that inspire him surface from his roots. Stories of undocumented travel and adventure, stories that make you think and feel in your core.
Ana Souza is obsessed with film festivals, undertaking work for AFI FEST, Slamdance, Los Angeles Film Festival, No Budget Film Festival, Cannes, Sundance, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, and Ambulante California.
Key cast:
Mateo Arias – as Carly
Moises Arias – as Mateo
Bibiana Navas – as Nelly
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Looking for financiers who will help us tell this and other stories that will change the perception of Latinos in modern America.
Where can I watch it in the next month?
September 17 at the New York Latino Film Festival