Los Cortos, a non-profit organization dedicated to promote Hispanic filmmakers and content creators, announced the world premiere of the politically-charged and provocative short film Estilo Americano on Monday, October 19, 2020 exclusively at www.LosCortos.com
Estilo Americano tells the timely story of a Mexican-American family divided by politics. What starts as a festive family gathering turns into an explosive showdown when siblings with opposing political views clash. As everyone struggles with their own deeply ingrained beliefs, some painful and shocking truths are revealed.
Elections impact us all on an individual level. A January report by the American Psychological Association found that 56% of U.S. adults identified the 2020 presidential election as a significant stressor. That’s an increase from the 52% who reported the same in the months before the 2016 vote. It’s also worth noting that this year’s survey was completed before the coronavirus pandemic swept the nation, killing more than 200,000 Americans and causing another 50 million to file for unemployment.
Producer Ellen Utrecht said: “Although we are portraying a Latino familyin Estilo Americano, this could be any dinner table U.S.A. or the world, for that matter. When politics divide, they go against the very essence of its purpose. Politics is all about making agreements between people so we can all live together in peace. Our film illustrates our unfortunate, current reality.”
Writer/Director Miriam Kruishoop said: “I wanted to create a powerful piece about a Latino family in Trump’s America. I deliberately moved away from Latino stereotypes which continue to be portrayed in entertainment and media, therefore, I centered the story around an educated middle-class family. Each family member offers a different point of view and has their own unique experience of what it means to be Latino. It’s a film about identity, acceptance and belonging. I always try to dig a little deeper and get underneath the skin to create authentic voices.”
Estilo Americano was created by a diverse female team. Produced by Ellen Utrecht. Written and Directed by Miriam Kruishoop with a story by Miriam Kruishoop and Leticia Rodriguez. Executive produced by Joyce Fitzpatrick. Cinematography by David J. Frederick (Mayans M.C.). Starring Lidia Porto (Get Shorty), Antonio Jaramillo (Mayans M.C.), Zuleyka Silver (In Time), Lombardo Boyar (Coco), Goya Robles (Get Shorty), Ruben Garfias (Get The Gringo), J. Teddy Garces (The Sessions) and Jessica Meza (East Los High).
Award-winning Miriam Kruishoop (Vive Elle, Unter Den Palmen, Greencard Warriors) is a Dutch-American writer/director and visual artist. Kruishoop graduated with honors from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. Kruishoop previously wrote and directed another Latino film, the award-winning feature Greencard Warriors starring Manny Perez. The film tells the story of an undocumented family whose eldest son is recruited by the army with the promise of a green card. In 2014, Kruishoop was awarded the Best Director Award at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF). After its theatrical release, the film was featured on HBO Latino.
Kruishoop’s work centers around diversity and focuses on the under-seen people in society – the isolated within communities and the victims of racism and prejudice. Kruishoop has won multiple awards for her work including the Culture Prize of the City of Amsterdam, a Tiger Award at IFFR and several Best Director Awards, including at the New York International Film Festival, LA FEMME International Film Festival and at LALIFF.
Award-winning producer Ellen Utrecht is the founder of a production company called MikeTeevee (The Lego Movie, Veterans For Gun Reform) As a producer, Utrecht focuses on bringing meaningful content and powerful storytelling to a larger audience.
Throughout her career, Utrecht has delivered impactful commercials for brands such as Diesel, Adidas, Bavaria Beer, Experian, Booking.com and many other global brands. A critically acclaimed innovator in media, Utrecht has pioneered new and groundbreaking production approaches for clients like Philips, Heineken, KLM and Lego. Last year she created the powerful film Veterans For Gun Reform which garnered over 48 million views. Most recently she produced We The People, a series of conversations hosted by Van Jones and Cari Champion, which advance the dialogue about race. Through her production arm MidNight Pictures, Utrecht is expanding into feature films.
Awards & Nominations include: Clio Award, 3 x Bronze Lion , 4 x Silver Lion and 2 x Gold Lion, Gold Dolphin and 2x Silver Dolphin (Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards) and Grand Prix Lion (CNN Ecosphere 2012.)
About Los Cortos: Los Cortos is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization designed to promote and discover filmmakers creating Short Films. www.LosCortos.com, is a platform where Hispanic filmmakers can share their short films and showcase quality filmmaking. Los Cortos is now a community of hundreds of filmmakers around the world and with more than 200 short films on the www.LosCortos.com portal.