The Power Behind Independent Film - Featuring Multi Creator Maylen Calienes

Mylin Calienes. Together, they dive deep into the realities of independent filmmaking, Hollywood representation, storytelling, networking, fundraising, and the relentless pursuit of creating authentic stories that matter. Maylen shares her journey from theater and acting into directing, producing, and building one of the most impactful Latino film communities connected to Sundance. The conversation also explores why supporting independent artists is critical, how persistence creates opportunities, and why original storytelling will never die. This episode is packed with inspiration for filmmakers, actors, writers, creators, and anyone chasing a dream with passion and purpose. 

Key Takeaways

 • Authentic storytelling creates lasting impact
 • Persistence and follow-up open doors in entertainment
 • Independent artists thrive through community support

To learn more about Maylen visit  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maylen-calienes-75ba958a  

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hola mi gente, welcome back. This is Chateau Bowau. My name is Heraldo José Oscategui, and we are back after a quick hiatus. We were filming a uh feature film called Lord's Valley. Um, and uh we're back, we're back, and to uh welcome off our guest from our first official break in mid-season, we have the unbelievable, talented, focused, and just task-oriented, just badass that I know met in uh in LA. Um, Mylene Callianis, founder of the Latino Fumekas Network. Say hello.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Hola, mi gente.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

How's it going? How's it going?

SPEAKER_02 0:41

Good, nice to see you out in Florida.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Yeah, thank you for coming here. I know you went to see your family in Miami.

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

And so I appreciate you stopping in Tampa to see us. Of course. Um, it wasn't too much of a too bad of a flight, right?

SPEAKER_02 0:55

No, it was like the best flight ever, ever 30 minutes. Like I wish all flights were like that.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

Yeah, yeah, it's not it's not a bad flight. I do the drive, and the drive is about four and a half, five hours. Yes. That's stressful.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

Yeah, that's that that could be stressful.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Um, so let's start with the Latino Filmmakers Network. Um, and you are the founder. I am. And tell me how that came to be.

SPEAKER_02 1:18

Oh, it came to be because I would say because of my personal journey, that's how it came to be. Um I grew up in Miami. I started off with theater.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:30

I I was acting, but I was also writing and directing theater. And then once I went to LA, continued some theater, started off as an actor. Uh, when I got representation as an actor, immediately I saw that I was uh put in a box because I happened to be Latina and the few theatrical auditions I would be sent out to uh were very stereotyped, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Common story.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

Yeah, common story. Uh and um that wasn't fulfilling me as an actor, but then I also started to see the bigger picture that there was a problem with that. Um, and I was having these conversations with my colleagues who were going through the same issue, right? Coming from theater, that's what it's what's exciting, especially if you're an actor, you get to play different characters. You get to get in in the moment as something different, right? You get to, but it doesn't fulfill you to kind of play the same role that they send you out for every single time time. And being a stereotype because I happen to be Latina, you know, uh that's where I saw where I started seeing the problem because I'm like, wow, okay. It starts in Hollywood. Um if we are putting underrepresented communities in boxes and showcasing them certain ways all the time. Like, for example, if we showcase Latinos as drug dealers all the time, that's what people think of us, right? Because a lot of people don't travel, they don't get to know other kinds of people, right? But if they see TV, they see film, and if they see Latinos as drug dealers, that's what they think we are drug dealers, right? So that's a problem. And it starts in Hollywood. If we don't have a voice in Hollywood through TV and film, we don't have a voice in the United States of America. You know, so uh that's where I started gathering that information and then going back even into my childhood and thinking, oh, let me, what were the TV shows that I saw? What were the films that I saw? Was I being represented, you know, and how were we being represented? Um then I was working behind the cameras with uh filmmaker friends, you know, uh kind of to understand the film world, uh, doing AD work, PA work, all that fun stuff. Uh, this opportunity came for a film festival. Right. And um I wanted to be involved. And one of those filmmaker friends, he's like, Well, why don't you just make your own movie? I'm like, Yeah, it's like that simple. Make my own movie. I did not go to film school.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

It is that easy. Right. It's just that easy.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

Uh, but I mean, and then the thing is that uh directing theater is completely different, as you know, right? And even like writing a screenplay for film is completely different from writing a theater play, you know. Uh so I was like, okay, where do I even start? I went to my very first friend that I met in Los Angeles. She went to film school and I told her, hey, I want to do my very first film. Can you help me out? And I wanted to uh tell the story. I wanted it to be simple for my first film. Uh tell the story through dance and body language. Uh, I come, my background in dancing is flamingo dancing. So in this case, it was that. Uh the shorts called The Dance of Death, El Baile de la Muerte. And so, again, told through dance, through told through body language. Um, when it came time time to editing that movie, uh, my friend wasn't available because of work. So I bought literally a Macintosh computer and she taught me how to edit on the phone.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

And that's how I learned how to edit, you know? Um, unfortunately, I did not meet the deadline for that particular film festival.

unknown 5:17

Right.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

But then once I uh finished the movie, I met the deadline for the LA Schwartz Film Festival, which at that time was at the Arc Light Cinema in Hollywood, which is one of the greatest cinemas that we've had there. And it was kind of exciting to have your first film on the big screen at the Arc Light Cinema. Uh, and that's where I saw it. And literally, when I saw my movie, my very first film uh playing at Arc Light, sitting in those seats watching my film, that's where I decided that I wanted to focus behind the cameras because I have more power behind the cameras to change the narratives and give people better roles, right? And tell the stories that I don't see, the stories I don't see in TV and film, you know, universal stories that just happen to have us in it, you know. Um so yeah, that's kind of like how it started, the whole filming game process. And then I started writing and directing several films. But in order for me to make those movies happen, I had to learn how to produce. Right. And that's how I got into producing as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Right. Awesome. That was uh that was seven minutes, and that's our show. So thanks for coming today. Um okay, so that was a super, super informative answer. But you know what? Every single bit of that was necessary. Yeah because it kind of got you to where you had to go. As and you know, again, uh what I want to get into now, and I know you want to want to get something out. Go ahead, guys.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Yeah, because the question, now getting back to the question, I said that my journey started Latino Filmmakers Network. So then when I started making movies, I saw the same problem again. Uh because I had films getting options, being pitched around, but there was again that problems like people didn't get the fact that they're universal stories, but Latinos happened to be the main characters, and this is when diversity and inclusion wasn't like a thing in Hollywood just a few years ago. And I was attending the Sundance Film Festival, one of the biggest film festivals in the US, uh, where I felt like our community wasn't being represented. And then that's where I decided to start Latino Filmmakers Network. It gave birth there uh because I felt like we needed that visibility there uh to be able to make a difference.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Yeah, I and funny enough that I we went to Sundance uh and um that's where we really became really friends. I think we were acquainted uh before that, and we were, you know, we talked about a couple of projects, we talked about podcasts, a couple of things, but I think Sundance is where we cemented our our friendship, and it was uh it was it was good that we did we connected that way, and um, it was the worst time of my life because um even though I have natural layers of of insulation, I was so cold.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

It was cold, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

I could not just I I couldn't stop shaking, you know. I mean, and I jiggle as it is, right?

SPEAKER_02 7:58

But you're from New York and you were still cold.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

It was the coldest that I've ever been. Yeah, um, but it was good because we did that, that we did, you know, your uh the uh the United Air, the United uh my my event took place at the United Airlines Lodge. Yeah, yeah, that was great. And and that was kind of like my first time like really immersing myself. We had just finished Flux.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

And uh we had our Flux stuff you know out there because we didn't mean we I submitted to Sundance, but we didn't get picked up. But um, yeah, that's when I really, really got to know you. And I was like, yeah, that was all right.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

When you got to see me working hard, pretty much.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

Yeah, really, really. And then and then the we talked about it earlier, the Uber situation.

SPEAKER_02 8:37

Oh yeah, he uh Manny Manny and and and Heraldo here. They saved my my luggage from an Uber from a uh Tesla that was my was put in the frunk, I think is what they call it. And it was kind of like stuck there. The guy wanted to leave with my stuff, and my event was the next day, and we spent there some time to try to get that out, but they did it. They helped me.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

He wanted to leave so bad. Yeah. Um Manny got the card, the the the front. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

Thank you, Manny.

SPEAKER_01 9:07

Yeah, so now let's go into you are now an award-winning producer, writer, and director. Yeah. Um, you know, you've done a couple of projects, and I think when I first met you before we became total uh BFFs, um I met you at uh the New York Latina Film Festival, and you were doing uh Esta es tu Cuba.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

Yes, yes. I was there representing Esta es tu Cuba, uh, which is a beautiful film that I'm very proud to be a part of as an executive producer. Um and it won the Student Academy Award, it won the Student Director's Guild Award, the Student Um uh Emmy Award. It did very well. It played in you know at film festivals here in the US and abroad, and you know, I'm very proud of that movie.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

Yeah, it it's listen, uh it's one of those things where you you you that's when I first met you, and I'm like, wow, this this is really cool, you know. And I had been to the New York Latino Film Festival before, but I had never thought of getting my own film there, you know. And we met through some of your Zooms and um some of your like networking things again. That's how we really and then I was like okay, I gotta go to the New York Film Fest, I gotta check her out, you know. I saw your film and I saw uh Amando Horesco's um uh Seneca. Did you see that one?

SPEAKER_02 10:26

No, I didn't get to see it. I get it that one was full too.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

It was amazing, yeah. It was amazing, you know, it was such a good story.

SPEAKER_02 10:31

Again, yeah, because we actually screened at the same time, I think.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Correct. Yeah, correct. Um but I had seen it before. Yeah, right. Um, okay, so let's get into and The Brave Shall Rise.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

Okay, and then uh so pretty much uh, you know, I was writing and directing several short films that were making, they were going to film festivals, winning awards, uh the three bilinguals, which is one of the ones that I wrote, directed, produced, that did pretty well. Um it got optioned and it was being pitched around town. Uh they wanted to make it into a TV show. And again, I was seeing there like the same situation and all that stuff. So when I started Latino Filmmakers Network, I was like, why am I gonna continue to make my own movies if they're like, you know, I'm making the work, but they're not getting the traction it needs. Like, what's missing here? You know, I've been going through all of these steps. Uh and so with Latino Filmmakers Network, it was like kind of like throwing myself in the fire as an activist, but also trying to understand the entertainment industry and trying to see how I could uh uh make a positive difference, you know, when it came to representation, right? So throughout the years, because this year we celebrated 12 years at Sundance, right? Um, yeah, uh I met a lot of wonderful filmmakers. I met some super talented filmmakers, and then I jumped on board as producer for some of these movies, right? Um, to kind of like show the industry that we have talent in our community, right? Uh so of course Estes to Cuba being one of those films that made it far winning a student academy award, which then leads to being a contender for the Academy Awards, right? The Brave and The Brave Shall Rise uh was a documentary. So Estesto Cuba was a narrative, and The Brave Shall Rise, a documentary. Uh, it was shot around after the Parkland uh situation, the shootings. It was I love the angle that the director uh took it in because he focused on a stay-at-home mom that wanted to make a difference and change the gun reform laws, right? So that one ended up also becoming a contender. Uh and then uh the Shadow of the Sun, which it became the official uh academia, which was a feature narrative, became the official um selection from Venezuela uh for the Academy Awards, the 96 Academy Awards.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

And it was a dope flick. It was a dope flick.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

Oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

It really was. You know, you go into these films, sometimes you're like, it's gonna be good, it's gonna be okay. You know, again, everybody works hard on these things and they and they put their best effort forward. I think that that was when it comes to indie filmmaking, that really made me realize that there's so much talent.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

You know, there's so much talent. And, you know, some of the actors were were were uh kind of unknown, right?

SPEAKER_02 13:19

Pretty much, yeah. For all the movies, it's not and the thing is like in a sense, it's like, yeah, maybe they're unknown in the sense, like all of us that we make movies, right? In the sense that maybe you're not known worldwide or you're not quote unquote famous, but these are actors that a lot of them that also work. They either do theater or they do commercials or they do films, you know, and stuff like that. Maybe they don't have that worldwide name, but they're also working on their craft constantly, you know. Yeah, and over there too, yeah. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

I thought the lead there, he had he had like a like a Benicio del Toro kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

And he he works a lot in theater.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

Did he sing? Was he really singing?

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Uh no, no, no, no, no. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

Um that that that was a great one. I saw that. Uh well.

SPEAKER_02 14:07

I mean, he was like, so you could see hit his, you know, his interpretation.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

So I think I saw that at the Miami Latin Film Festival, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Yeah, the Miami, well, it's my the Miami Film Festival, because that's not just Latin. That's you know, in the state. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Yeah, because I see you everywhere. I see you in New York, I see you in LA, I see you in Miami, I see you in Sundance.

SPEAKER_02 14:27

I've hit up a lot of film festival guys, you know. Because look, the way that I see it is like I go to film festivals, but I've been to film festivals, yes, representing my own movies. You know, whether I've been to film festival as the person that made it as a writer, director, or as the person who produced it or whatever. But I also go to film festivals to support other films, uh, other films made by Latino filmmakers and other filmmakers, because I feel like that's very important, especially uh talking about representation in our community. That's something that we have to get better at, you know, supporting one another.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

Yep, you took the words right now, support each other. And again, you know, you you you have uh someone who will will uh pay, like we talked about it earlier, 300 bucks to go see a show somewhere, but they won't see their friends' fifteen dollar show.

SPEAKER_02 15:16

Right, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Listen, you know, the independent people really need you more than the superstars. Yeah. Superstars, they got you know, they got their bag. Support your friends that are that are that are putting their life savings and and bag borrowing still to get that independent project done. Whether it be singing, whether it be movies, whether it be, you know, uh an artist. Yeah. Independent artists. I I support many, many independent artists. I just I see somebody and I see them hustling, I'm like, listen, make a go do the thing, whatever, you know, whatever I send them, whatever I give them. I just try to just keep their 100%.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

I mean, look, I'm not loaded with a lot of cash, but sometimes I see some of these filmmakers trying to fundraise and I put a little bit in the can, you know, so they could because you could put $5, $10, $20. That helps, right? Uh to fundraise some of these movies, or it helps to go and see the movie and pay the $15, $20 to support that artist. But I think that even more so, like share, you know, like the film, share it on social media because it's very important. Uh, the marketing's very important. The getting the word out is very important. So that's another way to support. There's so many different ways to support. And the thing is, and that people sometimes think that they have to be famous or a celebrity to be really be able to help the community or anybody, and you don't. You know, like I'm not famous, but I've been helping the community for many years, you know.

SPEAKER_01 16:33

You're pretty well known. You're pretty well known, I gotta say.

SPEAKER_02 16:36

You know, but but you know, like like you don't have to like you could help other artists and you could help the community in your own way, and you don't have to do it by having a nonprofit. You know, you could work you could do it in your own way. You could do it by sharing a story, you're doing by by saying, hey, see my friend's film, you know. I think that's like, and we're such a large community, like the Latino community, we're probably the largest community. Uh, and it does help if we become better at that.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

And a like and a share costs you zero. Yeah. Cost you zero. Just support.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Um, let's get into your journey into filmmaking, get into behind the camera and that whole process.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

Because you you you have gotten to become very uh comfortable and uh competent at creating good films.

SPEAKER_02 17:22

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 17:23

How did you get there? Welcome to Chateau Bow Wow. This is where culture speaks loud, where Latino excellence takes center stage, where stories are raw, unfiltered, and undeniable. Hosted by acclaimed writer, director, and creator of the international sci-fi hit Flux, Heraldo J. Uscadeghi brings you powerful conversations with the artists, filmmakers, performers, and visionaries redefining entertainment worldwide. This is heritage. This is hustle, this is impact. Chateau Bow Wow, where powerful voices shape the future.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

A lot of hard work, right? Um, listen, like I said, I did not go to film school. But you don't, a lot of people, a lot of filmmakers don't go to film school. And I've worked with filmmakers that have gone to film school, like Brian Robau, who did Estes tu Cuba, he went to film school because that's the way that the film could be submitted into the Student Academy Awards. You have to go to film school and they look at all the film schools and they look at, you know, uh all the selections and stuff like that, right? And he went to film school. But what I notice is that a lot of these uh filmmakers that I do work with that do go to film school, you know, they they they teach them the technicalities and all that stuff, but they don't teach them the industry. So I was there pretty much also to like, you know, be like that voice for the of that other side, the industry, and how to navigate that, you know. Um but you learn from watching, you learn from doing. I've sat in rooms at the DGA where I've seen some of the biggest directors that I admire saying that, like, hey, I'm Steven Spielberg and I still am learning something, you know. Like I feel like, you know, life is about learning, growing, and evolving. And if you're not doing those three things, you're not living. And that's what also your craft is. You have to keep doing it, you have to keep practicing it. You have to, you know, I started off by working with other directors, other filmmakers. That's how I kind of like started learning about the filmmaking process. And as I said, I had a friend that you work with people that know more about that than you, you know, when you're and and you're still, you know, I've been in this industry for like over 20 years now, and I'm still learning stuff, right? And I'm still educating myself because I think that's important. I always tell people education is very important, you know. Uh, but yeah, because I you keep doing it and you keep learning and you keep perfect, perfecting the craft. And because also I've been to so many film festivals, I'm able to talk to these directors and tell them, listen, if you do this in this cut, this will play good at that festival, or you have a better chance of that this film being selected by this film festival if you do the cut this way, you know. So I'm able to also guide them in that direction.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Yeah, one thing that I learned and from your trip here is I am very stubborn. And um and we had this conversation uh last night, actually. Melanin came in and uh we know we had dinner. So today is today's a chill day, so we had dinner, we talked and everything. And um, one of my bad habits is that I'll ask you once, and then um if you don't answer me, if you to me that's that's your answer, that's a no.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

And you know, you like, no, that's the wrong approach, man. You know what I mean? Because one of my biggest challenges, you know, is funding, which is everybody's challenge.

SPEAKER_02 20:39

That's the number one thing that I always approach filmmakers and I always ask them, what do you want to learn about? Because through Latino Filmmakers Network, I like to have that educational side of it where I bring experts to talk about what they want to learn about. And all almost always they're like, How do we get money for this? You know, how do we fundraise?

SPEAKER_01 20:56

You seem to be good at at uh at getting sponsorship, you seem to be getting good at getting at getting these products or whatever they are into the rooms and do the little uh what do you call the little the little bags and everything, little mask bags, you know, because every time you go to Sundance, you know, that's like producing a film, man.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

You know, it's like not easy.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

I know. But see, I'm see, I'm just not built.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

I you are so like you so good at it, you know, because it's funny, it's kind of like going to a movie, and you see an actor like Meryl Streep or Daniel Day-Lewis, they they're so great. And people think, oh, it's so easy because they're so great, but it's not easy, you know. You have to go through a process when it comes to acting, right? You have to get in the moment, you have to get into the character, you have to go into your actor's toolbox. There's a lot of different processes that you go through. But they make it look easy because they have all the tools and they've become experts and they do it, right? Same thing with that. Like, it's funny how you say that. You're like, oh, it makes it you do it so easily, but you don't know like the months of stress that I deal with before getting to that. And then even there, I don't get to really enjoy the film festival because I'm still working and on top of things.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

That notice that you're always going back and forth. Um, you know, my challenge again is is, and like you said, it's my stubbornness because I'll ask you once, and if you don't answer me, that's your answer. That's how I take it, you know. But you're totally different, you're you're a totally different way of thinking. You're like, no, I'm gonna keep asking until you give it to me.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

Well, yeah, I mean, uh, I you know, he's like, I'll ask once, and if you don't answer me, okay, well, that means you don't want to work with me. But I was telling him that it's very important to follow up. Follow up is very important, especially with a lot of people that are in higher positions. They have tons of people reaching out to them. So especially if they don't know you, they're like, okay, well, they're just gonna think you're just another filmmaker, right? That's reaching out. So it's like you always have to follow up because they also want to see how determined you are, right? But but you have to kind of remind them, you know, even with me, it's like sometimes I might be like, oh, okay, let me get to back to this email because I don't have the answer right now. But then I might forget because of all the craziness that I deal with. And if the person follows up, I appreciate it because, like, oh yeah, uh, I forgot to get back to this person. Let me get back to them right away, you know?

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Because of you, I'm gonna try to be better. Yes, I'm gonna try to be more patient and and and you know, just uh I'll be a little more patient and I'll follow up. Thank you for good. Thank you for that. Um going back to Sundance, um, it's something that's uh near and dear to my heart, what you do over there. And again, I have a ball, I have a blast over there. I really did it at your thing. I'll I'll never go back because it's it's honestly it's such a frozen tundra. But I always want to support you and I always want to do that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 23:34

And I thank you for supporting.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

No, you you your your your program is something that honestly I will always support. I love it, I love it. And because of you, I got my uh my entertainment attorney.

SPEAKER_02 23:43

Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

Uh big shout out to Fox Rothschild. Yes, what's up, Heidi?

SPEAKER_02 23:48

Um thank you, Fox Rothschilds, for supporting Latino Filmmakers Network.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

Yeah, I I I took her by surprise though, didn't I? Yeah. She's giving her presentation about legal representation in the you know, and I'm like, how much do you cost?

SPEAKER_02 24:00

Yeah, I I I really love his confidence, you know.

SPEAKER_01 24:04

I was like, Yeah, how much? Give me your number. And she was like, You're from New York, aren't you? Yes, exactly. 100%. How do you know?

SPEAKER_02 24:10

That's like the New York vibe. That's but I love New Yorkers because of that, you know, because they're just straight and direct.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

She goes, You're from New York, right? And I was like, Yeah, and everybody in the room was like, Yeah, of course he is. Yeah, of course he is.

SPEAKER_02 24:20

I mean, you're the accent, you know, like here so funny.

SPEAKER_01 24:24

Um, now you've gotten into writing a lot more now. You that's one of your passions. Um, I actually worked on you one of your projects, uh, and we'll get to that in a little while, the title and everything, because that was fun. Um, what about uh writing in in your course in in London?

SPEAKER_02 24:42

So, yeah, then my mom asked me, uh, have you ever thought about writing a novel? I'm like, no, because I don't write novels. And this opportunity came with the University of London for creative writing. It was an advanced workshop class, and I'm like, well, that's the only thing they're offering. Let me go for it. I was honest with the teacher in the class. Listen, I've never written novels, I write screenplays, but I want to try to like develop that same story into this. And what I love about that class is that every single week you just have to write, right, right and turn in chapters, right? And as I was doing that, I was also learning and you know, getting into that novel process of learning how to do that. And and and you know, with novels, with books, you have to be super descriptive because you're, you know, when a person reads a book, they're going into that world, right? Uh, and I kind of like fell in love with it. And I'm like, wow, I should have just written a bunch of books before even making movies, because I now could like really visually see like every single detail on the world, on the character, just me, it just helped me also personally in that sense. And I started developing that into that kind of story, you know, uh uh into a novel, right? I mean, I just love the writing process in general. I'm a storyteller, that's what I consider myself to be. And you could tell stories in a lot of different mediums, and I just enjoy that, just like you. You enjoy writing, right? Uh, and you've done a lot of different mediums as well.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

Yeah, what what I learned, well, that's I started with writing books. And um, and I met this producer, and you know, she kind of got me completely uh uh formatted correctly. Yeah, and the big the best way to to to uh to I guess wrap it up is a screenplay is show me. A book is tell me. Right? So you could be take a you know you could describe the smell of the room, you could describe the desk, you describe how it smells a rich mahogany smoke, that you can get into that. But a screenplay, you don't have that, you know, you you have less than two hours to tell your story.

SPEAKER_02 26:37

Yeah, and you're not as descriptive because then the director, whether it's you or somebody else, they put in all the details visually, right?

SPEAKER_01 26:44

Right. Yeah, they show you.

SPEAKER_02 26:45

Yeah, they show you. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 26:47

Um, now you're working on something else with some people that actually know it's a small world because uh Trudy was just here. Yeah, she did an episode here about uh last month before we went away to uh to shoot our film. But now you guys are working together on a film, so it's very cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

I'm producing a new film, uh The Cafe, and I'm very excited about that. We're gonna be filming in a couple months. So yeah, I'm going through that process right now, you know, the pre-production process, that's where we're at right now.

SPEAKER_01 27:14

Super cool, super cool.

SPEAKER_02 27:16

Um, and that's written by Roberto Sanchez, who's like an extremely talented uh actor with a huge presence. You know, you've seen him on a lot of TV shows and films. Uh, and um, and part of the reason that I decided to produce this is because I loved the script, first and foremost. And I love working, uh, you know, I haven't worked with him in that way, and I like him as a person. So, you know, I'm having a good time working with him and you know, trying to bring this beautiful story to life.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

Very good. Very good. Tell you what I want to do. Uh, Rondo Productions have a nice little program. So um, when you guys begin production, uh Rondor Productions will cover your craft services.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

What?

SPEAKER_01 28:01

Right?

SPEAKER_02 28:02

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 28:03

That's it.

SPEAKER_02 28:05

Wow, look at him. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

You tell Roberto Sanchez that you know, again, I'm a I'm a fan and I'm a supporter. Uh we'll cover crafties.

SPEAKER_02 28:12

That's really nice. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

I'm a great guy.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

He is a great guy, he's very supportive, you know.

SPEAKER_01 28:18

Um, let's get into your web series and the three bilinguals and bros. I uh that's honestly the first really work that I saw from you.

SPEAKER_02 28:27

Yeah. Tell me about that. Yeah. Well, first of all, what did you think about it?

SPEAKER_01 28:31

It was funny. Yeah. It was super funny. Yeah. It seemed to me that that, especially coming from the same world of indie, I see, I'm like, wow, that's good. You know, I wish somebody gave them money. You know, like I have all these ideas and I fund a lot of stuff. Yeah. And I have a lot of people that say, Oh, yeah, I'm interested. I want to produce, I want this, I want to do that. And then I'm like, okay, well, you came to me, you know, but you want to, oh, that's a bad time. You know what I mean? Yeah. You always get all these different excuses from people, you know, that that they want to get involved, and then when you come to them and say, okay, let's go, they don't do it. So I kind of felt like those two um would just they were gems and they they just should have had funding. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:08

Right?

SPEAKER_01 29:08

You feel the same way?

SPEAKER_02 29:09

Well, yeah, I mean, again, that's like the hard, that's the hard part, right? Trying to get funding. Uh, the three bilinguals was really like the the the project that I did that I wanted to make into a feature film, and then it started being pitched as a TV show, which you know, that is a harder thing to get out, you know. Uh, but um, but yeah, it's like if I could like have a lot of money and I could make like a movie like every so often, I would. And if I had a lot of money, I would also give money to other people, to filmmakers like you and other people, you know, to also make their movies, you know, because uh we were talking about this as well. And and this is something that I like to say every single time I have an event, you know. Uh now, especially the industry is in a very interesting place. But indie filmmaking is never gonna die. You know, we bring new stories to life. People, the audience, love original stories. Clearly, they love it. You know, look at Sinners, right? They love original storytelling. Uh studios should make more of those and give more opportunities to like more of these indie independent filmmakers that show that they are able to tell great stories and and bring those projects to life. Uh, but the indie world and film festivals will never die.

SPEAKER_01 30:30

No, it's it's a it's a I think it was a subculture and now it's a culture.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

Because it used to be a subculture because there were like the big stars and the big movies, and and you know, they would then it was down here, the the indie, the indie world, you know. Yeah, and now it's really prominent. You know, there's way too many festivals. Yeah, so many, right? Yeah, but um listen, everybody's just trying to get their product out there. Everybody's just trying to be noticed and trying to be seen. And I tell like my friends, again, I said this last time, just make something you can afford and submit to festivals and and make contacts. That's all you could do.

SPEAKER_02 31:01

And and and talking about fest festivals, I just want to throw it out there. There are a lot of film festivals. I like to tell filmmakers, you know, sometimes filmmakers they get to post-production and they don't have enough money for post-production. But when you are fundraising, don't forget to also have enough money, not just for post-production, but for film festivals, because there's fees to submit to film festivals. And as you know, you're gonna be submitting to a lot of different film festivals, and you're not gonna get in in a lot of festivals, but your your movie will end up in some of those film festivals, right? You also don't want to submit to every single film festival. You want to kind of see what your movie is about, the tone, the style, and kind of like learn about the different film festivals and and and your and and kind of like be selective. Oh, okay, this film festival fits the style of movie that I'm making, you know? So you kind of like want to see that too. And also money for marketing, right? That's like the the biggest thing because you want to get it uh eyes out there, you want to get it out there as much as possible.

SPEAKER_01 32:01

Um, what I did with Flux, I I did I started off saying to myself, I'm not gonna join a lot of film festivals, but then I want to see how it would be received.

SPEAKER_02 32:09

Right.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

So I started submitting overseas, that's submitting, you know, everything national. And you know, Flux kicked ass. It really did. Um I'm gonna take a different approach now. Um with uh with our second film that we just wrapped. Um my my producer on this show, Manny Cabo, and uh uh Pop Films. That's that's the guy's a P M PA. Uh Lord's Valley is our second film. So yeah, I'm gonna let him take the reins on it, you know, let him make those choices. Um but I think we're gonna pull the reins back a little on all the festivals and just do do festivals that are more towards our genre for that, for that fact. I think that's a better approach. I think so. But that's that's uh that's the plan for that. I think, but uh, I guess at the end at the end of the day, uh uh Christian Passine will make that make that call. So the next thing I want to talk about is uh a film that you wrote, and uh you had asked me to this is again, you know, I just saw I was like working behind the scenes for you real quick. You had written something called Finding Abuela and um you needed uh a couple of actors. So I was like, yeah, I know a few. And that's we we got I was DJing, remember? I was DJing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

And I was looking for very specific actors for that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:12

So I went into my into my purse and I came up with a few actors for you. And how'd you feel about that? Like uh how how'd you start with that process of of finding abuela? And from what I understand, you now you've renamed it.

SPEAKER_02 33:22

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:23

Tell me about it.

SPEAKER_02 33:24

So uh that was the project that I started developing with the University of London because partly takes it partly takes place in the States and in the UK. Um, and it started with Finding Abuela, right? That was the the working title. Uh right now the name is of the of the story is the name of the lead character, which is Clara Costa, right? I'm still developing it, but at that time, um I wrote it into a feature when I was doing it as a screenplay, right? Uh and I think it's very important when you write something to kind of hear it out loud, because as a writer, you're like in your world and you're like listening to these characters, you know, inside of you. But when you have actors bring your story to life, that's really when, like, okay, you know, this feels real now. And then you're like, oh, you know what? I could change this, I could add this, I could do this and that. So you need actors. I think act, you know, that I think every writer should always hear their projects out loud as they're developing them. And for this one in particular, there were certain actors that I needed for certain roles. And I we were talking, and I'm like, you know, I'm looking for this, that, if you know. And then you did bring some of these actors, and we did online, because I had actors in LA in New York, I probably even abroad, I think, you know, like actors everywhere. And uh they were all kind enough to like join me online and do this reading so I could hear it, the the story being played out loud. Yeah, that was fun. Yeah, that was great.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

That was fun. Um the the I guess the final thing we'll get into is something that you just started. Um, again, it the the last thing is the make al.

SPEAKER_02 35:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

Um, so I have it here. I have my little cue cards. The oracle cards, yes, affirmation cards, yes, wellness, culture, and film.

SPEAKER_02 35:15

Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 35:17

So I you showed me this last night, and I thought it was super dope. And I think it's a good, great thing. Well, I think it's a great thing to close on. Yes, I think so. So so this is again for the camera, tell me what this is about.

SPEAKER_02 35:29

Okay, so you know, uh going through my personal healing process, um, I was looking at a lot of affirmation cards, oracle cards, and kind of like looking at the paint, the drawings, and seeing how they affected me and and reading the words of inspiration that came out of it. And as I was doing that, uh, I'm like, you know, it would be cool since I'm so much about the American Latino voice and I speak two languages. It would be cool if I if there were bilingual cards, like both in English and Spanish, right? And I couldn't really find those. Uh, and so I'm like, well, you know what? Let me start like, let me write some bilingual cards. And then I'm like, that you know what would be even cool? Like if I write it with my personality, I put a little wit into it, you know, and and some inspiration and wit, you know, into it. And that could be like uh, you know, inspiring also and and fun in a way, you know. And I started it and I to do it for myself, right? And then I started sharing it with friends, and they're like, oh my gosh, you should share this with everybody, you know, because this is inspiring. It's fun. But what I found, especially nowadays, that people don't know how to communicate a lot just because there's, you know, social media, texting after like the pandemic. And I found that the cards were a way of like when I connect with someone, they look at it and they tell you how they resonate, how the card resonates with them in that moment. And it's a form of storytelling. It's the story that you're telling yourself, right? So it's another form of storytelling. So I started this thing called make out wellness this part of the wellness culture, because I'm also talking about culture, about the American Latino voice, and then films, of course, because that's where I come from, right? Uh so I did uh these really cool affirmation cards. These are hoops and healing uh affirmations for the soul with sabor. And pretty much it's like uh they're bilingual. So there's inside the hoops, all the hoops are kind of like different. There's uh the the words, the affirmation words, confidence, confianza, you see. And then you turn it around and there's a saying, confidence is seasoning. Some days it's garlic, other days it's hot sauce. Either way, it leaves a taste they don't forget. So, you know, fun and witty sayings that are like inspirational. So, you know, the way that I do it's like go shuffle the cards and like let's see what comes out and what words you want to reflect on for the day. It's a great way to start your morning, you know, or even like maybe before bed, you know, like what am I gonna sleep on, you know? Uh so yeah, so these are the affirmation cards. And then I did some oracle cards as well. I started off actually with this one, the Oracle of Clarity and Cheesement, because through the healing process, I wanted to connect with my inner voice, you know. Cheese been this sense is your, you know, the little voice inside of you that talks to you. Uh, and so this one also, you know, uh has positive, you know, um affirmations and and let me get one.

SPEAKER_01 38:35

Let me get that one.

SPEAKER_02 38:37

This is all right. Why don't we do this? You I also did this one, inner work looks good on you, bro. You'll do inner work looks good on you, bro. And I'll do this one, the Oracle of Clarity and Cheesement. I'll pull out one and I'll read a same. And this one that I pulled out says self-love, amor propio. Uh, let's see. You can't you can't pour from an empty cup, especially if it's chipped, borrowed, or hasn't had cafecito yet. Um it's hard for me to read like this. Uh stop waiting for eternal validation to feel worthy. Self-love is not selfish, it's sacred. Treat yourself like treat yourself like the love story you've been looking for. So that's mine.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

I like that. I'm gonna read this to my producer, Manny. Manny inner work looks good on you, bro. Created by the make out. And this is this is super, super uh uh, it really is because you wake me up every morning grounding when you stay at my house and it makes me fucking crazy. But it starts off stay grounded, not wilding, bro. Almost pies knowing las nubes, bro. You're out here chasing vibes, signs, and wi-fi at the same time. But have you touched grass today, bro? This really applies to you, bro. Stay grounded. Staying grounded isn't boring, it's boss mode. It's I meditate and I pay my bills, energy. Root down, chill out, and stop levitating on empty. Your peace comes with traction. Peace. You heard it here from the May Cal. Maylin May My Lin Cal.

SPEAKER_02 40:35

You can follow me on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube at at the underscore May Cal M-A-Y-C-A-L for more wellness culture and films.

SPEAKER_01 40:46

I love these. You should go on Shark Tank with these and get these mass-produced.

SPEAKER_02 40:49

Right.

SPEAKER_01 40:51

They're awesome. I think it's awesome. Um, Myling, thank you for coming. You're an awesome guest, you're an awesome friend.

SPEAKER_02 40:58

Muchas gracias for having me.

SPEAKER_01 41:01

Yeah, I I I I've said it before to you, you're doing God's work. You're out there and you know, you're bringing you shining a light on all of us, and and it's always a positive light.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 41:11

And we and I am eternally grateful to you for all that. Um anyway.

SPEAKER_02 41:17

And I'm I'm grateful that I have such an amazing friend sitting next to me, you know, and and that and that we've gotten to know each other throughout the years now. And and I've also gotten to see your work, you know, you're very talented as well.

SPEAKER_01 41:29

So I would say I'm giving you a little love there too. Yes, yes. Manny says, Yes, my producer is Manny Cowboy, by the way. The voice, Manny Cowboys Cowboy. He says you have the same smile of uh Julie Louise Dreyfus.

SPEAKER_02 41:52

Oh, really? Yes, I see it.

SPEAKER_01 41:53

You know what? I never noticed it, and until Manny he's in my ear, he's like, she's like, that's a smile. He's whispering sweet nuttings to me. So but um thanks, man. It's infectious. It's infectious, yeah, yeah. Um but yes, uh, this is Chateau about Wow, the doghouse. And we are again super happy to have you here. Good afternoon. Oh, you're awesome. Um, you have a day off tomorrow to just chill before we kick you out. So what's your uh what's your closing uh your closing argument?

SPEAKER_02 42:21

My for my day off? No, just for in general, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:25

Your closing argument.

SPEAKER_02 42:26

Yeah, you know what? Uh stay present. Uh love yourself, give yourself self-love, tell yourself those great stories, and uh don't give up on your dreams, you know. Uh that's your happiness. Keep going and telling your stories.

SPEAKER_01 42:41

All right. What's your handles?

SPEAKER_02 42:44

At the T-H-E underscore makeal, M-A-Y-C-A-L. That's for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Um, yeah, I think that's it. I don't know. And then for Latino Filmmakers Network at Latino Filmmakers.

SPEAKER_01 43:02

That's the big one. Yeah. That's the big one. Man, thanks a lot for coming. Thank you for having me. You're truly a gem, and I appreciate you.

SPEAKER_02 43:10

Uh, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 43:11

Thanks again for joining us here at Chateau Bowau. I am your host, Halaldo Jose Uscateggi. And uh my uh my producer is Manny The Voice Cabo. He's out in Nashville right now, being a star, but he's able to log in with us uh you know remotely. So I thank him for that as well. So thank you for tuning in. Good night. Peace, y'all. Peace. Stay blessed.