May 14^th, 2020, 4 PM to 6:30 PM

Followed by a Zoom Q&A 

 By Belisa Serna Hennington

No doubt about it, this current pandemic quarantine has most of us going stir crazy but for film buffs, what an opportunity to watch movies to our heart’s desire. This Thursday, May 14th,  filmmaker Genevieve Anderson will screen her first feature film DUSTWUN on the streaming platform LatinHeat Cinema.  The online watch party includes a Zoom Q&A session with Anderson, the cast and crew immediately following the film. The screening is free and open to the public – and you can watch from the comfort of your home. We invite you to secure a spot by RSVPing on Eventbrite, CLICK HERE.

DUSTWUN is a fable about one of the most contentious and troubling issues of our time: immigration and “the wall.” Our nation’s ideological divides have become so extreme that the only thing we share in common is the feeling of alienation from, and fear of, one another. The film captures the U.S./Mexico border, where an undocumented young mother’s quest to save her son relies on a troubled American veteran, building a wall out of junk out in the middle of the desert, whose objective is to keep out the “bad guys.” The friendship that ensues calls into question the notion of right/wrong, good/bad in an effort to elevate what binds us together as human beings, irrespective of metaphorical, or actual borders. 

“The drive to protect our borders and preserve our national identity by keeping out the ‘other’ has brought to bear essential questions about who we are at our core,” states Anderson. “Our film is about the future we are building as a global community.”

The indie film stars an impressive ensemble of actors: Crystal Hernandez (Marta), an Arizona native who started her acting career at the age of 9 and earned her MFA at the Arizona Actors Academy, DUSTWUN is her first film; Shane Dean (Kenny), is an actor, musician and radio personality from New Jersey. He began his radio career in his teens which eventually led him to the stage, TV, improv, and stand-up comedy. He also appeared in Season 11 of America’s Got Talent; Andy Martinez (Agent Esposito), is a Miami native whose credits include American Bred, American Horror Story: Hotel, Captain America, and Days of Our Lives; Jill Remez (Agent Clark), is an actor, writer and storyteller, who numerous TV credits, including This, Is Us, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Good Place, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, How To Get Away With Murder and recurring on Adams Ruins Everything. Aside from DUSTWUN, her film credits include Rental, Stevie D. Helicopter Mom, Dead Drop, and Shadowboxing. She has performed on renowned stages like South Coast Repertory and Laguna Playhouse. 

Anderson is working with two nonprofit organizations to benefit migrants and asylum seekers at great risk of COVID 19 exposure in detention centers in Southern Arizona. To make donations directly to No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes, a Tucson-based nonprofit with a mission of ending suffering and death in the borderlands, CLICK HERE. And, People Helping People At The Border, CLICK HERE. The general DUSTWUN donation site is: https://dustwunmovie.wedid.it/campaigns/7552

LatinHeat Cinema is a streaming platform which is a division of Latin Heat Media.

“It is such an honor to be able to present American stories through a Latino lens,” said Hernandez, CEO, Latin Heat Media. “DUSTWUN is a perfect example of an independent film with a powerful story that fits perfectly.” 

It’s not surprising many filmmakers have chosen immigration as a rich source of storytelling. To explore this topic, one must dig deep to include sad, funny, or dramatic events. It’s a politically hot topic issue – some will love these films and some will not. DUSTWUN has seamlessly captured all sides to the plight of undocumented immigrants seeking the American dream.

There have only been a handful of American films made about Latino illegal immigration. DUSTWUN is a quality independent film that joins the ranks of some of the top American films made about this topic, most notably El Norte, A Better Life, Under The Same Moon, Sin Nombre, Which Way Home, Crossing Arizona, Desierto, Border Run, De Nadie, Underwater Dreams, Our Father, Machete and also a film that dates back to 1949, Border Incident.

About Latin Heat Media
LatinHeat Media, LLC is an integrated media and entertainment company focused on the 1.3 trillion-dollar consumer market—U.S. Latinos. Since 1992, Latin Heat has been cultivating its brand by focusing on the U.S. Latino consumer market and the Hollywood image-makers catering to this market with a mission of creating and now distributing content by Latinos, about Latinos for universal audiences www.latinheatcinema.com

The post DUSTWUN: Triumph of the Human Spirit Watch Party! first appeared on .

By Belisa Serna Hennington

Shot over 10 days on an active crossing site 30 miles north of the Mexican border, DUSTWUN is the story of a friendship between an undocumented migrant and a troubled American veteran building his own “wall” out of trash in the desert. DUSTWUN is the first feature film from writer and director indie filmmaker Genevieve Anderson.

“DUSTWUN came out of my experience living in Southern Arizona near the US/Mexico border for the past four years,” Anderson said. “My research for the film involved going on rescue missions with the Samaritans (a group that gives aid to crossing migrants), interviewing Afghanistan and Central America war veterans, extensive interviews with my step-brother, a Border Patrol agent, and extensive reading on issues surrounding immigration.

We built our set on an active crossing site in Green Valley, Arizona, and used many real artifacts abandoned by migrants. We shot during monsoon season and dealt with lightning strikes, flash floods, rattlesnakes and a host of other challenges. Although nowhere near what migrants experience when crossing, I felt the reality of the environment would imprint on the story, underscoring the greater force that binds us all. DUSTWUN is about people connecting beyond the imaginary borders of language, walls, and laws. We are at a crossroads where understanding our interconnectedness is vital to our survival as a species. I made this film as a fable to bypass politics and expand the conversation on what matters most: compassion.”

Anderson invites you and a guest to a free screening of DUSTWUN on Saturday, March 7, 2020, at the Arena Cinelounge in Hollywood. To secure your attendance, please RSVP by sending an email to info@dustwunmovie.com. For more information about the screening visit DUSTWUN’s Facebook page at

Learn more about the film at www.dustwunmovie.com. Follow DUSTWUN on social media for updates on future screenings:
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The post New Indie Brings Awareness to Immigration and the Human Spirit first appeared on .