Help us finish "Playing Sam"

I have grown tired of walking out of movie theaters asking, ‘where are the earnest portrayals of people that look like me?’

My name is Ramon Pesante, and I lead a close-knit team of Black and Latinx creatives working on completing our first feature film, 'Playing Sam', starring Jenni Ruiza and Marc Reign. The film explores the authentic experience of Latinx actors in New York City.

I was inspired to make this film through my mother's experience as an Afro-Latina actor in the 80s, where she was judged for her ethnicity and not her acting abilities.

I feel it’s my responsibility as a storyteller to cover this topic because I was once a child actor who auditioned for roles that poorly portrayed my ethnicity.

(Abused child, orphan, etc.)

Today, many of my colleagues still endure the humiliation of portraying the go-to Latinx stereotypes, like the housekeeper or the criminal. So I decided to invest in my fellow artist and present them as who they are. I hope to show Hollywood and mainstream media that they deserve a fair chance as authentic performers.

I am raising funds to complete the film in post-production. That includes color correction, sound design, sound mixing, and music.

Join us by contributing to help complete the movie. We are excited for you to see such an ambitious film.