“Brownsville Bred will make its world premiere at SXSW 2022 in the episodic competition. It is based on a true story, adapted from an awarded one-woman stage play and young adult novel. Set in 1980’s Brownsville, Brooklyn NY, a spunky Latina must find her own path as she comes of age to face the grim realities of the deteriorating neighborhood she calls home and the musician father she once idolized.” — Filmmaker Elaine Del Valle on BROWNSVILLE BRED which is showing at SxSW 2022.
Welcome to SxSW and congratulations! Is this your first SxSW experience?
This is my first SXSW experience. I can’t wait to be there and enjoy everything it has to offer. Moreover, we are a WarnerMedia 150 project and we will be having an after premiere party, where cast and crew will be on hand to mix and mingle. Most of our cast will be on-hand at the event, including our leads Javier Muñoz, who played Hamilton on Broadway, and nine year old Summer Rose Castillo who plays the title character in PBS Kids’ ALMA’S WAY).
How did you first hear about SxSW and wishing to send your project into the festival?
I first heard about SXSW when I had read about Lena Dunham playing there and getting her shot. It became my aim to be an accepted filmmaker ever since.
Tell me about the idea behind your project and getting it made!
As an indie filmmaker who always had to finance her own projects, I knew I’d have to think outside of the box to advance my career and realize BROWNSVILLE BRED, my most intimate story onto the big screen. When I received a grant from WarnerMedia 150 I knew exactly how I would use it. While most WarnerMedia 150 grants are used to create a proof-of-concept, I rethought my feature film screenplay into four acts. The first of which could be seen as a pilot. Each act could be filmed as a stand-alone production and allow me to afford to produce the whole over time. I’d hoped that my finished first act would attract completion funds. BROWNSVILLE BRED is my true coming-of-age story, adapted from my awarded one-woman stage play and novel of the same name.
I liken my film and production plan to other coming-of-age dramas told in vignettes, including the feature films BOYHOOD, LOVE & BASKETBALL, LIFE ITSELF and the television series LOVE LIFE. In 2021, I combined my WarnerMedia 150 grant money with funds I’d raised through a fiscal sponsor to produce my first act as an episodic pilot. We are one of only six pilots in competition at SXSW.
Who are some of your creative inspirations? Any particular filmmaking talent or movie that inspired you for this project?
Amongst many others, I really admire Ava Duvernay, Mindy Kaling and Eva Longoria; all are women of color making a change in the narrative of film and television.
How did you put this together from a technical viewpoint? What sort of cameras/lenses did you use and/or did you have any creative challenges in making it?
My cinematographer, Dustin Ward, and I collaborated for months. We went with the Sony Venice Camera and K35 lenses. The lenses were hardest to get of all…because the camera was a full frame camera, and we wanted a vintage look, we were pretty limited as to what would help us to create that 1980’s feel we were going for. Creative challenges abound as indie filmmakers. We really hoped that we could afford a steadicam but we were not able to afford it. I had also hoped to add virtual effects to our dream sequence but it ended up taking up much of my time in trying to figure out how best we could achieve what we wanted.
If you had one piece of advice to offer someone to get their start as a creator or filmmaker in the industry, what would you suggest?
VISION WITHOUT EXECUTION IS HALLUCINATION. You must do the thing that you want to do, and do the things that you think you cannot do! Start with whatever you have. Grow ready.
And finally, what is your favourite short film of all time?
CHILLY & MILLY; I produced it this year and it was at Sundance 2022!
This film and many others like it will be showing at South By Southwest taking place March 11-20. For more information point your browser to www.sxsw.com!