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“Las Palmas” grows from the short documentary, “Palmas,” which earned the “Collegiate Filmmaker Spotlight Award” at Burbank International Film Festival and screened across the landscape of Los Angeles.
“The displacement of the Mexican Americans of Chavez Ravine and Gabrieleño-Tongva Indian tribe in the San Gabriel Mission, as told to the camera by their modern-day descendants and archival materials, is the subject of the longer documentary pushing to be born from Aric Lopez' creative vision.”
The Las Palmas Team
Aric Lopez Writer/Director
Aric Lopez Writer/Director
Aric Lopez Writer/Director
Aric Julian Lopez is a filmmaker from the 805. His films have been supported at the American Cinematheque, CAFILM, and numerous film festivals across California. He is an Entrepreneur in Media Fellow at The Gotham Film & Media Institute, supported by NBCUniversal, as well as a 2026 California Arts Council Emerging Artist Fellow.
An alum
Aric Julian Lopez is a filmmaker from the 805. His films have been supported at the American Cinematheque, CAFILM, and numerous film festivals across California. He is an Entrepreneur in Media Fellow at The Gotham Film & Media Institute, supported by NBCUniversal, as well as a 2026 California Arts Council Emerging Artist Fellow.
An alum of USC's School of Cinematic Arts, he received the prestigious George Lucas Family Foundation Scholarship and Cheech Marin Scholarship in pursuit of his MFA in Film and Television Production. He also attended California State University, Northridge, where he was an Abraham L. Polonsky scholar, graduating with a B.A. in Cinema and Television Arts with an emphasis in Screenwriting. Across his career, he has received over $85,000 in combined scholarships and awards.
While at USC, Aric directed "Palmas", one of six documentary projects selected to be fully funded by USC's School of Cinematic Arts in 2024. The film has screened at festivals across the U.S., earning the "Best Documentary Short" award at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, the "Collegiate Filmmaker Spotlight Award" at the Burbank International Film Festival, and the "Best Student Documentary Film" at the Glendale International Film Festival. His co-directed documentary, "Compas", also earned the "Best Latinx Short" at the Phoenix Film Festival.
Ana Flávia Veiga Producer
Aric Lopez Writer/Director
Aric Lopez Writer/Director
Ana Flávia Veiga is a creative producer and SCA alumna from Brazil dedicated to expanding access to making and watching movies. Her mission is to break barriers and bring powerful stories to audiences around the world. She has worked with Paramount, FOX Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, and Mandalay Pictures. Her films have screened at
Ana Flávia Veiga is a creative producer and SCA alumna from Brazil dedicated to expanding access to making and watching movies. Her mission is to break barriers and bring powerful stories to audiences around the world. She has worked with Paramount, FOX Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, and Mandalay Pictures. Her films have screened at top festivals including Sundance, TIFF, Palm Springs, HollyShorts, LA Shorts, AmDocs, and the Cannes American Pavilion.
Director's Statement
"Watered Down is a psychological thriller that blends elements of seduction, horror, and social commentary to explore the commodification of Black bodies. At its core, the film examines racial fetishization, systemic exploitation, and the illusion of choice"
( Writer/Director: Christopher D. Moore, II)
Comparables & Reference
Watered Down explores similar themes of these films with its own unique perspective.
Themes
- Relationships
- Love
- Exploitation
- Betrayal
EVERYTHING'S CHOCOLATE
Short Film
EVERYTHING'S CHOCOLATE is a buddy-gangster crime drama set against the backdrop of Los Angeles and inspired by classics like THE SOPRANOS, GOODFELLAS, and FALLING DOWN.
This is a story told "between the lines". With an emphasis on a 90's-inspired aesthetic and narrative themes like betrayal,
addiction, and good old fashioned blue collar crime.
This project is currently funding
TEAM
Writer/Director: J'Andre White
Producer: Stephanie Grace
Pretty Talk
3 Million
Pretty Talk, a heartwarming romantic dramady, follows the journey of America’s beloved couple, Gaven Port and Natalie Bay. After completing their latest fairy tale musical comedy, its 1967 and they find themselves in a time of global turmoil. Amidst this chaos, Pretty Talk, within the movie, reflects the world Hollywood wants us to believe in. But as the lines between reality and illusion blur, the film questions whether life is truly a grand song and dance.
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