All about the film!

El Baile





Director's Statement



I decided to make this film in honor of all survivors of sexual abuse. Because my background is in documentaries and theater, I refused to constrict my shoot by the use of tripods that would have restricted and invaded my actors' performance in such a serious subject matter.



Following my Dogma L.A. style (as I have in my previous films), we followed our instinct and tried to utilize whatever resources we had to our advantage. My actors volunteered and gave so much for so little that I can't be anything but immensely grateful. Our locations were donated, invaded, or found accidentally altogether. I believe there are no barriers if there is a message you want to tell. With a small crew, I could get a lot accomplished, although we had to simplify the story to make it understand the protagonist's state of mind.



I love the freedom that digital video offers you of capturing the location's atmosphere without interruptions. But more than anything I love the freedom, to shoot as many scenes required in all sorts of lighting conditions. Having worked with both film and video, I would have to say that my generation of filmmakers have it made. There is no excuse not to make a film if you have a story, especially if it is a meaningful one!



Production Info:



The story was written by Yazmin Ortiz. This is Yazmin's fourth dramatic short and thirteen film. The original casting as well as the preparation for the film was done online with a Production Manager in New York and a Production Coordinator in Washington, D.C. The movie was shot entirely in digital format utilizing a 3-chip camera.



The film was shot on location in Los Angeles, California over a one week period with 5 9-5 shooting days. The film is a short version of the longer version, currently in development.



El Baile's Cast



Lizette Silvers Little Emmanuelle

Yazmin Ortiz Big Emmanuelle

Juan Talavera Doctor Luca

Sherry McKenzie Carmin

Bobbie Solokov Boyfriend

Maisey Maizer Veronica

Piano Teacher Sergio Zenteno

Piano Students Freddy Garcia & Jesus Guerrero

Receptionist Samantha Anderson



El Baile's Crew



Director Yazmin Ortiz

Producer Yazmin Ortiz

Writer Yazmin Ortiz

D.P. Yazmin Ortiz

UPM Shantale Maurice

Production Coordinator Tequika Smalls

First Asst Director Freddy Garcia

Second Asst Director Jesus Guerrero

Editor Yazmin Ortiz & Navid Peykar

Camera Operators Freddy Garcia, Yazmin Ortiz, Navid Peykar Sound Navid Peykar

Gaffer Robert Aldrich

Post Sound, EFX Yazmin Ortiz & Navid Peykar

Titles Yazmin Ortiz

Music Jeffrey Gund, Bobbie Solokov, Armand Arnazi, Pedro Aragon



Acknowledgments:



Vaughn Obern

Jonathan Kuntz

Arnie Anderson

Tom Stemple

Bruce Cook

Joni Varner

Tristan Whitman

Dan Neira/Cineiro Productions

Open Stage Theater

Sherry McKenzie



Yazmin Ortiz's Projects:



A Mother's Cry

The Road to Oscar

L. A. Poverty Department

Global Children Organization

At the Commercial

At the Convention

The Corporacion

The Joke

Jamaican Market Women

My Encounter

Calling God

Mi Vida Con Danny

El Baile

Just Another Skateboarder

Seeing Sarah




Director's Biography



The daughter of 2 accountants, Yazmin was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on a December 17 where she grew up with her divorced mother in an underprivileged household.



As a young girl she began her career as a dancer at age 5 and transitioned to drama by making her debut at age 14 in the musical Cancion de Primavera en Invierno. She acquired her interest for movies from her mother who would religiously take her to the hometown theater every Sunday to watch the 2 show Sunday matinee special. Her interest shifted to study Spanish Classical Theater with San Juan's most renowned acting teacher, Victoria Espinoza at Compania de Variedades Artisticas. She then graduated from the University of the Sacred Heart, UCLA, LACC and California State University, Northridge with degrees in Communication Studies, Literature and Cinema Production.



Upon graduation from UCLA, she worked at a television station, producing television programs, infomercials, commercials as well as learning to be a broadcasting executive - job that will lead her to work at one of the networks and subsequently at a motion picture major studio.



As a performer she worked in many motion pictures with directors like Walter Hill, Michael Mann, Mike Figgis, Graeme Clifford and many more, as well as stars like Richard Gere, Liam Neeson and Andy McDowell. She was also a featured dancer in the syndicated television show Soul Train.



But the highlight of her theatrical career came when renowned director Franco Zeffirelli hand-picked her out of 100 actresses/singers to play the part of the symbolic bride in the L.A. Opera production of Pagliacci with Placido Domingo.



Yazmin has received many prestigious awards such as the 2000 Lucy Award from Women In Film presented to the top emerging filmmakers throughout the U.S. for their promise in the industry, the Latin Business Association Fellowship, the Leadership in Business Award, Frank Chin Award and the UCLA Professor of Military Science's Superior Achievement Award.



She was also one of two Cinema graduate students selected by the VicePresident of Cal State, Northridge to represent the Cinema Department at the their Annual Student Research Symposium and presented her thesis "Dogma L.A., the New Wave of New Millennium Filmmaking" - a study of new digital technologies and options for filmmakers.



Her films have participated in film festivals like the Berlin Film Festival, the Pan African Film Festival and the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. In a nationwide search for latino artists, she was selected to attend the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture Leadership Institute held in San Antonio, Texas. Her script was a finalist in the First Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival Desi Arnaz competition out of a 350 submissions.



Yazmin just finished co-directing and shooting her first High Definition short film and is currently producing her first feature film "Redemption" as well as the political thriller American Contra - the story of the Iran-Contra 1980's affair.



But her biggest honor to date came in 2004, when Yazmin was selected by the Berlin Film Festival to attend its prestigious Berlinale Talent Campus out of 3600 filmmakers worldwide where she was permanently inducted in their webpage as a promising upcoming filmmaker.



Last Summer, she was also inducted into Phi Beta Delta, the honor society of international scholars to which Colin Powell also belongs.



Yazmin speaking engagements brought her to NALAC's Annual Conference in Kansas City last October, as well as the ITEA's Annual Conference in January 2005 where she spoke about new technologies for independent filmmakers.

Yazmin Ortiz in El Baile