Windows on the World, a drama that captures one family’s anguish as they seek information on their patriarch’s fate began streaming on Vix on Thursday, April 23, 2020.

According to Casting Director, Sig de Miguel on his Facebook post:

“We had the privilege of casting the feature film Windows on the World, which is launching on the Vix streaming service on April 23. Vix is the largest streaming service for Latino/Hispanic diaspora content. It’s a very special film and I am happy the world gets to see it .”

Headlining the cast is are Ryan Guzman, Edward James Olmos, Richard Cabral, Julie Carmen, Luna Lauren Velez, Glynn Turman, Jacqueline Obradors, Stephen Spinella and the late Rene Auberjonois. Film crew includes Michael D. Olmos, Director, Robert Mailer Anderson, and Zack Anderson, Writers.

According to industry trades, Vix is a multi-platform Latino digital media company that reaches more than 34 million U.S. Hispanic unique users on its Vix.com. Vix is an ideal platform for Windows on the World, as it has doubled its audience in March and its watch-time was spearheaded by a 70% life in mobile viewing. Considering the current landscape of at-home viewing via streaming, Windows on the World will add to Vix’s growth.

The post “Windows on the World” Streaming on Vix first appeared on .

By Elia Esparza

Currently on iTunes

It is always exciting each time we see a commercial film or TV project hit our desks that include a Latino cast and/or a Latino angle to its storyline. Filmmakers are leading the way in diversity and kudos to them for recognizing that Latinos are very much a part of the American fiber and how much richer a diverse cast and story themes will bring to any project. So when Peruvian actress, MaGa Uzo, currently living in New York, told me about a mainstream film she’s in, well it caught my attention. Ok, I’ll also admit that when she also mentioned Keanu Reeves is an executive producer, well it was impossible to turn a blind eye!

Already Gone comes to us from director Christopher Kenneally— his first narrative feature since his Side by Side documentary, a film that explores how the art of cinema has been impacted by the digital age. Already Gone is an urban-gritty crime-action road trip full of all of the ups and downs a pair of teenagers can encounter while on the run… fleeing the criminal and abusive Martin, whom they also stole from. In addition, it doesn’t help that the teen Robbie falls in love with the teen Keesha, who also just happens to be the crook’s girlfriend. What could go wrong?

Yeah, well just about everything goes haywire!

Robbie is portrayed by Tyler Dean Flores (The Dark Knight). Evidently, Robbie lives with his mother’s ex, a man named Martin, stuck here after his mother died. Keesha is played by Justine Skye, who happens to be a dancer at a local strip club and Martin’s girlfriend. In the role of the sinister Martin is Seann William Scott (Lethal Weapon TV series, American Pie). Other supporting casts include Shiloh Fernandez (Evil Dead, Red Riding Hood)), Raquel Castro (Empire, Blue Bloods TV series, Jersey Girl), and MaGa Uzo. And, oh yeah, Reeves is the film’s executive producer. The actor has long been an icon, but in 2019, at the peak of his career, Vox magazine stated that the current pop culture is being called “the Keannaissance.” He is not only beloved for his impromptu kindness to strangers. But, lately, he’s added his name and resources to various indie films and TV series with diverse casts.

In the film, Robbie harbors a secret crush on Keesha and after spying on her at the strip joint, he overhears Martin talk about pimping Keesha out. Robbie decides to rescue her but not first before stealing a car and a bag filled with Martin’s drug money. Their great adventure starts out in Coney Island and with no real plan in place other than heading towards the farthest west point they can go to get away from Martin. Unfortunately, for Robbie, with each mile they travel, his delusional love for Keesha grows.

After their car breaks down in rural Colorado, they are taken in by a Mexican family who owns a Mexican restaurant and the motel attached to it. The family consists of the young handsome Edwin, played by Fernandez, who is an aspiring artist, his grandmother, the restaurant’s chef, played by MaGa, and Edwin’s two younger sisters.

Robbie, who is also an aspiring graffiti artist is drawn to a mural Edwin is working on, and lets his guard down when he is befriended by the entire family. The family is so nice and engaging that it is hard to turn down their offer of hospitality. The runaway teens share a room, which is only going to make it harder for Robbie to control his strong feelings for Keesha, who is clueless to his affections. However, it doesn’t take long for the flirty Keesha to set her sights on the gorgeous Edwin. To which breaks Robbie’s heart and he feels so betrayed.

While all this romance drama is going on, Robbie has neglected the fact that Martin is getting closer to them. Robbie does himself no favors when at every stop they make, he leaves his trademark dolphin on windows and bathroom mirrors, naively making it easier for Martin to stay hot on their trail.

Argentina-born, MaGa Uzo, has been living her dreams of acting since 1998 when under the wing of Nicaraguan renown actor Enrique Victoria Fernandez, she continued to work on her acting technique and performing for his production of “Monologo en la Havana,” an adaptation of a famous monologue. Eventually, in 2000, MaGa immigrated to Miami from Peru and has diligently been working on her career ever since. She has performed in many plays, “Cronicas Desquiciadas”, under the direction of Glauber Barcelo; she repeated her performance in “Monologo en la Habana,” then in 2012, she was cast in the hugely popular, “Monologos de la Vagina.” Also, in 2012 she continued to work in various indie shorts, Brothers, The Tourist Trap, and En Soledad. She also was cast in the indie feature, La Ruta del Sol.

Already Gone marks MaGa’s first commercial feature film, after years of training, selecting only projects that advance her training, skills, and experience. Her patience and perseverance have paid off because she is wonderful and convincing as the Mexican grandmother and master cook.

MaGa traveled from Latin America to realize her childhood dreams of becoming an actress. So, with a confidence-filled heart, and with only $25 bucks in her pocket, she came to America. Now that’s chutzpah!

Already Gone
92 Minutes
RainMaker Films, Yale Productions
Distributed by Gravitas Ventures
Director/Writer: Christopher Kenneally
Producers: Jordan Beckerman, Robyn K. Bennett, Shruti Ganguly
Executive producers: Jim Klock, Clay Pecorin, Keanu Reeves
Director of photography: Spenser T. Nottage
Cast: Tyler Dean Flores, Justine Skye, Shiloh Fernandez, Seann William Scott, Raquel Castro, Maga Uzo

The post “Already Gone” Packed With Raw Heart & Soul first appeared on .

By Luis Reyes

Fast and Furious presents Hobbs and Shaw is a spectacular action film while at the same time being a buddy film in which the genetically enhanced supervillain Brixton played by Idris Elba is as attractive as its two heroes Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham. Hobbs and Shaw opens wide on August 1, 2019.

Following in the tradition of The Fast and Furious multi-ethnic casting, Hobbs and Shaw enhance the mold even further by bringing together three of the most attractive and charismatic leading men and action stars in films today. 

After eight films that have amassed more than 5 billion dollars worldwide, Fast and Furious presents Hobbs and Shaw as the first stand-alone film in the franchise. Hobbs and Shaw follow Johnson as Diplomatic Security Agent Luke Hobbs and Statham as Operative Deckard Shaw who has crossed paths previously in the Fast and Furious Franchise. Johnson first appeared as Hobbs in 2011’s Fast Five and has appeared in every Fast and Furious movie since.

Eiza Gonzalez has a major kick-ass role as the mysterious Madam M in the film. Gonzalez has been on a major upward trajectory since she received serious notice in the hit film Baby Driver. In a recent interview in HOLA magazine, Gonzalez remarked that Salma Hayek was her role model and that like Salma she wanted to produce and direct sometime in the future. 

The movie also stars Helen Mirren, Vanessa Kirby and WWME Star Roman Reigns as Hobb’s Samoan brother.  Johnson is in real life actually half African-American and half Samoan and showcases his Samoan cultural background in the film in scenes filmed on Kauai, Hawaii.

Johnson produced Fast and Furious presents Hobbs and Shaw alongside Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia through his Seven Bucks Productions.  Hobbs and Shaw hits theatres on August 2^nd released by Universal Pictures.

The post “Hobbs and Shaw” A Spectacular Hero Buddy Film first appeared on .

Handling the production and worldwide distribution in a multinational collaboration are 365 Flix International, SPI International, Goldfinch and Producer Alan Latham. 

Global media powerhouse SPI was represented by its president, Loni Farhi, who will also co-produce the project. The company’s FilmBox channel will handle distribution over six continents.  

Assante, in his lengthy career, has played his share of shady characters and this latest role is no exception. Max Mitchell, a penthouse-dwelling American expat, is living large in Mayfair, London. He runs his own luxe nightclub which is a favorite of the in-crowd. At 65, nothing can stop him except the arrival of his unknown granddaughter bearing stories of his past as a safe-cracking, New York gangster. 

Following the sunset libations, guests were invited to descend and dine poolside at the elegant Santorini by Georgios. The evening’s entertainment featured Cuban salsa band N’Taya, costumed dancers and electronic dance music. Miami native Steven Bauer, best known for his role in Scarface, took to the stage and wowed the crowd with his singing and guitar playing skills…jamming with N’Taya for an entire set.

The world-renowned French film producer, Philippe Martinez, whose talents also include screenwriting and acting, is directing the action-filled trilogy. Location filming in Portugal and York, England begins in mid-June.

Steven Bauer, known for his iconic role in Scarface, Primal Fear, and The Last Gamble is repped by Global Artists Agency and Abrams Entertainment. Armand Assante is repped by Buchwald and International Artists Management.

The post Steven Bauer & Armand Assante Together Again in “Mister Mayfair” Film Trilogy first appeared on .

By Luis Reyes

Real life star couple Joe Manganielloand Sofia Vergara star in an upcoming drama film Botton of the 9th, the story of a man who returns to his Bronx home following a 20-year prison term that curtailed a promising baseball career and ruined the relationship with his long-time love played by Vergara.  Botton of the 9th will be distributed by Saban Films on July 19, 2019.

Bottom of the 9^th marks the joint acting debut for the real-life couple and their loving chemistry comes across on screen. Manganiello is best known to audiences for his work in True Blood and Magic Mike. Vergara stars in the long-running hit ABC comedy /drama Modern Family and her previous film credits include Hot Pursuit and Chef.   Yancey Arias (Queen of the South) stars in the film

Manganiello produced the film with his brother, Producer Nick Manganiello, and Vergara along with William Chartoff and Lynn Hendee. Bottom of the 9^th is directed by Raymond De Felitta (City Island, Madoff) and written by Robert Bruzio.

Joe Manganiello is repped by William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment and Sofia Vergara is repped by United Talent Agency (UTA), Latin World Entertainment (LWE) (Management), and Narrative (Publicist).

The post “Bottom of the 9th” Stars Real Life Couple Joe Manganiello & Sofia Vergara first appeared on .

Papi Chulo In Theaters June 7th

Veteran Actor Alejandro Patiño, stars along-side Matt Bomer in Papi Chulo, one of the summer’s most anticipated ‘bromance’ comedies since I Love You Man! 

In John Butler’s Papi Chulo, Patiño shines in his role as Ernesto, a freelance laborer who is hired by Sean (Bomer), a newly-single TV weatherman on leave after an on-air meltdown. He decides to direct his energy into home improvement and hires a middle-aged Latino to help. Despite a language barrier and having nothing in common, the two men develop an unexpected but profound friendship in this darkly comedic reflection on class, ethnicity, and companionship in contemporary Los Angeles. 

Patiño lights up the screen as Ernesto, an endearing, hard-working family man looking for nothing more than an opportunity that will allow him to be able to provide for his family.  Like many immigrants who are faced with the challenges of not speaking the language and taking on undesirable jobs, Ernesto does so with grace and humility. Patiño embraces his role as Ernesto because it allows him to humanize the immigrant and put a face to the millions of day laborers across the country.  

“I’m proud to be portraying a day laborer in this role because Ernesto is a person just like the rest of us and I’m able to bring him to life by giving him a voice, personality, and heart,” said Patiño. 

A beloved thespian in the Latino community, Patiño is known as a versatile actor and for his deep commitment to capturing the essence of the characters he portrays in each and every role. Whether on stage, film or television, Patiño has the ability to engage audiences through his unforgettable performances, as evidenced in his previous recurring roles on TV hits such as the FX drama series The Bridge, as well as Couch Potato Chronicles, Superstore, Desperate Housewives, My Name Is Earl, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Weeds.

Most recently Patiño can also be seen in Genti-fied and the new webseries Funny Brown People which he also produced. On the big screen, Patiño has delighted audiences in the Coen Brothers’ Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Iron Man 2, The Runaways, Fast and Furious 4, and is sure to warm hearts in Papi Chulo in theatres June 7th. 

 Alejandro Patiño is repped by Jaime Ferrar & Associates (Manager) and The Herrera Agency (Publicist).
 
Papi Chulo
Director: John Butler
Writer: John Butler
Producers: Robert Walpole, Rebecca O’Flanagan
Executive Producers: Hilary Davis, Jo Henriquez, Phil Hunt, Dearbhla Regan, Compton Ross
 
Follow Alejandro Patiño on Social Media:
Instagram: @alejandropatino12
Twitter: @alxp12000

The post Alejandro Patiño ‘Bromance’ with Matt Bomer in Upcoming Comedy “Papi Chulo” first appeared on .

Mama Dies. Reveals to each of her 4 daughters that they have a different papa, and in order to inherit her fortune, they each together must seek out their bio papas. OMG, what could go wrong?

Gabriela Tagliavini (How To Break Up With Your Douchebag, Ladies Night, Without Men) has spent a lot of time over the pond working with Spain’s premier hit producer, Bambú Producciones.  And, the end result is the ultimate road trip taken by four sisters, who would rather spend their time doing anything but taking a long road trip in search of their fathers. 

In Despite Everything (A Pesar De Todo) opens at the funeral of four sisters. Upon the death of their mother Carmen, the sisters gather to bid their farewells and nod to each other because they live separate and completely different lives and have never had close sisterly love. At the reading of the will, the sisters watch and listen to their mother’s video message where she shocks them that the man they thought was their father, was not. In fact, each of the four was fathered by different men. And, in order for each to inherit Carmen’s fortune, they must together embark on a road trip as each woman seeks out and meets her father. What could go wrong?

The sisters, Sara (Bianca Suárez), Lucia (Macarena Garcia), Sofia (Amaia Salamanca) and Claudia (Belen Cuesta), who have always barely tolerated each other’s company, cramp into a red sedan and set on a road trip of getting to know each other, self-discovery, redemption and triumph.

Latin Heat was able to pin down the super busy, award-winning writer/director, Gabriela Tagliavini to tell us about her new film.

Latin Heat: How did this movie come about?

Gabriela Tagliavini: I received the script of Despite Everything (A Pesar de Todo) and I loved it. It was an elegant blend between comedy and drama. The fantastic actress Blanca Suarez was attached and I liked her already from the Netflix show Cable Girlsproduced by the same producers of this movie, Bambu.

LH: When did the development begin?

GT: The development started in August 2018

LH: Where was it shot?

GT: It was shot in October and November 2018. So that is VERY FAST. Netflix moved really quickly.

LH: Is this part of the Netflix series with Spain?

GT: This is an original Netflix movie. It was filmed in Madrid, Spain and it will be shown in 190 countries and 148 millions of subscriptions will have the possibility to see it.

LH: You have set yourself up as the go-to female driven films, both in the US internationally.  Is this planned?

GT: They say, “write about what you know.” I write and direct the movies that I’d like to see.

LH: Tell us why this film is unique?

GT: The best thing about this film are the actors. They are amazing. AND this film has a unique ending that I can’t talk about it. The audiences will have to see it to find out!

LH: What was it like to work with four of the most popular actresses in Spain and the stellar overall cast?

GT: The best thing in this movie are the actors! I was lucky to get such an amazing cast, they are all super talented. 

Thank you, Gabriela!

Despite Everything / A Pesar De Todo Premieres May 3, 2019, on Netflix

Gabriela Tagliavini is repped by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Ensemble Entertainment (Management), and Supersonix Media (Publicist). Her production company is Venus Films.

A Pesar De Todo
Produced by Bambu producciones for Netflix
Producers: Tersa Fernandez-Valdes and Ramon Campos
Writers: Eric Charles Wilkinson, Eugene Rhee, Helena Rhee
Screen Adaption: Teresa Fernandez-Valdes and Gabriela Tagliavini
Cinematography: Kiko de la Rica
Music: Emilio Kauderer

Cast: Blanca Suarez, Macarena Garcia, Amaia Salamanca, Belen Cuesta, Marisa Paredes, Juan Diego, Maxi Iglesias, Rossy de Palma, Carlos Bardem, Emilio Gutierrez Caba and Tito Valverde

Sara, Lucia, Sofia and Claudia are four sisters whose lives and personalities are complete opposites. After the death of their mother Carmen, the four sisters will reunite in Madrid to bid farewell to her and for a brief time, they will have to endure, get to really know each other and to forgive and accept each other in a wildly funny and at times poignant road trip as they search for their fathers.

The post Gabriela Tagliavini ‘s Latest Spanish Conquest: Netflix’s Dramedy “Despite Everything” first appeared on .