Join us this Wednesday, October 29th for a special Fall Industry Mixer and meet some heavy hitters in the industry.

Katra Film Series will be hosting different events throughout the year to connect actors, writers, producers, directors, casting directors, et al, with likeminded industry professionals.

Launched in 2012, Katra Film Series has connected countless people in the entertainment industry. Some of our sponsors include Everyone Matters, Rhino Films, Seed&Spark, Bright Ideas, Carpingo AllCar Rent A Car, Filmmaker Magazine, Museum of the Moving Image, Project Catalyst, 30under30 Film Festival NYC, Rated SR Socially Relevant Film Festival New York, Film Interchange and more.

SQUADUP

Featured Industry Guests:

Student Academy Awards Winner TAL S. SHAMIR Ph.D. has experience and achievements in both film/media production and theory. His production experience includes creating and commanding the Video Team in the Navy; working as a production coordinator in Hollywood; creating and producing RUFF CUTS The New School’s Media Studies department central and established ongoing screening events; writing a Ph.D. dissertation (awarded Suma Cum Laude) on how cinema offers a new platform for philosophical thinking, to directing, video shooting and editing dozens media and films projects. Tal’s recent films and exhibitions were presented in a wide range of film festivals, galleries, museums and won many awards including the 2011 Student Academy Awards (Gold Medal).

JUAN CACERES is an independent multi-media producer whose latest credit is ‘Elliot Loves’, an award winning feature film that was released through TLA and can be seen exclusively on HBO Latino as of July 2013. He served as an associate producer on ‘Emoticon’, a feature film that just made its festival debut and set for release in 2014. Juan’s greatest pride is being a founding member and Director of Programming for the HBO New York International Latino International Film Festival where he also produced trailers and promotional videos. He is also a programming associate for Tribeca All Access, an initiative of the Tribeca Film Festival that aids and supports underserved minorities in the film industry. He has recently started subjecting his filmmaker friends to his craziness in his blog ‘LatinoBuzz’ on IndieWIRE.com, the leading source for independent-minded filmmakers, the industry and moviegoers alike where he covers Latino indies in a weekly column.

MARLENE RHEIN graduated from Ithaca College’s Film Department with a Rod Serling Screenwriting scholarship. Since then, she has directed over fifty music videos, including hip hop legend 2Pac Shakur’s last, the humorous ‘F-Me Pumps’ video for Amy Winehouse as well as commercials for Diesel, Verizon, and Avaya Communications. Her self-starring, Cindy Sherman-esque short film, Let Me Tell You A Story won several Audience Awards at film festivals nationwide in 2000, as well as the BEST ACTRESS AWARD at the Long Island International Film Festival. She was subsequently chosen for Filmmaker Magazine’s “TOP 25 NEW FACES OF INDEPENDENT FILM.” She was selected as an Independent Feature Project “Project Involve” Fellow in 2005 and an “Emerging Narrative Director Lab” Fellow in 2006. She has written two off-off-Broadway plays that were performed at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre; Telling Yourself It Doesn’t Matter in 2005 and Customer Service in 2006. Marlene’s first feature film, THE BIG SHOT-CALLER, a story inspired by her younger brother’s vision disability and his extraordinary passion for Salsa dancing, opened theatrically at The Quad Cinema in New York City in May 2009 and is now available on DVD from distributor Vanguard Cinema. It received four stars from film critic Kam Williams, who called it an “absolutely appealing little gem of an indie, which marks the impressive writing, directing, and acting debut of Marlene Rhein.” Stephen Holden of the New York Times called it “authentic.”

Marlene currently resides in New York City, where she continues to direct music videos, commercials, films and her comedy YouTube series “My Parents are Crazier than Yours” and “Angry Gladys.” She recently wrapped production on her new web series, “I Don’t Care About the Assholes, With Dr. Rita Gatswani.”

See videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/MsGrooveChic

GEOFFREY GUERRERO is an award-winning writer, director, producer. He was selected as a finalist for the 2006 Film Your Issue National Film Competition for his provocative short “Here to Stay,” where the Jurors included Walter Cronkite, Brian Williams, then Senator Barack Obama, George Clooney, and others. In 2007 he guest-directed a short film called “Rewind” and won Best Short Film “On The Edge” Award at the 2007 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival. His original short film “The New McCarthyism,” which he wrote, directed, produced and acted was an Official Selection at the 2007 Long Island Latino International Film Festival. In 2008, his short film “Baile (Dance)” won the Best Short Film “Fruit of the Vine” award at the Vine Shorts Film Festival in Santa Monica, CA and also screened at the 2009 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival and 2009 Babelgum Online International Film Festival as an Official Selection. Guerrero’s latest film “J-1” premiered at the 2013 Coney Island Film Festival, was an Official Selection at the 2014 Rated SR Socially Relevant Film Festival, 2014 Palm Beach International Film Festival and made its European Premiere at the 2014 Let’s All Be Free Film Festival in Brixton, London and recently screened at the Oscar-qualifying 18th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival.

In June 2012, Guerrero launched the Katra Film Series – a monthly festival showcasing short content by emerging and award-winning Filmmakers. In partnership with Everyone Matters and Rhino Films the 2013 Grand Prize Winner was awarded a one-on-one meeting with acclaimed Producer Stephen Nemeth from the Academy-Award Nominated The Sessions and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

SEBASTIAN REA is an award-winning writer, director, producer. His first short film (Early Morning Nostalgia) garnered him the Smithsonian Institute’s Latino Artist Award in 2007. His next film, a short documentary (No LEGAL Child Left Behind) was picked up by the Associated Press from the MYSPACE Film Your Issues contest in 2009.

Sebastian has a Bachelors of Arts in Film and Political Science from SUNY Purchase College, where he also founded TheLONGTAKE, Purchase’s first cinema journal. In 2011, he wrote, directed, produced, and edited his next short, Afectación, in Madrid, Spain, which won the Best Acting award at the 2012 Columbia University National Undergrad Film Festival. While in Spain he also shot a behind the scenes feature for Marea, a Spanish rock group produced by Bajocero Produciones, LUPANAR: Making of Marea.

His first feature film, and college thesis project, LONE PROPHET, won the Best Feature Film Director award at the 2013 Phenom Film Festival in Louisiana. It was also part of the Official Selection at the 2013 Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City, NJ, and the 2014 Queens World Film Festival, where he won the Emerging Filmmaker award for LONE PROPHET. This film is also being screened as educational supplemental material at select universities nation wide.

In December 2013, Sebastian founded the 30UNDER30 FILM FESTIVAL, which celebrates 30 films from filmmakers under 30 years old. He is an active member of the Latino Film Summit, an organization empowering the community with resources and networking opportunities for filmmakers. He also mentors a student part of the Tribeca Film Institute’s film fellows program. Sebastian is also the Content Operations Manager for Tribeca Enterprises since 2012.

FERNANDO CUESTAS is a New York based filmmaker and photographer. With over fifteen years of experience, he has worked on award winning independent films (both short and feature length) and in high fashion photography with such companies as Conde Nast China, Cirque Du Soleil, Apple Bottom Jeans, Hush Hush Entertainment, GQ Taiwan, and Vogue Taiwan. He has also provided casting and auditioning services for a variety of projects and in the process developed a great respect for anyone who puts him or herself in the spotlight. A native New Yorker, Fernando grew up in Queens and is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts.

Katra
217 Bowery btw. Rivington & Prince St.
New York, NY 10002
$7 advance tickets
$10 cash door cover
(includes 2 for 1 mixed drink specials, $5 beers, $6 wine)