ANGELITO, 13min., USA
Directed by Brent L. Peterson
12-year-old Angelito dreams of becoming a gang member like his older brother until a tragic accident forces him to grow up far too quickly.

https://antigravityfilms.com/projects

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film? I’ve always wanted to make a gritty crime film as well as a film dealing with the subject of gun safety and children. Those came together in the form of Angelito, hopefully in a way that creates open discussion of the topics presented from multiple viewpoints.
to make this film? I wrote Angelito 4 years before making it. I finally decided to submit the screenplay to some festival and it did very well, so I decided to make it into a film after that.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!? An intense drama about making grave mistakes and having to deal with the consequences, but a road to redemption in the end.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Finding a young local actor that could pull off the emotional journey of Angelito was very difficult. We spent a month longer than we had planned searching, but finally came up with Alec Hernandez, who had never acted before.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? I was glad to hear that it moved viewers emotionally and made them think about the issues presented.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? My filmmaking is the actualization of a childhood dream.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life? Probably anything Star Wars.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? I would love to network with film producers and studios that I can partner with in producing more films.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? Film Freeway has been very helpful in organizing, applying for and tracking film festival submissions.

10. What is your favorite meal? That depends on the day and the mood.

11. What is next for you? A new film? I’m simultaneously working on more short films as well as writing/developing my debut feature film.