Belated Than Never



Howdy gente,




First let me start off by wishing everyone a belated-2 week


in Happy New Gregorian Calendar Year.  According to the


Mayans we're 4 years away from the end of time. Can't wait!


Meanwhile, I'm bringing you a pepelicula update. Here goes:




'07 started with me in L.A. but ended with me in


San Quentin State Carcel




Here's how it happened, over the summer Beni Matias


from NALIP passed my info on to some folks creating an


intensive 6 week film class to a group of nine incarcerated


men.  I gladly accepted the challenge and it was a marvelous


experience.  With help from lots of people but especially


Shane King, Diana Brodie and Anthony Marchitiello, I taught


these 9 first time filmmakers and together we all produced


9 short but powerful films that ranged from an "Iron Chef"


spin off to water conservation rights and the Klamath River


to the Birdman of San Quentin.  Each film has its own


compelling story both in front & behind the camera. The


finished films were shared with San Quentin's general


population and from what I've learned the men are still


applauding these first time filmmakers visions.


More on this later… in the meantime check out


my SQ squatting/squinting soccer pose.
Photobucket
Since the new year, I have been literally


on the road working hard with award


winning documentarian Ilan Ziv and his


timely doc "A Journey Among The Believers".


We are documenting/talking with grass root


activists and ordinary folks from across


the country with views from across the


ideological spectrum about how their faith


in God will or will not influence their


vote in the upcoming presidential


elections. The transition from San Quentin


fog from the bay to Pennsylvania's snow plowing trucks has


been amazing.  We've already passed through Iowa,


Indianapolis, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Connecticut,


Massachusetts and I write you this update from New York.


We are gearing up to pick back up on today and head to:


Ohio, Kentucky, the Carolina's, Alabama, Florida and finish


the road trip in Oklahoma City on Super Tues. Feb. 5th.


Ride with us here or here.
Barackazo
2008 Pepelicula's


"Radio Bandido" my documentary


about the stolen life and


times of Oscar "Bandido" Gomez


continues and I gather more


interviews and details about


his last days in Santa Barbara.


Which includes a return visit


to the shores where he was


ultimately found on the beach,


exactly 13 years later. I plan to have a rough cut of the


film done this year.




This past summer, with the help of my good buddy/creative


collaborating compañero Eric Escobar, I wrote an


undocumented romantic comedy entitled "Casi, Casi". This


spring, our plan is to use all of our resources and help


from our friends (which may be YOU!) and make this feature


film for under $1,000. Wish us luck, it's going to be


fantastic!!Looking forward to staying in contact &


connected with you this year.  And if you have read this


far, we're off to a great start-thanx!




con pasión,


-Urquijo

About this entry

You’re currently reading “Belated Than Never,” an entry on Pepelicula’s Weblog

Published:
January 16, 2008 / 11:45 pm
Category:
2008 Elections, Film School, Oscar Gomez, San Quentin State Prison, documentary, immigrant, independent filmmaker
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