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REEL TALKS, Co-Presented by FRONTERA FILMMAKERS
San Diego Latino Film Festival once again takes audiences behind the scenes with its REEL TALKS programming with the help of Latino Public Broadcasting, Nickelodeon and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Documentary filmmaking, special effects creation and animation will be spotlighted in this years edition of REEL TALKS.
“The caliber of talent involved in this year’s REEL TALKS inspired an entire set of related programming that will appeal to local filmmakers, students and general audiences that have an interest in not only gaining first-hand experience in the art of film and video production from top professionals but understanding the passion that sparks the creativity we all enjoy watching on the big screen.” said Ethan van Thillo, Festival Director and Founder of both the San Diego Latino Film Festival and Media Arts Center San Diego.
Special effects and animation have had a long cinematic history and with the popularity of HD televisions and 3D motion pictures, they have become a crucial component to today’s filmmaker. In addition to a panel of Latinos behind the camera, the first weekend of this year’s REELTALKS has additional relevance at the festival due to the fact that the first animated short and feature films came from Argentina in the early 1990s.
Legendary Animator RAUL GARCIA heads up the REEL TALKS panel during the first weekend. Mr. Garcia has been a driving force in international animation for decades on films including Charlie Brown, Asterix, Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, The Chipmunks, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Land Before Time, Aladdin, The Lion King, Fantasia 2000 and many more familiar films. Most recently he teamed with Director Manuel Sicilia, Antonio Banderas and Kandor films to create The Missing Lynx, also scheduled to screen at this year’s festival. The panel will also include UCLA student JOAQUIN BALDWIN, whose short film Sebastian’s Voodoo, catapulted him onto the international spotlight with an Annie nomination, competing alongside of animation leaders Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Aardman Animations (Wallace & Gromit) and Animator Bill Plympton. Special Effects Artist JUAN SEBASTIAN GOMEZ most recently worked on the stunning special effects of the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Rounding out the panel are Model Creator LEO SANCHEZ VARBOSA and Animator RENATO DOS ANJO from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Their combined work include Bolt, Polar Express, Surf's Up, Titan A.E., Charlie's Angeles: Full Throttle and the Annie nominated short Glago's Guest. Audiences will get treated to animated short films from our panelists after hearing about their personal stories working in the industry and how new talent can position themselves to get work within the film industry.
Nickelodeon will also be on hand to host The Nickelodeon Writer’s Script Review. The Script Review is a one day, invitation only event, designed to prepare applicants for submission to the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship. Spec scripts will be reviewed by Nickelodeon Executives and up to twenty candidates will be selected to participate in one-on-one script reviews at the festival. Selected candidates will have one-on-one time with Nick Executives, will receive feedback on their scripts during the script review and will be required to submit to the 2010 Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship program. Nickelodeon is bringing this unique opportunity to San Diego – and it is a must for writers who are serious about writing for television. More details are on our website at www.sdlatinofilm.com.
Also searching for new talent, Disney Animation Studios will be present to discuss their Summer Associate and Talent Development programs.
Documentary filmmaking will be explored during the second weekend of the festival. Latino Public Broadcasting returns to co-host this spotlight on the process and production of an outstanding documentary being screened at this year's festival. Join filmmakers as they discuss storyboards, financing, releasing and distributing documentaries. Details with the filmmakers are currently being finalized and an announcement will be revealed on February 15 along with the entire festival schedule.
For only $20 - Filmmakers, local students and film buffs are encouraged to participate in a specially priced package that brings together both weekend panels along with three documentaries that will further enhance their knowledge of cinema history. The films are Quirino Cristiani: Mystery of the First Animated Movie, which explores the man who created the world’s first animated films, Walt & El Grupo, a captivating reflection upon a little known chapter of film history: a 1941 ‘goodwill tour’ of South America by Walt Disney and a hand picked group of artists, and El Ultimo Truco /The Final Illusion about the late Emilio Ruiz del Rio, a special effects wizard and set painter, who played a pivotal role to a wide variety of international films from Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago to David Lynch’s Dune and Pan’s Labyrinth. The riveting documentary includes his life story in his own words alongside of interviews with directors Guillermo de Toro, Ray Harryhausen and Rafaela de Laurentiis.