At a time when independent work is exploding in the industry, many can find it difficult to rise above the tide- one film not having that issue is Rico San Marco.
The short, which follows an eight-year-old child of undocumented immigrants takes on the persona of his TV Cowboy hero to defend his father’s honor after he is swindled out of his wages a few days before Christmas, won IndieFest’s Award of Merit in three categories including Short Film, Latin and Hispanic, and Children’s Film/Family Programming.
“We are honored to be recognized for our work and hope to be able to continue to tell stories about those living within the margins of society,” said director Ingrid Abrams, “We had a diverse cast, as well as a diverse film crew who brought their unique perspectives to contribute to the film.”
Excited to make headway off of the short’s success, Abrams is already in pre-production for her debut feature, Mechizedek’s Men to which she has already attached Rico San Marco actors, Alfredo Trueba, and Darrell Philip. Trueba, fresh off playing bad guys on Betrayed and Corrupt Crimes shines as Shade, a down on his luck con man who finds his next pray on Rico and his father. Young lead, Jericko Espinosa (Rico) compliments Trueba’s dynamic performance, assuring that audiences are sure to see them both in countless works very soon.
With its achievement at the 2018 IndieFEST, Rico San Marco is in the same category with several illustrious works including Susan Sarandon’s Radical Grace, Leon Lee’s Davids and Goliath, Touched with Fire starring Katie Holmes, and Love Thy Nature- narrated by Liam Neeson. According to festival chair, Rick Prickett, the international festival is only more and more selective.
“The IndieFEST is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world from powerhouse companies to remarkable new talent. The IndieFEST helps set the standard for craft and creativity,” Prickett said, “The judges were pleased with the exceptional high quality of entries. The goal of The IndieFEST Film Awards is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.”
