C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S

MusicBoxFilmsPresents

C H A V E L A

93MINUTES|MEXICO,SPAIN,USA|2017|NOTRATED|1.77:1|INSPANISHWITHENGLISHSUBTITLES

OfficialWebsite:http://www.musicboxfilms.com/chavlelaPressMaterials:http://www.musicboxfilms.com/chavela-press

PublicityContacts

NewYork:FilmForum

AdamWalkeradam@filmforum.org

LosAngeles:ShotwellMedia

SashaBermanSashaBerman@mac.com310-450-5571

Regional/Marketing:MusicBoxFilms

BiancaCostellobcostello@musicboxfilms.com312-508-5362

MusicBoxFilmsContacts

Marketing/TheatricalBookings:BrianAndreottibandreotti@musicboxfilms.com312-508-5361

Marketing/SocialMedia:BeckySchultzbschultz@musicboxfilms.com312-508-5360

ExhibitionMaterials:DavidCookdcook@musicboxfilms.com312-508-5363

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 2

L O G L I N E Chavela is the captivating look at the unconventional life of beloved performerChavela Vargas, whose passionate renditions of Mexican popular music andtriumphantreturntothestagelateinlifebroughtherinternationalfame.

S H O R T S U M M A R Y Chavela is the captivating portrait of beloved singer Chavela Vargas, whosepassionate renditions of popular Ranchera songsmade her a beloved figure inMexico,evenasherandrogynousappearanceandunconventionallifechallengednorms of the day. After disappearing from the public eye for decades, Chavelamakesatriumphantreturntothestage,earningheranewlevelofinternationalfamelateinlife.L O N G S U M M A R Y Chavela is the captivating look at the unconventional life of beloved performerChavela Vargas, whose passionate renditions of Mexican popular music andtriumphantreturntothestagelateinlifebroughtherinternationalfame.BorninCostaRicain1919,ChavelaVargasranawaytoMexicoCityasateenagertosinginthestreets.Bythe1950s,shebecameahouseholdnameinheradoptedcountry,deliveringherperformanceswitharawpassionanduniquevoice.Justasinfluentialwereherculturalcontributions;Chavelawasabold,rebellious,sexualpioneerwhowasknownforhavingmanyfemaleloversatatimewhenbeingoutinMexicowasdangerous.Chavelacentersarounda1991interview—thesinger’sfirstpublicappearanceafter15hardyearslosttoalcoholismandheartbreak.Inthefinalyearsofherlife,Chavelaopenlycomesoutasalesbianandrisesintohermomentousthirdact,becomingamusetofilmmakerPedroAlmodóvar,earningaLifetimeAchievementGrammy,andsellingoutperformancesatprestigiousconcerthallsaroundtheworld.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 3

A B O U T C H A V E L A V A R G A S BornIsabelVargasLizanoinCostaRica,ChavelaVargas(1919-2012)ranawaytoMexicoCityinherearlyteensandbegansinginginthestreets.Bythe1950s,shehad become a darling of the city’s thriving bohemian club scene. ChallengingmainstreamMexicanmoralsbydressing inpants,drinking tequila, and smokingcigarswhilesinginglovesongsintendedformentowoowomenandrefusingtochangethepronouns,“Shewaschileverde,”remembersElenaPoniatowska,thegrandedameofMexicanletters.Althoughshelivedoutofthepubliceyeforseveralyearsduetoalongbattlewithalcoholism, Chavela was nursed back to health by a Huichol Indian family whoalso helped initiate her into Shamanism. For the rest of her life, Chavela wasknownas“LaCupaima,”(thelastfemaleshaman).Heramazingcomebackbeganattheageof72whenSpanishfilmmakerPedroAlmodóvar,whohadfeaturedhermusicinmanyofhisfilms,playedaninstrumentalroleinelevatinghercareertointernationalacclaim.Wheneverheintroducedhertothepublic,hewouldkneeldowntokissthestagebeforesheperformedatrenownedvenueslikeNewYork’sCarnegie Hall, Paris’ L’Olympia Theatre, andMadrid’s Plaza de España. Chavelaalso appeared in the 1967movie La Soldadera,WernerHerzog’sScreamof theStone and Julie Taymor’s Frida, and sang “TúMe Acostumbraste” (“Because ofYou,IGotAccustomed”)inAlejandroGonzálezIñárritu’sBabel.Inher lifetime,Chavelawascreditedwithrecording80albums, receivedaLatinGrammy for Lifetime Achievement, andwas the secondwoman to win Spain’smostprestigiousartisticaward, theGrandCrossof Isabel, theCatholic.Shewasclose to many prominent artists and intellectuals including Juan Rulfo, AgustínLara, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Dolores Olmedo, José Alfredo Jiménez, LilaDowns,andJoaquinSabina. In2012Chavelapassedawayattheageof93aftertouring to support her last albumLa LunaGrande, a tribute to thepoetGarciaLorca,withwhosespiritshecommuneddaily.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 4

L O N G S Y N O P S I S ChavelaVargaswasaboldpioneer,asexualoutlawwhostood inhertruthatatimewhenbeing“out”wasnotonlysociallyunacceptable,butoftendangerous.ShegotawaywithitbecauseshetookMexicanrancheramusic,strippeditdowntotheboneandgave itgravitasandaudiencesandfriends lovedher for it.LikeEdith Piaf and Billie Holliday, she sang rancheras with raw passion and deepsuffering,justliketheblues.Noone—particularlynowoman—haseverownedthegenrequitelikeshedid.DidChavelareallycreepintowomen’sbedroomslateatnighttostealthemawayfromtheirhusbands?Orscoopthemontoawhitehorsetorideoffwithher?Didshepackapistolandsometimesshoot itoff just for fun?Orhaveepicdrinkingbingeswith friendsthatstartedonFridayandendedthe followingWednesday?AftershesangatElizabethTaylor’sAcapulcoweddingtoMikeTodd,didshereallyleavethepartywithAvaGardner?Collectivelyknownas“theblacklegend,”theseareafewoftheincrediblerumorspeoplelovetoshareaboutChavela.Manyshehelped spread herself. Some are true. Known as a raucous, entertainingraconteur,Chavelachosethestoriesshe likedbest,breathed life intothemandmade them manifest. In her amazing journey from a 14-year-old rejectedrunawayborninCostaRicatoaworldrenowned,Grammy-winningMexicanicon,thisdreamweavertook bitsandpiecesofwhoshewasandwhoshewantedtobeandwovethemintoareality.As someone who played fast and loose with dates, times, places, and events,Chavelahadnointerestinhardfacts.Forexample,inoneinterviewshesaidshelivedwithFridaandDiego foramonthwhile inothers shesaid itwasayear,5days,or5years.Whatdifferencedidthosedetailsmake?Forher,thepointofanystorywas that itmade you think, andmost importantly, how itmade you feel.WhatmatteredmostwastheloveshesharedwithFridaandhowitchangedherforever. Or so she said. Others say the moment Frida said she loved her too,Chavelaboltedandneversawheragain!Although she didn’t officially identify as a lesbian until she was 81 years old,Chavelacarefullycraftedapublicpersonaasapowerful,rebellious,freespiritedoutsider,asexyoutlawwhoblazedherownuniquetrail.“AllmylifeI’vebeenawomanof strongcharacter.Evenasachild. I createdmyselfbymyself.Noone

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 5

taught me to be the way I am. I learned by myself through tears, suffering,happiness,truthandlies.”Likeallgoodlegends,Chavelaleftatrailofbroken(yetfiercelyloyal)heartsinherwake,butsheisnolongerheretotelluswhysheneverseemedtofindhappinessinlove.WhatweknowisthataftertoomanynightsinBohemiashegotlostinherloveaffairwithtequilaandwounduplivingonthestreetsanddependingonthekindness of strangers. We know that she stopped singing so long that peoplethoughtshewasdead.Weknowthatshesuffereddeeply.Youcanhearitinhervoice.Creatingaworkofartthatcapturesandhonorssuchanelusive,ingeniousbeingdemandsaninnovativeapproachtostorytellingthatrelieslessonchronologicalorder or fixed facts and more on the spiritual and emotional impact of herexperiences,theeffectshehadonothers,thedifferenceshemadeintheir livesand ours, and in the lasting impact of hermusic. Following Chavela’s lead, wehavecreatedanevocative,provocativefilmthatplumbsthedepthsandscalestheheightsofher journey,exploringthemanyways inwhichshe, likemanyartists,repeatedly “created herself by herself.” Throughmusic, poetry, verité, archivalandcontemporaryfootage,includingmanyofChavela’sownpowerfulwords,weare telling the story of her fierce battle to be authentic. Her joyful, painful,musical,anddeeplyspiritualjourneytoself-acceptancearetheheartandsoulofChavela.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 6

D I R E C T O R ’ S S T A T E M E N T – C A T H E R I N E G U N D Fora fewmagicalmonths, I foundmyself livingand loving just southofMexicoCity in the warmwinter of 1991.My girlfriends playedme Chavela’s songs onrecord players and toldme tales of her womanizing, her irresistible allure, herdeepvoice,heraudacity.Shemovedallwhomether. Ihadtomeether.Beforecell phones put a camera in everyone’s pocket, I carried a video camera inmybackpackeverywhereIwent.Ibeggedmyfriendstohelpmecreateaface-to-facemomentwithChavela.IwantedtoaskhersomequestionsinmybrokenSpanish,make her laugh her gorgeous laugh, feel hermagnetism, hear her raspy tones,and squirm at the power of her promise. I asked her if I could videotape ourconversation.Sheagreedandshedidnotdisappoint.Itisnowondersheiscalled“The Rough Voice of Tenderness.” I became obsessed with her ability to drawpeople in. Iwas fascinatedbyher lightnessandease,hermasculinity.Andwithher song.But I camehomeandput thosemaster tapesaway.Adecade later, Iclamored to be among her fans smiling, with eyes closed, dreaming when sheperformedatCarnegieHall.Then,among friendswhotreasuredher, Imournedwhenshepassedawayin2012attheageof93.Finally, lastspring, Idecidedtounearthmyarchival footagetoseewhat Ihadcapturedall thoseyearsagoandthere in her full glory was Chavela – relaxed, confident, and poetic in her rawhonesty.Itwasaveritablegoldmineoffootage.For me, Chavela’s life is not a cautionary tale, but rather, a rich subterraneandimension of our own living. She is not a rolemodel, but amuse.Not only anelder,butaframeforourcontemporarydesires.MyfriendDareshaandIhadalwayswantedtomakeafilmtogether,soIshowedherasmallsectionofwhatI’dshot.Shewasmesmerized.BeforesheevenknewwhoChavelawas,andallthatshehadaccomplished,Dareshafellinlovewithhertoo and committed to helpme produce and direct the film. Itwas a seamless,easy, even joyful and natural transition. We want to share our passion anddiscovery with others. Chavela is emerging from our collaborative revelation,investigation, desperation to hold onto the familiar yet inimitable magic ofChavela.Theimportanceofthisworkliesinitsabilitytostrikeapowerfulchordinall who see it, to make viewers recall their places of deepest passion andyearning,andtofeelthatloveisaproductive,ifabstract,landinwhichtolive.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 7

D I R E C T O R ’ S S T A T E M E N T – D A R E S H A K Y I In 1993whileworking as an Associate Producer on ITVS’multi-genre four partseries, Positive: Life with HIV, I met this smart, funny, sexy beast commonlyknownasCatherineGundandimmediatelyrecognizedheraskindred.Shefeltlikefamily fromthevery start.Political,passionate,anddeeply in lovewith lifeandhumanbeingswithallourfabulousnessandflaws,sheknewthepowerofmediatochangeheartsandmindsandwasactivelywieldingitasacatalystforchange.Ideeplyadmiredheractivistspiritandherbeliefinpossibilities.Flash forward twenty-odd years later, through multiple milestones includingbirths, deaths, break-ups, amarriage (and divorce), andmore projects thanwecan count, Cat and I have sometimes drifted but never disconnected - alwayscirclingbacktopickuprightwherewelastlaughed.Ihavewatchedinadmirationas she founded her production company, Aubin Pictures, to build a body ofinteresting, challenging and enlightening films, all while raising a family of fourbright, bold, and beautiful people. A whirling dervish in perpetual, gracefulmotion,it’shardnottobemesmerizedandmovedbyCat’sdanceoflife.So, imaginemy excitement when she invitedme to join the dance with thesesimplewords,“Weshouldmakeamovietogether.”Ididn’tevenknowI’dwantedto do it until she said it, but once spoken, the words became a mantra. “Wedefinitelyshouldmakeamovietogether!”Andoffwewentinsearchofasubjectthatwouldburnbrightenoughthatwe’dbewillingtotendthefireforhoweverlongittooktogetthejobdone.Whenshefirsttoldmeaboutthefootageshe’djustdigitizedthathadbeeninstorageforover20years,shetriedtoexplainwhoChavelawasbysinginglikeher.Iwasnotconvinced.Welaughedanddecidedtosit downand screen it together – and thatmoment changed the courseof ourjointhistory.Assoonas IsawChavela, Iwas intrigued.Shewasn’tevensinging,just sitting around talking to some friends but I had that visceral, gut reactionwhere you just know. Even though I still didn’t know any of the details ofChavela’spowerfulstory,Irecognizedhertoo,askindred.AndIknewherswasastoryworthyofmytime,energy,fire,desire,andoh,somuchlove.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 8

C R E W B I O S CatherineGund,ProducerandDirector Catherine Gund, the Founder and Director of Aubin Pictures, is an Emmy-nominated producer, director, writer, and activist. Her media work focuses onstrategic and sustainable social transformation, arts and culture, HIV/AIDS andreproductive health, and the environment. Her films - which include Chavela,DispatchesfromCleveland,AmericanRhapsody(inprogress),BorntoFly(Emmy-nominated),What’s On Your Plate?, A Touch of Greatness (Emmy-nominated,Hamptons’ Starfish Award),Motherland Afghanistan,Making Grace,On HostileGround,andHallelujah! -havescreenedaround theworld in festivals, theaters,museums, and schools; on PBS, the Discovery Channel, and the SundanceChannel.GundcurrentlyservesonseveralboardsincludingArtMatters,Solidaire,Osa Conservation and The George Gund Foundation. She co-founded the ThirdWaveFoundationwhichsupportsyoungwomenandtransgenderyouth,andDIVATV,anaffinitygroupofACTUP/NY.ShewasthefoundingdirectorofBENTTV,thevideoworkshopforgay,lesbian,bisexual,andtransgenderyouth.ShewasonthefoundingboardsofBardEarlyColleges, IrisHouse,WorkingFilms,RealityDanceCompany and The Sister Fund and has also served for MediaRights.org, TheRobesonFundoftheFundingExchange,TheVeraListCenterforArtandPoliticsat the New School, and the Astraea Foundation. Gund’s most recent project,Dispatches from Cleveland, consists of five short films that look at the policemurderof12-year-oldTamirRiceandshowhowpeople joinedtogethertovoteouttheprosecutorwhodidn’thavetheirbacks.HerotherfilmBorntoFlypushestheboundariesbetweenactionandart,daringustojoinchoreographerElizabethStrebandherdancers inpursuitofhuman flight.She lives inNYCwithher fourchildren.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 9

DareshaKyi,ProducerandDirector DareshaKyiisanaward-winningfilmmakerandtelevisionproducerwithover25years in the business. A graduate of NYU Film School, she also won a fullfellowshipfromTriStarPicturestoattendtheDirectorsProgramatTheAmericanFilm Institute (AFI)basedonhermultipleaward-winning short filmLandWhereMy Fathers Died, which she wrote, produced, directed and co-starred in withIsaiah Washington. She recently served as executive producer of the award-winning short, Thugs,TheMusical starring David AlanGrier andMargaret Cho.Shehasalsoworkedextensivelyasatelevisionproducer-mostrecentlyshewasfield producer onTotally BiasedwithW. KamauBell, story producer on La VozKids (Telemundo’sTheVoice for children), andwriter for theweekendmorningtalkshowArise&Shine,hostedbyRichardPryor’sdaughter,Rain.Sheiscurrentlyco-directingandco-producingAubinPictures’ChavelaandproducingDispatchesFromCleveland.CarlaGutierrez,EditorCarlaGutierrez is adocumentaryeditorbased inNewYorkCity. Sheedited theOscarnominatedfilmLaCoronaforHBOandtheEmmynominateddocumentaryReportero,whichbroadcastonPOV.CarlaalsoeditedKingdomofShadowswhichpremieredatSXSW,openedtheatricallyinMexico,anditisslatedtobroadcastonPOV in2016.Her latestwork,WhenTwoWorldsCollide premieredat the2016SundanceFilmFestivalwhereitwontheWorldDocumentarySpecialJuryAwardfor Debut Feature. Screen InternationalMagazine describedWhen TwoWorldsCollide as a, “deftly edited, heart-on-sleeve social documentary.” And VarietyMagazineobserved,“CarlaGutierreziskeyinshapingacoherentnarrativefromwhatwasdoubtlessadauntingmountainofmaterialonacomplicatedsubject.”Carla’sworkhasscreenedatSundance,IDFA,SXSW,FullFrame,AFI,LosAngelesFilm Festival, HotDocs, Ambulante, among other festivals. Her films havebroadcast on HBO, BBC’s Storyville, POV, Independent Lens, the SundanceChannel, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She has been a creativeadviserfortheSundanceEditLab,andamentorforFirelightProducers’Lab.CarlareceivedaMastersinDocumentaryFilmfromStanfordUniversity.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 10

GilTalmi,ComposerGil Talmi is a world-renowned Emmy-nominated composer, producer andrecording artist with a passion for socially conscious projects. Blending histraditional orchestral background with eclectic world music sensibilities andtastefulanalogelectronics,Talmihascreatedasignaturesoundthatcanbeheardinmanyawardwinningproductionsworldwide.SomeofGil’smost recentworkincludes Desert Migration (Best Revenge Productions), Remittance(GreenmachineFilms)andTheMemoryofFish (Reelblue).ThreedocumentarieswhichGil scored premiered simultaneously at DocNYC 2015:All Rise, The LostArcade (26Aries)andLoveBetweenTheCovers (BlueberryHill Productions).Gilhas scored thePeabodyAwardwinningdocumentariesBetween The Folds (PBSIndependent Lens), Who Killed Chea Vichea? (PBS) and New Year Baby (PBSIndependent Lens), winner of the Amnesty International ‘Movies That Matter’Award.Gilwasnominated for aNationalNewsandDocumentaryEmmyAwardfor hiswork on CBS EveningNews and recentlywon Best Documentary for hisscoreforTalesOfTheWaria(PBS).LourdesPortillo,ConsultingProducerLourdes Portillo is an Oscar-nominated writer, director, and producer of filmsfocusedonhumanrightsandthesearchforLatinoidentity.Shehasworkedinarichly varied rangeof forms, from televisiondocumentary to satirical video-filmcollage.Her films includeAlMásAllá ,Eldiablonuncaduerme:TheDevilNeverSleeps,LaOfrenda:TheDaysof theDead,Lasmadresde laPlazadeMayo:TheMothersofPlazadeMayo,andDespuésdelterremoto:AftertheEarthquake.JuanMandelbaum,ConsultingProducerBased in the Boston area, Juan Mandelbaum runs Geovision, a multiculturalcommunicationsagency.His televisionworkhasbeenbroadcastona varietyofvenues, fromIndependentLenstoSesameStreetandhaswonmultipleawards,including Emmy awards and nominations, Cine Golden Eagles, Gabriel awards,Chrisaward,andaSilverAppleaward. Juanhasalsocuratedseveral filmseries,includingLatinVisions,attheBostonMuseumofFineArts,andCineArgentino,attheInstituteofContemporaryArt.JuanstudiedsociologyinhisnativeArgentina,andworkedasajournalist,photographerandeducatoruntilheleftfortheUSin1977toleavebehindthemilitarydictatorship.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 11

NataliaCuevas,Cinematographer,Mexico

Natalia Cuevas is a Mexico City–based cinematographer whose body of workincludesthefeaturefilmsElviraandRicochet.HertelevisioncreditsincludeworkforHBOLatinoandtheUSANetwork,aswellasextensivecommercialwork.PaulaGutiérrezOrío,Cinematographer,Spain Paula Gutiérrez Orío is a documentary cinematographer based in Madrid. Themajority of her work has been developed for Spanish television and otherinternationalnetworksandhascoveredawidevarietyoftopicsfromthefamousrealitygameshowPekínExpress todocumentaryprogramsConUnaSonrisa forRTVEand24HorasConLosNuestrosandElXefforMediaset-Spain.Shealsoshotthe docu-reality series Quiero Ser Monja, an adaptation of The Sisterhood:BecomingNunsforMediaset-Spain.LauraTatham,AssociateProducer Laura Tatham hails from the world of book publishing, having spent five yearsworkinginboththecorporate(Simon&Schuster)andnon-profit(FeministPress)sector. Inthattime,sheworkedonmultipleNewYorkTimesbestsellers,aswellas Lambda Literary and Pulitzer Prize winning works. She has experience inmarketing,publishing,aswellasfilmandbookproduction.Shehasabackgroundin literature,havingearnedaMaster’sdegreeinAmericanLiteraturefromDrewUniversity in 2009. Laura is also associate producing Aubin’s Dispatches fromCleveland.LauraresidesinJerseyCitywithherlovingpartnerandcat.LauraPilloni,AssociateProducerLaura Pilloni has been working on feature-length and short form documentaryandnarrativefilmprojectssuchasFrontCover (2015)andKingdomOfShadows(2015)since2013.Mostrecentlyshewasanassociateproducerfortheupcomingwomen and human rights documentary,Home Truth. Keeping in line with herworkon these impactful films, shewas veryexcited tobecomepartof suchaninnovativeandsociallyconsciousproductioncompanywhenshejoinedtheAubinPicturesteam.LauragraduatedsummacumlaudefromtheCityCollegeofNewYork(CCNY)whereshereceivedaBFAinFilmandVideoProduction.SheworkedasatutorandadministrativeassistantattheCNNYWritingCenterforfouryears.ShewasalsoamentorandvideographeratHofstraUniversity’sDocumenting

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 12

Diversityprogram.Inhersparetime,Lauraenjoysworkingasanassistantdirectoronshortfilms,reading,andwatchingfilms.AdriánGutiérrez,ArchivalProducer

AdriánGutiérrez is aMexican filmmaker andarchival researcher extraordinaire.He has been in the film industry for over twelve yearsworking on a variety offilmmaking endeavors, from commercials to documentary films to educationalvideos. In 2011, he co-founded his own production company, NOMAD MediaGroup,whichhasmorethan100filmandvideoprojectstodate,includingCielosDespejados, an educational YouTube channel about science and astronomy inSpanish. In 2015, he was a Field Associate Producer on the documentary,KingdomofShadows(2015),directedbytheEmmy-nominatedBernandoRuizanddistributedbyParticipantMedia.AdriánreceivedadegreeinFilmmakingandTVProductionfromTransformingArtsInstitute(previouslyknownasEscuelaTAI)inMadrid,Spain.He iscurrently inNYCasafellowoftheUnionDocsCollaborativeStudio2017.HajerSalem,AssistantEditor HajerSalemgraduatedwithdegreesinbothSociologyandBiologyfromLouisianaStateUniversity.Sheforwentgraduatestudies inmedicinetopursueacareer instorytelling. Post-graduation, Hajer spent time traveling throughout America,Europe, and North Africa. She also spent two years working with at-risk girlsthroughAmericorpsandGirls,Inc.ShehasworkedasanassistanteditorforfilmsthathavescreenedatSundance,SXSW,andTribeca.Asaneditor,shehasworkedfor Complex, Vice, Mssng Peces and BBDO. Alongside her editing work, shecurrentlyworksasacreativeforLaundryService’snewmediastartupCycle.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 13

A D V I S O R Y B I O S Mariela Besuievsky is a partner of Tornasol Films, as well as a producer andexecutiveproducerofmorethan118films.HerfirstfilmasaproducerwasPabloDotta’s El dirigible, the first Uruguayan movie to participate in the Festival deCannes (Semaine de la Critique 1994). In 2011 she received the Eurimages Co-production Development Award from the European Film Academy. Her filmcreditsinclude:ElSecretodeSusOjos(TheSecretintheirEyes,2009),directedbyJuanJoséCampanella,winnerof theAcademyAwardforBestForeignLanguageFilm;ÁlexdelaIglesia’sBaladaTristedeTrompeta(TheLastCircus,SilverLionatVenice, 2010); Los Crímenes de Oxford (The Oxford Crimes, 2008); and FelixViscaret’sminiseriesFourSeasonsinHavana(2016)starringJorgePerugorría.CarlosA.GutiérrezistheCo-founderandExecutiveDirectorofCinemaTropical,aNew York-based non-profit that promotes, distributes, and programs LatinAmerican cinema. As a film/video programmer, cultural promoter, and artsconsultant,hehaspresentedseveralfilm/videoseriesatinstitutionsfromNYCtoSanFranciscotoMexicoCity,aswellasajuror,panelist,andexpertnominatoronnumerous national and international film festival selection committees. Carlosholds a MA in Cinema Studies from New York University and a BA inCommunicationsfromUniversidadIberoamericana(MexicoCity).Sonja Henrici is Co-director at Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI), which shejoinedin2004,andaco-founderandco-directorofSDIProductionsLtd.Priortothis, sheworked in the administration of Edinburgh International Film Festival,andasfreelanceprogrammerandwriter.ShehasaBAHons(MediaStudies)andMA (English Literature) fromUniversity of Sussex. She has produced and exec-producedmorethan30shortdocumentaryfilms,whichhaveregularlyscreenedin over 50 countries, including Sundance, IDFA, Tribeca, SXSW. She’s producedfour features (I Am Breathing, FutureMy Love, Pablo’sWinter), and her latestone,SevenSongsforaLongLifehasitsNorthAmericanpremiereatSXSW2016.Maria Hinojosa is an award-winning news anchor and reporter who coversAmerica’s untold stories and highlights today’s critical issues. In 2010, Hinojosacreated the Futuro Media Group, an independent nonprofit organizationproducingmultimedia journalism that explores and gives a critical voice to thediversityoftheAmericanexperience.Asthe

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 14

anchor and Executive Producer of NPR’s Peabody award-winning show LatinoUSA, and anchor and Executive Producer of the PBS show America By TheNumberswithMariaHinojosa,bothproducedbyFuturoMedia,shehasinformedmillions about the changing cultural and political landscape in America andabroad.SusanaTorruellaLevalhasbeenanartwriterandcuratorofPuertoRican,Latinoand Latin American contemporary art in New York City since 1970. She wasDirector of ElMuseo del Barrio, from 1994 –2002, after serving there as ChiefCurator,andnamedDirectorEmeritabyitsBoard.Ms.TorruellaLevalwasChairof the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) in New York, and Vice President andPresident Elect of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD.) She hasrecently joined the editorial board of the International Center for Art of theAmericas(ICAA)atTheHoustonMuseumofFineArts,andhasbeennamedtotheboardoftheIMLS(InstituteofMuseumandLibraryServices)byPresidentObama.ScotchEllisLoringhasbeeninartsandentertainmentasanactor,singer,writerand producer, and director for decades. As a writer, Scotch’s first producedscreenplay,WIG,wasfeatured infestivalsacrossNorthAmericaand iscurrentlymaking therounds internationally.A talentedsinger/songwriter,hereleasedhisfirstalbumStandardScotchin2009andcompletedthefollowupOriginalScotchin2011.AsanactorhehasappearedinFindingMr.Wright,HardPill,FightClub,K-911, and Firehouse Dog – where in addition to starring, Scotch wrote andperformed the closing theme song Lost Till I FoundYou. Scotch’s latest venturewhichhewroteproduced,directedandstarredinistheawardwinningwebseriesFauxShowalsofeaturingKimColesandTiffanyHaddish.CatherineMurphyisaSanFrancisco-basedfilmmakerwhohasspentmuchofthelast 10 years working in Latin America, and whose work as an independentproducerhaslargelyfocusedonsocialdocumentaries.SheisfounderanddirectorofTheLiteracyProject,amulti-mediadocumentaryprojectonadultliteracyintheAmericas. Shehas fieldproduced films likeSaul Landau’sWill theRealTerroristPlease Stand Up?, and Eugene Corr’s From Ghost Town to Havana. She alsoserved an archival researcher for Susanne Rostock’s recent biography of HarryBelafonte,SingYourSong.MurphyservedasseniorstaffproducerattheTeleSurTVWashingtonbureauin2006andhasproducedcontentforPBS,TeleSur,AvilaTV, Pacifica Radio National, WBAI and KPFA. In 2012, she directed the

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 15

documentary short, Maestra, about the National Campaign for Literacy thatsweptthroughinCubain1961.Diana Taylor is professor of Performance Studies and Spanish at New YorkUniversity. She is also Founding Director of the Hemispheric Institute ofPerformance and Politics, an organization working at the intersection ofscholarship,artisticexpression,andpolitics toexploreperformanceasavehicleforthecreationofnewmeaningandthetransmissionofculturalvalues,memory,and identity. As amajor contributor to the area of Performance Studies in theAmericas,ProfessorTaylor’sworkfocusesonLatinAmericanandU.S.theaterandperformance,performanceandpolitics,feministtheaterandperformanceintheAmericas,hemisphericstudies,andtraumastudies.HerbooksincludeTheArchiveand the Repertoire: Performing Cultural Memory in the Americas, Theatre ofCrisis:DramaandPolitics inLatinAmerica,andher latestbookPerformance,allpublishedbyDukeUniversityPress.CaterinaToscanoisaproducerandcuratorofculturaleventswithmorethan20years of international professional experience. During her career, she haspromotedcultureandheritageinseveralprivateandpublicinstitutionsinEurope,Mexico, and theUnited States; specializing in cultural diplomacy as an efficienttool for international relations. Before her arrival to New York, Caterina wasbasedinBarcelona,wheresheledandproduceddiverseactivitiesandprogramsin the Mexican Consulate. She has also coordinated, produced and curatedexhibitionsforgalleries,foundationsandmuseumsinBarcelona,Madrid,Lisbon,Paris, and Mexico City. Currently, Caterina is the Executive Director of theMexican Cultural Institute of New York. Caterina holds a bachelor’s degree inMedia Studies and Communication as well as amaster’s degree in Philosophy,focusingonContemporaryArt.

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 16

C R E D I T S FEATURINGChavelaVargasPedroAlmodóvarElenaBenarrochMiguelBoséAliciaElenaPérezDuarteyNoroñaLilianaFelipePatriaJiménezFloresLauraGarcía-LorcaMartirioGiraMarianaGyaluiJoséAlfredoJiménezJr.EugeniaLeónTaniaLibertadDianaOrtegaTlanyOrtegaJesusaRodríguezMarcelaRodríguezBetty-CarolSellenCREWProducedandDirectedby CatherineGund

DarshaKyiCinematographers CatherineGund(Mexico)

NataliaCuevas(Mexico)PaulaGutierrez(Spain)

Editor CarlaGutierrezAssistantEditor HajerSalemComposer GilTalmiExecutiveProducers LyndaWeinman

BruceHeavinCo-producers PepitaSerrano

AgnesGundAssociateProducers LauraTatham

LauraPilloni

C H A V E L A | P R E S S N O T E S 17

ConsultingProducers LourdesPortilloJuanMandelbaum

ArchivalProducer AdriánGutiérrezAudioPostFacility SyncSound,Inc.PostProductionServices MotionPicturesEnterprisesInc.ProductionCompany AubinPicturesInpartnershipwith NationalEndowmentfortheArts

CentroCostarricensedeProducciónCinematográficadelMinisteriodeCulturayJuventudMexicanCulturalInstituteNewYorkFramlineIndependentFilmmakerProject:ifpWomeninFilmFilmFinishingFundTheArchandBruceBrownFoundation

U.S.Distributor MusicBoxFilms