DEMYTHIFYING LOS ANGELES: RIVER BOTTOM
FREE ONLINE EVENT: May 16 – 22
Robert Diaz LeRoy has always infused his Latinx and Native American (Tohono O’ Odham) culture into the body and soul of his work. He began on stage as a dancer, singer and evolved into a performance artist. Next, Robert attended Cal Arts film school to move his art of storytelling to a higher level. After Cal Arts Diaz LeRoy’s script I’ll Be Home For Christmas won the Hispanic Film Project/Universal Studios award. Later, when he went to teach at a middle school in an impoverished area for six months, he discovered horrific situations many youths endured. To his shock, some were homeless but still attending school. These real stories gave him the inspiration for his next film River Bottom. Since then Diaz LeRoy has made many short films, features, and episodic length projects including Hub City Heroes, Elvis is Alive I Swear I saw Him Eating a Ding Dong, and Countdown 2 Zero. He also works directing commercials, music videos, and TV shows and is currently in post-production for his experimental Latinx horror TV series Dark Gospels.
About the series programmer:
Nicole Ucedo is a filmmaker, educator, and EPFC Co-op member based in Los Angeles. Nicole received her MA from UCLA in Cinema and Media Studies where she researched the films for this program. Nicole hopes to showcase genuine storytelling that helps build and bring community together.
Special support for this program is provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.