News
2023 OSCAR® Nomination for The Martha Mitchell Effect
The Martha Mitchell Effect, a short documentary directed by Anne Alvergue, co-director Debra McClutchy, and producer Beth Levison was Nominated for Best Documentary Short Subject in the 2023 ACADEMY AWARDS®. Ropa Vieja Films’ Francisco Bello served as a consulting editor. Congrats to the team and all the nominees!
2022 Emmy Wins
At New York City’s Palladium Theater Times Square, The First Wave, won 3 Emmys for Best Editing (shared between Francisco Bello, Gabriel Rhodes, David Zieff and director Matthew Heineman), Best Cinematography (Brian Dawson, Ross McDonnell, Alex Pritz, Thorsten Thielow and Heineman) and Best Documentary. For the latter award the full crew and film subjects got to share the stage in a fitting end to a run by a special, historic documentary. Read the run down on of the night in Variety.
2022 Emmy Nominations
It’s a banner year for Francisco Bello at the News and Documentary Emmies, with three very different but excellent projects up for awards.
Barbara Kopple’s Desert One, written and edited by Bello, is nominated for Outstanding Historical Documentary.
Takeover from director Emma Francis Snyder, written and co-edited by Bello, is up for Outstanding Short Documentary.
The First Wave, directed by Matthew Heineman, is up for 7 nominations including Best Documentary and Best Editing, the latter shared between Bello, Gabriel Rhodes and David Zieff.
The full list of nominees can be viewed here. It’s an honor to have these films recognized alongside stellar work from colleagues across genres in this golden era of non-fiction film.
Critics Choice Awards Nominations for The First Wave
The First Wave received nominations for the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in the categories of Best Editing (the nomination shared by Francisco Bello, Matthew Heineman, Gabriel Rhodes, and David Zieff), and Best Science / Nature Documentary.
The full list of nominees is listed at the Critics Choice Association website.
Festival Run, Awards and Theatrical Release for The First Wave
The First Wave, directed by Matthew Heineman, and edited by Francisco Bello, Heineman, Gabriel Rhodes and David Zieff will premiere at the 2021 Hamptons International Film Festival and include showings (among others) at the BFI London Film Festival, and the closing night of DocNYC immediately followed by a theatrical release from Neon and NatGeo.
Deploying a deeply intimate cinema verité style, the film follows the first four months of NYC’s Covid-19 pandemic in one local hospital, through the perspective of health workers, patients and their families.
Among other positive reviews, The Hollywood Reporter highlighted the “assured momentum” which Bello and his editorial cohorts brought to the pace and shape of the story.
The film has been recognized with the IDA Pare Larentz Award, and the David Carr Award for Truth In Non-Fiction Filmmaking.
Tribeca Film Festival Premiere and NYT Op-Docs Acquisition of Takeover
Takeover, directed by Emma Francis Snyder, produced by Tony Gerber, written by Snyder and Francisco Bello, and co-edited by Bello and Sebastián Diaz premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and was acquired by NY TImes Op-Docs, where it can be seen here.
Takeover explores the twelve historic hours on July 14, 1970, in which fifty members of the Young Lords Party stormed the dilapidated Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx, drove out their administrative staff, barricaded entrances and windows, and made their cries for decent healthcare known to the world.
As reported in Variety, Takeover was optioned for a feature-film adaptation.
For more about the film, please visit the Market Road Films website.
16 Shots Wins an Emmy
16 Shots, by Richard Rowley and edited by Jacqueline Soohen and Francisco Bello won the 2020 News and Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary!
Congrats to the talented and passionate folks who helped bring this important story the spotlight that it deserves, and most importantly, to the investigative journalists and activists who worked tirelessly to ensure justice for Laquan MacDonald, well before the film was released.
Emmy Nominations for The Interpreters and 16 Shots
Ropa Vieja Films is thrilled to share that two films edited by Francisco Bello have received a total of four 2020 News and Documentary Emmy Nominations.
The Interpreters, directed by Sophian Khan and Andres Caballero, and edited by Fabián Caballero and Francisco Bello, received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary.
16 Shots, directed by Richard Rowley and edited by Jacqueline Soohen and Francisco Bello received Nominations for Outstanding Research, Outstanding Investigative Documentary and Best Documentary.
These films are in great company with all the nominees and RVF wishes all the teams the best of luck!
Theatrical and VOD Release for Desert one
Desert One, written and edited by Francisco Bello for Oscar winner Barbara Kopple, Cabin Creek Films and History Films is in nationwide theatrical and VOD release as of August 2020! See the web link above for showtimes and reviews. Godfrey Cheshire’s writeup at RogerEbert.com is especially worth a read due to his knowledge of Iran, and his kind highlighting of the work by Bello, co-editor Fabián Caballero, and composer Wendy Blackstone.
16 Shots Receives Television Academy Honors
16 Shots, directed by Oscar Nominee Richard Rowley, and co-edited by Francisco Bello and Jacquie Soohen received a prestigious Television Academy Honor for bringing awareness to social issues. Read the article on Realscreen for more info.
Desert One launches festival run with World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
Desert One, directed by Oscar winner Barbara Kopple, written and edited by Francisco Bello alongside editor Fabian Caballero, premiered at TIFF, launching a strong festival run that closed 2019 with screenings at DocNYC, IDFA, AFI Fest and Double Exposure. Owen Gleiberman at Variety calls Desert One, “absorbing” and “engrossing,” Jordan Miller at the Hollywood Reporter calls out Bello and Caballero’s editing that “keeps the pace tense,” but especially worth a read is the nuanced review in the Washington Post by Arash Azizi.
Out of My Head premieres at MoMA
Out of My Head, directed by Susanna Styron, produced by Jacki Ochs and edited by Francisco Bello premiered at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art, selected to screen for a week as part of Documentary Fortnight. Check out what the Hollywood Reporter had to say about this important new film.
Most Beautiful Island wins SXSW Narrative Grand Jury Prize and Independent Spirit Awards nomination
Most Beautiful Island, the directorial debut by Ana Asencio edited by Francisco Bello, has had a terrific run in the lead up to it’s 2018 international theatrical release. After winning the 2017 Narrative Grand Jury Prize at its SXSW Premiere, it won Best Editing at DTLA, and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2017 Independent Spirt Awards. Congrats to Ana Asencio and the MBI team!
David Carr Award and Cinema Eye Honors Nominations for The Reagan Show
The all-archival documentary feature directed by Pacho Velez and Sierra Pettengil for CNN Films, The Reagan Show, won the 2017 David Carr Award for Truth in Nonfiction Filmmaking at the Montclair Film Festival, and received Best Editing nominations for Francisco Bello, Daniel Garber and David Barker at the 2018 Cinema Eye Honors! The Reagan Show premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and aired nationally on CNN.
Announcing the 2015 Telluride Film Festival Premiere of DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD!
For more information visit our website, download our press release and visit the Telluride Film Festival website.
DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD has it’s World Premiere at Asia Society in New York City
Ropa Vieja Films and Half Mile Hill Productions are proud to announce that DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD will be having it’s World Premiere at Asia Society in New York on April 23rd, 6:30pm.
Directed by OSCAR® Nominees Francisco Bello and Tim Sternnerg, this FREEevent will feature a showing of DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers alongside renowned Chinese artist and writer Chen Danqing and moderated by Michelle Yun.
RSVP for up to two free tickets HERE.
Watch the TRAILER.
Visit the film’s FACEBOOK page! Please like and share with your friends!
BEST KEPT SECRET and OUR NIXON start strong in the Awards Season
Ropa Vieja Films is thrilled to announce that two films edited by Francisco Bello are having a strong start to awards season this year.
OUR NIXON has been nominated for a 2013 Gotham Award for Best Documentary, as well as an Outstanding Achievement in Editing nomination at the 2013 Cinema Eye Honors.
Meanwhile, BEST KEPT SECRET also has earned a 2013 Gotham Award nomination in the Audience Award category. Unlike the other juried categories at the Gothams, the Audience Award is driven by audience voting. You can vote for Best Kept Secret here!
Fingers crossed to the stellar teams behind these two wonderful films!
OUR NIXON Trailers and Promos for Theatrical Release and CNN Broadcast Premiere
Cinedigm has released this killer trailer for the theatrical release of OURNIXON. The film will have a limited theatrical release on August 30.
Watch the theatrical trailer here.
CNN Films will be presenting the broadcast premiere of “Our Nixon” on August 1.
See the broadcast promo here.
Congrats to Penny Lane, Brian Frye, and everyone that worked on this special film.
BEST KEPT SECRET wins IFFB Audience Award + Francisco Bello wins his second IFFB Karen Schmeer Award for Documentary Editing in OUR NIXON
IFF Boston proved to be an incredible festival experience for two films edited by Ropa Vieja’s Francisco Bello.
First and foremost, “BEST KEPT SECRET,” which had its world premiere at IFFBoston and received a standing ovation for the film’s main character Janet Mino, was awarded the festival’s Audience Award. It’s an incredible honor for an inspiring story and a gifted, passionate teacher in Janet Mino.
And to top that off Francisco won the 2013 IFFB Karen Schmeer Award for Documentary Editing for his work on the film “OUR NIXON.”
This is the second time Francisco has won this award, the first being in 2010 when he received it for his work on the film “War Don Don.”
Thanks to the jury and staff at IFF Boston, ACE, the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship, filmmakers Penny Lane and Brian Frye for including Francisco in the making of “OUR NIXON,” and of course the team behind “BEST KEPT SECRET.”
“BEST KEPT SECRET” Festival and Broadcast Premiere, “CODE OF THE WEST” at ReRun Theater, and Francisco Bello is a busy bee…
Ropa Vieja Film’s Francisco Bello had a busy 2012, and now the fruits of these labors are out in the world for an already jam packed 2013.
There’s been plenty of news on this page about the success thus far on Penny Lane’s OUR NIXON
CODE OF THE WEST, for which Francisco is credited as a writer, producer, and editor premiered at SXSW in 2011, and now has a theatrical run at the ReRun Theater in Brooklyn from March 29 through April 4th. Every night has special guests and q&a’s with filmmakers and experts on medical marijuana policy. Tickets here.
But the latest and greatest is the release of Samantha Buck’s BEST KEPTSECRET which also has Francisco as a co-writer, and editor.
BEST KEPT SECRET will be premiering at the Independent Film Festival of Boston which will also be screening “OUR NIXON” and hosting a panel on documentary editing featuring Francisco’s work on both films, moderated by Garret Scott.
If that’s not enough, POV one of the greatest independent documentary showcases on television will be presenting Best Kept Secret as its 2013 series finale on September 23rd. Check your local listings for time and PBS channel.
“OUR NIXON” is the closing night film at New Directors New Films in NYC
OUR NIXON will be the closing night film at the prestigious New Directors New Films program jointly produced by the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The 7:00 screening sold out before it went on sale to the public, so the NDNF team added an encore screening right after! Tickets on sale here.
Following the New Directors New Films screening, “Our Nixon” is also showing at the following festivals:
Hot Docs, Toronto Canada (April 2013)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Durham NC (April 2013)
Independent Film Festival Boston, Boston MA (April 2013)
“OUR NIXON” North American Premiere at 2013 SXSW, VARIETY REVIEW, and Kickstarter Campaign
Pleased to announce that OUR NIXON will be having its North American Premiere at the 2013 SXSW Film Fest.
This is great news for any film, but for Ropa Vieja it’s especially sweet because this is Francisco Bello’s third consecutive film he’s edited bowing at SXSW.
OUR NIXON also got a great review in VARIETY today.
Check out the OUR NIXON Kickstarter Campaign to help make sure this once in a lifetime film maximizes its festival run and makes it to a screen near you!
There’s more news coming from “Our Nixon” and other forthcoming Ropa Vieja Films projects coming soon so stay tuned!
ROPA VIEJA FILMS and CHEN DANQING present panel on the life and work of MU XIN at the Queens Museum of Art
Ropa Vieja Films’ Francisco Bello and Tim Sternberg will be on a panel with Chinese artist, writer, and cultural critic Chen Danqing and literary agent Joanne Wang discussing the life and work of Chinese artist and writer Mu Xinat the Queens Museum of Art on Saturday February 18, 3-5pm.
Excerpts from Ropa Vieja Films’ latest work in progress MU XIN: NOTESFROM THE UNDERGROUND will be presented, in addition to Mu Xin’s paintings and literary works read by the man himself.
For more information, please visit the event page at the Queens Museum of Art.
MU XIN: NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND is made possible by the generous support of the Tribeca Film Institute, the Vital Projects Fund, the Rosenkrantz Foundation, and the Queens Council on the Arts.
Donations:
“Mu Xin: Notes from the Underground” needs your support! The producers are actively engaged in a fundraising campaign to meet a 2012 release date.
Please contact us for a link to a short fundraising trailer and information on how to make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation to our film.
“OUR NIXON” to Premiere at the 2013 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM
OUR NIXON, an amazing film edited by Ropa Vieja Films’ own Francisco Bello, and directed by Penny Lane will have its World Premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam (The Netherlands) on January 27th!
OUR NIXON has been included in the BRIGHT FUTURE section, which presents “first or second feature films by idiosyncratic, strong-willed filmmakers.”
This is a unique film that tells the story of the Nixon administration from the perspective of three close aides (all of whom went down for Watergate) using their never before seen Super 8 home movie footage! Yes, that’s right, it’s a found footage film – no production material was filmed to craft this story. Stay tuned for more, this is a fascinating, quirky (yes, there’s even humor), once in a lifetime alternate look at American history.
“OUR NIXON” in MoMA’s TO SAVE & PROTECT Festival of Film Preservation
OUR NIXON an astonishing film by Penny Lane & Brian Frye, and edited by Francisco Bello will be a part of To Save and Protect: MoMAs Festival of Film Preservation on Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
Lane & Frye will present a program of the Nixon Super 8 home movies and discuss OUR NIXON with Dwight Chapin (one of the Super 8 filmmakers and characters in the film!) and legendary film critic Jim Hoberman .
ROPA VIEJA FILMS and CHEN DANQING present panel on the life and work of MU XIN at the Queens Museum of Art
Ropa Vieja Films’ Francisco Bello and Tim Sternberg will be on a panel with Chinese artist, writer, and cultural critic Chen Danqing and literary agent Joanne Wang discussing the life and work of Chinese artist and writer Mu Xinat the Queens Museum of Art on Saturday February 18, 3-5pm.
Excerpts from Ropa Vieja Films’ latest work in progress MU XIN: NOTESFROM THE UNDERGROUND will be presented, in addition to Mu Xin’s paintings and literary works read by the man himself.
For more information, please visit the event page at the Queens Museum of Art.
MU XIN: NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND is made possible by the generous support of the Tribeca Film Institute, the Vital Projects Fund, the Rosenkrantz Foundation, and the Queens Council on the Arts.
Donations:
“Mu Xin: Notes from the Underground” needs your support! The producers are actively engaged in a fundraising campaign to meet a 2012 release date.
Please contact us for a link to a short fundraising trailer and information on how to make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation to our film.
“CODE OF THE WEST” WORLD PREMIERE at the 2012 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW) FILM FESTIVAL
Dear friends, film fans and colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that CODE OF THE WEST, a feature length documentary directed by frequent collaborator Rebecca Richman Cohen, is making its World Premiere at the 2012 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW) FILMFESTIVAL.
Synopsis:
At a time when the country is rethinking its drug policies large and small, one state raises to the forefront of national attention. Once a pioneer in legalizing medical marijuana, the state of Montana is poised to become the first in the nation to repeal its medical marijuana law. Set against the sweeping vistas of the Rockies, the steamy lamplight of marijuana grow houses, and the bustling halls of the State Capitol, CODE OF THE WEST follows the 2011 Montana State Legislature as it debates the fate of medical marijuana. This is the story of the many lives and fraught emotions tied to one of the most heated policy questions facing the country today.
If you want to learn more about the film and stay posted on upcoming screenings:
Check out our website:
www.codeofthewestfilm.com
I hope you have a chance to see this compelling film in a city near you! Please stay posted for further announcements and spread the news.
Sincerely,
Francisco Bello
Producer, Editor, Co-Writer – “Code of the West”
Racing Horse Productions
“WAR DON DON” receives 2 News and Doc EMMY NOMINATIONS!
WAR DON DON has received 2 NEWS AND DOCUMENTARY EMMYNOMINATIONS!
OUTSTANDING CONTINUING COVERAGE OF A NEWS STORY – LONG FORM
Director/Producer: Rebecca Richman Cohen
Producer: Francisco Bello
Executive Producers: David Menschel, Jim Butterworth
Co-Producer: Daniel Chalfen
OUTSTANDING EDITING
Editor: Francisco Bello
Congrats to team WAR DON DON and HBO Documentary Films for this great honor!
For more info please visit the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences webpage.
“Salim Baba” Filmmakers TIM STERNBERG and FRANCISCO BELLO Featured in Book on Short Film Distribution
SALIM BABA Filmmakers TIM STERNBERG and FRANCISCO BELLO are featured in the book Short Film Distribution: Film Festivals, the Internet, and Self-Promotion by filmmaker and writer JASON MOORE.
Designed for aspiring filmmakers or for a course in short film distribution, this book teaches the fundamentals of promoting and distributing short films and videos.
Check out the book and buy it here.
Francisco Bello Interviewed on “Nueva York”
If you’re in New York City, check out an interview on Francisco Bello’s recent work on the Emmy winning show NUEVA YORK on CUNY TV.
The episode also features interviews with acclaimed Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, and Evo Morales biographer Martin Sivak.
2011 Air-dates for “Nueva York” in NYC are:
CUNY TV, Channel 75 (on cable)
Thursday, April 21 at 10 AM, 4 PM, and 10 PM
Saturday, April 23 at 2:30 PM
Thursday, April 28 at 10 AM, 4 PM, and 10 PM
Saturday, April 30 at 2:30 PM
Click here for the NUEVA YORK show website, where you can see episodes online, including this one.
Francisco Bello honored with 2011 Estela Award from NALIP
During its 2011 national conference, dubbed “The New Now,” the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) two annual Estela Awards honored talented Latino filmmakers who, either through a stunning debut or a steady rise in a relatively short period of time, have distinguished themselves through their work to date. This award is for filmmakers whose achievements reveal leadership, creativity, and tenacity, as well as vision and passion for their craft.
The 2011 Estela Awards were selected by a Blue Ribbon panel of professionals, and endowed through a generous gift by the McDonald’s Corporation. Through their commitment to excellence and Latino media, McDonald’s provided a $7,500 Filmmaker Grant to each of two Estela Award winners, one narrative and one documentary maker. The McDonald’s financial contribution, together with NALIP’s recognition, supports each artist’s next project, and their progress towards being a star.
In the documentary category, the 2011 Estela Award honored Francisco Bello of Ropa Vieja Films for his body of work including the Oscar® Nomainated “Salim Baba,” “El Espíritu de la Salsa,” and “War Don Don.”
In the narrative category, the 2011 Estela Award honored Javier Fuentes Leon, the director of “Contracorriente,” Peru’s official submission for the 2011 Academy Awards® and nominee for Best Latin American Film at the 2011 Goya Awards in Spain.
Francisco Bello mentors short filmmaker Nancy Scwartzman for the 2011 Cinereach REACH FILM FELLOWSHIP
Through late 2010 and early 2011, Francisco Bello mentored filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman, a fellow for the Reach Film Fellowship presented by Cinereachfor her short film xoxosms.
On April 13, 2011 Cinereach celebrated its four Reach Film Fellowship films for cast, crew, family and some friends. Cinereach surprised the fellows with bonus grants of $1,000 to put towards festival campaigns.
Cinereach is proud of the stunning finished films, and of how the fellows navigated the intense seven-month program, taking their films from concept to completion. Click on these highlighted links for an overview of the 2011 Reach Film Fellowship, grantees, films and mentors.
Francisco Bello featured panelist at 2 NALIP sponsored events
New York, NY
Tuesday, March 22 · 7:30pm – 9:30pm
CultureFix • 9 Clinton Street (between Stanton and East Houston • Lower East Side)
This is the first of a series of bi-monthly events organized by NALIP-NY. Each event will feature a discussion with industry insiders, showcase New York-based filmmakers’ work, and will of course provide an opportunity for NALIP-NY members to connect with seasoned industry professionals. Speakers include:
• Greg Rhem (Manager of Documentary Acquisitions, Original Programming for HBO)
• Francisco Bello & Tim Sternberg (Co-Directors of ‘El Espíritu de la Salsa’ and Academy Award nominees)
• Nicolas Entel (Director of ‘Sins of My Father’ and NALIP 2010 Estela Award for Documentary Film)
AND…
Newport Beach, CA
Saturday, April 16 · 4:15pm – 5:45pm
Interactive Dialogue on “Making Your Music Happen” at the NALIP: THENEW NOW, National Conference in Newport Beach,” CA.
Moderated by Lisa Feldman, Senior director of film/television relations for BMI, this entertaining and practical workshop will bring you a director brainstorming with his composer. Then the role of their music supervisor to clear songs, based on a budget from their producer. All will make beautiful music together – at the end of the day. This panel bring you 2011 Estela Award winner Francisco Bello, Telemundo’s Margaret Guerra Rogers, who has worked on Heathers and Real Women Have Curves, composer Richard Martinez, whose music includes The Tempest, Across the Universe, and Frida, (Best score Oscar 2003 and Golden Globe 2003) and ‘El Cantante’ producer Julio Caro.
“War Don Don” US Broadcast Premiere on Sept 29 8:00-9:30pm ET/PT, exclusively on HBO2®
We are proud to announce that the feature documentary debut by Rebecca Richman Cohen, War Don Don, produced and edited by Francisco Bello, will be broadcast in US on Sept 29 8:00-9:30pm ET/PT exclusively on HBO2®.
Check out the War Don Don trailer online at HBO.com!=
Spread the word!
“Salim Baba” Available on Amazon Video on Demand!
The wait is finally over!
Now you can rent or own a copy of the OSCAR® and EMMY Nominated short film,
SALIM BABA courtesy of Amazon Video on Demand.
For @2.99 you can rent, or for $9.99 own Ropa Vieja Films’ award winning debut short by visiting the following LINK.
We hope you enjoy and ask that you please spread the word.
“Salim Baba” will be available for a limited time!
HBO presents Summer Series director’s interviews featuring the creative team behind “El Espíritu de la Salsa”
WATCH THE DIRECTOR’s INTERVIEWS HERE ON HBO.com.=
“El Espíritu de la Salsa” premieres on Monday, August 9 at 9PM/8C on HBO®!
Fantastic Turnout for the WORLD PREMIERE of “EL ESPÍRITU DE LA SALSA” at Tribeca
Check out the press coverage of our World Premiere featuring interviews with our cast and crew on NY1, ABC News, and The Tribeca Film Festival.
Even Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal told George Whipple in an interview with Robert DeNiro that she was looking forward to The Spirit of Salsa.
The Broadcast Premiere: of EL ESPÍRITU DE LA SALSA will be Monday, August 9 at 9PM/8C on HBO®
Francisco Bello wins Karen Schmeer Award for Excellence in Documentary Editing
Francisco Bello won the 2010 Independent Film Festival of Boston’s (IFFB) first annual Karen Schmeer Award for Excellence in Documentary Editing for his work on the film, “War Don Don.”
The award was established by the IFFBoston in honor of the life and work of the great film editor Karen Schmeer, who died in a tragic accident earlier this year. Schmeer was known for her ongoing collaboration with Errol Morris (FAST, CHEAP & OUT OF CONTROL and the Oscar-winning THE FOG OF WAR), her work on other films like MY FATHER, THE GENIUS, THE SAME RIVERTWICE, Sydney Pollack’s SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY, and Greg Barker’s SERGIO, for which she won the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Best Editing Award.
More info on Karen Schmeer and the annual IFFBoston award established in her memory can be found here:
Remembering Karen Schmeer
In addition to IFFBoston’s award, the Karen Schmeer Editing Fellowship has been established by friends and colleagues of Karen’s to honor her memory and spirit. The fellowship is a year-long experience that provides opportunities to help cultivate an editor’s artistry and craft and to expand his or her professional and creative community. To find out more about the fellowship and to make a tax-deductible contribution, please go to www.karenschmeer.com.
More info on “War Don Don” can be found here.
WORLD PREMIERE of “EL ESPÍRITU DE LA SALSA” at the 2010 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL!
El Espíritu de la Salsa will be having it’s World Premiere as part of the free Drive In series at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday, April 22 at the World Financial Center Plaza in New York City!
Please come to this open air screening and celebrate the spirit of Salsa with the film’s cast and crew!
Doors for this FREE SCREENING open at 6pm with seating on a first come first served basis.
The film starts at 8pm and will be preceded by LIVE SALSA MUSIC, DANCEPERFORMANCES and other surprises.
Please click here for more info on the screening.
El Espíritu de la Salsa is a presentation of HBO Documentary Films.
WATCH “Salim Baba” ONLINE!
“Salim Baba” is finally available to watch in full online at the Youtube Screeningroom.
On the home page look for a link to play the full film.
It’s only up for a limited time so please check it out while you can here.
“War Don Don” Wins Special Jury Prize at SXSW 2010!
“War Don Don” has won the Special Jury Prize at SXSW. Directed by Rebecca Richman Cohen and Produced/Edited by RV-Films’ Francisco Bello, the film now marches on with its international festival run.
Congrats to Rebecca and team WDD!
“War Don Don” WORLD PREMIERE in Competition at the 2010 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW) FILM FESTIVAL
Dear friends, film fans and colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that “WAR DON DON,” a feature length documentary I have been working on for three years with the amazingly talented director Rebecca Richman Cohen, is making its World Premiere in competition at the 2010 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW) FILM FESTIVAL this March in Austin, Texas.
With unprecedented access behind the lines at an international war crimes tribunal, “WAR DON DON” is a fascinating courtroom drama beautifully crafted by a team of OSCAR® and Emmy Nominated filmmakers.
Synopsis:
“Prosecutors say Issa Sesay is a war criminal, guilty of crimes against humanity. His defenders say he is a reluctant fighter who protected civilians and played a crucial role in bringing peace. In Sierra Leone, the war is over, but a sensational trial begins.”
If you want to learn more about the film and stay posted on upcoming screenings:
Check out our website:
http://wardondonfilm.com
Sign up for our newsletter:
http://eepurl.com/hcGF
Become a fan on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/War-Don-Don/185887389998?ref=ts
I hope you have a chance to see this compelling film in a city near you! Please stay posted for further announcements and spread the news.
Sincerely,
Francisco Bello
Producer, Editor – “War Don Don”
Racing Horse Productions in association with Naked Edge Films
2010 GRAMMY AWARD WIN FOR “SALIM BABA” COMPOSER DAVID DARLING
Ropa Vieja Films is pleased to announce that the album “Prayer for Compassion,” by composer David Darling, has won a 2010 GRAMMY AWARDfor Best New Age Album.
David’s wonderful work on the OSCAR® Nominated “Salim Baba” in collaboration with the film’s director Tim Sternberg elevated the film with a gentle musical touch that has moved audiences worldwide.
David Darling’s scores have graced the films of Jean Luc-Godard, Wim Wenders, Michael Mann, installation artist Gregory Colbert, among others.
2009 EMMY AWARD® NOMINATION FOR “SALIM BABA”
Ropa Vieja Films proudly announces that “Salim Baba” has received a Nomination from the 30th Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards in the category of Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming!
From the NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCESHomepage:
The News & Documentary Emmy® Awards is a major national broadcast journalism competition. It promotes journalistic excellence by awarding the coveted Emmy® to the very best news reports and documentary films aired on national television each year.
Many thanks to HBO Documentary Films and all those who have supported “Salim Baba” over the past three years!
“Salim Baba” in Academy’s Contemporary Documentaries Series
“Salim Baba,” had a screening on June 3 as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science’s Contemporary Documentaries series at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood.
The 27th annual Contemporary Documentaries series was a showcase for feature-length and short documentaries drawn from the 2007 Academy Award® nominations, including the winners, as well as other important and innovative films considered by the Academy that year.
The films included in the series were “Sari’s Mother,” “Sicko,” “Ochberg’s Orphans,” “The Rape of Europa,” “Darfur Now,” “The Devil Came on Horseback,” “Portraits of a Lady,” “A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman,” “Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience,” “Body of War,” “Lake of Fire,” “Salim Baba,” “Please Vote for Me” and “My Kid Could Paint That.”
“Salim Baba” has played in over 60 film festivals worldwide and has been shown on Cinemax, Canal Plus (France), and EBS (Korea). Upcoming later this summer we will be announcing the launch of the non-broadcast release for “Salim Baba,” so please stay tuned for more updates.
Beyond “Salim Baba” there’s interesting things in the works forthcoming from Ropa Vieja Films which will be announced in the coming months!
SALIM BABA Awarded at 2008 UNAFF
Salim Baba has been awarded the Grand Jury Award for the Best Short Documentary Film at the 2008 United Nations Association Film Festival!
For more info on UNAFF please visit:
http://www.unaff.org/
Salim Baba has had a fantastic festival run so far in 2008! Here are some updates:
Awards
2008 Honorable Mention, Short Film, River Run International Film Festival
Festivals
2008 Sundance Film Festival
2008 Los Angeles Film Festival
2008 Full Frame Film Festival
2008 True False Film Festival
2008 San Francisco Asian American Film Festival
2008 EBS International Documentary Festival, Korea
2008 MiradasDoc, Spain
2008 DocLisboa, Portugal
2008 Zagreb Film Festival, Croatia
2008 Cinema Verite Socially Conscious Cinema Film Festival
2008 Cleveland Film Festival
2008 Tiburon Film Festival
2008 Boulder Film Festival
2008 Durango Film Festival
2008 Ashland Film Festival
2008 It’s All True Film Festival, Brazil
2008 Florida Film Festival
2008 Sarasota Film Festival
2008 Maryland Film Festival
2008 Durga Film Festival, Belgium
2008 Bunker Film Festival, Italy
2008 Fflimic Film Festival, Wales
2008 Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival
2008, The Hunker Down To Rise Above Cinema Show, Oregon
SALIM BABA to PREMIERE on CINEMAX REEL LIFE
“Salim Baba” will have its U.S. broadcast premiere on the Cinemax Reel Life series on August 20 at 8pm!
For more info please visit the HBO Documentary Films webpage for “Salim Baba”:
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/salimbaba/index.html
Catch “Salim Baba” along with our fellow 2008 OSCAR® Nominated Documentary Shorts on Cinemax Reel Life through 2008-2009!
Check your local listings for additional show times.
“Salim Baba” Korean Broadcast Premiere and 2008 EIDF Competition
“Salim Baba” will be playing as part of the EIDF television documentary film festival competition presented by EBS, Korea’s public television broadcaster.
“Salim Baba” will have it’s Korean broadcast premiere on September 27, 2008 on EBS.
Salim Baba has had a fantastic festival run so far in 2008! Here are some updates:
Awards
2008 Honorable Mention, Short Film, River Run International Film Festival
Festivals
2008 Sundance Film Festival
2008 Los Angeles Film Festival
2008 Full Frame Film Festival
2008 True False Film Festival
2008 San Francisco Asian American Film Festival
2008 EBS International Documentary Festival, Korea
2008 MiradasDoc, Spain
2008 DocLisboa, Portugal
2008 Zagreb Film Festival, Croatia
2008 Cinema Verite Socially Conscious Cinema Film Festival
2008 Cleveland Film Festival
2008 Tiburon Film Festival
2008 Boulder Film Festival
2008 Durango Film Festival
2008 Ashland Film Festival
2008 It’s All True Film Festival, Brazil
2008 Florida Film Festival
2008 Sarasota Film Festival
2008 Maryland Film Festival
2008 Durga Film Festival, Belgium
2008 Bunker Film Festival, Italy
2008 Fflimic Film Festival, Wales
2008 Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival
2008, The Hunker Down To Rise Above Cinema Show, Oregon
Ropa Vieja Films at 2008 Tribeca All Access with CHINESE MONA LISA
Ropa Vieja Films is proud to announce that the OSCAR® Nominated team (for “Salim Baba,” 2008 Best Documentary Short Subject) of Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello have been chosen to workshop their latest feature documentary project in development, the CHINESE MONA LISA (formerly, Untitled Dafen Project), at this year’s Tribeca All Access.
Synopsis:
Decades after the Cultural Revolution led to the arrests and shattered careers of many Western-Style artists in China, in the suburb of Dafen 60% of the world’s reproductions of paintings from the Renaissance to Modernism are made by hand for individual and corporate commissions. CHINESE MONALISA will be a feature length documentary investigating the role of art, authenticity and its human cost in today’s globalized world.
CHINESE MONA LISA is being jointly co-produced and co-directed by Francisco Bello and Tim Sternberg through Ropa Vieja Films. Presently Bello and Sternberg are seeking funding to begin principal photography on location in China.
According to the Tribeca Film Institute, “The 37 narrative and documentary directors and screenwriters were selected to participate from an open call for submissions, which garnered over 550 entries from across the country.”
For more info on Triebca All Access please visit: http://www.tribecafilminstitute.org/taa/
If you are interested in getting involved in our fundraising efforts, please write to: mailto:info@rv-films.com
We will be posting more info on the CHINESE MONA LISA onto the Ropa Vieja Films website soon. Stay tuned…
“Salim Baba” Korean Broadcast Premiere and 2008 EIDF Competition
“Salim Baba” will be playing as part of the EIDF television documentary film festival competition presented by EBS, Korea’s public television broadcaster.
“Salim Baba” will have it’s Korean broadcast premiere on September 27, 2008 on EBS.
2008 ACADEMY AWARDS®
“Salim Baba” has been Nominated for an ACADEMY AWARD® for Best Documentary Short. Please visit www.oscar.com for more information.
“Salim Baba” – Director’s Statement
Read the Director’s statement regarding misinformation in the press for “Salim Baba.”
ROPA VIEJA FILMS and PARADOX SMOKE PRODUCTIONS proudly announce the screening of our film, “SALIM BABA,” in competition at the 2008 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL!
According to the Sundance Institute, “This year the Festival Short Film Program comprises 83 short films representing 17 countries from 5,107 submissions, from U.S. and international filmmakers. Submissions grew by more than 15% over last year.”
For more information on the festival, please visit: www.sundance.org/festival
Salim Baba has had a fantastic festival run in 2007! Here are some updates:
Awards:
2007 Woodstock Film Festival, Best Short Documentary
2007 Palm Springs International Festival Of Short Films, Second Prize: Best Documentary
2007 Sidewalk Film Festival, Best Short Documentary
Festival Screenings:
2007 Telluride Film Festival
2007 International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam (IDFA)
2007 Tribeca Film Festival
2007 IDA DocuWeek
2007 Margaret Mead Film Festival
2007 IFP Market
2007 Rhode Island Film Festival
2007 Festival Nouveau Cinema, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2007 Atlantic Film Festival, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
2007 Bend Film Festival
2007 Mill Valley Film Festival
2007 Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival
2007 NALIP Latino Producer’s Academy
Francisco Bello was selected as a fellow for the 2007 NALIP Latino Producer’s Academy in Tuscon, Arizona to develop his film, “My Favorite Actor.” Francisco was chosen from a national pool of submissions, and along with fourteen other participants, he workshopped his film which is currently seeking production funding. To learn more about “My Favorite Actor” click on the Projects page within the Ropa Vieja Films website.
Salim Baba Screenings
Salim Baba will screen at IFC’s Rooftop Films series on Thursday, July 26th as part of the shorts program: “The Show Must Go On.”
The screening will be held at The Westbeth Artist’s Community, 55 Bethune Street in New York’s West Village at 8:30pm. Please visit www.rooftopfilms.com for more info.
Salim Baba will screen at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Please visit www.psfilmfest.org for screening dates and info.
Salim Baba will be screening as part of the International Documentary Association’s Docuweek festival in Los Angeles. Please visit www.rooftopfilms.com for more info.
Francisco Bello has been awarded a fellowship to the 2007 NALIP Producer’s Academy. Francisco will be taking this oportunity to workshop his work-in-progress experimental documentary, “My Favorite Actor.” Please visit www.nalip.org for more information about the program.
Salim Baba Screenings
Salim Baba will screen at IFC’s Rooftop Films series on Thursday, July 26th as part of the shorts program: “The Show Must Go On.”
The screening will be held at The Westbeth Artist’s Community, 55 Bethune Street in New York’s West Village at 8:30pm. Please visit www.rooftopfilms.com for more info.
Salim Baba will screen at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Please visit www.psfilmfest.org for screening dates and info.
Salim Baba will be screening as part of the International Documentary Association’s Docuweek festival in Los Angeles. Please visit www.rooftopfilms.com for more info.
Francisco Bello has been awarded a fellowship to the 2007 NALIP Producer’s Academy. Francisco will be taking this oportunity to workshop his work-in-progress experimental documentary, “My Favorite Actor.” Please visit www.nalip.org for more information about the program.
Salim Baba in 2007 Tribeca Film Festival
Salim Baba will have it’s world premiere in competition at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival as part of the “Family Legacy” program of short films!
Screenings are scheduled for April 26 & 28, May 1, 4, & 6. Director Tim Sternberg will be present for the screenings.
To ensure yourself a seat, purchase your tickets online at the Tribeca FIlm Festival website, www.tribecafilmfestival.org.
Go to the Film Guide and search for Salim Baba alphabetically among the other films at the festival. Would love to see you there!
Check out the interview with filmmakers Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello on the production of Salim Baba in ImaginAsian Entertainment’s iaLink magazine.
Salim Baba is featured in indieWire’s, Production Report by Jason Guerrasio.
Salim Baba Fundraiser
Salim Baba is having a fundraiser at the Bowery Poetry Club (www.bowerypoetry.com) on Saturday February 3 from 8pm-12am. Come join us and support our film! More updates to follow…
Urban Arts Initiative / New York City
Francisco Bello is awarded a production grant for “Salim Baba” from the 2006 Urban Arts Initiative / New York City. The Urban Artist Initiative is the result of the collective efforts of the Harlem Arts Alliance, Association of Hispanic Arts, Queens Council on the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Bronx Council on the Arts, and the Asian American Arts Alliance for the development of works by individual artists of African, Asian, and Latino descent residing in New York City.
In the Footsteps of Orpheus
“Betty la Flaca” has been acquired by HBO! Air dates start on the HBOnetworks through October 2006. More Information
Betty la Flaca Wins HBO Award
“Betty la Flaca” edited by Francisco Bello and directed by Hugo Perez is the winner of the 2006 HBO / NYILFF Short Film Award. Future festival dates pending. More Information
2006 CPB/PBS Producers Academy
Francisco Bello is chosen as one of twenty filmmakers selected from a national pool of applicants for the prestigious 2006 CPB/PBS Producers Academy. More Information
NALIP Documentary Mentorship Program
Francisco Bello, representing his film “My Favorite Actor”, is chosen for the 2006 NALIP Documentary Mentorship Program for Emerging Producers, directed by veteran filmmaker Bienvenida Matias. The program is generously funded by the New York Council on the Arts. More Information
Julieta y Ramon / 2005 Showtime Latino Filmmaker Showcase
“Julieta y Ramon,” edited by Francisco Bello, and directed by Hugo Perez is a 2005 Showtime Latino Filmmaker Showcase Finalist! Air dates throughout the Showtime Network stations in October 2005. More Information
Julieta y Ramon / 2005 New York Latino Film Festival
“Julieta y Ramon,” edited by Francisco Bello, and directed by Hugo Perez, tours the 2005 festival circuit. Official Selection of the 2005 New York Latino Film Festival, 2005 Los Angeles Latino Film Festival, 2005 Miami Short Film Festival, 2005 Boston Latino Film Festival, and the 2005 Fort Lauderdale Film Festival. More Information
Desert One launches festival run with World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
Desert One, directed by Oscar winner Barbara Kopple, written and edited by Francisco Bello alongside editor Fabian Caballero, premiered at TIFF, launching a strong festival run that closed 2019 with screenings at DocNYC, IDFA, AFI Fest and Double Exposure. Owen Gleiberman at Variety calls Desert One, “absorbing” and “engrossing,” Jordan Miller at the Hollywood Reporter calls out Bello and Caballero’s editing that “keeps the pace tense,” but especially worth a read is the nuanced review in the Washington Post by Arash Azizi.
Out of My Head premieres at MoMA
Out of My Head, directed by Susanna Styron, produced by Jacki Ochs and edited by Francisco Bello premiered at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art, selected to screen for a week as part of Documentary Fortnight. Check out what the Hollywood Reporter had to say about this important new film.
Most Beautiful Island wins SXSW Narrative Grand Jury Prize and Independent Spirit Awards nomination
Most Beautiful Island, the directorial debut by Ana Asencio edited by Francisco Bello, has had a terrific run in the lead up to it’s 2018 international theatrical release. After winning the 2017 Narrative Grand Jury Prize at its SXSW Premiere, it won Best Editing at DTLA, and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2017 Independent Spirt Awards. Congrats to Ana Asencio and the MBI team!
David Carr Award and Cinema Eye Honors Nominations for The Reagan Show
The all-archival documentary feature directed by Pacho Velez and Sierra Pettengil for CNN Films, The Reagan Show, won the 2017 David Carr Award for Truth in Nonfiction Filmmaking at the Montclair Film Festival, and received Best Editing nominations for Francisco Bello, Daniel Garber and David Barker at the 2018 Cinema Eye Honors! The Reagan Show premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and aired nationally on CNN.
Announcing the 2015 Telluride Film Festival Premiere of DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD!
For more information visit our website, download our press release and visit the Telluride Film Festival website.
DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD has it’s World Premiere at Asia Society in New York City
Ropa Vieja Films and Half Mile Hill Productions are proud to announce that DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD will be having it’s World Premiere at Asia Society in New York on April 23rd, 6:30pm.
Directed by OSCAR® Nominees Francisco Bello and Tim Sternnerg, this FREEevent will feature a showing of DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers alongside renowned Chinese artist and writer Chen Danqing and moderated by Michelle Yun.
RSVP for up to two free tickets HERE.
Watch the TRAILER.
Visit the film’s FACEBOOK page! Please like and share with your friends!
BEST KEPT SECRET and OUR NIXON start strong in the Awards Season
Ropa Vieja Films is thrilled to announce that two films edited by Francisco Bello are having a strong start to awards season this year.
OUR NIXON has been nominated for a 2013 Gotham Award for Best Documentary, as well as an Outstanding Achievement in Editing nomination at the 2013 Cinema Eye Honors.
Meanwhile, BEST KEPT SECRET also has earned a 2013 Gotham Award nomination in the Audience Award category. Unlike the other juried categories at the Gothams, the Audience Award is driven by audience voting. You can vote for Best Kept Secret here!
Fingers crossed to the stellar teams behind these two wonderful films!
OUR NIXON Trailers and Promos for Theatrical Release and CNN Broadcast Premiere
Cinedigm has released this killer trailer for the theatrical release of OURNIXON. The film will have a limited theatrical release on August 30.
Watch the theatrical trailer here.
CNN Films will be presenting the broadcast premiere of “Our Nixon” on August 1.
See the broadcast promo here.
Congrats to Penny Lane, Brian Frye, and everyone that worked on this special film.
BEST KEPT SECRET wins IFFB Audience Award + Francisco Bello wins his second IFFB Karen Schmeer Award for Documentary Editing in OUR NIXON
IFF Boston proved to be an incredible festival experience for two films edited by Ropa Vieja’s Francisco Bello.
First and foremost, “BEST KEPT SECRET,” which had its world premiere at IFFBoston and received a standing ovation for the film’s main character Janet Mino, was awarded the festival’s Audience Award. It’s an incredible honor for an inspiring story and a gifted, passionate teacher in Janet Mino.
And to top that off Francisco won the 2013 IFFB Karen Schmeer Award for Documentary Editing for his work on the film “OUR NIXON.”
This is the second time Francisco has won this award, the first being in 2010 when he received it for his work on the film “War Don Don.”
Thanks to the jury and staff at IFF Boston, ACE, the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship, filmmakers Penny Lane and Brian Frye for including Francisco in the making of “OUR NIXON,” and of course the team behind “BEST KEPT SECRET.”
“BEST KEPT SECRET” Festival and Broadcast Premiere, “CODE OF THE WEST” at ReRun Theater, and Francisco Bello is a busy bee…
Ropa Vieja Film’s Francisco Bello had a busy 2012, and now the fruits of these labors are out in the world for an already jam packed 2013.
There’s been plenty of news on this page about the success thus far on Penny Lane’s OUR NIXON
CODE OF THE WEST, for which Francisco is credited as a writer, producer, and editor premiered at SXSW in 2011, and now has a theatrical run at the ReRun Theater in Brooklyn from March 29 through April 4th. Every night has special guests and q&a’s with filmmakers and experts on medical marijuana policy. Tickets here.
But the latest and greatest is the release of Samantha Buck’s BEST KEPTSECRET which also has Francisco as a co-writer, and editor.
BEST KEPT SECRET will be premiering at the Independent Film Festival of Boston which will also be screening “OUR NIXON” and hosting a panel on documentary editing featuring Francisco’s work on both films, moderated by Garret Scott.
If that’s not enough, POV one of the greatest independent documentary showcases on television will be presenting Best Kept Secret as its 2013 series finale on September 23rd. Check your local listings for time and PBS channel.
“OUR NIXON” is the closing night film at New Directors New Films in NYC
OUR NIXON will be the closing night film at the prestigious New Directors New Films program jointly produced by the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The 7:00 screening sold out before it went on sale to the public, so the NDNF team added an encore screening right after! Tickets on sale here.
Following the New Directors New Films screening, “Our Nixon” is also showing at the following festivals:
Hot Docs, Toronto Canada (April 2013)
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Durham NC (April 2013)
Independent Film Festival Boston, Boston MA (April 2013)
“OUR NIXON” North American Premiere at 2013 SXSW, VARIETY REVIEW, and Kickstarter Campaign
Pleased to announce that OUR NIXON will be having its North American Premiere at the 2013 SXSW Film Fest.
This is great news for any film, but for Ropa Vieja it’s especially sweet because this is Francisco Bello’s third consecutive film he’s edited bowing at SXSW.
OUR NIXON also got a great review in VARIETY today.
Check out the OUR NIXON Kickstarter Campaign to help make sure this once in a lifetime film maximizes its festival run and makes it to a screen near you!
There’s more news coming from “Our Nixon” and other forthcoming Ropa Vieja Films projects coming soon so stay tuned!
ROPA VIEJA FILMS and CHEN DANQING present panel on the life and work of MU XIN at the Queens Museum of Art
Ropa Vieja Films’ Francisco Bello and Tim Sternberg will be on a panel with Chinese artist, writer, and cultural critic Chen Danqing and literary agent Joanne Wang discussing the life and work of Chinese artist and writer Mu Xinat the Queens Museum of Art on Saturday February 18, 3-5pm.
Excerpts from Ropa Vieja Films’ latest work in progress MU XIN: NOTESFROM THE UNDERGROUND will be presented, in addition to Mu Xin’s paintings and literary works read by the man himself.
For more information, please visit the event page at the Queens Museum of Art.
MU XIN: NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND is made possible by the generous support of the Tribeca Film Institute, the Vital Projects Fund, the Rosenkrantz Foundation, and the Queens Council on the Arts.
Donations:
“Mu Xin: Notes from the Underground” needs your support! The producers are actively engaged in a fundraising campaign to meet a 2012 release date.
Please contact us for a link to a short fundraising trailer and information on how to make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation to our film.
“OUR NIXON” to Premiere at the 2013 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM
OUR NIXON, an amazing film edited by Ropa Vieja Films’ own Francisco Bello, and directed by Penny Lane will have its World Premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam (The Netherlands) on January 27th!
OUR NIXON has been included in the BRIGHT FUTURE section, which presents “first or second feature films by idiosyncratic, strong-willed filmmakers.”
This is a unique film that tells the story of the Nixon administration from the perspective of three close aides (all of whom went down for Watergate) using their never before seen Super 8 home movie footage! Yes, that’s right, it’s a found footage film – no production material was filmed to craft this story. Stay tuned for more, this is a fascinating, quirky (yes, there’s even humor), once in a lifetime alternate look at American history.
“OUR NIXON” in MoMA’s TO SAVE & PROTECT Festival of Film Preservation
OUR NIXON an astonishing film by Penny Lane & Brian Frye, and edited by Francisco Bello will be a part of To Save and Protect: MoMAs Festival of Film Preservation on Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
Lane & Frye will present a program of the Nixon Super 8 home movies and discuss OUR NIXON with Dwight Chapin (one of the Super 8 filmmakers and characters in the film!) and legendary film critic Jim Hoberman .
ROPA VIEJA FILMS and CHEN DANQING present panel on the life and work of MU XIN at the Queens Museum of Art
Ropa Vieja Films’ Francisco Bello and Tim Sternberg will be on a panel with Chinese artist, writer, and cultural critic Chen Danqing and literary agent Joanne Wang discussing the life and work of Chinese artist and writer Mu Xinat the Queens Museum of Art on Saturday February 18, 3-5pm.
Excerpts from Ropa Vieja Films’ latest work in progress MU XIN: NOTESFROM THE UNDERGROUND will be presented, in addition to Mu Xin’s paintings and literary works read by the man himself.
For more information, please visit the event page at the Queens Museum of Art.
MU XIN: NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND is made possible by the generous support of the Tribeca Film Institute, the Vital Projects Fund, the Rosenkrantz Foundation, and the Queens Council on the Arts.
Donations:
“Mu Xin: Notes from the Underground” needs your support! The producers are actively engaged in a fundraising campaign to meet a 2012 release date.
Please contact us for a link to a short fundraising trailer and information on how to make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation to our film.
“CODE OF THE WEST” WORLD PREMIERE at the 2012 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW) FILM FESTIVAL
Dear friends, film fans and colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that CODE OF THE WEST, a feature length documentary directed by frequent collaborator Rebecca Richman Cohen, is making its World Premiere at the 2012 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW) FILMFESTIVAL.
Synopsis:
At a time when the country is rethinking its drug policies large and small, one state raises to the forefront of national attention. Once a pioneer in legalizing medical marijuana, the state of Montana is poised to become the first in the nation to repeal its medical marijuana law. Set against the sweeping vistas of the Rockies, the steamy lamplight of marijuana grow houses, and the bustling halls of the State Capitol, CODE OF THE WEST follows the 2011 Montana State Legislature as it debates the fate of medical marijuana. This is the story of the many lives and fraught emotions tied to one of the most heated policy questions facing the country today.
If you want to learn more about the film and stay posted on upcoming screenings:
Check out our website:
www.codeofthewestfilm.com
I hope you have a chance to see this compelling film in a city near you! Please stay posted for further announcements and spread the news.
Sincerely,
Francisco Bello
Producer, Editor, Co-Writer – “Code of the West”
Racing Horse Productions
“WAR DON DON” receives 2 News and Doc EMMY NOMINATIONS!
WAR DON DON has received 2 NEWS AND DOCUMENTARY EMMYNOMINATIONS!
OUTSTANDING CONTINUING COVERAGE OF A NEWS STORY – LONG FORM
Director/Producer: Rebecca Richman Cohen
Producer: Francisco Bello
Executive Producers: David Menschel, Jim Butterworth
Co-Producer: Daniel Chalfen
OUTSTANDING EDITING
Editor: Francisco Bello
Congrats to team WAR DON DON and HBO Documentary Films for this great honor!
For more info please visit the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences webpage.
“Salim Baba” Filmmakers TIM STERNBERG and FRANCISCO BELLO Featured in Book on Short Film Distribution
SALIM BABA Filmmakers TIM STERNBERG and FRANCISCO BELLO are featured in the book Short Film Distribution: Film Festivals, the Internet, and Self-Promotion by filmmaker and writer JASON MOORE.
Designed for aspiring filmmakers or for a course in short film distribution, this book teaches the fundamentals of promoting and distributing short films and videos.
Check out the book and buy it here.
Francisco Bello Interviewed on “Nueva York”
If you’re in New York City, check out an interview on Francisco Bello’s recent work on the Emmy winning show NUEVA YORK on CUNY TV.
The episode also features interviews with acclaimed Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, and Evo Morales biographer Martin Sivak.
2011 Air-dates for “Nueva York” in NYC are:
CUNY TV, Channel 75 (on cable)
Thursday, April 21 at 10 AM, 4 PM, and 10 PM
Saturday, April 23 at 2:30 PM
Thursday, April 28 at 10 AM, 4 PM, and 10 PM
Saturday, April 30 at 2:30 PM
Click here for the NUEVA YORK show website, where you can see episodes online, including this one.
Francisco Bello honored with 2011 Estela Award from NALIP
During its 2011 national conference, dubbed “The New Now,” the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) two annual Estela Awards honored talented Latino filmmakers who, either through a stunning debut or a steady rise in a relatively short period of time, have distinguished themselves through their work to date. This award is for filmmakers whose achievements reveal leadership, creativity, and tenacity, as well as vision and passion for their craft.
The 2011 Estela Awards were selected by a Blue Ribbon panel of professionals, and endowed through a generous gift by the McDonald’s Corporation. Through their commitment to excellence and Latino media, McDonald’s provided a $7,500 Filmmaker Grant to each of two Estela Award winners, one narrative and one documentary maker. The McDonald’s financial contribution, together with NALIP’s recognition, supports each artist’s next project, and their progress towards being a star.
In the documentary category, the 2011 Estela Award honored Francisco Bello of Ropa Vieja Films for his body of work including the Oscar® Nomainated “Salim Baba,” “El Espíritu de la Salsa,” and “War Don Don.”
In the narrative category, the 2011 Estela Award honored Javier Fuentes Leon, the director of “Contracorriente,” Peru’s official submission for the 2011 Academy Awards® and nominee for Best Latin American Film at the 2011 Goya Awards in Spain.
Francisco Bello mentors short filmmaker Nancy Scwartzman for the 2011 Cinereach REACH FILM FELLOWSHIP
Through late 2010 and early 2011, Francisco Bello mentored filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman, a fellow for the Reach Film Fellowship presented by Cinereachfor her short film xoxosms.
On April 13, 2011 Cinereach celebrated its four Reach Film Fellowship films for cast, crew, family and some friends. Cinereach surprised the fellows with bonus grants of $1,000 to put towards festival campaigns.
Cinereach is proud of the stunning finished films, and of how the fellows navigated the intense seven-month program, taking their films from concept to completion. Click on these highlighted links for an overview of the 2011 Reach Film Fellowship, grantees, films and mentors.
Francisco Bello featured panelist at 2 NALIP sponsored events
New York, NY
Tuesday, March 22 · 7:30pm – 9:30pm
CultureFix • 9 Clinton Street (between Stanton and East Houston • Lower East Side)
This is the first of a series of bi-monthly events organized by NALIP-NY. Each event will feature a discussion with industry insiders, showcase New York-based filmmakers’ work, and will of course provide an opportunity for NALIP-NY members to connect with seasoned industry professionals. Speakers include:
• Greg Rhem (Manager of Documentary Acquisitions, Original Programming for HBO)
• Francisco Bello & Tim Sternberg (Co-Directors of ‘El Espíritu de la Salsa’ and Academy Award nominees)
• Nicolas Entel (Director of ‘Sins of My Father’ and NALIP 2010 Estela Award for Documentary Film)
AND…
Newport Beach, CA
Saturday, April 16 · 4:15pm – 5:45pm
Interactive Dialogue on “Making Your Music Happen” at the NALIP: THENEW NOW, National Conference in Newport Beach,” CA.
Moderated by Lisa Feldman, Senior director of film/television relations for BMI, this entertaining and practical workshop will bring you a director brainstorming with his composer. Then the role of their music supervisor to clear songs, based on a budget from their producer. All will make beautiful music together – at the end of the day. This panel bring you 2011 Estela Award winner Francisco Bello, Telemundo’s Margaret Guerra Rogers, who has worked on Heathers and Real Women Have Curves, composer Richard Martinez, whose music includes The Tempest, Across the Universe, and Frida, (Best score Oscar 2003 and Golden Globe 2003) and ‘El Cantante’ producer Julio Caro.
“War Don Don” US Broadcast Premiere on Sept 29 8:00-9:30pm ET/PT, exclusively on HBO2®
We are proud to announce that the feature documentary debut by Rebecca Richman Cohen, War Don Don, produced and edited by Francisco Bello, will be broadcast in US on Sept 29 8:00-9:30pm ET/PT exclusively on HBO2®.
Check out the War Don Don trailer online at HBO.com!=
Spread the word!
“Salim Baba” Available on Amazon Video on Demand!
The wait is finally over!
Now you can rent or own a copy of the OSCAR® and EMMY Nominated short film,
SALIM BABA courtesy of Amazon Video on Demand.
For @2.99 you can rent, or for $9.99 own Ropa Vieja Films’ award winning debut short by visiting the following LINK.
We hope you enjoy and ask that you please spread the word.
“Salim Baba” will be available for a limited time!
HBO presents Summer Series director’s interviews featuring the creative team behind “El Espíritu de la Salsa”
WATCH THE DIRECTOR’s INTERVIEWS HERE ON HBO.com.=
“El Espíritu de la Salsa” premieres on Monday, August 9 at 9PM/8C on HBO®!
Fantastic Turnout for the WORLD PREMIERE of “EL ESPÍRITU DE LA SALSA” at Tribeca
Check out the press coverage of our World Premiere featuring interviews with our cast and crew on NY1, ABC News, and The Tribeca Film Festival.
Even Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal told George Whipple in an interview with Robert DeNiro that she was looking forward to The Spirit of Salsa.
The Broadcast Premiere: of EL ESPÍRITU DE LA SALSA will be Monday, August 9 at 9PM/8C on HBO®
Francisco Bello wins Karen Schmeer Award for Excellence in Documentary Editing
Francisco Bello won the 2010 Independent Film Festival of Boston’s (IFFB) first annual Karen Schmeer Award for Excellence in Documentary Editing for his work on the film, “War Don Don.”
The award was established by the IFFBoston in honor of the life and work of the great film editor Karen Schmeer, who died in a tragic accident earlier this year. Schmeer was known for her ongoing collaboration with Errol Morris (FAST, CHEAP & OUT OF CONTROL and the Oscar-winning THE FOG OF WAR), her work on other films like MY FATHER, THE GENIUS, THE SAME RIVERTWICE, Sydney Pollack’s SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY, and Greg Barker’s SERGIO, for which she won the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Best Editing Award.
More info on Karen Schmeer and the annual IFFBoston award established in her memory can be found here:
Remembering Karen Schmeer
In addition to IFFBoston’s award, the Karen Schmeer Editing Fellowship has been established by friends and colleagues of Karen’s to honor her memory and spirit. The fellowship is a year-long experience that provides opportunities to help cultivate an editor’s artistry and craft and to expand his or her professional and creative community. To find out more about the fellowship and to make a tax-deductible contribution, please go to www.karenschmeer.com.
More info on “War Don Don” can be found here.
WORLD PREMIERE of “EL ESPÍRITU DE LA SALSA” at the 2010 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL!
El Espíritu de la Salsa will be having it’s World Premiere as part of the free Drive In series at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday, April 22 at the World Financial Center Plaza in New York City!
Please come to this open air screening and celebrate the spirit of Salsa with the film’s cast and crew!
Doors for this FREE SCREENING open at 6pm with seating on a first come first served basis.
The film starts at 8pm and will be preceded by LIVE SALSA MUSIC, DANCEPERFORMANCES and other surprises.
Please click here for more info on the screening.
El Espíritu de la Salsa is a presentation of HBO Documentary Films.
WATCH “Salim Baba” ONLINE!
“Salim Baba” is finally available to watch in full online at the Youtube Screeningroom.
On the home page look for a link to play the full film.
It’s only up for a limited time so please check it out while you can here.
“War Don Don” Wins Special Jury Prize at SXSW 2010!
“War Don Don” has won the Special Jury Prize at SXSW. Directed by Rebecca Richman Cohen and Produced/Edited by RV-Films’ Francisco Bello, the film now marches on with its international festival run.
Congrats to Rebecca and team WDD!
“War Don Don” WORLD PREMIERE in Competition at the 2010 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW) FILM FESTIVAL
Dear friends, film fans and colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that “WAR DON DON,” a feature length documentary I have been working on for three years with the amazingly talented director Rebecca Richman Cohen, is making its World Premiere in competition at the 2010 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (SXSW) FILM FESTIVAL this March in Austin, Texas.
With unprecedented access behind the lines at an international war crimes tribunal, “WAR DON DON” is a fascinating courtroom drama beautifully crafted by a team of OSCAR® and Emmy Nominated filmmakers.
Synopsis:
“Prosecutors say Issa Sesay is a war criminal, guilty of crimes against humanity. His defenders say he is a reluctant fighter who protected civilians and played a crucial role in bringing peace. In Sierra Leone, the war is over, but a sensational trial begins.”
If you want to learn more about the film and stay posted on upcoming screenings:
Check out our website:
http://wardondonfilm.com
Sign up for our newsletter:
http://eepurl.com/hcGF
Become a fan on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/War-Don-Don/185887389998?ref=ts
I hope you have a chance to see this compelling film in a city near you! Please stay posted for further announcements and spread the news.
Sincerely,
Francisco Bello
Producer, Editor – “War Don Don”
Racing Horse Productions in association with Naked Edge Films
2010 GRAMMY AWARD WIN FOR “SALIM BABA” COMPOSER DAVID DARLING
Ropa Vieja Films is pleased to announce that the album “Prayer for Compassion,” by composer David Darling, has won a 2010 GRAMMY AWARDfor Best New Age Album.
David’s wonderful work on the OSCAR® Nominated “Salim Baba” in collaboration with the film’s director Tim Sternberg elevated the film with a gentle musical touch that has moved audiences worldwide.
David Darling’s scores have graced the films of Jean Luc-Godard, Wim Wenders, Michael Mann, installation artist Gregory Colbert, among others.
2009 EMMY AWARD® NOMINATION FOR “SALIM BABA”
Ropa Vieja Films proudly announces that “Salim Baba” has received a Nomination from the 30th Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards in the category of Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming!
From the NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCESHomepage:
The News & Documentary Emmy® Awards is a major national broadcast journalism competition. It promotes journalistic excellence by awarding the coveted Emmy® to the very best news reports and documentary films aired on national television each year.
Many thanks to HBO Documentary Films and all those who have supported “Salim Baba” over the past three years!
“Salim Baba” in Academy’s Contemporary Documentaries Series
“Salim Baba,” had a screening on June 3 as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science’s Contemporary Documentaries series at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood.
The 27th annual Contemporary Documentaries series was a showcase for feature-length and short documentaries drawn from the 2007 Academy Award® nominations, including the winners, as well as other important and innovative films considered by the Academy that year.
The films included in the series were “Sari’s Mother,” “Sicko,” “Ochberg’s Orphans,” “The Rape of Europa,” “Darfur Now,” “The Devil Came on Horseback,” “Portraits of a Lady,” “A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman,” “Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience,” “Body of War,” “Lake of Fire,” “Salim Baba,” “Please Vote for Me” and “My Kid Could Paint That.”
“Salim Baba” has played in over 60 film festivals worldwide and has been shown on Cinemax, Canal Plus (France), and EBS (Korea). Upcoming later this summer we will be announcing the launch of the non-broadcast release for “Salim Baba,” so please stay tuned for more updates.
Beyond “Salim Baba” there’s interesting things in the works forthcoming from Ropa Vieja Films which will be announced in the coming months!
SALIM BABA Awarded at 2008 UNAFF
Salim Baba has been awarded the Grand Jury Award for the Best Short Documentary Film at the 2008 United Nations Association Film Festival!
For more info on UNAFF please visit:
http://www.unaff.org/
Salim Baba has had a fantastic festival run so far in 2008! Here are some updates:
Awards
2008 Honorable Mention, Short Film, River Run International Film Festival
Festivals
2008 Sundance Film Festival
2008 Los Angeles Film Festival
2008 Full Frame Film Festival
2008 True False Film Festival
2008 San Francisco Asian American Film Festival
2008 EBS International Documentary Festival, Korea
2008 MiradasDoc, Spain
2008 DocLisboa, Portugal
2008 Zagreb Film Festival, Croatia
2008 Cinema Verite Socially Conscious Cinema Film Festival
2008 Cleveland Film Festival
2008 Tiburon Film Festival
2008 Boulder Film Festival
2008 Durango Film Festival
2008 Ashland Film Festival
2008 It’s All True Film Festival, Brazil
2008 Florida Film Festival
2008 Sarasota Film Festival
2008 Maryland Film Festival
2008 Durga Film Festival, Belgium
2008 Bunker Film Festival, Italy
2008 Fflimic Film Festival, Wales
2008 Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival
2008, The Hunker Down To Rise Above Cinema Show, Oregon
SALIM BABA to PREMIERE on CINEMAX REEL LIFE
“Salim Baba” will have its U.S. broadcast premiere on the Cinemax Reel Life series on August 20 at 8pm!
For more info please visit the HBO Documentary Films webpage for “Salim Baba”:
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/salimbaba/index.html
Catch “Salim Baba” along with our fellow 2008 OSCAR® Nominated Documentary Shorts on Cinemax Reel Life through 2008-2009!
Check your local listings for additional show times.
“Salim Baba” Korean Broadcast Premiere and 2008 EIDF Competition
“Salim Baba” will be playing as part of the EIDF television documentary film festival competition presented by EBS, Korea’s public television broadcaster.
“Salim Baba” will have it’s Korean broadcast premiere on September 27, 2008 on EBS.
Salim Baba has had a fantastic festival run so far in 2008! Here are some updates:
Awards
2008 Honorable Mention, Short Film, River Run International Film Festival
Festivals
2008 Sundance Film Festival
2008 Los Angeles Film Festival
2008 Full Frame Film Festival
2008 True False Film Festival
2008 San Francisco Asian American Film Festival
2008 EBS International Documentary Festival, Korea
2008 MiradasDoc, Spain
2008 DocLisboa, Portugal
2008 Zagreb Film Festival, Croatia
2008 Cinema Verite Socially Conscious Cinema Film Festival
2008 Cleveland Film Festival
2008 Tiburon Film Festival
2008 Boulder Film Festival
2008 Durango Film Festival
2008 Ashland Film Festival
2008 It’s All True Film Festival, Brazil
2008 Florida Film Festival
2008 Sarasota Film Festival
2008 Maryland Film Festival
2008 Durga Film Festival, Belgium
2008 Bunker Film Festival, Italy
2008 Fflimic Film Festival, Wales
2008 Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival
2008, The Hunker Down To Rise Above Cinema Show, Oregon
Ropa Vieja Films at 2008 Tribeca All Access with CHINESE MONA LISA
Ropa Vieja Films is proud to announce that the OSCAR® Nominated team (for “Salim Baba,” 2008 Best Documentary Short Subject) of Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello have been chosen to workshop their latest feature documentary project in development, the CHINESE MONA LISA (formerly, Untitled Dafen Project), at this year’s Tribeca All Access.
Synopsis:
Decades after the Cultural Revolution led to the arrests and shattered careers of many Western-Style artists in China, in the suburb of Dafen 60% of the world’s reproductions of paintings from the Renaissance to Modernism are made by hand for individual and corporate commissions. CHINESE MONALISA will be a feature length documentary investigating the role of art, authenticity and its human cost in today’s globalized world.
CHINESE MONA LISA is being jointly co-produced and co-directed by Francisco Bello and Tim Sternberg through Ropa Vieja Films. Presently Bello and Sternberg are seeking funding to begin principal photography on location in China.
According to the Tribeca Film Institute, “The 37 narrative and documentary directors and screenwriters were selected to participate from an open call for submissions, which garnered over 550 entries from across the country.”
For more info on Triebca All Access please visit: http://www.tribecafilminstitute.org/taa/
If you are interested in getting involved in our fundraising efforts, please write to: mailto:info@rv-films.com
We will be posting more info on the CHINESE MONA LISA onto the Ropa Vieja Films website soon. Stay tuned…
“Salim Baba” Korean Broadcast Premiere and 2008 EIDF Competition
“Salim Baba” will be playing as part of the EIDF television documentary film festival competition presented by EBS, Korea’s public television broadcaster.
“Salim Baba” will have it’s Korean broadcast premiere on September 27, 2008 on EBS.
2008 ACADEMY AWARDS®
“Salim Baba” has been Nominated for an ACADEMY AWARD® for Best Documentary Short. Please visit www.oscar.com for more information.
“Salim Baba” – Director’s Statement
Read the Director’s statement regarding misinformation in the press for “Salim Baba.”
ROPA VIEJA FILMS and PARADOX SMOKE PRODUCTIONS proudly announce the screening of our film, “SALIM BABA,” in competition at the 2008 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL!
According to the Sundance Institute, “This year the Festival Short Film Program comprises 83 short films representing 17 countries from 5,107 submissions, from U.S. and international filmmakers. Submissions grew by more than 15% over last year.”
For more information on the festival, please visit: www.sundance.org/festival
Salim Baba has had a fantastic festival run in 2007! Here are some updates:
Awards:
2007 Woodstock Film Festival, Best Short Documentary
2007 Palm Springs International Festival Of Short Films, Second Prize: Best Documentary
2007 Sidewalk Film Festival, Best Short Documentary
Festival Screenings:
2007 Telluride Film Festival
2007 International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam (IDFA)
2007 Tribeca Film Festival
2007 IDA DocuWeek
2007 Margaret Mead Film Festival
2007 IFP Market
2007 Rhode Island Film Festival
2007 Festival Nouveau Cinema, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2007 Atlantic Film Festival, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
2007 Bend Film Festival
2007 Mill Valley Film Festival
2007 Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival
2007 NALIP Latino Producer’s Academy
Francisco Bello was selected as a fellow for the 2007 NALIP Latino Producer’s Academy in Tuscon, Arizona to develop his film, “My Favorite Actor.” Francisco was chosen from a national pool of submissions, and along with fourteen other participants, he workshopped his film which is currently seeking production funding. To learn more about “My Favorite Actor” click on the Projects page within the Ropa Vieja Films website.
Salim Baba Screenings
Salim Baba will screen at IFC’s Rooftop Films series on Thursday, July 26th as part of the shorts program: “The Show Must Go On.”
The screening will be held at The Westbeth Artist’s Community, 55 Bethune Street in New York’s West Village at 8:30pm. Please visit www.rooftopfilms.com for more info.
Salim Baba will screen at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Please visit www.psfilmfest.org for screening dates and info.
Salim Baba will be screening as part of the International Documentary Association’s Docuweek festival in Los Angeles. Please visit www.rooftopfilms.com for more info.
Francisco Bello has been awarded a fellowship to the 2007 NALIP Producer’s Academy. Francisco will be taking this oportunity to workshop his work-in-progress experimental documentary, “My Favorite Actor.” Please visit www.nalip.org for more information about the program.
Salim Baba Screenings
Salim Baba will screen at IFC’s Rooftop Films series on Thursday, July 26th as part of the shorts program: “The Show Must Go On.”
The screening will be held at The Westbeth Artist’s Community, 55 Bethune Street in New York’s West Village at 8:30pm. Please visit www.rooftopfilms.com for more info.
Salim Baba will screen at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Please visit www.psfilmfest.org for screening dates and info.
Salim Baba will be screening as part of the International Documentary Association’s Docuweek festival in Los Angeles. Please visit www.rooftopfilms.com for more info.
Francisco Bello has been awarded a fellowship to the 2007 NALIP Producer’s Academy. Francisco will be taking this oportunity to workshop his work-in-progress experimental documentary, “My Favorite Actor.” Please visit www.nalip.org for more information about the program.
Salim Baba in 2007 Tribeca Film Festival
Salim Baba will have it’s world premiere in competition at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival as part of the “Family Legacy” program of short films!
Screenings are scheduled for April 26 & 28, May 1, 4, & 6. Director Tim Sternberg will be present for the screenings.
To ensure yourself a seat, purchase your tickets online at the Tribeca FIlm Festival website, www.tribecafilmfestival.org.
Go to the Film Guide and search for Salim Baba alphabetically among the other films at the festival. Would love to see you there!
Check out the interview with filmmakers Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello on the production of Salim Baba in ImaginAsian Entertainment’s iaLink magazine.
Salim Baba is featured in indieWire’s, Production Report by Jason Guerrasio.
Salim Baba Fundraiser
Salim Baba is having a fundraiser at the Bowery Poetry Club (www.bowerypoetry.com) on Saturday February 3 from 8pm-12am. Come join us and support our film! More updates to follow…
Urban Arts Initiative / New York City
Francisco Bello is awarded a production grant for “Salim Baba” from the 2006 Urban Arts Initiative / New York City. The Urban Artist Initiative is the result of the collective efforts of the Harlem Arts Alliance, Association of Hispanic Arts, Queens Council on the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Bronx Council on the Arts, and the Asian American Arts Alliance for the development of works by individual artists of African, Asian, and Latino descent residing in New York City.
In the Footsteps of Orpheus
“Betty la Flaca” has been acquired by HBO! Air dates start on the HBOnetworks through October 2006. More Information
Betty la Flaca Wins HBO Award
“Betty la Flaca” edited by Francisco Bello and directed by Hugo Perez is the winner of the 2006 HBO / NYILFF Short Film Award. Future festival dates pending. More Information
2006 CPB/PBS Producers Academy
Francisco Bello is chosen as one of twenty filmmakers selected from a national pool of applicants for the prestigious 2006 CPB/PBS Producers Academy. More Information
NALIP Documentary Mentorship Program
Francisco Bello, representing his film “My Favorite Actor”, is chosen for the 2006 NALIP Documentary Mentorship Program for Emerging Producers, directed by veteran filmmaker Bienvenida Matias. The program is generously funded by the New York Council on the Arts. More Information
Julieta y Ramon / 2005 Showtime Latino Filmmaker Showcase
“Julieta y Ramon,” edited by Francisco Bello, and directed by Hugo Perez is a 2005 Showtime Latino Filmmaker Showcase Finalist! Air dates throughout the Showtime Network stations in October 2005. More Information
Julieta y Ramon / 2005 New York Latino Film Festival
“Julieta y Ramon,” edited by Francisco Bello, and directed by Hugo Perez, tours the 2005 festival circuit. Official Selection of the 2005 New York Latino Film Festival, 2005 Los Angeles Latino Film Festival, 2005 Miami Short Film Festival, 2005 Boston Latino Film Festival, and the 2005 Fort Lauderdale Film Festival. More Information