FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ACTOR-TURNED-DIRECTOR’S FIRST NARRATIVE
Luis Robledo’s “practice” film wins Best Short Film at INDIE FEST USA 2008.
Anaheim, CA-August 15, 2008-It was supposed to be a preparation film; a film for Luis Robledo to prove his ability to participate in a film as both actor and director. He discovered, however, that filmmaking at its best occurred when those involved possessed the same passion to complete the vision…regardless of the budget involved.
With a little more than last year’s tax money in his pocket, Luis initially set out to make El Taxista as a springboard for his much treasured original screenplay, The Whistler. Reluctant to make his directing debut on such a powerful script, Luis wrote El Taxista as a film for practice. Once his friends were on board to help and his sister agreed to provide catering, Luis expected his project to be sufficiently done to meet his needs. Within days, a green screen studio was reserved, a mansion in Malibu was located and a top cinematographer came onboard. The pre-production steps were taken and the film was on its way.
All the pre-production planning paled in comparison to the production events of the film. Once on set, it was clear that this “practice” project developed into a noteworthy first run for the filmmaker. Spirits were high for all involved as days turned into night and everyone came together to create the vision…El Taxista.
In the months that followed and with the glitches of post-production, Luis found himself adding the role of editor to his film. He spent countless hours staring into his Mac in attempt to teach himself Final Cut Pro. With the assistance of New Generation Media Services, he was able to composite the green screen shots and mass produce his masterpiece for submission.
Several months of preparation, production and post-production later, Luis submitted his short to over 30 film festivals. His first acceptance, Indie Fest USA 2008, allowed him to showcase the world premiere of El Taxista. Not one to participate in only one area of the industry, his band Sorry, Nelson (whose song Black Widow is featured in the film) received an invitation to perform in the band competition as well.
As the week came to a close, Luis’ debut film and band both took top honors: Best Short Film and Best Band. He also garnered a nomination in Best Sound for the film. Sorry, Nelson also received an encore performance at the House of Blues at Downtown Disney where the festival was held.
These accolades for a first time filmmaker on his first narrative seem unheard of in today’s industry; yet Luis seems to tackle them with ease. He is now over 50% on acceptances from the film festivals that have closed their submissions and that number is steadily growing. For a 15 minute film that generates so much buzz, one can only eagerly await the future projects of this budding filmmaker.
