Producer/ Director/ Writer
Read some of Hugo's writing.
Hugo Perez is a filmmaker and writer whose work often focuses on his Cuban heritage. He is the recipient of the 2009 Estela Award for Documentary Filmmaking presented by NALIP – the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. In 2008, he was the recipient of the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation/Tribeca Film Institute Emerging Artist Fellowship in support of his feature screenplay IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. In 2008, he was also spotlighted as a success story in the Chivas Regal “Spirit of Success” advertising campaign. Perez’ short film BETTY LA FLACA was the winner of the 2006 HBO/NYILFF Short Film Award and was broadcast on the HBO networks through Fall 2008. Perez previous short film “JULIETA Y RAMON” was broadcast as part of the 2005 Showtime Latino Filmmaker Showcase, which spotlights the work of emerging Latino directors, and was recently re-broadcast on the PBS series REEL NEW YORK. Perez has studied writing with Gabriel Garcia Marquez, collaborated with pulitzer prize-winning novelist William Kennedy, and served as a guest artist for acclaimed theater director and artist Robert Wilson. His writing has been featured in the New York Times Magazine and Salon, and his films have screened at venues such as MoMA and the Smithsonian.
Currently, Perez is currently developing his feature film directorial debut, “IMMACULATE CONCEPTION” a Spanish language dark comedy which re-imagines the Virgin Mary story in Miami’s Little Havana. In addition, he is Producer and Director of “NEITHER MEMORY NOR MAGIC” a feature documentary that explores the life, work, and legacy of the Hungarian poet Miklos Radnoti who died in 1944 during the Holocaust. The film is narrated by the Academy-Award Nominated® Patricia Clarkson and edited by Academy Award Nominated® filmmakers Francisco Bello and Tim Sternberg. Perez is also the Producer and Director of the ITVS funded documentary “SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON” that follows quirky composer and conductor Rob Kapilow and Blackfeet poet Darrell Kipp through the process of creating a symphony about the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803 from the point of view of American Indians today.
Perez was a co-producer and writer on “Dance Cuba: Dreams of Flight,” a feature documentary shot over the course of three years in Cuba on 24pHD which reflects on life in contemporary Cuba through the experiences of dancers and others involved in the Cuban dance world. In conjunction with The New York State Writer’s Institute, WMHT/Albany, and Pulitzer prize-winning novelist William Kennedy, he produced and directed “The Writer” a half hour series of video portraits of contemporary writers and poets that aired regionally on PBS stations. Since creating “The Writer” in Spring of 1997, Perez has produced forty-eight episodes, spotlighting such writers as Russell Banks, Frank McCourt, Jamaica Kincaid, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, David Sedaris, Ken Kesey, Studs Terkel, Chinua Achebe, Andrea Barrett, George Plimpton, and many others. Perez has also produced and directed two short documentaries in Cuba: “The Ecstasy” and “The Old Man and Hemingway” the latter of which has received numerous awards at film festivals in 2004 and was selected as one of nine ‘Outstanding Short Films’ for 2004-2005 by the Museum of Modern Art. Perez currently serves on the board for the New York Council for the Humanities.
ANDREAS WAGNER
Cinematographer
----Coming Soon
FRANCISCO BELLO
Editor
ACADEMY AWARD® nominee Francisco Bello studied at the Cooper Union School of Art, and has worked in the post-production of films by Kevin Smith, Michael Moore, and George Butler among others. His recent editorial work with Hugo Perez includes "Summer Sun Winter Moon" (ITVS), "Neither Memory nor Magic" (2008 Full Frame Film Festival), "Betty la Flaca" (HBO), and "Julieta y Ramon" (Showtime). He launched Ropa Vieja Films LLC in 2007 with "Salim Baba," which he shot and produced in Kolkata, India with director Tim Sternberg. "Salim Baba" has screened at festivals worldwide including Sundance, Telluride, IDFA, and Tribeca, and in 2008 was Nominated for an ACADEMY AWARD® for Best Documentary Short Subject. "Salim Baba" is currently airing as a presentation of HBO Documentary films on Cinemax (USA) as well as Canal Plus (France) and EBS (Korea). He has been awarded fellowships from the PBS/WGBH Producer's Academy, the NALIP Producer's Academy, Tribeca All Access, and a grant from the Urban Artists Initiative. He has taught Final Cut Pro editing and post-production at the Cooper Union and continues to balance his time between freelancing as a producer-editor and developing upcoming projects from Ropa Vieja Films LLC. For more info on Francisco and his work visit, www.rv-films.com
ONEL MULET
Composer
Composer, artist and musician Onel Mulet has performed with a roster of legendary Latin greats including Santos Colon, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez and Celia Cruz as well as internationally renown artists Johnny Pacheco, Bobby Valentin, Ismael Miranda, Larry Harlow, Bobby Cruz, Jose Luis Rodriguez "El Puma", Melton Mustafa, Israel Sardiña of Los Van Van, Arturo Sandoval, Marquiños Moura from Brazil; and from Cuba, Luis Miranda, Malena Burke, Flor De Lotto, Mirta Medina as well as the notable Cuban Troubadour Pedro Luis Ferrer, and NY-based Grammy nominated artist, David Oquendo.
Born and reared in Miami, of Cuban heritage, Onelís musical environment was anchored by the music of his parents, Cuban masters, and richly influenced by the diversity of American music including Motown, funk, old school Rhythm & Blues, classical music and jazz greats, Charlie Bird, Dizzy Gillespie, Paquito DíRivera and John Coltrane. A graduate of the New World School of the Arts in Florida, he played in the award-winning Metro-Dade honors jazz band. This afforded him the opportunity to play live and in-studio with Count Basie trumpeter, Melton Mustafa, as well as Pete Minger from the Duke Ellington band. These early experiences led Onel to begin composing and arranging, as well as mastering the complex and rich horn sections of Cuban music. Today, Onel is a versatile and accomplished flutist, saxophonist, and percussionist.
After having worked for over a decade with successful and established artists, Onel is now adding his voice to the ever-evolving Cuban music scene with a catalog of original songs. Recently, he co-wrote and produced a new album with his Hotel Habana band mates, and scored an award-winning short film "The Old Man and Hemingway" which will be screened at the Smithsonian Institute (April, 2005) and later at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).His latest project, a tango score for the film ìJulieta y Ramonî recently premiered at the NYC international latino film festival. ìJulieta y Ramonî will be screened on Showtime in October of 2005
The Miami native, currently a resident of Brooklyn, New York, continues to tour and perform nationally and internationally at major venues and festivals with Latin mega-stars. In 2003, Onel completed a tour with Virgin recording artist, Albita Rodriguez and can be heard on her most current album "Hecho a Mano."
Onel has reached a pivotal stage in the development of his musical career; one where his mastery of intricate and diverse musical forms seamlessly converge form, line and layer to create an exciting singular talent to watch.