SCBFF screens my short Stuffed next week!

I'm very proud to announce that my short film STUFFED has been selected to the 5th Southern California Business Film Festival, that will take place next week -- from Feb. 27th to Mar. 4th -- in USC's campus, Los Angeles.

Sponsored by the USC Marshall School of Business, the festival combines two of the world's most powerful aspects -- film and business -- creating a week-long film extravaganza that includes extensive cast and crew-hosted screening series, networking events, speaker panels and student film competition.

STUFFED is in consideration for the Competitive event, which will grant awards in the following categories:

Best Picture Best Directing Audience Choice Award Best Screenplay Best Cinematography

Best Musical Score Best Actor Best Actress Best Editing Best Incorporation of Business Elements

Fingers crossed for the amazing talents that were part of this cast and crew to be awarded the prizes above mentioned.

The Awards Ceremony is scheduled for Sunday (03/04), in USC's Campus Center Ballroom, at 1:30pm. I assume general admission is free.

I'll keep you posted though! Yay! Let's celebrate!

My short Synergy screened in BHLife in March!

My directorial debut SYNERGY is officially selected to the 6th Boyle Heights Latina Independent Film Extravaganza (BHLIFE), that will take place March 2nd-4th in celebration of International Women's Day.

According to BHLIFE's founders, the festival is "a celebration of Latinas, their voices and their visions. The mission of the festival is to build a network of Latina Filmmakers that will draw attention to the growing number of Latinas working behind the camera. The films of these Latinas constitute a body of work that acts as a powerful statement against the stereotypical portrayals of Latinas on screen."

SYNERGY will be screened on Saturday (03/03), at 3:15pm, in the cute CASA 0101 Theater (2102 E. First., Los Angeles, CA 90033) along with eight other short films directed by Latinas. General admission is $10 and tickets can be purchased in advance here.

Video: Brazilian TV show in U.S. interviews me! | Vídeo: Globo Internacional me entrevista!

If you want to know more about me, please check the video below. Great interview (in Portuguese with English subtitles) by the Planeta Brasil crew. Thank you, guys! I simply love it! ||| Se você quiser saber mais sobre mim, por favor, confira o vídeo abaixo. Super entrevista (em português com legendas em inglês) pela equipe do "Planeta Brasil". Obrigada, pessoal! Eu simplesmente a-mei!

Gabby Egito talks about her journey to become a filmmaker in U.S.. She is one of the Brazilians who were granted a scholarship by Americans. (Aired on Dec. 17, 2011 - André Szapiro is the correspondent. Luiza Florence, producer.) | Planeta Brasil is a half-hour news magazine that shows how Brazilians live outside Brazil. It shares their struggles and successes building lives in a foreign culture. The program is produced by F.J. Productions and airs weekly on TV Globo International, a satellite channel that reaches over 1.2 million viewers across the world and is present in 42 countries. In the United States, it is distributed by Dish Network, Comcast and Time Warner.

To be or not to be... | Ser cineasta é...

I'm releasing a new short next Wednesday! | Vou lançar novo curta em LA na quarta!

Photo: John Kaisner

The producer and author of "Shtarkers" Tony Perzow and me,
the associate producer and film editor: "We've had the perfect synergy."

Film in partnership with Canadian producer is the first of five I plan to release this year in the U.S.

Next Wednesday (Feb 1st), at 9pm, Canadian Tony Perzow and me release the short film "Shtarkers" in Los Angeles. The film will be shown in the trendy independent film event of the city, the Best of LA Short Film Showcase, at the Busby's East (5364 Whilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036). You're invited!

I'm associate producer and I also sign the editing of the film, which has original script and production by award-winning actor Tony Perzow. The 7-minutes short hysterically unites the underworld of gangsters in classic Hollywood style with an unusual musical number in the middle of a darkened alley.

The nearly unpronounceable title means "tough guys" in Yiddish and the story is a prequel to the comedy "Angelos," staged in LA in 2010. The play, also written by Perzow and praised by the LA Weekly, is now being adapted by him for a feature film.

Living in LA since 2010, I won two awards last year for two short films directed and produced by me. My latest film, "Stuffed", the winner for Best Short Drama at the Atlantic City Cinefest, is travelling the festival circuit worldwide.

This year, I'm preparing to release two more shorts and a mini-documentary under my direction, as well as a film entirely shot in China, of which I'm associate producer and film editor. They are all in post-production. And there's a lot more to come!

Successful partnership

I was invited to join the project "Shtarkers" when Perzow decided to turn what was initially a webseries into the short film being released. "I needed a fresh and talented vision to help me resize the story," says the producer and author.

The editing work was a blast: Tony brought me a hysterical material, dynamically produced and shot, and he was incredibly generous to give me complete creative freedom. We've had the perfect synergy, I couldn't be more happy with the results. After its premiere, "Shtarkers" goes to the film festival circuit.

Best of L.A. Short Film Showcase
When: Feb 1st (Wednesday), 9pm
Where: Busby's East (5364 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036)
How much: $8 cover

Shtarkers
(EUA, 2012, 7 min, musical comedy)
Directed by: R.S. Bailey
Written by: Tony Perzow
Cast: Jack Kandel, Scotty Dickert, Sam Hargrave, Tony Perzow, Denisha Hill, Michael Hausner, Derrick Oshana, Mark Skeens, R.S. Bailey, Frank Salinas, Stephen Schwartz
Produced by: Tony Perzow
Associate Producer: Gabby Egito
Cinematography by: Matthew Renoir
Film Editing by: Gabby Egito

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Filme em parceria com produtor canadense é o primeiro dos cinco que planejo lançar este ano nos EUA

Photo: John Kaisner

O produtor e autor de "Shtarkers", Tony Perzow, e eu,
produtora associada e montadora do filme: "Temos uma sintonia perfeita"

Na próxima quarta (01/fev), às 21 horas, o canadense Tony Perzow e eu vamos lançar o curta-metragem "Shtarkers" em Los Angeles. O filme será exibido dentro do badalado evento da cena cinematográfica independente da cidade, o Best of L.A. Short Film Showcase, no Busby's East (5364 Whilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036).

Sou produtora associada e assino também a montagem do filme, que tem roteiro original e produção do ator premiado Tony Perzow. O curta de 7 minutos une de forma hilária o submundo dos gângsters bem ao estilo da Hollywood clássica com um número musical inusitado em pleno beco à meia-luz.

O título quase impronunciável significa "caras durões" em iídiche e a história é uma prequel da comédia "Angelos", encenada em palcos angelinos em 2010. A peça, também escrita por Perzow e elogiada pelo LA Weekly, já está sendo adaptada por ele para um longa-metragem.

Morando em LA desde 2010, eu ganhei dois prêmios ano passado com dois curtas dirigidos e produzidos por mim. O meu filme mais recente, "Coisado" (Stuffed), vencedor de Melhor Curta (Drama) no Atlantic City Cinefest, está fazendo o circuito de festivais mundiais.

Este ano, vou lançar mais dois curtas e um mini-documentário sob minha direção, além de um filme inteiramente rodado na China, do qual sou produtora associada e montadora. Todos estão em fase de pós-produção. Sobre novos projetos, só posso dizer que vem muita coisa boa por aí!.

Parceria bem-sucedida

Fui convidada a me juntar ao projeto "Shtarkers" quando Perzow resolveu transformar o que seria inicialmente uma websérie no curta-metragem que está sendo lançado. "Precisava de uma visão com frescor e talento para me ajudar a redimensionar a história", conta o produtor e autor.

O trabalho de montagem foi pura diversão: "O Tony me trouxe um material engraçadíssimo, bem produzido e filmado, e ainda foi de uma generosidade impressionante ao me dar total liberdade criativa. Tivemos uma sintonia perfeita. Estou super feliz com o resultado". Após a estréia, Shtarkers segue para o circuito de festivais de cinema.

Banderas will fund 5 short films of Latinos | Banderas vai financiar 5 curtas de latinos

The initiative is commendable despite the ridiculous age limit requirement

Antonio Banderas Fragrances will produce the best 5 original scripts received with a budget of a € 15,000 for each. The competition is called Make It Short and it is due on 01.31.2012.

Applicants must be of legal age, less than 30, must not have directed yet a feature film and must reside in: Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, BRAZIL, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay or Venezuela.

The theme of the short film script must revolve around women and their secrets. And the film shall have a maximum duration of 10 minutes.

Only scripts presented in English or Spanish will be accepted.

The initiative is commendable. Antonio Banderas is to be congratulated. My only note would be as to the age limit requirement for the participants.

1) Does he not know that age is one of the biggest secrets of women?

2) Does he not know that talent is ageless?

3) As far as I'm concerned, I'm a Brazilian/Latina who came to study filmmaking at New York Film Academy after my 30s. And I got so far two awards for two of my shorts directed after my 30s. I would be more than happy to study more, hone my skills and present my work worldwide having a prestigious godfather like him.

4) Do women over 30 do not wear his fragrances? Or perhaps might they not have a good enough image to market it?

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A iniciativa é louvável, apesar da ridícula exigência de idade-limite

A Antonio Banderas Fragrâncias vai premiar os 5 melhores roteiros originais de curta com 15 mil euros cada um para a produção dos filmes. O concurso se chama Make It Short e o prazo para enviar o material é até o dia 31/01.

Os candidatos devem ser maiores de idade, com menos de 30 anos, não podem ter dirigido um longa-metragem e devem morar em: Espanha, Argentina, Bolívia, BRASIL, Colômbia, Costa Rica, Equador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicarágua, Panamá, Paraguai, Peru, República Dominicana, Uruguai ou Venezuela.

O tema do roteiro de curta-metragem deve girar em torno das mulheres e seus segredos. E o filme deve ter uma duração máxima de 10 minutos. Os roteiros devem ser enviados em inglês ou espanhol.

A iniciativa é louvável. Antonio Banderas está de parabéns. Minha ressalva seria apenas quanto ao requisito de limite de idade para os participantes.

1) Será que ele não sabe que a idade é um dos maiores segredos das mulheres?

2) Ele não sabe que o talento não tem idade?

3) De minha parte, Sou uma latina/brasileira que veio a estudar cinema na New York Film Academy, após os 30 anos de idade. E eu tenho até agora dois prémios por dois dos meus curtas dirigidos após meus 30 anos. Eu ficaria mais que feliz em estudar mais, aprimorar minhas habilidades e apresentar meu trabalho no mundo tendo um padrinho de peso como ele.

4) As mulheres com mais de 30 não usam os perfumes dele? Ou, talvez, elas não tenham uma imagem boa o suficiente pro marketing dele?