Cuban Food Stories / Cuba-USA 2018 / 4K / 80” / Teaser
The first feature length documentary about food, society, and culture on the island of Cuba. Over the course of 45 days, we went on a road-trip adventure all around the island to discover the authentic Cuban cuisine. We had unprecedented access to regions that are so remote that you can only get there by raft, horseback, or swimming. Over and over, from the middle of nowhere to the big cities, we found authentic Cuban stories surrounding food. Postproduction was successfully funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Premiered in Kino Berlinale, it has been exhibit at a dozen of Festivals all over the world. cubanfoodstories.com
Counter Space Season 2 / Documentary Series / Produced by Vice Media / New York 2022
Sophia Roe uses food as a lens to explore our changing world. Directed by Rochelle Widdowson & Tiffany McNeil
Big Story - The Gap in Asian-Americans / San Francisco 2022 / 4K / 60” / Produced by CGTN America
Since the pandemic hit, attacks against Asian Americans are on the rise. The special series The Race Gap in the U.S. premieres with an episode exploring the forces behind the racial hatred stoked by politicians, and the very real consequences of those actions. Filmed in and around San Francisco, where around a third of the population is Asian descent. We talked to some of the victims of these attacks and trace back to the origins of this racial animosity with the help of scholars, activists and experts. This vicious circle entered a new phase with the COVID-19 epidemic, getting to the point where some members of the Asian American community grew more fearful of attacks than contagion.
Big Story - The Race Gap in the U.S. African Americans / New York 2022 / 4K / 57” / Produced by CGTN America
New York City has one of the most segregated school systems in the country. This episode of The Race Gap in the U.S. takes a deep dive into the intricacies of a system that has experienced many changes and still managed to stay the same, perpetuating in the process the stark racial inequities that have plagued U.S. society.
The hour-long documentary profiles schools with a lack of resources located in disadvantaged areas with school kids who are often black and from single-parent households in low-income neighborhoods. It shows how this scenario sharply contrasts with schools in more affluent areas where students are from families who can afford private mentoring and training and whose parents have the time needed to navigate the difficult process of getting them accepted into elite, specialized high schools. With some exceptions, the education system has largely failed to deliver on the promise of leveling the playing field for those children who are not born with adequate opportunities.
Talking to Teens in the State that started the SCOTUS lawsuit / Jackson, MS 2022 / 42” / Produced by VICE News
As the country awaits the decision from the Supreme Court on whether the right to abortion care will remain in place in the US, VICE News traveled to Jackson, MS to speak with six teenagers from the area about the debate they are so often left out of.
Transnational Day / Queens, NY 2022 / 9” / Produced by VICE News
There's a growing movement to acknowledge and recognize the killings of trans people. Transnational's Eva Reign looks back at Transgender Day of Remembrance in Queens with Make the Road New York--and how honoring the deaths of fallen trans people is also a painful way of trying to save others from the same fate.
In the Wake of Mourning
Experimental documentary / 8mm / 6.11"
Spoken word written by Tyrese Alleyne-Davis / Directed by Adetoro Makinde
Born with cerebral palsy at 23 weeks, in 2020 Tyrese Allyene-Davis celebrated his 21st birthday alone in his NYU dorm room at the height of the pandemic and outcry for racial justice. Restricted by a wheelchair and isolated with his thoughts, he stumbles upon the documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” by Raoul Peck and the power of James Baldwin. With no one to talk to, Tyrese is moved into verbal tears and pours his visceral feelings into a Facebook audio post -- leaving his followers to reflect upon his present state of being, and the images behind his words. This is the visual amplification of Tyrese's thoughts, awakening his Truth to Power exploration one year later.
Call Me Lucky / Florida 2020 / 4K / 50” / Excerpt Scenes (in development)
Directed by Malena Barrios
Henry Schloss, a young Holocaust survivor who lost every member of his family in the camps, develops the obsession of filming his son once he becomes a father. Inside, however, he struggles with undiagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Documentary Cinematography Reel / 2017
Garage Rendevouz / New York 2017 / 4K / 70” / Trailer
In 2015 the oldest flea market in New York city was permanently closed due to the expired lease of the garage parking where it took place for 25 years. This feature length documentary was shot along 2004 the year before the shutdown. A portrait of a forgotten space and the peculiar characters surrounding it.
Me Japanese / USA 2016 / 45” / Excerpt Scenes
The story of Jose Kozer, one of the foremost Cuban poet of his generation and his search for the truth about his identity as an expatriate. "Identity is a jail" is a phrase that he asserts as he challenges us to also question our own definition of identity. But who is Kozer; is he a literary genius or an outsider finding sanctuary in his daring poems? This project was awarded the 2015 Wavemaker grant sponsored by the Knight Foundation, Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs and the Andy Warhol Foundation with a successfully funded Indiegogo campaign for post production. Recently, we held a public screening of the rough cut by invitation of the Miami Jewish Film Festival.
Raudel / Havana, Cuba 2011 / 11”
Produced by EICTV San Antonio de los Baños / Directed by Orgun Wawa
A portrait of Raudel, the leader and composer for Escuadrón Patriota, a hip hop / rap underground band with strong political statements. Located in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba.
Domingo / Pinar del Rio, Cuba 2010 / 11.5”
Produced by EICTV San Antonio de los Banos / Directed by Zoe Garcia
Experimental documentary reflecting on death. Filmed in Pinar del Rio, Cuba as part of the documentary workshops at EICTV.