Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona

U.S.-Mexico Border States Conference

U.S.-Mexico Border States Conference:

Filmmaking, Economic Development, and Intellectual Property Rights

1)    Federal and State Audiovisual Legislation, Government and Private-Sector
       Agencies, Film Production Funds, and Fiscal Incentives
2)    Facilities for On-Location Film Production in U.S. and Mexico
3)    Government and Private-Sector Programs to Combat Piracy in Mexico and U.S.
4)    The Role of the Legislature in the Audiovisual Industry
5)    Distribution of Mexican Films North of the Border
6)    Spanish Language Production - A Case Study of Padre Nuestro

Presenters, panelists, and attendees will include: U.S. and Mexican government officials (federal, state, and local) and legislators; representatives from film commissions and film festivals; economic development officers; film producers, directors and screenwriters; and university faculty and students in the fields of film, international business, and law.    

In addition, the conference will include:

-    US-Mexico Border States Location Expo
-    Luncheon with Keynote Speaker, Mexican Director (TBD)
-    Intellectual Property Border Customs Training Workshop (by Invitation) 
-    Location tours for producers and directors offered by the Tucson Film Office


In tandem with the Conference, the Hanson Film Institute has scheduled:

 -    Film Premieres and Q&As with Producers/Directors
 
      For information: Victoria@hansonfilm.org/520-626-9825
    

Sample of Panelists

FRIDA TORRESBLANCO

Producer
Key Note Speaker
 
Frida studied Film and Literature in Madrid.  At Lolafilms for 5 years she was responsible for all international productions, including THE DANCER UPSTAIRS, directed by John Malkovich; she also produced Susan Seidelman's GAUDI AFTERNOON starring Marcia Gay Harden.  In 2001, Frida moved to New York to head filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón's newly established production company. She served as Executive Producer and creative on-set Producer for the films THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON, directed by Niels Mueller and starring Sean Penn and CRONICAS, directed by Sebastián Cordero and starring John Leguizamo.
 
In 2005, as Head of Esperanto, she produced PAN'S LABYRINTH, directed by Guillermo del Toro, which won three Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards.  In December 2006, Frida completed production on a documentary directed by Alfonso Cuarón entitled THE POSSIBILITY OF HOPE which includes interviews with Naomi Klein, James Lovelock, Tzvetan Todorov, and Slavoj Zizek, among others.  She recently completed work on Jonás Cuarón's AÑO UÑA, which is currently making the rounds in the festival circuit. Her latest project, RUDO Y CURSI, directed by Carlos Cuarón and starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, will be released by Focus Features in 2008.
 
In 2007 The Hollywood Reporter named Frida one of the 50 most powerful Latinos in Hollywood, and she was number 13 in the same magazine's Hispanic Women Power 25 list.
 

ENIAC MARTINEZ

Photographer
 
 
Eniac Martinez is a documentary photographer based in Mexico City. He studied at the International Center of Photography in New York and the Cuban Institute of Art. He has had more than 35 solo and 50 collective exhibits around the world. In 1991 he won the Mother Jones magazine documentary photography competition, as well as a Fullbright award in 1989 for his work documenting a group of Mixtecos Indians who migrated to the United States from their home state of Oaxaca in search of work. These images were published in his book Mixtecos, Norte Sur (1994). He has also authored the books: Litorales and Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. Eniac's work has been published in Independent magazine, Daily Telegraph, National Geographic, México Indígena, Luna Córnea and La Jornada. His Web site address is www.eniacmartinez.com.

HUGO VILLA

Assistant Director of Cinematographic Production, IMCINE
 
Hugo Villa began working in the film industry at the age of twelve. From there he moved up the ranks of the camera department working as loader and then as focus puller in several comercials and the television series "Acapulco H.E.A.T." (1993) and "Tarzán" (1991) for Balenciaga productions. Also worked in the IMAX feature Mystery of the Maya (1995), produced by the National Film Board of Canada and the Mexican Film Institute.
 
He took a camera maintenance course in Toronto, Can. at William F. White Ltd. Camera facility and spent six months in camera repair and maintenance working on Arriflex III's and BL-4 and 4s cameras as well as Éclair ACLs and NPRs. Then went back to working as focus puller and gaffer in the crews of Directors of Photography such as Donald M. Morgan A.S.C., Toni Kuhn S.A.O.F., Dean Cudney A.S.C., Ludek Bogner C.S.C., Jorge Z. López S.A.O.F., 'Fortunato V. Procopio', Bob Lechterman, and others.
 
He has been involved behind the camera in several projects that include documentaries, features, and industrial and educational productions for the Educational Television Production Unit of the Mexican government as well as for the Latin American Institute of Educational Comunication. He is a founding member of Hartos Indios ad has spent the last three years working as Unit Production Manager in films such as High Crimes (2002) for 20th Century fox and _In the Time of the Butterflies (2001)_ for Showtime networks.
 
He worked as a freelance Director of photography in film and television as well as being part of Hartos Indios, a production company currently projects for, Mexico City Government and other clients.
Since 2005 he's worked at the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) and is now it's Vice president of Production.

VÍCTOR UGALDE

Technical Secretary, Fidecine Film Fund, IMCINE
 
Screenwriter, director and film studies researcher. He studied at the CUEC (Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematográficos). He has held various positions: chair of the Department of Research and Statistics for the National Chamber of the Cinematographic from 1978 to 1982; Director of Special Projects and Research Statistics of the National Films Company from 1984 to 1990.
 
He debuts with the screenplay "Intriga contra México / ¿Nos traicionará el presidente?" (1987/35 min), which was nominated for an Ariel in the category of screen adaptation. In 1994 he was once nominated for an Ariel for the screenplay and for directing the fictional short "Un día sin auto" (35 min). He is the author of more than 50 short film screenplays for UTE, IPN and TVUNAM, in addition to 20 feature film screenplays, of which 10 have been filmed; some of these include: El extensionista (89/ 35mm), ¿Me permites matarte? (92/35mm). and Hoy no circula (93/35mm).
 
He has also authored a number of essays and has collaborated in the following journals  or periodicals: Cámara de CANACINE, Estudios cinematográficos del CUEC, Dicine, El Universo del Búho, among others. In collaboration with others, he has published the following books: Anuario de la exhibición en México (FILMOTECA UNAM/84), with the essay "La exhibición en México"; Bye, bye, Lumiere (University of Guadalajara/ 94), with the essay "¿Yankees, Welcome?; and his most recent publication is in Industrias Culturales y TLC (RMALC/2000), with the essay "¿El TLC, la otra conquista?" 
 
He has been President of the Federation of Film and Video Co-operatives (1994-1997). He joined the Board of Directors of the SOGEM (Sociedad General de Escritores de México), where he was the Adjunct Director of its film branch from 1992-1998 and Director from 1998-2002. He has also been President of Tax Vigilance for the Directors Section for the STPC from 1998-2002. Most recently he holds the position of Executive Secretary of the fund for the sector of Inversión y Estímulos (or Investments and Stimuli) for film production.

 

CARLOS A. GUTIERREZ

Co-Director and Co-Founder of Cinema Tropical

Carlos A. Gutiérrez is a film/video programmer, cultural promoter and arts consultant based in New York City. As a guest curator, he has presented several film/video series at different cultural institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, BAMcinématek, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco, CA) and Museo Rufino Tamayo (Mexico City). Along with Mahen Bonetti, he curated the 53rd edition of the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar. He is a contributing editor to BOMB magazine and has served as a member of the jury and the selection committees for various film festivals including the Morelia Film Festival, SANFIC - Santiago Film Festival, The Hamptons International Film Festival, The Asian American International Film Festival and New Fest: The New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, among others. He has served as both expert nominator and panelist for the Rockefeller Fellowship Program for Mexican Film & Media Arts and as a screening panelist for the Oscars' Academy Awards for film students. He holds MA in cinema studies from New York University and a BA in communications from Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City).

BENJAMIN ODELL

Panamax Films

Benjamin Odell most recently produced the art house Spanish language thriller PADRE NUESTRO starring Jesus Ochoa and Armando Hernandez which won the grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival this winter (2007) and played at New Directors/New Film at Museum of Modern Art in New York this spring.  It will be released wide in Mexico in November 2007, and by IFC Films in 2008.

Odell is currently Head of Production for the Miami based feature film company, Panamax Films. Panamax Films was founded by James McNamara, former CEO and president of the Spanish language television network, Telemundo Communications.  Panamax Films currently has an output deal with Lionsgate Films to make movies for the US Latino and greater Latin American markets.

Odell produced the action/comedy LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON starring a plethora of Spanish language TV stars and to be released by Lionsgate in August 2007.  It will be the biggest opening release for a Spanish language film in US history.   He is an executive producer of ALL INCLUSIVE, a US/Mexican/Chilean co-production currently in post-production and VIOLINCHELO, a US/Mexican/Spanish co-production starring Barbara Mori.  He was also an executive producer on the action film ROCKAWAY (currently in postproduction), and executive produced the straight-to-DVD holiday comedy title, FELIZ NAVIDAD, to be released on DVD this Christmas by Lionsgate Films.

Odell was an Executive Producer on the film LA MUJER DE MI HERMANO distributed by Lionsgate in April of last year.  LA MUJER had the largest opening weekend box office of any Spanish language film in U.S. cinema history.  Odell also supervised the distribution of EL VACILON, THE MOVIE in New York and Puerto Rico.  EL VACILON was released on DVD by Lionsgate this winter.

Odell holds an MFA in film from Columbia University where he was the recipient of the Carla Kuhn Fellowship, the Producer's Apprentice Fellowship, the Arthur Krim Memorial Award, the Faculty Selects Best Producer Award and The Hallmark Entertainment Producers Development Award.  He has taught screenwriting and production at Columbia University and The New School and has given lectures in filmmaking in Central and South America and Europe.  In the fall of 2006 Odell oversaw a screenwriting laboratory in conjunction with Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, founded by Edward James Olmos.

DENNIS O'CONNOR

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

Dennis O'Connor has over fifteen years experience in the marketing and distribution of specialized films.  In 2007 Dennis O'Connor formed Dennis O'Connor Film Marketing, a film marketing consulting organization whose clients include Roadside Attractions, Universal Music/Vivendi Home Video, Freestyle Releasing and multiple independent producers.  Prior to forming his marketing consulting business, O'Connor was co-head of marketing for Picturehouse, a joint venture between HBO and New Line Cinema. In the last year he has overseen the marketing of two of the most successful independent releases, for Picturehouse he released Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," the highest grossing Spanish language film in history, nominated for six Academy Awards and the winner of three; and for Roadside Attractions he released the Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Winner, "Bella," starring Eduardo Verastegui.

Prior to Picturehouse, O'Connor served as head of theatrical releasing for HBO Films, where he launched HBO Films entry into the theatrical marketplace.  O'Connor was responsible for overseeing the domestic theatrical distribution and marketing of titles released under the HBO Films' theatrical banner, including such Academy Award nominated films "Maria Full of Grace," "Yesterday," and "American Splendor" as well as Gus Van Sant's Cannes Film Festival Palm d'Or winner "Elephant."   He has also held senior marketing positions at United Artists and Universal Focus and has overseen the releases of such acclaimed films as "Bowling for Columbine," "Igby Goes Down," "Eve's Bayou," "Mullholland Drive," and "Billy Elliot."

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS COMPANY PROFILE

Roadside Attractions is an independent film distribution company committed to championing films that entertain, delight, and enlighten audiences of all kinds. The company works with filmmakers to devise innovative marketing strategies that encourage audiences to see films that are not typical studio fare. Previous theatrical releases include the Academy Award nominated SUPER SIZE ME, box office hits such as AMAZING GRACE, LADIES IN LAVENDER and WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW? and more recent releases include the Toronto Film Festival People's Choice winner, BELLA; Andrew Wagner's STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, starring 2007 Tony Award winner Frank Langella which has garnered 2 Independent Spirit Award nominations including Best Actor and Brett Morgen's Chicago 10.  Upcoming releases include, THE FALL, world renowned commercial director Tarsem's (The Cell) latest feature film, which will be presented by David Fincher and Spike Jonze, Starring Lee Pace and introducing Cantica Untaru, the film was shot in over 18 countries and creates a visually sumptuous fantasy world of exotic bandits, evil tyrants, dream-like palaces and breathtaking landscapes.

MICHAEL HARPSTER

CEO - Maya Releasing

Michael Harpster has more than twenty years of experience in marketing management, media planning, defining distribution channels, strategic planning, and directing multi-task teams. As Senior VP for NEW LINE CINEMA, Mr. Harpster played a key senior management role in the company's development from a small distributor of non-theatrical film into the major publicly-held independent entertainment company it became prior to its sale to Turner Broadcasting. Later, Mr. Harpster co-founded Providence Entertainment and developed business plans which attracted over $7 million in commitments. Mr. Harpster's extensive entertainment marketing expertise includes utilizing database and niche marketing, directing media development and placement for print, radio, television, and public relations campaigns. Working with both in-house and outside vendors, Mr. Harpster has designed effective trailers, television spots, "one sheets," newsprint advertisements and various promotion materials for over 100 motion pictures.