Female Eye Film Festival / HBO 2020 – Me 3.769
A Pubescent Latina looks forward to her maturing body, but must soon cope with the sexual misconduct of someone she trusts.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Elaine Del Valle
Watch Me 3.769 on Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Me 3.769 is an adaptation of a scene from my autobiographical stage play, Brownsville Bred. This particular scene always made audience members remark and relay their own personal stories. I wanted to reflect a girl who could not be to blame but yet blamed herself for something beyond her control. I wanted to express a Latinx female protagonist that audiences could root for.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It is a deep reflection of today and the plight of women everywhere.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Every personal theme is a universal theme. The more specific the story the more universal it becomes. This story reflects a moment in a young girls life when her self image is challenged.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script was first adapted from a scene from my stage play. The script evolved to include events that reflect today's ME TOO movement and the generation of women coming forward to help the women that will come after them.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film has been awarded Best Film, Best Director, Best Performance and Vanguard awards. I have also been reached by individuals who have seen it and felt a deep connection to the events depicted. I have been asked if they may share it with young girls to best prepare them and ease into an uncomfortable subject.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It truly surprised me to hear so many men wanting to share the story with their daughters.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would like to be more recognized as a female director ready and able to tell any story and be hired.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Anything helps. The film is currently licensed to HBO but I have a new film and plans for a feature film based on a stage play and novel (Brownsville Bred).
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like people to understand the reason why so many young girls do not speak of violations against them. I want people to understand the misplaced shame that leads to silence and be freed from the burden of that shame.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How young is too young to warn children of what they may have to cope with?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Elaine Del Valle's latest short film, Princess Cut doubles as her directorial debut in a television pilot and will premiere at the Miami Film Festival in 2020.
In 2020, Elaine published her autobiographical stage play Brownsville Bred as a young adult memoir. The book is now being taught in schools. Her aim is to adapt the story into her feature film directorial debut.
Interview: February 2020
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Me 3.769
A Pubescent Latina looks forward to her maturing body, but must soon cope with the sexual misconduct of someone she trusts.
Length: 9:00
Director: Elaine Del Valle
Producer: Elaine Del Valle
Writer: Elaine Del Valle
About the writer, director and producer:
ELAINE DEL VALLE is a director, producer, writer/author and casting director. She has an incredible gift for combining humor and emotion. She has won numerous Best Director and Best Short Film awards. Elaine’s short, Me 3.769, has screened in competition at top tier festivals and premiered on HBO in 2019. She first garnered critical acclaim with her autobiographical, Off-Broadway stage play, Brownsville Bred for which she won the 2011 HOLA award for excellence in playwriting, and was named Trendsetter at the Multi-Cultural Media Forum. The play chronicles Elaine's true Nuyorican (New York-Puerto Rican) coming-of-age amidst the deteriorating backdrop of 1980's Brownsville Brooklyn. Brownsville Bred was subsequently published as a YA novel and is now a part of Creative Writing and American Latino Cultural studies in public schools. Her books are also a part of the Latinx House (2020) library featured at major festivals around the world. In 2019 Miami News Times named her as “One of 5 Filmmakers to Watch”.
Elaine is the recipient of the Madrina award (Prime Latino Media-2017) and the Vanguard award (Official Latino 2019). Both awards reflect her leadership in and support of the Latinx independent filmmaking community.
ELAINE DEL VALLE & TARYN KOSVINER are partners in Amiga Pictures - a Brooklyn based full-service production company committed to creating engaging, cinematic films for agencies and brands.
Key cast: Samantha Lopez, Rodolfo Salas, Vanessa Elise, Elizabth Danielle Pujadas
Looking for: journalists, producers
Facebook: Elaine Del Valle
Twitter: @brownsvillebred
Instagram: @ElaineDelValleDirector
Hashtags used: #comingofage #latinx #ourstoriestotell #femaledirector
Website: www.elainedelvalledirector.com
Other: IMDb
Funders: Self-funded with help from a grant from Sundance Institute and the Knight Foundation
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Athena Film Festival March 2020 NY, Female Eye Film Festival March 2020 in TIFF Toronto, Canada.