"Sin Salida" an NYU Short Film
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Giselle Bonilla. I'm currently a junior at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts studying Film & TV Production. However, this is only my second semester in this incredibly large, and often intimidating city. I transferred from a community college in my hometown of sunny Los Angeles where I attended school at night and spent my days juggling waitressing, dog walking, and acting in the hopes of saving enough money to be the first in my family to have a college degree. I have worked professionally as an actress since the age of 12, but unfortunately felt my background as a Mexican-American limited my opportunities as an artist.
I grew increasingly frustrated over playing the same roles as cholas, immigrants, and illiterate teenagers Hollywood kept regurgitating from an outsiders' perspective. This frustration became a motivating factor for me to pursue a career in writing and directing in order to broaden the narrow perspective Hollywood has on the vibrant beautiful culture Latinos share. Since starting NYU, my short film "FUEGO" was selected for NYU's Sight & Sound Showcase and DeColores Arts Festival; my documentary "DULCE" has been selected to screen at Fusion Film Festival in March where I will be pitching to production companies in the hopes of making it into a feature film.
Although my family supports my goals as a filmmaker, I am completely financially independent, just kidding: I have several loans under my name that will haunt me for the rest of my life (don't judge; my parents are great, but my school is outrageously expensive). For now, I work as a hostess in the city when I'm not in school writing up ambitious ideas as I eat the brown bananas I bargained the 7/11 clerk to give me for free since I know damn well he's throwing them out anyway (I'll let you all know when I need to make a fundraising page for a medical bill), but I'm not asking for food, well a portion of it will feed my kickass crew; I'm asking you to help me embark on my first major production--"Sin Salida" (meaning 'no exit' in Spanish).
"Sin Salida" is a true passion project I wrote, will direct, and act in, playing the role of "Eva." It's a comedic short film surrounding a young couple, Eva and Richard, living together in a studio apartment in New York City who find themselves locked out of their apartment and held hostage after a misunderstanding with their 87 year old drug dealing landlord, Doña Petra.
We hope to have our goal met by the end of March! Our official shoot dates are April 8-10th of this year! The funds will be used for hiring the needed surveillance for our exterior scene, renting vehicles for both our shoot and transporting equipment in New York, hiring a professional stunt man and double, hiring an on set medic, additional camera equipment not provided by NYU, and of course, supplying my crew with much more sustenance than discolored bananas to keep our creative juices going!! Everyone will be honored as a contributor to our film and the top three contributors will receive Executive Producing credit. Our highest contributor will also be gifted an original painted portrait of Doña Petra from our storyboard artist.
I grew increasingly frustrated over playing the same roles as cholas, immigrants, and illiterate teenagers Hollywood kept regurgitating from an outsiders' perspective. This frustration became a motivating factor for me to pursue a career in writing and directing in order to broaden the narrow perspective Hollywood has on the vibrant beautiful culture Latinos share. Since starting NYU, my short film "FUEGO" was selected for NYU's Sight & Sound Showcase and DeColores Arts Festival; my documentary "DULCE" has been selected to screen at Fusion Film Festival in March where I will be pitching to production companies in the hopes of making it into a feature film.
Although my family supports my goals as a filmmaker, I am completely financially independent, just kidding: I have several loans under my name that will haunt me for the rest of my life (don't judge; my parents are great, but my school is outrageously expensive). For now, I work as a hostess in the city when I'm not in school writing up ambitious ideas as I eat the brown bananas I bargained the 7/11 clerk to give me for free since I know damn well he's throwing them out anyway (I'll let you all know when I need to make a fundraising page for a medical bill), but I'm not asking for food, well a portion of it will feed my kickass crew; I'm asking you to help me embark on my first major production--"Sin Salida" (meaning 'no exit' in Spanish).
"Sin Salida" is a true passion project I wrote, will direct, and act in, playing the role of "Eva." It's a comedic short film surrounding a young couple, Eva and Richard, living together in a studio apartment in New York City who find themselves locked out of their apartment and held hostage after a misunderstanding with their 87 year old drug dealing landlord, Doña Petra.
We hope to have our goal met by the end of March! Our official shoot dates are April 8-10th of this year! The funds will be used for hiring the needed surveillance for our exterior scene, renting vehicles for both our shoot and transporting equipment in New York, hiring a professional stunt man and double, hiring an on set medic, additional camera equipment not provided by NYU, and of course, supplying my crew with much more sustenance than discolored bananas to keep our creative juices going!! Everyone will be honored as a contributor to our film and the top three contributors will receive Executive Producing credit. Our highest contributor will also be gifted an original painted portrait of Doña Petra from our storyboard artist.
Organizer
Giselle Bonilla
Organizer
New York, NY