Citizen Jane Film Festival - The Last Light
IZABELLA, a young girl, finds a little BOY tied up in an abandoned house on her family's land as the local farmers are frantically searching for her cousin, KATY, who has gone missing. Izabella questions the boy to find out who he is and why he's been left there. Is he being mistreated or has he done something wrong? It's a race against time as the family & farmers try to find out what happened to young Katy before it's too late.
Interview with Writer/Director Angelita Mendoza
Watch The Last Light here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The film is inspired by child on child violence. We had researched many cases involving children and it disturbed us so much that we were inspired to make this thriller. We also felt the need to show the world the beauty of Baja California, Mexico. My husband and co-writer/dp is from Tijuana and my parents are from Mexicali, both in Northern Baja, and it was really important to us to showcase the beauty juxtaposed to the darkness of the tale.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film because it will move you, thrill you, and entertain you. It is a horror/thriller, directed by a Latino, female director. That alone is a rarity.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Our horror/thriller story is a moral one. Genre films can show the world the worst thing that can happen if you don't change your behavior. That is important to me. Having a moral center while still being able to entertain and terrify. Thrillers are a universal language, they don't even have to have a word to be able to terrify you.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The story has always been what we envisioned but we did decide early on to shoot on film and that gave it another texture and personality. It felt voyeuristic and timeless. The atmosphere evolved from the location to the score. The script is there as a starting point but the atmosphere develops when all the pieces come together.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
"The Last Light" has been well-received at many of the festivals we have screened at. It's funny because when you make a thriller or horror film, bad reactions are great reactions. If a person jumps, screams, covers their eyes, or walks out of the theater, that is the best reaction we can have. It excites us and we feel accomplished. We have had people cover their eyes or walk out of our movie because the images are too disturbing or emotional, and that shows us that we did our job. In the press, we have been compared to Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" and that has to be the biggest compliment, so far.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We have been very surprised with the reaction by the public and press. When you are starting out as a filmmaker, you never quite feel like what you are doing is going to resonate or cause a reaction or that it's even good. When audience members tell you how much they enjoy your film or you read a nice article about it, then you start to think, "hmm, maybe we are doing something right." And, don't get me wrong, we have a lot to learn still, as any beginning filmmakers do, but we also feel like maybe we are on to something. That's a great feeling.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope that readers of http://www.wearemovingstories.com/ will read this article and become aware of the existence of our film, read about the subject matter, then be surprised that a female directed it. I hope that it sparks some curiosity and they will want to see our next screening or look for our next film and follow the beginning stages of our career. I hope we have new fans and followers interested in our upcoming work.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We have just finished the 1st draft of our very first feature and we are very interested in producers, financiers, and distributors to help us on our journey. For "The Last Light," we are interested in more festivals that promote female and Latino directors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Our key purpose is to entertain. We hope that the viewer is on the edge of their seat and leaves the theater wanting more. I hope they see that genre films can also be artistic and have a broader message, in this case the warning of what can happen if you don't keep an eye on your kids, physically and emotionally.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How do you see the early signs of a child being disturbed and how do you help them?
Would you like to add anything else?
I hope that people get a chance to see one of our screenings. Check out our website and facebook for more information on where to see the film.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are developing our first feature, also set in Mexico, about a town that has grown tired of the corruption in government and take matters into their own hands. As the town leader's power grows, so does his corruption.
Interview: October 2017
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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
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The Last Light
IZABELLA, a young girl, finds a little BOY tied up in an abandoned house on her family's land as the local farmers are frantically searching for her cousin, KATY, who has gone missing. Izabella questions the boy to find out who he is and why he's been left there. Is he being mistreated or has he done something wrong? It's a race against time as the family & farmers try to find out what happened to young Katy before it's too late.
Length: 11 min 04 sec
Director: Angelita Mendoza
Producer: Angelita Mendoza & Victor Capiz
Writer: Angelita Mendoza & Victor Capiz
Key cast: Izabella Limón, Dante Montenegro Burgos, Dany Sanchez, Linda Gonzalez Diaz
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Looking for producers, film festival directors, journalists
Social media handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelastlightmovie
Twitter: @lastlightmovie
Instagram: @lastlightmovie
Other: https://www.thelastlightmovie.com/
Made in association with: Xizmo Media
Where will the film screen in the next month?
Citizen Jane Film Festival - 10/27
Mórbido Film Fest - 10/28
Monster Fest - 11/24