'Palante' A Cuban Film by Wes

----Campaign was funded---

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO DONATED!

Any extra donations will go toward applying for film festival distribution! 

A few weeks ago I was blessed to have been selected to be 1 of 50 filmmakers worldwide to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enroll in a master class taught by filmmaking legend, Werner Herzog in Cuba. 

For those of you who don't know me, My name is Wesley Rodriguez, a Cuban-American filmmaker who was raised in Florida and moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue my ultimate dream of becoming a filmmaker. I received my Masters in Film & Television Production from the University of Southern California, the best film school in the world, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

But I still have so much to learn. 

As a Cuban-American raised in the U.S., it has always been a dream of mine to go to Cuba since I was very little. This is one of the best opportunities to see Cuba in a different light, with my camera by my side and a story to tell. 

This is the next step in my career and yet another chapter in my life and I need YOUR help. 

This is where your money will go to. 

Werner Herzog Workshop Tuition - $4505 
 
Included in the fees are the following: 
- Actors Fees
- Film Permissions
-Accommodation Facilities for 12 Days
- Three Meals Per Day for 12 Days 
- Transportation Costs
-Masterclass given by Werner Herzog on Mar. 11

Visa and Air Travel Fees  ~$450

During the workshop I will be making a film and supervised by Werner himself. Currently titled, "Amor Extranjero" or Stranger Love, takes the journey of young Cuban girl falling in love with an American in Havana, Cuba with dreams of moving to America.  It is a tale of modern love in a city that has been closed off to the rest of the world. 

CO-WRITER, MAGGY TORRES-RODRIGUEZ

Maggy Torres-Rodriguez is a screenwriter from Miami, FL born to Cuban parents who insisted they receive fifty/fifty credit on her creation.... hence the hyphenated last name. Knowing she wanted to be Guillermo del Toro since she was eight years old, filmmaking was always the target, and writing the weapon of choice.

Maggy studied Film Production and Directing at the University of Miami and had a fairly successful run down the film festival route -- premiering shorts at the Miami International Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival in France. She then went on to get her Masters in Screenwriting from USC where her scripts landed quarter finalist positions at both the Austin Film Festival and International PAGE Awards.


The key to fancy Hollywood accolades, you ask? A cafe con leche and pan con mantequilla every morning.

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$5000 is the minimum I need to be able to go, the more I raise the better the film I make can be.  I already own the necessary equipment to make this film. (4k Camera, editing software, sound equipment, etc.) Extra funds would go to renting gear such as a MoVI M5, a stablizing rig and more. 

Thank you for your time! 

Con mucho amor,

Wes

More info about the program:
Black Factory Cinema Master Class with Werner Herzog 

You can view my previous work here: 
www.wesleyrodriguez.com