pablo proenza

"86ed" goes to Sundance-supported Latino Screenwriting Project

2014-02-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

Exciting news! My next film, "86ed" was selected for the Sundance-supported Latino Screenwriting Project. For more info, please like the project's facebook page or follow us on twitter! Showing your support helps us make the film! Thanks!

Dark Mirror - Now Available in the UK!

2012-08-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

Dark Mirror was released on DVD yesterday in the UK with the extra-bloody cover above. (I find the adjustment to the tagline interesting... grammatically correct? or does it just sound better to Brits this way?)

Either way, check it out!

School Spirits - July 18th

2012-07-11T13:32:00.001-07:00

This spring (only a week after my daughter was born) I went to NY to direct an episode of a new TV series for Syfy called School Spirits.

My episode, #104 Ghostly Girls' School, plays at 10pm on July 18th (next Wednesday) and is about a swim team at the all-girl Sweet Briar College. So, expect college-age ladies in swim suits, showers and beds, being terrified by ghostly visions. I also directed a couple of scenes for tonight's episode (because, let's face it, trying to shoot 1 hr in five days is crazy).

I was lucky to have an incredible cast of not just beautiful, but very smart and talented women. Had a great time and got to work with some fantastic people. I call it my episode, but you can't pull something like this off without a crack team.

So check it out... in 1 week. Afterwards, email/face/tweet me any questions and I'll do my best to answer.

For our Canadian friends, the series is running on @SPACEchannel and premiered on the 4th of July, so by my calculations, episode 104 will play... July 25th. But check local listings.

Home, The In-Between Place

2012-04-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

In which I inadvertently break the law, get caught and love every second of it.

In the prequel to the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, called The Magician's Nephew, the main character finds himself in a forest that is completely still and littered with ponds every few feet. When he jumps into these ponds, he is transported to other worlds. From this forest, he travels to a dying universe, then witnesses the birth of Narnia. This is my favorite place in all the Chronicles of Narnia.

The pond-forest is neither here nor there. It is the space between the places. It represents the unlimited possibilities of place.

Airports are the pond-forest of our world, and for that reason, I love them. Sure, there is a lot of stress and frequent rushing. But there's also a lot of waiting and thinking. Thinking about where you've been and where you're going. And you're EXPECTED to wait. It is a decompression chamber where you prepare to change who you are.

Because the places beyond those portals, they are SO different... and life is so different at each of them... that they change who YOU are.

Seeing how different people live. Getting a bigger picture of the world. People cannot be unchanged by travel.

Of all the airports I have been to in the world, I have spent the most time at Saarinen's TWA terminal at JFK Airport in NY (see my bio for why). This building didn't just provide a resting place between here and your destination; it propelled you into the future.

I hadn't been inside for 20 years. Until Monday.

I am in NY directing an episode for a new TV show for SyFy Network and I found myself waiting for my luggage across the street from this old friend.

I had to find out if I could go inside, so I went to the much promoted "Just Ask" desk and luckily, the woman didn't know. "I think it's a museum now. Try the door. If it's open, it's open." Never have wiser words been uttered.

I found that the two sets of doors that were supposed to keep me out were unlocked. And so went through... and for 15 glorious minutes, I had the building to myself.

I sat on the benches; I crossed the bridge; went up and down stairs... and then security came and kicked me out.

I have been there, and I tell you... It is still a cathedral to the promise of the world. Connecting past and future; far and close; you, and yourself.

It says, "Take a rest. Great things await you."

"Fragments" selected for IFP's Project Forum in NY

2010-08-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce that "Fragments of Secret Love" was selected for the Emerging Narrative category of IFP's film market (dubbed "Independent Film Week"). It will take place in New York in September. Announced in Filmmaker Magazine.

Dark Mirror now on Amazon VOD

2010-04-20T13:54:00.001-07:00

Here's the link: Dark Mirror

Pablo Proenza to direct adaptation of "Fragmentos de Amor Furtivo"

2010-04-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Critically acclaimed filmmaker Pablo Proenza has signed on to direct "Fragmentos de Amor Furtivo" (Fragments of Secret Love) the big screen adaptation of the sensational novel by renowned Latin American author Héctor Abad Faciolince. Proenza will direct "Fragmentos" from a draft he is set to write.

Proenza broke records for IFC Films last year when his supernatural thriller "Dark Mirror" became the best-selling title of their powerful OnDemand brand. "Dark Mirror" was Proenza's feature debut.

Set against the backdrop of Medellín's civil unrest, "Fragmentos de Amor Furtivo" tells the story of Rodrigo, a piano-tuner and former composer, who begins a love affair with Susana, a sensuous swimming instructor who each night -- in a twist on the book "One Thousand and One Nights" -- inflames Rodrigo with tales of her past lovers.

"Fragmentos is an exploration of desire, with thriller elements," says Pablo. "Susana is a mystery and each story is a clue to her past, but it soon becomes clear that there's much more to her than she's letting on."

The Puerto Rico-Colombia co-production is being produced by Laura Duque of One Film Corp and Clara Maria Ochoa of CMO Productions, whose film "Soñar no cuesta nada" was Colombia's official submission for Best Foreign Film for the 2007 Academy Awards. Duque optioned the rights to Fragmentos in 2007.

French Dark Mirror DVD cover

2010-03-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Chanced upon this awesome French DVD cover. Kudos to the designers! I love the "happy accident" of the Derrière in the copy highlighting the prominently placed derrière of the photo.

If you come across any other covers (even bootlegs) please send them my way.

There Will Be "Sangre"

2010-03-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

On April 9th I will be a speaker on a panel discussion called "There Will Be Sangre: The Business of Horror." It's organized by by Latin Horror as part of the NALIP Conference. Erin and I have been going to the conference for a while now and we've made lifelong friends there.

There is also big (non-horror) news I will be announcing soon.

"Capitalism: A Love Story" out on DVD!

2010-03-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

Sure. Take the blue pill. But the first step to breaking free of your chains is knowing. And this movie is your red pill.

The revolution has already begun.

Dark Mirror is out on DVD!

2009-11-04T14:59:00.001-08:00

After its INCREDIBLE run on VOD (read the Variety case study), Dark Mirror is out on DVD ... NOW!

The DVD's got a deleted scene, commentary with Pablo Proenza, Erin Ploss-Campoamor, and Lisa Vidal (where we talk crap about everyone), and a behind-the-scenes documentary (including some pretty funny footage of David Chisum "hitchhiking" in an attempt to escape the film set).

You can order Dark Mirror now through Netflix, Blockbuster, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The feedback continues to be great!

Evil On Two Legs chose Dark Mirror as their "Pick of the Week"

Horror Squad called Dark Mirror "Best of The New Releases"

Literal Remains called Dark Mirror "A provocative horror thriller with a killer twist!"

Express Milwaukee says "The story hooked me"

Dark Mirror at Mann Chinese on October 14!

2009-10-12T02:31:00.000-07:00

Join us for a midnight-ish (11:45pm) screening of Dark Mirror as part of the 2009 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival!

BUY TICKETS ONLINE HERE.

SPECIAL GUESTS:
LISA VIDAL
LUPE ONTIVEROS
DAVID CHISUM
ERIN PLOSS-CAMPOAMOR (producer)
PABLO PROENZA (writer/director)

...or over the phone:
323-469-9066
...or at the box office:
LALIFF / 6801 Hollywood Blvd. Suite 359
Los Angeles CA 90028

A Love Story

2009-09-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

For the past month and a half I have been absent from my life. I dropped everything, my career and my life, said goodbye to friends and family (most difficult of all, my two year old son) and moved to Michigan to edit on a film. I would do this for only one film, by only one filmmaker: “Capitalism: A Love Story” by Michael Moore.

Normally I wouldn't, but I'm going to allow myself the luxury of writing what amounts to a review of a film I worked on as a way of explaining why I would give up so much for it (and apologizing to those I left behind).

When Michael Moore showed me the footage, I watched it with mouth agape. I knew instantly that this was his most important film... his most dangerous film.

Already, the film is having its effect: at the world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, it played to spontaneous applause throughout and ended to an 8 minute standing ovation! “Unprecedented” is the word on everyone’s lips. The reviews are astounding.

People will tell you that this is his film about the economy. No. This film is a revolution. This film is about our lives and identities as Americans and as citizens in the world. This is "Fight Club" and "The Matrix" in documentary form: we walk around as blind slaves and this is the red pill.

This photo says it all to me...

It is the Line Producer and the Post Supervisor at the final color check screening. When I raised the camera, they were laughing, by the time I took the photo, these were their expressions. They have seen the film hundreds of times, and yet, it's difficult not to get swept up in the emotion of the film. I have seen it a hundred more times, and there are jokes that still catch me by surprise, personal stories that still choke me up.

All I can say is that it will be intense. One person in a test screening said "I feel like throwing up" —at a documentary about the economy! You will leave feeling angry, and uplifted and, most importantly, empowered.

Because the big secret is that this revolution is already taking place. It’s already in everyone’s heart.

My hope is that this film will set people’s minds ablaze. That everyone will leave the theater and we’ll write our own ending. We don’t have the option not to. Something’s gotta give.

And maybe you won’t agree with Mike’s conclusions. Maybe you’ll have better ideas. Or maybe you think everything should stay the same. That’s fine. At least we need to have this discussion.

I write this as I fly to the Toronto Film Festival for the North American premiere of the film, and the words of Leah —one of the characters in the film— keeps ringing in my head...

"if you’ve been told your whole life that things are they way other people tell you they are. To be able to think, well no, I can make it different is... a big deal."

Dark Mirror breaks records for IFC On Demand!

2009-09-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

Dark Mirror is now officially the #1 top selling film of all time for IFC Films festival direct video-on-demand!

Lisa Vidal's Interview with Fangoria

2009-07-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Matt Molgaard conducts an excellent interview with Lisa Vidal for Fangoria:
http://fangoria.com/features/21-fearful-features/3225-exclusive-lisa-vidal-discusses-qdark-mirrorq-and-more.html

Some highlights:

"Lisa Vidal discusses her starring turn in DARK MIRROR, which has won over fans [and] quickly become the most watched film in the history of IFC Films Festival Direct Video-on-Demand."

"Fangoria: I know this was Pablo Proenza's first feature length film. I personally thought he did an excellent job. What was it like working with the young filmmaker?

Lisa Vidal: Pablo was awesome, he was wonderful. He really impressed me... Whenever I needed advice, I was able to get it from him. He was very smart, he had great instincts about his characters…and yet he was still very, very open to suggestion. He respected that I was a seasoned actress and that I had instincts about certain things...we had a very trusting relationship with each other. And I think that’s very important as an actor especially when you’re a lead and you’re carrying the film - there’s so much intensity involved."

"Fangoria: The film has been receiving some great reviews, from some excellent media outlets. I’ve read quite a bit of praise for both the film and your performance in particular. How does it feel to see the film so warmly embraced?

Lisa Vidal: My goodness, let me tell you - I was surprised! To me it was always a small film, it was so creative and independent, it was smart - but I was surprised to find how many people were watching it... It’s become a lot bigger than I even expected, which is always a nice surprise. The reviews have been awesome. There’s no better feeling than people really digging the film and performances, and getting into it. It’s been awesome - a great ride."

To read the rest of the interview, go to Fangoria's website.

Article About Dark Mirror in Fangoria Magazine

2009-07-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

An excellent article by Samuel Zimmerman in this month's issue.

Some highlights:

"The saying goes, 'Behind every great man is a great woman.' And that's certainly the case when it comes to writer/director Pablo Proenza and his wife/producer, Erin Ploss-Campoamor, who with that phrase and the plight of overlooked 'great women' in mind crafted Dark Mirror, a haunted-house chiller that also manages to thought-provokingly examine women's roles in the modern world. The movie (currently airing via IFC video-on-demand and debuting on DVD later this year) was inspired by the couple's ideas, worries and one great location: their own home."

"'Pablo came up with the concept soon after we moved into this cool old house, which was filled with beautiful cut glass windows,' Ploss-Campoamor says. 'At first it was really nice, but after a while, it started to feel more like we were living in a giant fishbowl.'

"'You'd see movement and not know where it came from,' adds Proenza. 'Or at night, you might see a figure out of the corner of your eye and your heart would skip a beat... 'While all of this was happening, we were trying to get a couple of different movies made,' Ploss-Campoamor says. 'It was starting to look like it might never happen for us. We were reaching an age where we wanted to have a kid, and we just felt trapped. How to be parents and still have a film career? How to be artists and still make money?... All this stuff just started percolating,' she continues, 'and Pablo began writing about a woman trapped inside this supernatural glass house.'"

"Their diligent casting agents led them to audition Lisa Vidal, who puts in a strong performance as Deborah Martin, the film's protagonist...'We saw a lot of women, but Lisa blew us away,' Proenza says, and Ploss-Campoamor interjects, 'Then she showed up on set and continued to blow us away."

"Proenza adds, 'I believe she saw this as a great opportunity. There are so few good roles for women.' Which, as the film contemplates, rings true in life as well as in the movie biz.

"Ploss-Campoamor explains, 'We wanted Dark Mirror to have something to say, a commentary on how hard it still is for women to be moms and have careers. We found it crazy how in some ways, things haven't changed that much in the past 40 years, and women are still struggling with a lot of the same issues.' The film explores this lack of progression through the house's backstory - a supernatural murder mystery involving a famous painter, his neglected spouse and the gateways between the worlds the house's mirrors and other glass surfaces represent."

"In employing these horrific elements, Proenza was able to convince his wife that scary movies don't just prompt chills in your spine. 'Horror is more in tune with core feelings than other genres,' he says. 'It gives a way into our basest, most animalistic feelings. Jeckell and Hyde, Dracula, Frankenstein - these aren't just characters; they represent us and the world we live in. Horror is absolutely the way to explore these ideas. The truth is, even without trying to imbue your film with 'meaning,' if you make a horror movie, it's already there. You're working through something.'"

To read more of Samuel Zimmerman's article "DARK MIRROR: Dying in Glass Houses," buy a copy of Fangoria Magazine, issue #285, dated Aug 2009.

Damaged 2.0 review

2009-06-20T18:04:00.001-07:00
Great (and very funny) review of Dark Mirror by Louis Fowler at Damaged 2.0
louisfowler.blogspot.com

Some highlights:
Being Hispanic myself, I know I can be overly critical of movies with Latinos in the lead role. We tend to allow ourselves to be embarrassed in ways that would make even AMOS 'N' ANDY say “Seriously fellas, take it down a notch.” Mainstream studios tend to cast us as either gang-bangers or hotel maids and when we actually make our own movie, it's for the lowest common denominator, typically crappy shot-on-video comedies with names like C[H]ULOS IN DA TAQUERIA or SPRING BREAK VATOS, with characters that come off like third-rate Homies figures and with half as much personality. What's wrong with casting a Hispanic as just a regular guy? Maybe an accountant? They just happen to be Hispanic...can we move out of this cinematic barrio, just once?

... Deftly mixing a handful of honestly scary moments with one truly unpredictable twist after another, director Pablo Proenza excels in the type of classic filmmaking Polanski did in the 60s—the kind you wish Polanski himself would return to. The whole thing is a thinking man's mind-screw with no easy answers.

... The cast is great, especially Lisa Vidal as the aforementioned Deb—it's pretty much her show to carry and, when the ending is uncovered, without giving away any spoilers, you'll fully realize the whole power of her performance, because, man, I had no clue. None.

... DARK MIRROR: a mature, thought-out scare film that doesn't talk down to me or treat me like an imbecile. That's all I ask.

There's a lot more at louisfowler.blogspot.com and he's got some hilarious asides.

Dark Mirror breaking sales records!

2009-06-17T09:05:00.001-07:00
Apparently Dark Mirror is on its way to becoming one of IFC On Demand's best selling titles ever!

Dark Mirror screens in NYC on July 2

2009-06-17T09:04:00.001-07:00
Dark Mirror is the feature presentation for the LatinHorror film series "The HORRORphiles #3" at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City on July 2 at 8pm.

For more info visit Facebook or the LatinHorror web site.

Dark Mirror selling strong!

2009-05-22T09:09:00.001-07:00
Apparently Dark Mirror is on its way to becoming one of IFC On Demand's best selling titles of the year!

The Reviews for DARK MIRROR are In! ("Thrilling" "spooky" "cool" & more...)

2009-05-07T20:40:00.000-07:00
From Ronnie Scheib at VARIETY:

“Excellent!”

“Defying logic while continuously flirting with it, Pablo Proenza's debut feature about a haunted house -- or a woman's madness, or both -- sustains suspense throughout, thanks in part to the tour-de-force perf[ormance] of Lisa Vidal as the eye of the spectral storm.”

“In the tradition of The Uninvited, Repulsion, The Others and recent J-horror… Proenza adds another turn of the screw… to his spin on the genre.”

From Louis Fowler at DAMAGED 2.0:

"Creepy!" "A really good movie."

"Deftly mixing a handful of honestly scary moments with one truly unpredictable twist after another, director Pablo Proenza excels in the type of classic filmmaking Polanski did in the 60s."

From FATALLY YOURS:

“Intriguing!” “Thrilling!” “A stunning finale.”

“Lisa Vidal was great as Deb. She really kept the viewer guessing as to whether she was crazy or if something evil really was responsible. Her character really makes the audience appreciate working (or even single) mothers, who play the dual roles of raising a child as well as pursuing a career. The rest of the cast did a fantastic job as well.”

From Samuel Zimmerman at FANGORIA:

“Excellent!” “Suspenseful!”

“Proenza’s capable direction imbues the [film] with atmosphere and dread.”

“The strongest part of Dark Mirror, and the key reason to see it, is Vidal’s performance. The story is her journey, and she owns the film as a woman struggling with her role in the world... Dark Mirror examines women[‘s] constant fight between being... moms and career women, and why they can’t be accepted as both... It’s nice to see a film exploring these avenues, especially in a genre often perceived to be misogynistic.”

“Dark Mirror [with its] small but talented cast and crew, does what it does well and intelligently.”

From Cyberhal at QUIET EARTH:

“Twists and turns all over the place.”

“I would like to thank first time director Mr. Proenza, from the bottom of my heart, for the scene in which the incredibly tasty Tammy (Christine Lakin) stands in her bikini, holding a pistol in her hand, and play acts a heist: cheers mate, here’s to you, won't forget it.”

From Michael Allen at 28 DAYS LATER ANALYSIS:

"A hypnotic scenario from writer[s] Matthew Reynolds [and Pablo Proenza]."

"A clever...quickly moving story."

"The final reveal [is definitely] worthwhile."

"Dark Mirror does not copy the original 1946 film and instead draws a more sinister character as [its] antagonist...a trapped and bitter spirit, [who] manipulates those in [its] spiritual prison...Bypassing the shallow blood and gore, Dark Mirror [instead] brings tension and mystery [to the genre.]"

From Brian Harris at WILDSIDE CINEMA:

"Some will undoubtedly compare Dark Mirror to films like Aja’s Mirrors...but not to worry as it just doesn’t have the carnage (or over-the-top scene chewing of Sutherland) contained in Mirrors."

"Lisa Vidal did a great job and really brought life to her character."

From BrianTT at HOLLYWOODCHICAGO:

"Vidal [is] very, very good...I kept wondering while I was watching it why this actress wasn’t a bigger star. She’s beautiful and does excellent work in Dark Mirror."

From Mike Bracken at HORROR GEEK:

"Vidal’s performance is the highlight of the film. Her portrayal of Deborah [makes] you genuinely feel as though she’s a real person and not a character in a movie."

"A well-defined feminist streak...runs through the entire film. Vidal’s Deborah is... surprisingly well-drawn [as she] juggles being a mother, a wife, [and] trying to find work again as a photographer."

From Cynthia Fuchs at POP MATTERS:

“Spooky!"

"Deb’s dilemmas [seem to be] finding work [with] a couple of misogynistic dolts and sorting out her strained relationship with her mother. With all this going on, it’s no surprise that she loses track of… her increasingly jumbled self-image.”

From Matt-suzaka at PARACINEMA:

“Cool!” “Creepy!”

“Dark Mirror has some fantastic, very realistic dialogue. Sounds like real people talking, especially when Deborah and husband Jim are interacting with each other…”

“There's some great talent attached to this film, with director Proenza's direction, the music, …acting, and the film’s style, all done nicely on a meager budget. … Overall, there are enough good points to make Dark Mirror a worthwhile view, plus it's under 90 minutes, so it's a quick watch to boot.”

“Overall the acting is good… most notably David Chisum, who when interacting with Vidal [has] great chemistry... Of course, the driving force of Dark Mirror is the very easy on the eyes, Lisa Vidal, who puts forth a solid performance, as she really carries the film on her back as Deborah."

“Armando Salas’ cinematography is solid…the film has a nice dreamlike quality to it... I also dug how the film quality changed whenever Deb looked at herself in a mirror, it had a really cool filtered alternate reality look about it.”

“I also really enjoy[ed] the film’s score done by Pieter A. Schlosser and Isaac Sprintis, as it is very haunting, simple, and never obtrusive…I am always a sucker for a little creepy piano.”

"[But it’s] Vidal's performance [that really conveys] the underlying message of Dark Mirror. The mental struggle of a wife and mother stuck at home ... having a difficult time resurrecting her photography career, the loneliness she feels [with her] husband… always at work, having to take care of their child all by herself. This leads to Deb having a lot of time... to dwell on her own thoughts, as she becomes more and more delusional, or so it seems... Makes you wonder, is there really a killer or spirit behind the deaths? [Or] is it all in Deb's own head?”

Dark Mirror trailer!

2009-04-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Dark Mirror movie trailer.

New poster for Dark Mirror

2009-04-29T09:41:00.000-07:00
Dark Mirror has a new Poster. Check it out!

Where/how to see DARK MIRROR!

2009-04-28T15:53:00.000-07:00
Dark Mirror is available on IFC On Demand from May - Aug, 2009!

To Watch:
Turn on your Cable TV and choose ON DEMAND, then IFC FESTIVAL DIRECT, then MOVIES, then IFC IN THEATERS.

Cable TV operators that carry IFC On Demand:
* Bright House
* CableVision (On Demand, also on Ch. 508)
* Comcast (Ch. 1)
* Cox (Ch. 1)
* Time Warner (Call 1-888-892-2253)

Unfortunately, IFC On Demand is not yet available on Direct TV, Verizon Fios, Dish Network, or other cable providers not listed above. Note that IFC On Demand is different than the IFC Channel.

Just to clear up some confusion...

"Dark Mirror" is NOT playing on the IFC Channel.
It's available through your Cable TV provider through "ON DEMAND" when you choose the following: "IFC FESTIVAL DIRECT" > "MOVIES" > "IFC IN THEATERS."

"Dark Mirror" is NOT playing just in LA.
You can watch it On Demand anywhere in the U.S.

"Dark Mirror" is NOT playing just on May 6.
You can watch it anytime that day and for a while afterwards.

Watching "Dark Mirror" On Demand is like watching it on TiVo or on DVD.
You can select it one day & finish watching it another day.

And if you don't have IFC On Demand, we strongly encourage you to organize a viewing party with a friend who does!

We hope this clears up any confusion.

Please click on the link below if you still have questions!

"Dark Mirror" On Demand

Web Site Updated! Downloads, Cast, Crew

2009-03-28T01:32:00.000-07:00

We've added a new downloads section with a cool new wallpaper of Christine Lakin as well as cast and crew pages. Downloads also has an avatar/buddy icon and a hi-res printable version of the poster.

There is more to come (working on the trailer) so stay tuned!