Logline:
Awakening in his childhood home, Chicano teen Luis Aguilar is forced to relive discriminations his Mexican immigrant parents have lived through, all while being pursued by a mysterious figure.
Filled with horror, thriller, and surrealism, this short film encompasses the horrors of Mexican immigrant discrimination and Chicano generational trauma.
Director's Statement:
As a 23 year old Mexican American Film Producer, I had a growing urge to dive into the world of Directing. In honor of my Mexican immigrant family that left behind their beloved country to grant me a future they were never promised, I wanted my directorial debut project to highlight the never-ending fears Mexican immigrant families live through in the U.S. The fear of deportation, worker exploitation, family separation, and racial discrimination are forever present in the minds of Mexican immigrants and their first generation children.
Inspired by late 90s horror video games, surreal films, and thriller shows such as The Twilight Zone, “El Regreso Del Miedo” was made with the intention of pushing the boundaries of reality, dramatizing fears audiences may have never experienced. Also inspired by films taking on a theatrical aesthetic and rich Mexican visual culture, many scenes take place in a black void “dream like” world, blurring the line between familiarity and otherness with its harsh background darkness and rich production design.
With the collaboration of dozens of talented Latino filmmakers all over the Bay Area, “El Regreso Del Miedo” is a testament to the power Mexican storytelling holds and the importance of Latina filmmakers like me to exist in these filmmaking spaces.
Cast
Esdras Almazan as Luis Aguilar
Jovita Molina as Mari Aguilar
Fernando Solorio Velasco as Pedro Aguilar
Joseph Tadeo Soto Vera as Younger Luis Aguilar
Crawford Patten as The Specter
Crew
Berenice Manzano Castro - Writer/Director/Producer
Viviana Raker - Producer
Iggy Muñoz - Co-Writer
Arlem Manzano Castro - Concept Artist/Animator
Omar Matias - Director of Photography
Amelia York - 1st AD
Daniel Ramos - 2nd AD
Dominic Cabrera - 1st AC
Jeremy Hahn - Boom Operator
Layla Hernandez - Key Grip
Ian Anderson - Gaffer
Jesus Hernandez - Gaffer
Daisy Herrera - Head of Production Design/Makeup Artist
Alex Vargas - Set Designer
Isabel Selling - Set Designer/Lead Makeup Artist/Costume Designer
Kyla Jude Cerita - Behind The Scenes Photographer and Graphic Designer
Hassan Pathan - Behind The Scenes Photographer
Randy Lopez - Script Supervisor
Tia Cutting - Art PA
Sarah Field - PA/Assistant Boom Operator
Andy Contreras - PA
Savannah Owens - Head Editor
Sebastian Cipriano - Assistant Editor
Mel Espinoza - Assistant Editor
Diego Hinojosa - Colorist
Jeremy Hahn - Music Composer