icf 2016 sundance booklet

CAA | 2016 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCYSPONSORS ICF STUDENTS TO ATTEND THE 2016 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

For the 16th year in a row, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is sponsoring Inner-City Filmmakers (ICF) students to attend the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Fred Heinrich, ICF Founder, and Mike Boggio, Mentor, and an ICF 1993 Alumnus, will lead a team of seven select students from January 22 – 27, 2016. They will be seeing three or more films a day, meeting stars, filmmakers, and industry executives, which will inspire, inform and empower our diverse filmmakers.

This year, Cesar Cervantes, an ICF 2010 alumnus, is attending Sundance as one of 12 artists selected for the Sundance Writers Lab. He is the first recipient of the Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program Latino Fellowship.

Justin Floyd, an ICF 2012 alumnus, is attending Sundance as one of the 5 winners selected for the Sundance Ignite Fellows program, supported by Adobe – through its project 1324.

Familiarize yourself with what the Sundance Film Festival is all about. Visit: www.sundance.org

On behalf of all our students we thank CAA for their ongoing friendship and generous support.

We welcome your support, too! Visit: www.innercityfilmmakers.com

FRED HEINRICH | STEPHANIA LIPNERInner-City Filmmakers, Founders

FRED HEINRICH - is a graduate of the School of Cinema at USC. Born to immigrant parents, by age 22 he was a leading editor. Fred’s work earned two Clio Awards. In 1973, Fred started one of the first independent commercial editorial companies, Wildwood Films. Over thirty years he has worked on thousands of high quality commercial projects. He has also produced ad campaigns with multi-million dollar budgets, difficult clients, and complex logistics on distant locations.

In 1992, the Los Angeles Riots swept Southern California leaving chaos and devastation in its wake. It also left an indelible mark on Fred and his producer wife, Stephania Lipner. Shortly thereafter, they established Inner-City Filmmakers to educate, empower, and find employment for diverse low income youth. Fred has been recognized by news service agencies that include: ABC-Television Network, CBS-Television, Directors Guild of America magazine, Producers Guild of America magazine, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, The Hollywood Reporter, KTLA, Los Angeles Times, NBC-TV, Newsweek magazine, Reuters News Agency, Shoot Magazine, Time Magazine, Variety, and VIBE Magazine. In 2009, Fred was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Independent Creative Editors (AICE), an international association representing independent creative editorial companies and their editors. In 2015, Fred was selected as a CNN Hero!

STEPHANIA LIPNER - is a producer of TV commercials, documentaries and live theatre. Originally from New York City, at age 15 she became the youngest dancer ever to be discovered and accepted into the American Ballet Theatre by Lucia Chase, ballet director and co-founder. Traveling the world with ABT and later the Joffrey Ballet, Stephania advanced to principal roles. During hiatus, she appeared as a dancer in the original films, BYE BYE BIRDIE and HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, which is where she became interested in production.

Stephania moved into advertising, became a producer, and at age 26, promoted to Vice President, Head of Broadcast Production for McCann-Erickson, one of the world’s premier advertising agencies, where she won Clio and Belding Awards for her work. She later produced an ABC-Television Network Special, THE MYSTERIOUS POWERS OF MAN, before becoming Vice President of Development for Telepictures, an American television and film production company, currently operating as a label of Warner Bros. Television. As a producer of live theatre in Los Angeles, Stephania has worked with many Hollywood notables including Jack Lemmon in David Mamet’s, LIFE IN THE THEATER.

Since 1992, Stephania has shared the vision and worked tirelessly side-by-side with her husband, Fred Heinrich, to build Inner-City Filmmakers into the successful organization that it is today. Her motivation, determination, energy and work ethic are infused in Inner-City Filmmakers students.

PAULA AGUILAR Cinematographer

I was born in Whittier, CA. I am 18 years of age and currently live in Rosemead. Both of my parents are from Guayaquil, Ecuador and moved to California when they were in their twenties. I live with my mother, my mom’s boyfriend, my 16-year-old sister, my 8-year-old brother and my 6-year old sister. We all live in an old and small two bedroom house with one bathroom; I’m sure you can already imagine the quotidian arguments we have over the restroom. We have recently discovered a small hole in the roof and sometimes cats and squirrels manage to make their way into our attic. It is both hilarious and completely frightening. Our living condition is definitely inadequate for such a large family, but we are grateful and make the best of it. For the most part, we live off of my mom’s boyfriend’s income, but I choose to help my family by working, too. I used to work ONE minimum wage retail job, but as soon as I completed Inner-City Filmmakers 2015 Summer Program, I realized that 8 hours a week is definitely not enough. I decided to tackle THREE jobs. I spend 16 hours a week at two different shoe stores, and another 23 hours of my week at Jamba Juice. Some days I drive from Rosemead to Pasadena (to get to Jamba Juice), Rosemead to Arcadia (to get to the first shoe store), and from Rosemead to Citadel (the second shoe store). I give a generous amount of my money to my mom and save as much as I can for my prized possession; my camera, which I bought with my own money! I recently left my job at Jamba Juice to work at the Landmark Theatre on Pico Blvd., which is extremely far from where I live. But hey, my dream is to make movies, so why not work where movies are screened? Besides, the Landmark ALWAYS hosts Q&A's with directors and actors, which I can actually attend for free because I will be working the events! My goal is to work in the film industry. I am willing to do anything as long as it is a stepping stone towards a career. But without a doubt, my ultimate goal and dream is to be a Cinematographer. I have also recently discovered a passion for art direction, and WRITING. I work diligently towards my goals! I spend most of my time working, but as soon as I have time off I write as much as I can, watch as many films as possible, make short films with friends, and consistently apply for unpaid film internships. I am attending Santa Monica College (as a full time student) because I know that I need to graduate from college in order to be successful in the industry and in this world. I want to be more informed, experience new things, and meet talented and creative individuals. My short term goals are to turn my screenplays into short films, and I want to buy a telephoto lens for my camera. I have been collaborating a lot with Inner-City Filmmakers alumni like, Jonathan Hurtado. He is a director and askes me to shoot his projects. We just recently finished one of the short films called, “When I’m Ready”. Inner-City Filmmakers has changed my life. Not only has Inner-City Filmmakers shown me the ins and outs of filmmaking and what it TAKES to be a filmmaker, but it has also made me a more confident individual and helped me develop qualities of a leader. I feel like my family has seen it, and at my workplace people have definitely started to notice a positive shift in my overall character and drive. Inner-City Filmmakers has made me more meticulous and down-to-earth. Most importantly, the ICF Program inspired me and gave me hope as a filmmaker. Inner-City Filmmakers taught me that my dreams can become a reality, if I incessantly work towards my goals, and that my financial situation does NOT define me. Inner-City Filmmakers helped fuel my passion for film, and it is what helped keep me going toward my dreams. I am incredibly appreciative and blessed for being able to be a part of the Inner-City Filmmakers program. I am honored to have been selected to attend the 2016 Sundance Film Festival - to learn how a prestigious film festival works, to watch top-notch independent films, and to mingle with the various filmmakers. I truly feel that attending the Sundance Film Festival will change my life as a filmmaker because it will bring me one-step closer to achieving my dreams. It has always been a dream of mine to attend the Sundance Film Festival or have a film that I worked on screened there. I would like to thank Creative Artists Agency and Inner-City Filmmakers for this amazing opportunity to attend the 2016 Sundance Film Festival; it means the world to me. I promise that I will continue to work hard to make you all proud. Thank you!





VALENTINA ARGUETACinematographer

As long as I can remember, I have always lived with seven or eight people in a small two room house. I have always had to share a room with my mother and brother, so the only privacy I would get is when no one was home. I guess you can say, it’s a Hispanic thing…to live within a large family. It can be fun at times, but sometimes you just want to have your own space.

My family emigrated from El Salvador in pursuit of a better life and to be able to provide for those who stayed behind. My father was part of the military during the Salvadorian Civil War in the ‘80s, after losing his left index finger and recovering from battle wounds, he left his home country. My mother followed her older brother to the U.S. leaving her younger sisters and brothers behind with my grandparents; all to get a shot at getting her family out of poverty back home. When I was eight, my parents separated. I was really close to my dad; so that impacted my life a lot, I closed up. I did not want to go to school and I just threw tantrums. But after a while, and a few therapy sessions, I learned how to cope; I used my creative side to help my emotional side. Drawing, listening to music, and reading books were what really helped. My mom’s strength to overcome obstacles has made her my role model. Her perseverance to come out of tough situations is amazing; stubbornness and toughness is something I admire. She has never stopped working a day in her life since she moved to America.

I currently attend CSULA after graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School and Inner-City Filmmakers in 2015. School is the only thing that I have had to worry about. My mom never really wanted to put other pressures on me and my brother. She just wanted us to get a higher education than she did and to become something more. My older brother and I share a love for art, though I’m more into the realistic type of drawings whereas he’s into graffiti. He’s supportive and gives me advice.

My short term goals are to graduate college, travel to different countries, and develop my filmmaking | cinematography skills. Inner-City Filmmakers is a great way to learn professional filmmaking skills and how to network with people who can help me. I know I also have to get out on my own and continue to meet people. In the long run, I want to be able to give back to my high school and Inner-City Filmmakers; to the people who have helped me and motivated me to keep pursuing my dreams. I want to inspire people to never give up on their creative and artistic pursuits. I want to tell them that anything is possible as long as you are doing what you truly love. I want to be able to become something big for my mom, to show her that her hard work didn’t go unappreciated. I want to be working in the film industry and be involved in creating features that make an impact on people’s lives. I want to be able to do what I want whenever I want without restrictions because of my gender or ethnic background.

Inner-City Filmmakers Summer Program helped me mature a lot. Having to create, direct and edit my own short film and work in various crew positions on four other team member films at the same time, had me face real industry situations; like working with actors, making sure they’re pleased, and making sure the crew is doing everything you need and on time. Losing footage, and losing a location at the last minute, was hectic, but in a sense it was a test. It was helping me see if I could actually handle this and make smart and fast critical decisions. It helped me understand that filmmaking is serious work and not as easy as people think. Inner-City Filmmakers made me picture myself really working in the industry, and I enjoyed every second of it.

The Sundance Film Festival will help me expand my network of people in the industry and learn from and about their experiences. I feel that Inner-City Filmmakers has given me a great deal of knowledge and self-confidence, which will enable me to communicate with the filmmakers at the festival. Being present and watching the quality of the films will help me keep in mind what I have to do in order to get my films screened at the festival one day. I will also be making myself known as a Hispanic woman taking an interest in film and showing that more people like me can also have a future in this industry.

The opportunity to attend the 2016 Sundance Film Festival is beyond what I could have ever imagined. I am truly grateful! I want to thank Creative Artists Agency for their generous support and for working together with Inner-City Filmmakers to help young diverse filmmakers get a shot at being something in this industry. You are little by little helping create change; change that one day will help impact the entire world. Thank you for believing in us so much, your genuine hard work is very much appreciated.

MIKE BOGGIO - BIO – REVISED 1-4-16

MIKE BOGGIO Mentor

Mike Boggio, an Inner City Filmmakers Class of 1993 Alumnus, has worked as an actor, film editor, musician, producer, martial arts instructor, and real estate investor. Mike's entertainment career began at age twelve performing in films for NBC, AFI, and LAUSD while studying dance and drama at Bancroft Performing Arts Magnet in Hollywood ('87-'89). Trained in TV production and music at Van Nuys Performing Arts Magnet ('90-'93), Mike was voted "Best Instrumentalist" by the student body. While earning his Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Cal State LA ('93-'97), Mike worked as a production assistant for the TV tabloid HARD COPY (Paramount Studios '94-'97) and as editorial intern on DANGEROUS MINDS (Hollywood Pictures '94-'95). After graduating with honors, Mike was a lead actor in SUCKERS, a low-budget 16mm feature, which he also edited and co-produced. In 1998, Mike launched his own post-production company, Almighty Post, which handled digital editing, FX, sound design, voice-over, and music for film & television. Editorial feature credits include ROAD DOGZ (HBO/Cinemax), COME AND TAKE IT DAY (PBS), and FOOD STAMPS. His comedy shorts have won numerous national awards including a College Emmy. As a professional drummer with over 20 years of stage and studio experience, Mike has toured Europe, Japan, and most of North America with various artists of diverse musical influences. Performance highlights include the North Sea, Montreux, and Detroit Jazz Festivals, MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, and the White House in Washington D.C. Mike is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist. Growing up in the gang-heavy corridor between Downtown LA and Hollywood in the 1980s and early '90s, where gunfire and street crime were commonplace, Mike was compelled to learn self-defense but couldn't afford classes until after college. He began training in 1999 at the Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy in Torrance, CA and has since instructed classes for the Los Angeles Dept. of Recreation and Parks, UCLA, and Caique Jiu Jitsu Academy in Lomita, CA, where he currently trains. In 2007, Mike began buying, renovating, and renting real estate, which has proven to be his most lucrative career - allowing him to become a major financial supporter of Inner-City Filmmakers. "As a member of ICF's first class in 1993, I am grateful to have witnessed the program's growth and evolution. Fred and Steph's care, persistence, and leadership have inspired me to develop these same qualities in my own life." Mike edited “thank you” videos for the 2001 and 2002 Creative Artists Agency (CAA) sponsored trips to SUNDANCE, but 2016 marks his first time traveling to Park City, Utah as a team mentor with Inner-City Filmmakers. “We are grateful for the support of CAA, which provides great learning opportunities and encourages Inner-City Filmmakers students to step out of their comfort zone so they can become successful in college, jobs, life, and as community leaders.”


MIKE BOGGIO Mentor



MIKE BOGGIO Mentor


THALIA CARDONA Editor

I was born and raised in Boyle Heights, CA. I graduated from Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School and attend Pasadena City College and look forward to transferring to a university.. My dad is from El Salvador and my mom is from Guatemala. I have two siblings, an older sister and a fraternal twin sister. Our parents divorced when my sisters and I were very young, so my dad wasn’t around much. However, we did grow up with a father figure because my mom began dating our step-dad a few months after the divorce. My mom cleans houses for a living. She wanted to do much more with her life, but always puts everyone else first. She makes so many sacrifices for us. My step-dad is a huge help and great support to our family. He works as a delivery driver for a school. Now, to get much more personal, who am I? Wow, one would think since you know yourself best this question would be easy to answer, but it’s the most difficult one for me. The self-image I hold about myself is very poor. I’ve always struggled with liking who I am. I was seeking help. Unfortunately, I turned eighteen and my medical didn’t cover my therapy session any longer and it was just too expensive to pay for it. So, I am about to turn twenty one in November and I am still leaning and struggling on how to deal with my emotions and insecurities. I am a very shy and timid person. I always have been, even as a child. I am also, a nice and compassionate person. I am patient and extremely punctual. I don’t like being late, for I feel it is disrespectful to others. I am not a religious person and I don’t believe in church, but I do believe in God, strongly. I value family very much because they are my biggest support system. My mom and my cat are the loves of my life. Besides film, I am extremely passionate about animals. We are fortunate enough to share this planet with them. We are all equal but some people are just ignorant; they can’t see it. One thing I struggle with every day is living with anxiety. Because of it, I am not a social person. Anxiety makes me feel like a prisoner in my own mind and body because it prevents me from doing many things that I would like to do in life. This is where the poor self-image of me fits in. Because of the lack of love for myself, I fear people will not like me either. I don’t like to be the center of attention because that opens a window for judgment. I try to be perfect because I want to be likeable. Not only that, but social situations tend to give me panic attacks. I try to avoid getting those as much as possible. The result of my anxiety is my thinking process. I am constantly over-thinking things, which results in forming false beliefs about social situations. One positive thing about my anxiety is that it has made me a hard worker and a dedicated person. I have to admit though, my anxiety was pretty bad a couple years ago but I have been taking baby steps to overcome it. And, in 2015, I took a huge leap; I applied to Inner-City Filmmakers, was accepted, worked hard, and completed my summer with them. Inner-City Filmmakers did not only teach me about filmmaking, but it taught me about myself. I have grown so much this past summer and continue to do so. ICF allowed me to go beyond my comfort zone. Before ICF, I lived a boring daily routine because I don’t like uncertainty. Every single day was something new and different. I was not used to that, in fact it scared me because I didn’t know how to handle change. In the past, when something went wrong, I would just panic. But now, when something does not go as planned, I try to think on my feet and find a solution. ICF taught me that; and it has made a huge difference in my life. Because of ICF, I have met so many incredible people and I am learning how to socialize. An opportunity to attend the Sundance Film Festival does not come around very often. That is why I am so grateful. I know the Sundance Film Festival will give me a new perspective about the film industry. I look forward to meeting new filmmakers and experiencing their art with them. I look forward to hearing their stories; their successes and their failures. Above all, I hope to learn more about myself and to grow as a person. An experience like this will push me to be a bit more independent, for it would be my first time being on my own. It will force me to speak for myself instead of hiding behind my friends, like I usually do. I thank Creative Artists Agency and Inner-City Filmmakers for this tremendous opportunity to attend the Sundance Film Festival. I feel blessed to have been chosen to be a part of the 2016 Sundance team because I know how much you want us all to succeed. YOU believe in every single one of us in a way that not many adults do. I am fortunate to have a mother and family who support me. So, it’s a true blessing to have people like YOU, who want nothing but the best for me, too. Thank you for caring.

THALIA CARDONA Editor

I was born and raised in Boyle Heights, CA. I graduated from Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School and attend Pasadena City College and look forward to transferring to a university.. My dad is from El Salvador and my mom is from Guatemala. I have two siblings, an older sister and a fraternal twin sister. Our parents divorced when my sisters and I were very young, so my dad wasn’t around much. However, we did grow up with a father figure because my mom began dating our step-dad a few months after the divorce. My mom cleans houses for a living. She wanted to do much more with her life, but always puts everyone else first. She makes so many sacrifices for us. My step-dad is a huge help and great support to our family. He works as a delivery driver for a school. Now, to get much more personal, who am I? Wow, one would think since you know yourself best this question would be easy to answer, but it’s the most difficult one for me. The self-image I hold about myself is very poor. I’ve always struggled with liking who I am. I was seeking help. Unfortunately, I turned eighteen and my medical didn’t cover my therapy session any longer and it was just too expensive to pay for it. So, I am about to turn twenty one in November and I am still leaning and struggling on how to deal with my emotions and insecurities. I am a very shy and timid person. I always have been, even as a child. I am also, a nice and compassionate person. I am patient and extremely punctual. I don’t like being late, for I feel it is disrespectful to others. I am not a religious person and I don’t believe in church, but I do believe in God, strongly. I value family very much because they are my biggest support system. My mom and my cat are the loves of my life. Besides film, I am extremely passionate about animals. We are fortunate enough to share this planet with them. We are all equal but some people are just ignorant; they can’t see it. One thing I struggle with every day is living with anxiety. Because of it, I am not a social person. Anxiety makes me feel like a prisoner in my own mind and body because it prevents me from doing many things that I would like to do in life. This is where the poor self-image of me fits in. Because of the lack of love for myself, I fear people will not like me either. I don’t like to be the center of attention because that opens a window for judgment. I try to be perfect because I want to be likeable. Not only that, but social situations tend to give me panic attacks. I try to avoid getting those as much as possible. The result of my anxiety is my thinking process. I am constantly over-thinking things, which results in forming false beliefs about social situations. One positive thing about my anxiety is that it has made me a hard worker and a dedicated person. I have to admit though, my anxiety was pretty bad a couple years ago but I have been taking baby steps to overcome it. And, in 2015, I took a huge leap; I applied to Inner-City Filmmakers, was accepted, worked hard, and completed my summer with them. Inner-City Filmmakers did not only teach me about filmmaking, but it taught me about myself. I have grown so much this past summer and continue to do so. ICF allowed me to go beyond my comfort zone. Before ICF, I lived a boring daily routine because I don’t like uncertainty. Every single day was something new and different. I was not used to that, in fact it scared me because I didn’t know how to handle change. In the past, when something went wrong, I would just panic. But now, when something does not go as planned, I try to think on my feet and find a solution. ICF taught me that; and it has made a huge difference in my life. Because of ICF, I have met so many incredible people and I am learning how to socialize. An opportunity to attend the Sundance Film Festival does not come around very often. That is why I am so grateful. I know the Sundance Film Festival will give me a new perspective about the film industry. I look forward to meeting new filmmakers and experiencing their art with them. I look forward to hearing their stories; their successes and their failures. Above all, I hope to learn more about myself and to grow as a person. An experience like this will push me to be a bit more independent, for it would be my first time being on my own. It will force me to speak for myself instead of hiding behind my friends, like I usually do. I thank Creative Artists Agency and Inner-City Filmmakers for this tremendous opportunity to attend the Sundance Film Festival. I feel blessed to have been chosen to be a part of the 2016 Sundance team because I know how much you want us all to succeed. YOU believe in every single one of us in a way that not many adults do. I am fortunate to have a mother and family who support me. So, it’s a true blessing to have people like YOU, who want nothing but the best for me, too. Thank you for caring.

HANSON ESCOBARWriter | Director

Born in the small town of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, I had big dreams; but no means to achieving them. With the help of Inner-City Filmmakers and Creative Artists Agency, I now feel that I have a chance! I am extremely grateful! When I was born, both my parents left me for reasons still unknown. My grandparents in Guatemala raised me for the first six years of my life, and as far as I was concerned, they were my parents. They gave me everything I needed to be happy as a child, which in a way was both a good and bad thing. I became a little spoiled, but I was happy, and that’s all they wanted. However, at the start of 2003, my mother showed up, unannounced. She was there to take me with her, to the United States. All this confused me, especially when I saw her arguing with my grandparents. The next thing I knew, I’m on a plane, leaving everything behind; all my friends, family, everything I loved was left in Guatemala. It was my “mother” and me on a plane. I was truly frightened, but awed as I felt this was the start of a new adventure. The thing was, I wasn’t really on a plane to California. My mother wasn’t a citizen; she was an immigrant, which meant that in order for me to reach California, where my mother’s family lived, we had to cross the border. It felt straight out of a movie: waking up at dawn, sneaking around under highways, moving only when it was dark, and hitching a ride on the back of a pickup truck alongside many other faceless people. Nobody knew one another, but we were all in the same boat - or pick-up truck to be precise - scared of being caught and separated from our families. I remember staying in many different places, many people opening the doors of their home to us so we could continue our journey. All was going smoothly until one fateful day. The person who was guiding us, known as the coyote, suddenly left us under a highway. Lost, we wandered under the thick trees until we accidentally came face-to-face with immigration. Soon, we were split up. I was put in an orphanage/detention center while my mother was whisked away.

Those days in the detention center were definitely the worst. For starters, the crying of all the other kids was incessant. I’m not much of a crier, but even I broke down once. Then there were the showers. They, meaning the workers there, would stuff 20 of us kids into the shower, spray us with cold water, then passed around a bar of soap, telling us to lather ourselves and pass it on. Then came another douse of cold water. It was the same routine every day. Days and days passed in a blur, and we encountered many other hardships. After months of planning, I was able to come to America. My first few months that I lived in the U.S. were the hardest. I did not speak a single word of English. I was a loner at school. I felt every kid was making fun of me. Kids are cruel! My only friends were my teachers who told me that they saw something special in me. I believe that it was this positive reinforcement early on that led me to overcome those few early obstacles at school. Outside of school, I didn’t have friends, only books and toys. This is where my love for storytelling started; I would re-enact scenes from my books with my action figures. I wasn’t allowed to play video games or watch TV, so books were my only escape. I fell in love with books. Nights were filled with books under my covers and a flashlight in my hand. I would wake up early in the morning just to continue reading. I was alone, but I had my books to keep me company and to me that was enough to make life happy. In 2006, I met one of the loves of my life: my little brother, Alan. I still love him, more than ever, and I was truly happy to be a big brother. In 2009, I received news that made that happiness revisited. My mother was pregnant, again. That feeling was short-lived this time around, as my mother had a miscarriage. That has been the hardest time in my entire life. However, around this time is where I learned about my love for movies. They were the only things that consoled me because they provided the hope I needed to believe that things were going to get better. From then on, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Time heals all wounds, and it sure did in 2012 when Iker, my youngest brother was born. So why am I telling you all of this? What does my life have to do with anything? Well, it’s because I want to show you that I have stories to tell. I enjoy not only hearing, but also telling a good story, especially if that story is told through film. Many of us live hardships, and I feel that film is a great way to escape, to go on someone else’s journey and forget about yours for a moment. Film gives us heroes to root for and role models to look up to; it opens our imagination. I have a massive debt to Inner-City Filmmakers and Creative Artists Agency - they have given me so much, that there is almost no way to repay them. Through knowledge and hands-on experience, they have made me feel confident that I am competent enough to work in the industry. This trip to the Sundance Film Festival will further help me. Thank you!

ROGELIO “RONNIE” GONZALEZPhotographer | Cinematographer

My parents came to the United States not knowing how to speak English. They came to this country with a dream, to help their families by sending money back to their homeland in Oaxaca, Mexico. They faced countless struggles such as jobs that paid less than minimum wage and adjusting to a new culture with a new language. However, that did not stop them from accomplishing what they came for, to make a better life for themselves and their children.

My mother and father work in the dry cleaning business as pressers. Two of my older brothers Abraham and Osvaldo both graduated from Cal State LA University. Abraham works as a telemarketer and Osvaldo works as a music teacher. My little sister Priscilla and I are still in college.

At the age of 9, I was introduced to my first instrument, the trumpet, and continued to pick up other instruments such as the guitar, drums, and piano. Music has been a big part of life especially growing up in a family with pure musicians. My father Wilfrido and mother Elena were both singers. My two older brothers Abraham and Osvaldo play instruments such as the clarinet, saxophone, and guitar. My little sister Priscilla also played the saxophone. I knew that music was going to be a great passion of mine once I fell in love in creating it.

I graduated from Hamilton High School. When I started my second year at Los Angeles City College, I took a few art and business classes but they were not keeping me interested. Luckily, I stumble upon a photographer’s blog by the name of Van Styles and got into photography after I started to see and admire the creativity of these photographers.

With the money I had saved up, I bought a camera and learned how to take photographs. I learned by trial and error. As my work progressed, I got interested in making videos after saw videos on YouTube channels such as, “Hypebeast”, “The Hundreds”, “Vice”, and “Audiotree”. What I love about these channels is the creativity and differences that these channels had towards each other such as the mechanics in how they were filmed and the story behind it.

In 2015, I was accepted into Inner-City Filmmakers; it was an honor and a life-changer. I met so many people and learned so many things and skills about filmmaking. Nothing in this line of work is impossible unless I make myself think that it is. My short-term goal is to finish LACC and get a job as a full-time photographer or cinematographer. My long-term goal is to make my own feature films and create a film production company that can help up and coming businesses, artists, and musicians to grow and get the right recognition that they deserve. The step that I’m taking to get closer to my goal is putting in all my effort and creativity into every film project that I am involved in.

Being chosen to attend the Sundance Film Festival, as a young filmmaker, I will be able to learn and experience new fundamentals of filmmaking and build new connections at the same time. I hope to learn new techniques and other ways of telling great stories through visuals by other filmmakers at this festival. Going to this festival means to me that I will have the privilege to be up-close and personal with new film directors and their expertise.

I really appreciate all the love and support that Creative Artists Agency and Inner-City Filmmakers has given me throughout the year including this great opportunity to attend Sundance to meet other passionate filmmakers like me.

Thank you everyone for your support!

DANIEL HENRIQUEZ Sound Editor

I am an Inner-City Filmmakers alumnus from the Class of 2014. I was born in Burbank and live in Sun Valley, CA. I am 19 years old and a graduate of Verdugo Hills High School. Both of my parents were born in El Salvador. I have two sisters, both older than me. My dad is a driver for a delivery company. My mom is a freelance tailor and house-sitter. My oldest sister works in a clothing store, and my second oldest sister works as a coach for an after-school program. Right now, the biggest question I ask myself regarding a career is, “Is it absolutely essential to go to school for Sound Design to get a job in that field?” I’ve been sitting on this for quite a while and I’m now starting to lean into not going. And, part of that problem is that most people I tell that to seem to think I’m simply careless and not committed enough to my goal when that is not the case. I care very deeply about this passion of mine, but I don’t trust giving money and time into a system I don’t think is reliable. I’m more than willing to invest a lot of time and effort into “Sound” to get to where I want to be. So, I’m stuck in this limbo until I get a definite path, which will most likely come with the help of Inner-City Filmmakers. Since my graduation, it became drastically more evident that I need my own car. I missed quite a few opportunities because I didn’t own one. So, my short term goals are focused towards that. I am currently volunteering for LA’s Best, an afterschool program. I am shadowing coaches who plan activities and help students with their homework. It’s a wonderful program and I’ve only had a wonderful experience so far. I chatted with a supervisor that dropped in one day and she told me that I should expect a call for an interview sometime this month. So, I hope to be a coach soon, and in time, save enough money for a car. And, at the same time, buy more audio recording equipment and other things I need to practice my craft. I’m recording and studying techniques. I create environments using many layers of separate sound clips in an attempt to make them feel real. I’m studying whatever I can find online and in movies, video games, and music. I’m looking at, and listening to every aspect I can to get a sense of what to make, how to make it, and how to implement it into whatever I’m working on. I’m planning with friends to make films so I can further my practice and collaborate with others. Inner-City Filmmakers changed how I was going to approach this goal entirely. It made the film industry much more transparent to me. They gave me every film related job I ever had and will ever get for probably a long time. I went from not knowing about them, to being heavily reliant on them, in such a short time. I talked to very important and helpful professionals through this program. I don’t think I could get that anywhere else. I learned so much from these individuals and I have ICF to thank for that. I would also like to thank Creative Artists Agency for the chance to go to Sundance. It’s amazing that you can be so generous. This gift is incredibly appreciated by everyone involved in ICF. I look forward to learning so much more about the industry. I hope to learn more about independent films and what it takes to reach a wide audience. I hope to meet and speak to more professionals and have a better grasp of the scope of things I’d expect in my pursuit of “Sound” in film and video games. And, maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll chat with someone important in “Sound” and get a great job opportunity. I look forward to gaining more life-changing tips. Whatever I may expect from Sundance, I know it will benefit me in one way or the other. From those endless possibilities I may get from Sundance, I will grow as a person and as a filmmaker. I have ICF and CAA to thank so much. As I was a year ago, and today, I will be forever indebted to you both for every gift you have given to all of us students. It goes without saying, you are significant in our careers, professional relationships, and our lives. Thank you for your support.





JONATHAN HURTADOWriter | Director

I am a dreamer! Ever since I was a child, I had grand ideas for my future, whether it was planning a large business corporation that stemmed off the idea of selling candy and chips at school, or designing my future house with ridiculous, over the top designs that included a movie theatre and a room dedicated to video games. I have since outgrown most of these ideas, but I haven’t outgrown being a dreamer. In my junior year at San Gabriel High School, I saw a movie called, “Rushmore”, and in that moment I fell in love with cinema. I saved up, bought some equipment, went out and began shooting. I haven’t stopped!

I live in Alhambra with my mother and two sisters. My mother is an anxiety attack on legs and my sisters are the reason. Alina, 15 and angry, is constantly bickering with Giselle, 9 and naive, over the most insignificant things. Before my parents split up, my father was the dictator. He was always in control of the house and he kept order. With the big man on campus gone, my mother, is a push over and no match for the girls. It is a world of estrogen and chaos.

My mother works in Matriculation at ELAC (East Los Angeles College) and my father is a manager at Case Parts Company. I work at McDonald’s. The legacy lives on! I know I should be thankful that I have a job, as there are many individuals out there who can’t seem to find one, but I can’t stand it. Obviously, I am only working there for a bi-monthly paycheck.

I will be attending Santa Monica College starting in February. In the meantime, I have been doing a lot of writing and shooting, but others see it as a hobby. A hobby is something you do for fun, but they don’t understand. Filmmaking IS my career!

My short term goals are - to write; enter many short film festivals; write and continue to shoot short films; write and apply for internships; and write. My long term goal is to write and direct full-length features. In addition, I also like to: write and produce a play; write and produce a live action television show; write and produce a cartoon; start a record label and find unsigned talent; and write a novel. I plan to reach these goals by being persistent and to NEVER stop writing.

Inner-City Filmmakers gave me the courage to follow my passion. I may be scared, but I am NOT willing to settle for an occupation or a life that is only tolerable. I want to make movies and it doesn’t matter to me that I will have to work hard, struggle, work hard and have patience, and work hard, to get to where I want to be. I’d just like to thank Inner-City Filmmakers for bringing out the courage in me and encouraging me to live the life I want…and was meant to live.

I appreciate the opportunity to attend the Sundance Film Festival where I can watch and analyze new films, communicate with filmmakers and others in the business, and more importantly, expand my knowledge. As much as I love the “art of filmmaking”, I have to keep in mind that it is also a “business”. This trip will be one of the greatest learning opportunities, and I am very grateful to have been selected.

I would like to thank Creative Artists Agency for caring about us, diverse young adults trying to make it in the film industry. Thank you for collaborating with Inner-City Filmmakers. I will soak in every moment of this trip. It will change my life forever!

CESAR CERVANTESWriter | Director2016 Sundance Screenwriters Lab Winner

Sundance Institute Selects 12 Projects for 2016 January Screenwriters Lab. Artists Will Be Supported From Script Development to Distribution Through Year-Round Customized System of Labs, Granting and Mentorship.

The Screenwriters Lab is an immersive five-day writers’ workshop at the Sundance Resort in Utah, January 15-20. The lab is one of 25 residency Labs the Institute hosts each year for independent artists in theatre, film, new media and episodic content. Participating independent screenwriters will have the opportunity to develop their feature film scripts with the support of accomplished writers in an environment that encourages creative risk-taking and original storytelling. The filmmakers reflect a broad and diverse spectrum of independent storytelling from the U.S. and around the world, all bringing a personal and distinctive voice and aesthetic to the projects selected.

Cesar Cervantes, an Inner-City Filmmakers 2010 alumnus, is one of the twelve winners selected and the first recipient of the Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program Latino Fellowship.

Hot Clip (U.S.A.) / César Cervantes (Writer/Director) A week after their best friend’s fatal confrontation with a cop, three Southeast Los Angeles skaters spend 24 hours chasing dreams, making trouble and trying to survive in a community on the verge of exploding. This project is the recipient of the Feature Film Program Latino Fellowship.

César Cervantes is a first-generation Chicano filmmaker from Maywood, California. His skateboarding do-it-yourself background and whatever-it-takes approach to filmmaking got him into the Emerging Filmmakers Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival, led him to create an after-school film program for inner-city youth with the help of CAA, and put him on tour with the Grammy-winning band La Santa Cecilia as their lead videographer. A Vassar College graduate, Cervantes will make his feature debut with Hot Clip.

“I am a 2010 Inner-City Filmmakers (ICF) alumnus, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I was born and raised in Los Angeles along with two younger sisters. My parents migrated from Mexico to the United States in hopes of providing their children with a better life. I grew up in a tough neighborhood where going down the wrong path was a common route but participation in the arts and academia kept me out of trouble.

I was introduced to filmmaking by Roy Lansdown, a teacher at Bell High School, and immediately fell in love with it. Since then, I have continued to pursue my passion for film by graduating from Inner-City Filmmakers in 2010 and taking film classes from 2010 to 2014 while attending Vassar College.

Inner-City Filmmakers taught me the skills and habits necessary to move ahead in the professional world. My goal is to be a writer | director and start my own production company. ICF continues to help me reach my goals, and I decided to show my appreciation and share my new knowledge by being a Team Captain in 2011. Inner-City Filmmakers then matched me to an internship at Foundation Content where I worked on TV commercials and music videos.

In 2012, I spent a year abroad as an international student at FAMU, in the Czech Republic, the oldest and most respected film academy in Eastern Europe. Upon my return, Inner-City Filmmakers matched me to a production assistant job at NBCUniversal, Mun 2, where I rose to second unit camera operator during my short time at Mun 2 and shot for a national cable broadcast program.

I owe Inner-City Filmmakers a lot for who I am today!”

Sundance Institute Announces New Program to Support Next Generation of Independent Filmmakers and Audiences.

The Sundance Ignite program, with support from Adobe through its Project 1324 initiative, hosted an online short film challenge for 18-24 year old filmmakers, and five winners will attend the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Entries were evaluated for technical excellence, creative interpretation of the challenge, and demonstration of an original voice, innovative storytelling and strong character or subject development. Winners receive - travel, lodging, stipend for meal and tickets to screenings, as well as special opportunities to connect with Institute staff and alumni who will mentor the winners throughout the year.

Justin Floyd, an Inner-City Filmmakers 2013 alumnus, is one of the five winners selected as a Sundance Ignite Fellow.

“I was born in Bellflower, CA, raised by a single hard-working mom who rarely had time to spend with me and my three sisters. As a child, I traveled in and around Los Angeles a lot, out of necessity. I’ve lived in over 10 different cities. I first thought about filmmaking when I was six years old. I had a crazy personality as a child. I wanted to be an actor. I was very inspired by Eddie Murphy. He made me laugh.

In middle school, I made my first short film with the action figures in my closet. I was in sixth grade, and I remember grabbing my mother’s camcorder and recording these toys on a VHS in Stop Motion. I still have those tapes. After this short film, I started getting into what was really happening behind-the-camera, what made movies, cartoons, and shows happen. I grabbed a couple of friends and with no idea about what I was doing, just began filming, and filming, and filming. Of course, technology caught up to me, and I did my best to learn and grow with it. Finally, in my senior year at La Serna High School, I sat down and really thought about who I was and my motivation. I wanted to succeed. I wanted to BE somebody! After that moment, I really began my journey in the film industry and took it very seriously.

My best friend, Quetzal Guerra, is a 2012 graduate of Inner-City Filmmakers (ICF). He introduced me to Inner-City Filmmakers and I applied. However, I learned you needed to be a high school graduate. A year later I applied, again, and was accepted into the Class of 2013. I learned a lot and met a lot of people. I was proud of myself and thankful to be heading down the right path.

Through Inner-City Filmmakers, I was matched to an internship at Blumhouse Productions in their postproduction department, which led to a full-time job with the “horror” specialized picture house. I worked closely with team members on various shows, which included the intense, inspiring, and award winning, WHIPLASH; SINISTER 2; STRETCH, and other films.

I am a filmmaker with three award winning short films. During Inner-City Filmmakers Class of 2013 Summer Program, my short film DECEIVED, was the 1st Place winner of the Friars Charitable Foundation Martin Roth Student Screenwriting Scholarship. During Inner-City Filmmakers 48 Hr. Halloween Film Festival, in their Fall | Winter Session - my short film SHEPHERD, won the 1st Place Award from both the industry and audience voters in 2013, and in 2015, SOLITUDE won 1st Place Audience Award.

I am also an AMPAS 2015 “TEAM OSCAR” winner! One of six chosen from thousands of entries, to be on stage during the Academy Awards handing Oscar statuettes to stars who presented them to the Oscar winners; all because of a short 1-minute film I created, which was chosen by Actor, Channing Tatum and Oscar Producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

My goal is to keep making films. To inspire people!! Thank you to CAA, the Sundance Film Institute, Inner-City Filmmakers and all of our supporters who inspired me. Thank you for believing in me and my fellow ICF alumni.

Thank you for believing that WE MATTER!”

JUSTIN FLOYDWriter | Director | Cinematographer | Editor 2016 Sundance Ignite Fellow Winner

Established in 1993, Inner-City Filmmakers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

OUR MISSION: to provide free year-round high quality education, pre-professional training, and access to career building jobs for diverse disadvantaged youth who are high school graduates (ages 17 – 22) from Los Angeles County. They must be talented, passionate, dependable, determined, and appreciative.

OUR GOAL: to guide diverse disadvantaged youth towards college, provide ongoing support, and to match the most dedicated and qualified to behind-the-scenes jobs in the entertainment industry where they aspire to build careers, which are normally unavailable to them. We reshape their lives and change their futures because…THEY MATTER!

Inner-City Filmmakers has 600 alumni; 98% overall attend college. (The national average is 68.3 %.) ICF alumni are in community colleges in California and universities (on full scholarships) around the country and the world that include, but are not limited to: Art Center, UC Berkeley, Brooks Institute, Cornell College in Iowa, UC Davis, Otis School of Art & Design, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA, and USC as well as NYU, Vassar, University of Vermont, Western Kentucky, Williams College in MA, FAMU in the Czech Republic, and Regent’s University in London.

100% of our alumni are working. (The national average of college students employed is 47%.) We have successfully matched over 60% of our alumni to industry jobs where they are respected, rehired and building careers. Our alumni are working on content in all media platforms: A-list films at every major motion picture studio, Scripted and Reality TV, Webisodes, Documentaries, Indie Films, Music Videos and TV Commercials. They are members of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, Cinematographers Guild, Casting, Costumers, Props, Grip, Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians unions, the Writer’s Guild, and the Directors Guild of America. They are EMMY AWARD winners and ACADEMY AWARD nominees. RICHARD MOLINA (ICF ‘93), is a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild and 1st Assistant Editor on THE REVENANT, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Richard also hired two other ICF alumni to work in postproduction on this film; Joshua Johnson (ICF ‘06) and Gladys Garcia (ICF ‘09). Richard has numerous feature film credits to his name, which include - 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE; THE HUNGER GAMES; PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN; WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS; and 2012...just to name a few.

GIL KENAN (ICF ‘94), is a 2007 Academy Award Nominee for Best Director of an Animated Feature Film, MONSTER HOUSE, executive produced by Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg. Gil directed CITY OF EMBER, with Walden Media and Playtone Partners, Gary Goetzman and Tom Hanks as executive producers. Gil directed POLTERGEIST 3D which was released in 2015. He hired Estefany Zendejas (ICF ‘08) as his personal assistant. Legendary filmmaker, Sam Raimi, produced.

SAL ALVAREZ (ICF ‘95), is a member of the Cinematographers Guild (Local 600). He has a long list of credits, which includes second assistant camera: a camera, on the Ang Lee film, BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK. Sal is currently working on a TV series and hired Luigi Ventura (ICF ‘06) and Enrique Garcia (ICF ‘12) as part of the camera crew on AQUARIUS, starring David Duchovny.

TRINH TRAN (ICF ‘00), is Creative Executive at Marvel Entertainment responsible for CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, which had a record breaking opening weekend in 2014. She is currently working on CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, starring Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. Trinh was promoted to Associate Producer on this film.

CHRISKO MORALES (ICF ‘07), is a 2012 EMMY Award Winner for 3D Camera with his technical team from Cameron-Pace Group, the innovator of 3D technology. He helped build special 3D RED Epic rigs for James Cameron’s record breaking Mariana Trench solo sub dive. In 2013, Chrisko went to Russia to film the Mariinsky Ballet in 3D. He worked with the camera crew on THE WALKING DEAD, SOUTHPAW and CONCUSSION.

Inner-City Filmmakers alumni are also MBA’s, Lawyers, Clinical Social Workers, Law Enforcement Officers, Accountants, Professors, Film Restorer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, AMPAS Theater Staff members, AMPAS Museum Office Manager, Talent and Literary Managers, IT Specialists, Graphic Designers, Welfare Administrators, Web Designers, Picture Vehicle Technicians, Set Dressers, Writers Assistants, Location Scouts, Colorists, Compositing Artists, Director of Creative Services at IMAX, Manager of Education and New Film Programs at Panavision, as well as business owners. They are job providers and ICF donors because…WE MATTER!

THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

Diamond Sponsor

The Angell Foundation Mike Boggio

Platinum Sponsors

The Ahmanson Foundation Johnny Carson Foundation

Creative Artists Agency Foundation Friars Charitable Foundation

Hollywood Foreign Press Association S. Mark Taper Foundation

Gold Sponsors

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Anonymous

Drake Family Trust Joseph Drown Foundation Evolution Media Capital The Green Foundation

The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation

Silver Sponsors

Casey Family Foundation Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation

Supporters

British Academy of Film & Television Arts, Los Angeles Scott & Michelle Greenberg

FOXGives Motion Picture Editors Guild

Pergo Foundation Linda & Jay Sandrich

Seidman Family Foundation

In-kind Donations

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences American Cinema Editors

Avid Technology Russell Carpenter, ASC

Deen Design designory, inc.

Maine Media Workshop NBCUniversal

Panavision PromaxBDA

Promo Pathways program Sony Pictures Studios

Stella Adler Academy of Acting, Los Angeles Sundance Ignite Fellows program

Universal Studios Sound Department Warner Bros. Studios

Wild Mind Film Camp

To make your gift to Inner-City Filmmakers visit www.innercityfilmmakers.com and use the Pay Pal feature. 100% of your donation is tax deductible and goes directly towards educating youth. Thank you for your support.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

Diamond Sponsor

The Angell Foundation Mike Boggio

Platinum Sponsors

The Ahmanson Foundation Johnny Carson Foundation

Creative Artists Agency Foundation Friars Charitable Foundation

Hollywood Foreign Press Association S. Mark Taper Foundation

Gold Sponsors

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Anonymous

Drake Family Trust Joseph Drown Foundation Evolution Media Capital The Green Foundation

The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation

Silver Sponsors

Casey Family Foundation Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation

Supporters

British Academy of Film & Television Arts, Los Angeles Scott & Michelle Greenberg

FOXGives Motion Picture Editors Guild

Pergo Foundation Linda & Jay Sandrich

Seidman Family Foundation

In-kind Donations

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences American Cinema Editors

Avid Technology Russell Carpenter, ASC

Deen Design designory, inc.

Maine Media Workshop NBCUniversal

Panavision PromaxBDA

Promo Pathways program Sony Pictures Studios

Stella Adler Academy of Acting, Los Angeles Sundance Ignite Fellows program

Universal Studios Sound Department Warner Bros. Studios

Wild Mind Film Camp

To make your gift to Inner-City Filmmakers visit www.innercityfilmmakers.com and use the Pay Pal feature. 100% of your donation is tax deductible and goes directly towards educating youth. Thank you for your support.

P 310-264-3992 | F 310-264-39813000 West Olympic Boulevard | Santa Monica CA [email protected] | www.innercityfilmmakers.com

1993-2016

icf 2016 sundance booklet

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