So close...yet so far. Maybe not that far.

 Inside WME

Last week something very interesting happened. I got to work for an agent at Willliam Morris. For those of you who don't know it, William Morris is probably the biggest and most powerful talent agency in the world.

I know this agent because she's the wife of a dear friend. I always dreamed of being at William Morris.  When I'd visit Beverly Hills,  I'd say to myself "One day I'll be inside those offices." Well it came true last week. I probably should have been more specific when I declared it lol. I should have probably said "One day they're going to represent me!" So now I'm saying it. One day SOON I'll be a client of William Morris.

After getting over the fact that I wasn't there to meet about representation, I realized being there was such a blessing. I got to learn  about the business side of show business. It's so fascinating, to hear people making deals, schmoozing, talking scripts and events and Emmys, I really felt like I was in the inside. Not to mention that my job was to update her contacts, so I had in my hands the cell phone numbers and contact information for some of the world's biggest stars! It was so exciting. Of course I didn't call them but I got to see that they're just people. Hard working talented people that at one point were in the same place where I am. 

This is what I learned, at the end of the day this is a business. If you are marketable, have a product and image that will make money, many people will support you. I believe in my core that what I have to give is marketable. So here's to becoming a brand and making a difference in entertainment!



PS: I'm also so happy that HOMEBOUND finally has an IMDB page!!!
Check it out: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2411218/

The Official Poster for Homebound

 

The Alma Awards. A night of celebration.

 The ALMA Awards 2012

This week I was also invited to the ALMA Awards. I also got to go to the Mayor's house for a reception hosted by the NCLR. What an amazing experience. 

I love that so many people are asking me about my film, even people who don't know me. I love being a part of the Latino artistic community. 

A funny thing that happened was that I was walking the red carpet yesterday and many of the photographers didn't bother taking my photo because there were so many bigger stars, but all of a sudden a couple of photographers that know me started calling my name and took my photo. This is how I know I've come a long way. Not there yet but very close. Not only  was I invited by the NCLR to attend the awards but several people on the red carpet knew me and supported me. They interviewed me and made me feel that I belonged. To you Angela, Aaron, Richard, JC, and many others, I thank you and you will ALWAYS have my love.  

Photo Courtesy of Richard Sandoval

Buzz about t HOMEBOUND

All the Buzz about my feature film HOMEBOUND

Less than a month ago we released the official trailer for my upcoming film HOMEBOUND. We've already had over 2500 views! I'm so thrilled with the response. 

People are telling me how much they love the trailer and how they can't wait to see the film. I want to thank Stephen Murray for doing such an amazing job of editing the trailer. The best part is that my brother called me after it was released to tell me how proud he was of me. I know he's been proud of me all along but he gets my vision now and is so excited for me. He has become my biggest fan and that means so much to me.

This is the link for the trailer:

Official trailer for HOMEBOUND

These are a  couple of articles that came out about the trailer too. It was so great to see Latina Lista write a note about it, I was very honored. And of course Nalip is a great organization I'm proud to be a member of. 

Latina Lista Article

NALIP Article

A very exciting thing that happened is that I submitted HOMEBOUND to the Sundance film festival. Walking out of that office was unbelievable. 2 years of hard work to get to this point. I almost flew back to my car of excitement. A very proud day. 

Inspiration in the Men's Central Jail

It's been a while since I've written in this blog, but so much has been happening I have to share. Also, a friend recently said to me, "You should have a blog! You have something exciting happening every single week." And it's true. So I hope this blog of my adventures in Hollywood will inspire you to follow your dream. 

Last week I was fortunate enough to participate in a Leadership program inside the Los Angeles Men's Central Jail. The program was created by my friend Kamela Laird to give the incarcerated men skills to take to the outside world and so they won't become repeat offenders.

I taught a theater class and they were so great. They participated fully and by the end of the class they were transformed human beings. The men wanted to see some of my work so we arranged a screening of my feature film HOMEBOUND.  It was the first time I showed the completed film to an audience.  It was such an amazing feeling to see these men, some of whom haven't seen the outside world in years so moved by the film. They laughed at every joke and got every innuendo. One of them even admitted that he cried.  I went in there with the purpose of giving to them and ended up receiving so much. I got that my work matters and can make a difference. That's priceless.

All the instructors went back to the jail last week for graduation day. The photo above is all of us after the class. The men shared how the class has changed their view of life and were so grateful that we were there. Many of them approached me privately to tell me how much they enjoyed my film and how they could relate to the story, which surprised me. I also gave them signed head shots and they were thrilled and wishing me the best. All told me they shared with their family and friends about the film! It was a great experience indeed.