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Rooney Mara drama “La Cocina” by Alonso Ruizpalacios has been snapped up by boutique movie distributor Mubi to stream exclusively in the U.S. starting May 2.

Mara stars opposite four-time Ariel Award winner Raul Briones in this intense black & white kitchen drama which Variety described as a “chaotic symphony of nearly two dozen characters…” that “mixes biting social critique with stylistic bravura.”

Based on the seminal 1957 play “The Kitchen” by Arnold Wesker, the drama takes place in a hectic Times Square kitchen where a staff of mostly immigrant workers battles the heat, the pressure and the weight of dreams carried from distant homelands.

Drama premiered in competition at the 2024 Berlinale and was nominated for best director and best cinematography at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

It was shot on location in New York City and at the venerable Estudios Churubusco in Ruizpalacios’ native Mexico City.

“We couldn’t be more...

The 2025 Sarasota Film Festival has announced its winners, and one film in particular will draw attention for having screened to much acclaim in this bright red county, ultimately winning the top documentary prize: Kim A. Snyder’s “The Librarians,” a film that’s sounding the alarm strongly about right-wing attacks on free speech, won Best Documentary Feature, after screening at New College, a university itself subjected to a right-wing takeover and attacks on free speech.

The win for “The Librarians” caps another edition of the festival known for its strong curation (largely due to senior programmer Brian Gordon), that brings to Florida’s Gulf Coast titles from Sundance, Cannes, Palm Springs, Mill Valley, and more.

The documentary jury, comprised of freelance journalist Addie Morfoot, Impact Partners co-founder Geralyn Dreyfous, and “Lovers” director Taylor McFadden also awarded a Special Jury Mention to Sasha Wortzel’s “River of Grass,” an environmentally-focused documentary about the Everglades.

Seine Pictures turned 12 this year, and to mark the occasion, the upstart, Latino-led production company released three films in 2024: the 2024 Cinema for Peace Award-winning documentary, “Invisible Nation”; “La Cocina,” starring Rooney Mara and Raul Briones, which premiered in North America at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival in June; and “Mistura,” an original period drama from Ricardo de Montreuil set in company founder Ivan Orlic’s home country.

“Having three films in one year for a company our size is quite an achievement that we’re very proud of and have worked very hard to achieve,” Orlic told TheWrap for our latest Office With a View Q&a.

At first glance, Orlic doesn’t make your everyday film producer. A Peruvian marine scientist-turned-filmmaker, he authored two college-level biology textbooks before combining his family’s fishing tradition and his own love for film for a career pivot in 2012. To date, Seine Pictures...

Mexico’s Barbara Mori and Peru’s Christian Meier and helmer-scribe Ricardo de Montreuil are reuniting for culinary drama “Mistura,” some 17 years after their 2005 box office hit “La Mujer de Mi Hermano” (“My Brother’s Wife”).

Joining them are Magaly Solier, best known for her lead role in Peru’s Oscar-nominated and 2009 Berlinale Golden Bear winner, “The Milk of Sorrow.”

“Mistura,” which means mixture or blend, takes place in 1960s Peru where Mori plays Norma who, after being ditched by her husband (played by Meier), must face the scorn of Lima’s elitist high society. She reinvents herself by teaming up with people from the communities she previously ignored to launch a restaurant that helps her rediscover Peru, its cultural diversity and its spectacular cuisine.

Peru’s gastronomy has always been a huge draw for culinary enthusiasts and serious food critics. Three Lima restaurants made the cut in the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list,...

Exclusive: Arianna Williams and Jimmy Gonzales have joined the cast of Amazon’s Once Upon a Time in Aztlan— the drama pilot from George Lopez— in leading roles. They join previously announced cast Lopez, Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez.

Arianna portrays the character of Angela, a Gen-z Afro Latina, who is described as fiercely independent, confident, and always adapting. The face of our modern Los Angeles. The Duran family have hung their hopes on Angela as their luminary, but she’s in deep debt to her nefarious uncle, who’s co-signed her loans to USC. Her father, Arturo (Garcia) returns to her life after a long absence, presenting a challenging new vision of her future.

Gonzales stars as the morally compromised Hector, whose pursuit of ‘get rich or die trying’ dreams landed his partner Arturo Duran in prison for thirteen years. Since then, he’s further cemented his influence over...

Amazon Studios has ordered a pilot for the drama series Once Upon a Time in Aztlan from STXtelevision, starring and executive produced by George Lopez via his Travieso Productions banner.

Written by Javier Rodriguez, the one-hour drama revolves around a Chicano family in the deep suburbs of Los Angeles as they come to terms with the falsehoods of the American dream, and their ability to defy expectations.

Rodriguez executive produces with photographer/director Estevan Oriol, LA-based artist Mister Cartoon, and Michael Connolly who put the Latinx package together under his STXtelevision-based Mad Hatter Entertainment banner. Matthew Carnahan joined the package in the writers room and serves as EP.

Ricardo de Montreuil is directing the pilot and will executive produce along with Oriol and Cartoon’s longtime collaborators Mark Suroff and Marco Valadez, who produced the hit documentary LA Originals, which Oriol directed.

Amazon Studios has ordered a pilot for the George Lopez-led drama series “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan,” hailing from STXtelevision. The Mexican American multi-award-winning actor, author, comedian and film and TV star is executive producing via his Travieso Productions banner.

The hourlong drama, written by, created and executive produced by Javier Rodriguez, centers on a Chicano family in the deep suburbs of Los Angeles as they come to terms with the falsehoods of the American dream and their ability to defy expectations.

Rodriguez executive produces along with internationally celebrated photographer and director Estevan Oriol, whose work has been showcased at The Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives, The Peterson Automotive Museum and The Museum of Contemporary Art. Some of the famous faces he’s captured with his lens include Eminem, Kim Kardashian, Cypress Hill, Dennis Hopper, Blink-182, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Danny Trejo.

George Lopez and his real-life daughter Mayan Lopez are slated to star in a “working-class family” comedy from Universal Television about “dysfunction, reconnection and all the pain and joy in between.”

“Lopez vs. Lopez,” which has a put pilot commitment from NBC, is produced by Mohawk Productions, Travieso Productions, Mi Vida Loba, and 3 Arts.

Debby Wolfe, known for co-executive producing “One Day at a Time” and “The Conners,” is writing and executive producing the project alongside “The Conners” showrunner and “Kevin Can Wait” creator Bruce Helford, who is supervising. George Lopez is also executive producing, with Mayan Lopez on board as a producer. Michael Rotenberg and Katie Newman are non-writing exec producers.

Deadline first reported news of the series.

Lopez, known for starring in the eponymous comedy “George Lopez” on ABC for six seasons between 2002 and 2007, has since starred in “Saint George” on FX and “Lopez” on TV Land. “Lopez vs.

Alex Pettyfer, whose credits include “I Am Number Four” and “Magic Mike,” is attached to lead director Ricardo de Montreuil’s psychological horror feature “The Lost Ones.”

The Exchange is handling the movie’s worldwide sales rights, and will be introducing the title to buyers at the virtual European Film Market, which runs until Friday.

The film is the story of a young family on the run from unseen spirits haunting their daughter. They move to a secluded house to keep her safe from unwanted scrutiny, but when her “visions” attract the attention of a disturbed neighbor, the family is forced into a struggle for survival with both the living and the dead.

“The Lost Ones,” currently in pre-production and scheduled to be filmed in Ireland in May, is an original screenplay by Miles Kelly and Brandon Robinson, to be directed by De Montreuil (“Lowriders”), and produced by Mini Mach...

Exclusive: STX Entertainment has entered into a first-look deal with How to Train Your Dragon producer Michael Connolly’s Mad Hatter Entertainment label.

Connolly was key in bringing the George Lopez series Once Upon a Time in Aztlan into STXtv. In that series, which Deadline first told you about, Lopez is starring and executive producing with famed photographer Estevan Oriol, L.A.-based artist Mister Cartoon, and director Ricardo de Montreuil, was recently set at Amazon opened its writers room. Javier Rodriguez is penning.

For the past four years, Connolly served as Head of Television at Vertigo Entertainment, where he created the division and closed pod deals with both Wbtv and Sony Pictures Television. Under his leadership there, Connolly developed The Departed at Amazon, Sour Mash at NBC and Shelly at Freeform, and he is currently an EP on the upcoming Amazon horror anthology series Them with Lena Waithe and...

In a competitive situation, the George Lopez drama series “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan” has been set up at Amazon for development, Variety has learned exclusively.

Lopez will star in and executive produce the one-hour series under his Travieso Productions banner. Javier Rodriguez created the series and will executive produce along with famed photographer and director Estevan Oriol, iconic LA-based artist Mister Cartoon, and Michael Connolly, who put the package together under his Mad Hatter Entertainment banner. Ricardo de Montreuil will direct the pilot and executive produce along with Oriol and Cartoon’s longtime collaborators Mark Suroff and Marco Valadez. Oriol previously collaborated with Cartoon, Suroff, and Valdez on the documentary “LA Originals,” with Oriol directing and the latter three executive producing.

The series will be a production between STXtv and Amazon Studios. STXtv acquired the spec script over the summer and subsequently took it to market, focusing on streaming and cable outlets.

Exclusive: Mancora writer-director is set to direct and co-write the social thriller Daniel with first-time feature writer Owen Renfroe.

The story follows, Daniel, an unlicensed Latinx doctor who works for a dying billionaire on his private, remote estate. When he suddenly uncovers a sinister secret about his boss’s foster daughter, he must fight for the life he worked so hard to build. The film is the first social thriller to tackle head-on the plight of Latinx professionals and the struggles they endure in dealing with systemic discrimination.

“Daniel explores the very real struggles that minorities and disenfranchised groups have to endure in America, at a historic time when these pressures are finally getting broadly exposed,” said de Montreuil.

Steven Schneider, who exec produced Split and Glass, will produce alongside Roy Scott MacFarland. Samuel Levine and Alex Toumayan from newcomer Tetrad Studios will exec produce.

Montreuil broke on to the...

Exclusive: Tony Revolori has signed with WME for representation.

He first came to the attention of audiences and critics with his breakout performance as Zero, the scene-stealing lobby boy in Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winning The Grand Budapest Hotel. The film also starred Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Bill Murray and Edward Norton and not only over performed at the box-office but went on to land nine Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

He can currently be seen in M. Night Shymalan’s Apple TV+ series Servant, which also stars Toby Kebbell, Lauren Ambrose and Rupert Grint. On the film side, he was recently seen reprising his role of Flash Thompson in Spider-Man: Homecoming after first appearing in Spider-Man: Far From Home, both directed by Jon Watts for Marvel and Sony. Other films include Rick Famuyiwa’s Sundance hit Dope, Hannah Fidell’s The Long Dumb Road, the Sundance Audience Award-winning drama Umria...

Exclusive: In what is expected to be a hot TV package, STXtv is bringing Once Upon a Time in Aztlan, a new TV series anchored by George Lopez, famed photographer Estevan Oriol and iconic Los Angeles-based artist Mister Cartoon aka Mark Machado to the market. Michael Connolly, under his Mad Hatter Entertainment banner, brought the elements together. Lopez is in final talks to star and executive produce through his Travieso Productions, and Javier Rodriguez will pen the pilot. Oriol and Cartoon also will exec produce.

“I’m thrilled to be teaming up with Cartoon, Estevan, Jada and Michael for this series and developing a show with STXtv,” Lopez said. “Cartoon and Estevan are the DaVincis of our community; they have been the street chroniclers of our uniquely Chicano story … our American story. I’m looking forward to working with them and the rest of the team to expand their canvas...

Joseph Baxter Nov 5, 2019

FX is moving forward with a third season of Mayans Mc, having recently cut loose co-creator/showrunner Kurt Sutter.

Mayans Mc Season 3 is officially a go at FX, set to arrive in fall 2020!

FX’s third season renewal of Mayans Mc – a spinoff of 2008-2014’s Sons of Anarchy – arrives in the aftermath of the headline-making hullabaloo of behind-the-scenes tension that culminated in the firing of the maestro of the motorcycle gang mythology, Kurt Sutter, from his position as showrunner for what the now-contrite co-creator called “being an abrasive dick.” However, the show will go on, likely in the same spirit, since the network subsequently promoted Sutter’s spinoff collaborator in co-creator/executive producer Elgin James to showrunner, now set to tackle Mayans Mc Season 3.

As Nick Grad, President, Original Programming, FX Entertainment, expresses in a statement:

“We’re happy to continue telling the story of Mayans M.

Long before Dominic Toretto and his crew became globe-trotting superheroes, they might have been the neighbors of the Alvarez family, known as “low-riders” who restore gorgeous American muscle cars, including the star of their garage: father Miguel’s gorgeous 69’ Chevy Impala named Green Poison. Not unlike the Fast & Furious saga, family is at the center of Lowriders, a drama of surprisingly grounded insight from director Ricardo de Montreuil.

The story follows the coming of age of Danny (Gabriel Chavarria), a young Mexican-American teen who’d rather paint street art than murals on his father Miguel’s (Demián Bichir) lowriders. Miguel and his sons rarely see eye to eye, and complicating matters is the return of brother Francisco, aka Ghost (Theo Rossi), fresh out of jail for grand theft auto. Competing in his father’s footsteps, he steals cars to build his own dream Impala.

Ghost breaks from his father...

The specialty box office yielded a strong success this weekend in the form of Bh Tilt’s Latino drama “Lowriders,” which finished eighth among all films with an estimated opening of $2.4 million from just 295 screens. Directed by Ricardo de Montreuil on a budget of $916,000, the film stars Gabriel Chavarria as an East L.A. teen forced to choose between his father (Demian Bichir) and his criminal brother (Theo Rossi) at an annual event that celebrates the colorful cars that the movie is named after. Critics gave the film mixed reviews as it clocked in at 57 percent on Rotten...

After a jam-packed weekend of new Specialty releases last week, the tide continues with a full roster of new limited roll-outs just as the summer blockbuster season heads into full swing. The weekend’s largest Specialty debuts include Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions’ The Wall by Doug Liman and starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and John Cena, which will open in north of five hundred locations, as well as Bh Tilt’s Lowriders by Ricardo de Montreuil with Eva Longoria, Demián Bichir and Gabriel Chavarria with nearly three hundred runs. Sony Classics is going traditional with the New York and L.A. bow of Diane Lane starrer Paris Can Wait, which the distributor is hoping will tap a collective societal need to escape — in this case, to the French countryside. Cate Blanchett plays 13 different characters in artist-director Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto (FilmRise), which is based on his multi-screen installation presented in New York...

After a jam-packed weekend of new Specialty releases last week, the tide continues with a full roster of new limited roll-outs just as the summer blockbuster season heads into full swing. The weekend's largest Specialty debuts include Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions' The Wall by Doug Liman and starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and John Cena, which will open in north of five hundred locations, as well as Bh Tilt's Lowriders by Ricardo de Montreuil with Eva Longoria, Demián…...

Self-righteous certitude, seething resentment, and taciturn parental authority collide repeatedly in Lowriders, an exploration of a nuclear family and Mexican-American culture. Directed with conviction by Ricardo de Montreuil and bathed in amber by cinematographer Andrés Sánchez, the film is similar in look to the duo's previous feature together. Released more than 10 years ago, La mujer de mi hermano (aka My Brother's Wife ) was a gauzy representation of a dreamy fantasy, filled with familial melodrama. More grounded in reality, Lowriders is nonetheless still stuffed with a heightened sense of drama, blended this time with an earnest desire to educate outsiders and celebrate car culture. The original script by Elgin James and Cheo Hodari Coker lays out the archetypes clearly, mostly following Danny Alvarez (Gabriel...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

You don't have to be a car enthusiast to get the point of Lowriders. Though once you see those four-wheeled works of art, you might be a convert. "I didn't get to drive one in the movie but in between takes they let me do the switches," Eva Longoria said, miming the motions of a lowrider's signature bounce. "It just scared me so much because they're so expensive. 'Eva Longoria breaks the car!' I was like, 'No, not going to be me.'" Longoria grew up around lowrider culture—a religion all its own—in Texas, so when the script for director Ricardo de Montreuil's film came her way, she got the message right away. "I think a lot of people...

Gabriel Chavarria loved that his latest movie kept him close to home and family. And since Lowriders is all about family and the importance of local culture in shaping our lives, the setting couldn't have been more perfect. In the film, which opens in theaters Friday, Chavarria plays Danny, a street artist from East L.A. whose father, played by Demián Bichir, only has eyes for the lowriders he's forever restoring and just doesn't get his son's passion. It's a complicated environment for Danny—and a tough role for any actor, having to draw attention away from the impressive array of cars that also populate director Ricardo de Montreuil's...

It's full speed ahead for Yvette Monreal this week. The 24-year-old actress, known for roles on The Fosters and MTV's Faking It, makes her big-screen feature debut Friday in Ricardo de Montreuil's Lowriders, playing the studious, college-bound Claudia, a longtime friend of Gabriel Chavarria's street artist Danny, who's torn between wanting to pursue his passion and his family's roots in East L.A.'s macho car culture. "My favorite thing about filming in L.A. is that it's closest to home," Monreal, who hails from Lawndale, Calif., tells E! News. "I've had family visit me on set so it's really nice to be able to show them what I'm...

MaryAnn’s quick take… This melodrama about men unable to express themselves emotionally except through heavy machinery isn’t only clichéd: it doubles down on the clichés. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

A lowrider is a kind of customized car most associated with the Mexican-American community in Los Angeles. Customization features hydraulics that raise, lower, and bounce the chassis; paint jobs that gleam almost supernaturally topped by spectacular painted murals on the hood, sides, and other surfaces; a surfeit of chrome and other bling; and much more. Lowriders are highly personal works of art for their dude creators — pretty much always a dude — in which a dude also looks supercool slow-cruising the southern California boulevards.

If you do not already know all of this, Lowriders is not for you. There’s no onramp for...

Eva Longoria is going gritty for her latest project.

Et has your exclusive first look at Lowriders, a new drama set against the backdrop of East Los Angeles.

“It’s a coming-of-age story about this kid from East L.A., who is a graffiti artist,” director Ricardo de Montreuil explains.

Watch: Eva Longoria Talks Wedded Bliss at Lowriders Los Angeles Film Festival Premiere

That artist is Danny, played by Gabriel Chavarria. Longoria is his stepmom, Gloria, who’s caught in the middle between Danny and his dad, Miguel, played by Demian Bichir.

“He is very, very talented, but he’s not choosing the right path,” Bichir says of Danny.

Adding more drama is Danny’s brother, Ghost (Sons of Anarchy’s Theo Rossi), who returns to the family after some time in prison.

Watch: Inside the Lowriders After-Party at the Los Angeles Film Festival

“He comes back in their lives,” Longoria explains. “There’s a lot...

A dynamic glimpse of contemporary Los Angeles funneled into an old-fashioned coming-of-age saga, Lowriders isn’t always persuasive, but it has plenty of heart. Peruvian-born director Ricardo de Montreuil elicits strong performances for his first English-language feature, the story of a young graffiti artist, his ex-con brother and their old-school “Pops,” played with mournful reserve by Demian Bichir. The actors find the emotional weight in often overwritten material, but what sets the film apart is its deeply felt celebration of the lowrider tradition — the loving customization and display of vintage cars — that thrives in the predominantly...

Gloria (Eva Longoria) gives Miguel (Demian Bichir) an very important lesson on family in this new new clip from “Lowriders” from director Ricardo de Montreuil. “Lowriders” will open theatrically on May 12, 2017. “Lowriders” is set against the vibrant backdrop of East La’s near-spiritual car culture and follows the story of Danny (Gabriel Chavarria), a […]

The post New Clip from Lowriders Features Eva Longoria and Demian Bichir appeared first on Shockya.com.

The eclectic car culture of Los Angeles is put on display in the first trailer for Blumhouse Tilt's Lowriders, arriving in theaters nationwide May 12. Lowriders is set against the vibrant backdrop of East La's near-spiritual car culture and follows the story of Danny (Gabriel Chavarria), a talented young street artist caught between the lowrider world inhabited by his old-school father (Demian Bichir) and ex-con brother (Theo Rossi), and the adrenaline-fueled outlet that defines his self-expression. The project has been in the works for several years, with Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker writing an early version of the script alongside Elgin James. Justin Tipping and Joshua Beirne-Golden, the writers behind last year's Kicks, wrote the most recent version of the script, for director Ricardo de Montreuil.

While this L.A. drama may have a plum summer release date, it will certainly have its work cut out for it, in the...

Joseph Baxter Jan 27, 2017

Supergirl star Melissa Benoist is heading to the big screen in upcoming drama Lowriders. Here's the trailer.

Upcoming film Lowriders appears to be a cinematic fable with familiar dramatic elements about the inescapable nature of urban blight. However, it also carries some lighthearted aspects that looks cut through stereotypical views about Latino car-customizing culture in East Los Angeles. For fans of the comic book genre, it’s also a small cornucopia of familiar faces, with one that soon will be familar.

The Lowriders trailer starts with young Danny (Gabriel Chavarria), a seemingly sensitive aspiring street artist who’s amenable to hanging out with an eclectic array of people. However, despite being in the orbit of an artistic muse in Lorelai (Melissa Benoist), his impulsiveness, which seems to get him in trouble with the law, puts those aspirations in jeopardy. Meanwhile, drama is rampant in Danny’s family,...

The transition of Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival continues. Geographically, the fest has moved away from downtown to multiple Arclight locations. Opening night in Hollywood, Ricardo de Montreuil’s coming-of-age East L.A. drama “Lowriders,” starring Demián Bichir and Theo Rossi as father and estranged ex-con son, signaled the fest’s mission: Provide a diverse program directed by rising filmmakers: among the 42 competition films, 87% are first-and-second-timers, 43% are women and 38% are people of color, while 90% of the 58 total festival films are world premieres.

Developed by Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, “Lowriders” (written by Cheo Hodari Coker, Joshua Beirne-Golden, Elgin James, and Justin Tipping), finally got made when the budget dropped—under Universal’s low-budget producing partner, Jason Blum—from $20 million to $5 million. The grittiness helps the scruffy, colorful movie, which Laff head Stephanie Allain loved for being “so Los Angeles, so culturally rich,” she told the Arclight crowd. “Made by filmmakers of color, ‘Lowriders’ embodies our mission.” (The film will go out under a Universal label that remains to be seen, per Blum.)

Since Allain took over in 2014, the festival has lost some of its key programming talent (David Ansen, Doug Jones, Maggie McKay); the sprawling program is now commandeered by film professor Roya Rastegar (Bryn Mawr College). Very much in charge is Laff’s high-powered director, studio-trained producer Allain (“Boyz ‘n the Hood,” “Hustle & Flow”), who has pulled her friend Elvis Mitchell into a role as year-round “curator,” which basically means hosting Q & As at Film Independent-programmed events at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

As Laff becomes more local, eclectic, multi-cultural, and interactive, the Laff seeks to occupy a niche and grow its audience via a more populist, less international festival.

Truth is, only a few top-ranked film festivals a year are must-attend destinations packed with high-end world premieres and star attendees. Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Venice, New York, and Telluride top the list. So there’s some logic to opting out of that competitive arena. Increasingly, fests like Tribeca and SXSW are pushing outside the area of indie film to create alluring events for audiences, from interactive transmedia showcases and TV series premieres to high-profile panels, Q & As, and “Master Classes.” So it makes sense to brand Laff with an identifiable niche.

Giving people awards and tributes is another route pursued by awards-friendly fests like Santa Barbara and Palm Springs, hence Saturday Laff will award “Selma” director Ava DuVernay as well as her distribution company Array Releasing (her own “Middle of Nowhere” plus “Ashes and Embers,” “Mississippi Damned,” “Kinyarwanda,” and “Restless City”) with the annual Spirit of Independence Award given to members of the independent film community who “advance the cause of independent film and champion creative freedom.” Last year, Array bought La Film Festival Us Fiction award-winner “Out of My Hand” for distribution, along with “Ayanda.”

Ryan Coogler (“Fruitvale Station”) is the 2016 Festival’s Guest Director; he’s offering a master class on sound design for “Creed.” And Nate Parker hosted a screening of Sundance Oscar contender “Birth of a Nation.” This weekend also brings a panel of women cinematographers.

The question is whether Allain’s quest for diversity will coincide with choosing the best movies, ones that create buzz for must-see titles—so far, actress Amber Tamblyn’s directing debut, “Paint It Black,” debuting Friday night at Lacma, has earned the most advance word of mouth. Established fest circuit titles such as Roger Ross Williams’ autism doc “Life, Animated,” closing night border film “Desierto” from Jonás Cuarón (“Gravity”), starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Mike Birbliglia and Ira Glass’s latest collaboration, improv comedy “Don’t Think Twice,” starring Keegan-Michael Key, are all worth seeing.

But for many of the unknown titles unspooling this week, audiences and buyers will just have to check them out and spread the word, good or bad. Otherwise, they’ll disappear into the ether.

Here are Indiewire’s Laff picks so far.

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Gael Garcia Bernal seems finally set to star as Zorro in Z, Jonas Cuaron's futuristic reboot of the franchise. The actor has been associated on-and-off with the long-gestating project since it was set up at 20th Century Fox over a decade ago when filmmakers such as Bryan Singer and Ricardo de Montreuil were involved and when it was called Zorro Reborn. Z reshapes the legend of Zorro — the pulp hero created in 1919 as a fighter for the forlorn rural class during the Spanish colonization of California in the 19th century — as a masked crusader

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The La Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, has unveiled the official U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, Nightfall and La Muse sections. The 2016 La Film Festival, which will have its headquarters at the ArcLight Culver City, features a diverse slate of 56 feature films, 58 short films and 13 short episodic works representing 28 countries. Previously announced, the Opening Night Film is the World Premiere of Ricardo De Montreuil's "Lowriders," sponsored by Jaeger-LeCoultre. This year's Guest Director is Ryan Cooglerl; and Ava DuVernay and Array Releasing will receive the Spirit of Independence Award.  More special screenings and...

Top brass announced on Tuesday the 42 world premieres selected for the Us Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, La Muse, and Nightfall Competitions to screen at the festival, set to run from June 1-9 in Los Angeles.

Derrick Borte’s London Town (UK), Maria Govan’s Play The Devil (pictured, Trinidad-Bahamas-usa) are among the World Fiction Competition entries, while Amber Tamblyn’s Paint It Black (USA) plays in the Us Fiction Competition.

The Documentary Competition includes Out Of Iraq (Canada-Iraq-Lebanon-usa) by Eva Orner and Chris McKim, and Darren Lynn Bousman’s Abattoir (USA) plays in genre section Nightfall, and Actors Of Sound (Argentina-Finland-Germany-India-Ireland-usa) screens in the La Muse programme.

Across the five feature competition categories, 43% of the films are directed by women and 38% by people of colour.

As previously announced, the opening night film is the world premiere of Ricardo De Montreuil’s Lowriders, while this year’s guest director is Ryan Coogler. Ava DuVernay and Array...

With the Spirit Awards behind them, Film Independent is ramping up for this summer's the 2016 La Film Festival (June 1-9). And they've chosen their opening nighter: Ricardo de Montreuil’s coming-of-age East L.A. drama "Lowriders" will play June 1 at the ArcLight Hollywood Cinerama Dome. Produced by Brian Grazer and Jason Blum, "Lowriders" stars Gabriel Chavarria as a street artist with an old-school lowrider father (Demián Bichir). Eva Longoria and Melissa Benoist also star. “Made by filmmakers of color," said festival director Stephanie Allain, 'Lowriders' embodies our mission.” Ryan Coogler ("Creed") will be the 2016 Festival’s Guest Director and attend Film Independent’s annual Filmmaker Retreat, which brings the festival's filmmakers together with mentors before the official start of the festival. Coogler’s "Fruitvale Station" debuted at Sundance, played at Laff 2013 and won Best First Feature at...

Ricardo de Montreuil’s Lowriders has been selected to open the La Film Festival, which runs from June 1-9 at the Arclight Cinemas. Set against the backdrop of East L.A.’s car culture, the film tells the story of Danny, a talented young street artist caught between the lowrider world inhabited by his old-school father and ex-con brother and his need for self-expression. Film Independent, which produces the festival, also announced Tuesday that Ryan Coogler, who most recently directed Creed, will serve as the festival’s 2016 guest director. It also said that director Ava DuVernay and

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In the wake of controversy surrounding this year’s Oscar nominations, the La Film Festival is embracing diversity, announcing that Ricardo de Montreuil’s “Lowriders” will open this year’s festival, which will also honor filmmakers Ryan Coogler (“Creed”) and Ava DuVernay (“Selma”). Coogler will serve as Laff’s 2016 Guest Director, while DuVernay and Array Releasing will receive the festival’s annual Spirit of Independence Award, which honors those who advance the cause of independent film and champion creative freedom. The Spirit of Independence Award has previously been given to Don Cheadle, George Clooney, David O. Russell, Tom Bernard and Michael Barker,...

Ricardo de Montreuil's Lowriders, set against the backdrop of East La's car culture, has been tapped to open the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival, which this year runs June 1-9 at ArcLight Cinemas. It will serve as the world premiere of the pic, produced by Brian Grazer and Jason Blum. It stars Eva Longoria, Demián Bichir, Melissa Benoist, Theo Rossi, Tony Revolori and Gabriel Chavarria as Danny, a talented young street artist caught between the lowrider world inhabited by…...

Plus: Lowriders to open La Film Festival; Alamo Drafthouse to open in Downtown Brooklyn; and more…

Disney’s Zootopia crossed $800m worldwide on Tuesday to stand at $523m internationally and $276.7m in North America.

The family hit currently ranks as the biggest global industry release of the year-to-date, the second biggest Walt Disney Animation Studios release of all time in its original release behind Frozen, and the third biggest overall behind Frozen and The Lion King.

Zootopia is also Disney’s sixth biggest animated release of all time and the industry’s fifth biggest original IP animated film ever, climbing to the fourth biggest not counting re-releases.

Ricardo de Montreuil’s Lowriders will open this year’s La Film Festival produced by Film Independent. Brian Grazer and Jason Blum produce the drama set in the Latino car culture and starring Eva Longoria and Demián Bichir. Ryan Coogler is this year’s festival guest director, and [link=nm...

Finding a new take on the Zorro story has been confounding Hollywood for a while now. Most recently, it looked like 20th Century Fox might have cracked it, but despite seemingly casting Gael Garcia Bernal as the masked hero, nothing really went forward. Now, the rights have switched to Lantica Media and Sobini Films, who are on the hunt for a new director.According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plan is still to set the film in an apocalyptic future (probably an even more dangerous place since Mad Max: Fury Road blew the competition out of the water), where Zorro is, as usual, helping the innocent and tackling tyrants, but with a sci-fi flavour. While such filmmakers as Bryan Singer, Ricardo de Montreuil, Rpin Suwannath, Gary Whitta and Justin Marks have tried to bring it to life, the new Zorro has remained steadfastly in limbo. Apparently the new producers, including Sobini boss Mark Amin,...

After languishing in development at 20th Century Fox for years, the post-apocalyptic project Zorro Reborn is moving forward once again, thanks to a new partnership with Lantica Media and Sobini Films. Lantica will provide the financing, with production to begin in March 2016 at Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios, with Mark Amin (Stonehearst Asylum) set to produce. Heat Vision Blog reports that the studios are currently searching for a filmmaker to take on this project.

Zorro Reborn was first in development at 20th Century Fox back in 2011, with pre-visualization specialist Rpin Suwannath then set to make his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy, who would go on to create the Netflix series Hemlock Grove. Gael Garc&#237a Bernal was in talks to star back in 2012, but a deal never materialized. Over the years, filmmakers such as Bryan Singer, Ricardo de Montreuil, Gary Whitta and Justin Marks were attached.

Central Intelligence

Aaron Paul is in negotiations to join Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Amy Ryan and Danielle Nicolet in Rawson Marshall Thurber's action comedy "Central Intelligence" at New Line. Filming is underway in Boston.

Hart plays a boring accountant who was previously the cool guy in high school. He reconnects with an acquaintance (Johnson), a formerly bullied nerd who turns out to be a rogue spy. Paul will play Johnson's CIA partner who seemingly sacrifices himself for Johnson. [Source: THR]

The Belko Experiment

Michael Rooker ("Guardians of the Galaxy") has joined the cast of the horror film "The Belko Experiment". Rooker will play Bud Melks, the head of maintenance in the Belko building.

Greg McLean helms and James Gunn produces the film which deals with an American company after it’s mysteriously sealed off in South America. It's currently targeting a May 5th 2017 release. [Source: Variety]

Independence Day 2

Garrett Wareing ("Boychoir") has joined...

Glee alum Melissa Benoist is about to blow up. She earned strong reviews for a supporting turn in Whiplash, is leading CBS’ high-profile Supergirl series this fall and just locked down another promising project in Lowriders, from Universal Pictures, Blumhouse and Imagine Entertainment.

Reteaming with Blumhouse after the studio produced Whiplash, Benoist will play a key female role in the pic, which centers on a teen who is forced to pick between his traditional father and gangbanger brother, both of whom are competing in the annual lowrider “Supershow.” The movie is aiming to explore the re-emerging low-rider culture in Eastern Los Angeles’ Latino communities.

Demian Bichir, Eva Longoria, Tony Revolori, Gabriel Chavarria, Theo Rossi and Yvette Monreal are all already attached. Ricardo de Montreuil (Máncora) has come aboard to direct the pic, working from a script by Josh Bierne-Gordon and Justin Tipping (Nani, upcoming Kicks). Earlier versions of the script...

She made an impact with just a couple of scenes in Whiplash and is set to become a much bigger name thanks to scoring the title role for TV’s Supergirl, but Melissa Benoist is still finding time for indie movies. She’s signed on to star in Lowriders.Ricardo de Montreuil is set to direct, working from Josh Bierne-Gordon and Justin Tipping’s script for the film, which already boasts Demian Bichir, Eva Longoria, Tony Revolori, Gabriel Chavarria, Theo Rossi and Yvette Monreal in its cast.Lowriders follows a teenager caught between his traditional father and estranged gang member brother when he enters an annual "supershow" for lowrider vehicles. Benoist will be his girlfriend, Lorelei, having won the role over the likes of Nicola Peltz and Lily Collins. It also marks her reunion with Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions, which helped make Whiplash.Benoist will be back on the...

Exclusive: Supergirl star Melissa Benoist has just closed a deal to star in Lowriders, the pic from Universal Pictures, Blumhouse and Imagine Entertainment. The film takes takes place in the East L.A. world of lowrider cars and street tagging. Ricardo de Montreuil is on board to direct Josh Bierne-Gordon and Justin Tipping’s script. Previous drafts were written by Cheo Hodari Coker and Elgin James. Benoist’s casting as Lorelai — previously Lily Collins and Nicola Peltz…...

With Sundance 2015 launching today, Indiewire is showcasing a selection of the most promising young reps -- as recommended by those at the agencies' top levels. And since we’ve included photos, now you’ll now who to corner in the Yarrow Hotel lobby. Gabriel C. Mena, Paradigm Age: 34 Education: University of Florida Career Background: I come from an independent producing background where I ran a fund out of Spain that financed production on a number of films including the 2008 Sundance film "Mancora" directed by Ricardo de Montreuil and the 2008 Tribeca film "Celia The Queen," which I also produced. The company, Hispafilms, was also integral in completing the financing on Andy Garcia’s "City Island." I decided back in June 2013 to bring my skill set to agenting. Since joining Paradigm's packaging, financing and sales division, I have headed up initiatives to represent high level producers’ slates, helping them package, finance and sell.

Entourage The Movie

The stars of "Entourage" popped up on the red carpet on the Golden Globes on Sunday ahead of the crowds to film some last-minute footage for the upcoming movie version of the HBO series. Said movie opens June 5th in cinemas.

The scene in question is said to be a "special ending" for the film according to Jeremy Piven. The actor along with Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Jerry Ferrara all reportedly participated in the filming. [Source: Variety]

Untitled Lowrider Project

Yvette Monreal ("Matador") has signed on for the female lead in the untitled Lowrider project at Universal Pictures alongside Demian Bichir, Theo Rossi and Gabriel Chavarria. The story is set in the East Los Angeles world of lowrider cars and street tagging

Chavarria plays a teen caught between his traditional father (Bichir) and his estranged, criminal brother Ghost (Rossi), both of whom are competing in the annual lowrider "Supershow.

Matador star Yvette Monreal has signed on for the female lead in Universal Pictures' Untitled Lowrider Project. The movie already has Demi&#225n Bichir, Theo Rossi and Gabriel Chavarria attached to star. The story centers on a teenager (Gabriel Chavarria) who is caught between his traditional father (Demi&#225n Bichir) and his estranged, criminal brother Ghost (Theo Rossi), both of whom are competing in the annual lowrider "Supershow."

Yvette Monreal will play the love interest of Gabriel Chavarria's character, described as "a smart, talented maverick of a girl who is a fellow tagger but who also has a scholarship to Columbia University in New York." The project first surfaced back in 2010, and is set in the East Los Angeles world of lowrider cars and street tagging. No production schedule was given at this time.

Ricardo de Montreuil (Mancora) is directing from a screenplay by Cheo Hodari Coker (Notorious...

• Tessa Thompson, who gained acclaim for this year's Dear White People and Selma, has claimed the female lead in Creed. Fruitvale Station's Ryan Coogler is directing the Rocky spinoff, which also stars Sylvester Stallone, reprising his iconic role as Rocky Balboa, and Michael B. Jordan. The story follows Balboa as he trains the grandson (Jordan) of his fellow boxer, Apollo Creed. Coogler wrote the script with Aaron Covington. [Deadline] • Nicola Peltz has signed on for Universal's untitled low riders project, replacing Lily Collins in the role of Lorelai. The film, which centers on the East L.A. world of lowrider cars and street tagging,...

Sons of Anarchy ended its seventh and final season last week, and star Theo Rossi has already landed a film role. The actor is joining Universal and Blumhouse's untitled low riders movie, which will star Demian Bichir. Ricardo de Montreuil is directing the film, which is set in the East Los Angeles world of low-rider cars and street tagging. The script, written by Josh Bierne-Gordon and Justin Tippin, centers on a teen named Danny who is caught between his traditional father and his estranged brother, Ghost, who are both competing in the annual low-rider “Supershow.” Earlier

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One “Transformers” star is going to learn about a new kind of vehicle. According to Deadline, Nicola Peltz is joining the cast of Universal Pictures’ upcoming untitled Low Riders project. The film will be set in East Los Angeles and center on the world of lowrider cars. She will be playing Lorelei, a role actress Lily Collins was previously set to play. Demain Bichir is attached as the lead in the film. Eva Longoria was also previously cast. Ricardo de Montreuil will helm the film, which was written by Josh Bierne-Gordon and Justin Tipping. Peltz recently got her big break [...]

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