EFRAIN CORTES
 EFRAIN CORTES
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
North Hollywood, CA Your script or media entry stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your project ? Citizanos was originally inspired by Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th, in which she powerfully reveals how the policies and public opinion surrounding criminality and migration are curated by the for-profit prison and detention center lobby. A lobby that represents companies that make upwards of $68,000 per detainee per year. As I watched the images of families ripped apart essentially for profit, I felt as if a world of second class citizens - Citizanos was frighteningly within reach. I wanted to create a space that spoke to the consequences of these policies on people and culture. Where one culture suffers the loss of culture while the other suffers cultural decadence. The Torres and Creswell families give us a glimpse of both sides of this dichotomy. How long did it take you to write your script...and what was your development process? I started writing this version of the script five years ago. However, it wasn’t a straight-line to the finish. It’s a heavy topic and living in the world took its toll. Also, I wrote different versions of the pilot from different perspectives within the world. The concept and world is so big, I had to open it up and feel all around it. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer or filmmaker? As a writer and filmmaker my ultimate ambition is to create stories that great artists, and actors genuinely want to lend their talents. I want to help them elevate the material and witness the magic of the crafts working at a high level. Although I love sci-fi and speculative fiction because the lend themselves to big stories, I love small stories with big characters as well. I want to tell stories that help us grapple with the everyday struggle of being human in an inhumane world. And I want to tell them from my diverse Puerto Rican perspective. Which film directors or screenwriters inspire you? Why? Denis Villeneuve - he tells the biggest stories today. They’re layered so well. He’s both simple and mystical, often saying many different things at the same time. He layers stories within stories that go totally unresolved and they work. He masterfully dances around timelines and in and out of personal imaginations which leaves us wondering if we’re not dreaming ourselves. I’m embarrassed to say how many times I’ve watched his movies. Alfonso Cuarón - also big stories well grounded. I never get tired of Children of Men which was one of the references in crafting the world of Citizanos. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? Although I don’t have an “all-time favorite,” right now, Dune 2 is my favorite movie. There’s so many layers at work from the mystical, esoteric stuff to boy-meets-girl love. And no matter how big the movie gets Villeneuve consistently reminds us how this is about families, vengeance, and love. I also love it because it’s amazingly diverse, which gives it a worldly feel that lends to it feeling so epic. I’m embarrassed to say how many times I’ve watched it. And I think television can’t get much better than Game of Thrones for a lot of the same reasons. Again, large in scope, but simple and primordial in subject. Also, so much from a mystical, esoteric perspective but really all about love and family as well. What advice do you have for others hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Thinking is not writing. Slow down. Let it breath. And just keep writing, you haven’t gotten to the good stuff yet. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? Boogie Down Knights, a South Bronx bodega owner, Manito Rivera, hustles and grinds to keep his family’s corner-store dream alive until a large casino moves in and threatens to muscle him out. It’s a family drama with high stakes set within the rich cultural tapestry of New York City. Manito a former gangster, now bodega owner and little league coach threads the needle between good and bad every day to keep his bodega open and his family alive. There’s no future without his place and when a casino tries to buy him out, he refuses, and sets off a long war for control of his barrio. Where can the world find you? (Website, IMDB, etc.) You can find me at efraincortes.com . Or email me at [email protected]. My IMDB is: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2569364/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk |
