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Heidi Ewing has done an excellent job of portraying the real-life story of a gay couple in the film I Carry You With Me. The presentation of the real-life couple in the film, besides the actors, has made the overall presentation of the movie unique. The film is a docu-drama, presenting the real-life characters alongside skilled actors like Christian Vasquez and Armando Espitia. The film highlights societal perils like homophobia and racism and, hence, helps raise awareness among its audiences. The plot revolves around Ivan’s American dream of becoming a renowned chef someday. He illegally comes to America, and his lover follows him, but his memories back in his homeland keep gnawing at his heart. Will Ivan never be able to go back to Mexico? Let’s find out!

Spoiler Alert

How Did Ivan Fulfill His American Dream?

The lack of opportunities back in Mexico triggered Ivan to try...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Crimson Gold (Jafar Panahi)

Following his early days of being an assistant for Abbas Kiarostami, Jafar Panahi’s career soon blossomed, leading to a few collaborations between the two monumental figures of Iranian cinemas––one of which, Crimson Gold, is now available on The Criterion Channel. The masterful 2003 character study, scripted by Kiarostami after he told the tenets of the story to Panahi while sitting in traffic, stars unprofessional actor Hossain Emadeddin in his sole performance. Following a pizza delivery driver who witnesses the sharp class divide and political terror playing out in his society, Kiarostami and Panahi brilliantly preview the brutal ending from the start as the pieces then cogently and subtly fall into place as to why a man would...

It feels like a lifetime ago that I watched I Carry You With Me. It was a Sundance press screening in the middle of my busiest day at the festival, and frankly, if I had to change locations to see it between my other screenings, I would have skipped it. But as Iván says in the film, sometimes destiny holds life’s surprises for us.

After directing documentaries for the last two decades, Heidi Ewing makes her narrative debut with this graceful look into the real lives of Iván García (Armando Espitia) and Gerardo ZaVe (Christian Vasquez), one which earned her Sundance’s Next Audience Award and Innovator Award. It’s a fitting honor from the festival because the film was born in Park City over drinks in 2012. Iván and Gerardo joined Ewing at the festival to support her project Detropia. There the couple told Heidi the story of their childhood,...

Winner of both prizes awarded in the Next category of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, “I Carry You With Me” tells the true story of an undocumented gay couple from Mexico who risk their lives for love, liberty and the American Dream. Making her first foray into narrative filmmaking, documentary helmer Heidi Ewing began the project as a vérité portrait of her real-life subjects, Ivan and Gerardo, but cast actors to play the two men in reenactments of their early life — both as children and later, at the moment they met and fell in love.

Lgbtq movies out of Mexico are rare, and the idea to combine two styles of filmmaking is unique, but Ewing’s approach needs more cohesiveness. The narrative scenes are shot in a way that makes it hard to stay committed throughout, and the actors don’t seem to be playing the same two people we’re...

Sony Pictures Classics and Sony’s Stage 6 Films have partnered up to acquire the global rights to Heidi Ewing’s feature narrative debut, “I Carry You With Me,” out of Sundance.

Ewing and Alan Page Arriaga co-wrote the film that premiered in the festival’s Next section. The film will be released later this year. “I Carry You With Me” is produced by Mynette Louie and Ewing, alongside co-producers Gabriela Maire, Edher Campos and Alexandra Vivas. Norman Lear, Brent Miller, Teddy Schwarzman, Ben Stillman and Michael Heimler of Black Bear Pictures executive produced.

Production companies are Loki Films, The Population, and Zafiro Cinema. Armando Espitia, Christian Vasquez and Michelle Rodriguez star.

Also Read: Sony Pictures Classics Lands Dog Doc 'The Truffle Hunters'

“I Carry You With Me” is based on a true story of a decades-spanning romance that begins in Mexico between an aspiring chef and a teacher. Societal pressure weighs on them,...

The 5-year-old Massachusetts boy who captivated the Internet in March with his sweet reaction to news he’d be receiving a heart transplant has died.

Ari Schultz earned the nickname “Danger” by his family for his brave attitude amid his long health battle — one that put him through more than 10 operations, including the aforementioned heart transplant.

His family announced the news of his death on Facebook Friday — writing “Ari passed away peacefully this evening listening to the Red Sox.”

Genna Rosenberg, a friend of the Schultz family, tells People that she will fondly remember Ari, who the “world fell in love with.

This a great blending of companies and material. Canada's sales agents have always led the way internationally and Mexico is our pick of cinema territory on the rise.

Toronto-based sales and distribution outfit Raven Banner has picked up international rights to Rafa Lara’s historical epic Cinco de Mayo: The Battle and will commence world sales in Cannes.

Directed by young Mexican sensation, Rafa Lara, the $10 million dollar action adventure is the biggest budget Mexican film to date and was released on a record 500 prints in Mexico. U.S. theatrical is through Pantelion/Televisa/Lionsgate. The film took more than $1 million in its first weekend of domestic release last week.

Cinco de Mayo: The Battle chronicles the story of Mexico’s Battle of Puebla, the most important battle in Mexico’s history. When the unbeatable French army invades Mexico to set up a monarchy, General Ignacio Zaragoza played by Kuno Becker (Goal!, From Prada to Nada), must defend the city of Puebla, commanding a poorly armed and outnumbered troop of men. The film, recounts the bravery of a people pushed to the limit, fighting for their nation, their families and their pride. The film features an all-star Mexican cast (Angelica Aragon, Kuno Becker, Mario Zaragoza, Liz Gallardo and Christian Vasquez). The film was produced by Paco Gallastegui, Rafa Lara and executive produced by Televisa CEO, Emilio Azcarraga.

Today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

The deal with Raven Banner was negotiated by Managing partners, Michael Paszt and James Fler and producers Paco Gallastegui and Rafa Lara. The film screens in the Cannes market on May 16.

“This is such an ambitious epic with flawless production values,” says Paszt. “We’re honoured to be bringing the biggest Mexican film of all time to the international marketplace.”

Director, Lara's previous film, La Milagrosa, was sold in more than 50 territories.

About Raven Banner Entertainment

Raven Banner Entertainment is a sales, distribution and production company, based in Toronto, specializing in genre films for the worldwide market. Through its expertise in strategic project management and campaigns, Rbe can also assist in any and all capacities of production, from acquisitions, representation, negotiations, marketing management and plans, and sales.

The 2011 Dallas International Film Festival Announces

Award Winners

Jess + Moss receives the $25,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature

Elevate receives the $25,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary Feature

Five Time Champion receives the $20,000 in Cash, Goods and Services for the Mps Studios Texas Filmmaker Award

If A Tree Falls: A Story Of The Earth Liberation Front receives the Environmental Visions Award

Zero Percent receives the $10,000 Embrey Family Foundation Silver Heart Award

The Legend Of Beaver Dam, The Robbery and Paths Of Hate are named winners for Best Short Film, Student Short and Animated Short

Audience Awards go to Snowmen for Narrative Feature, Wild Horse Wild Ride for Documentary and The Legend Of Beaver Dam for Short

Dallas, TX, April 9, 2011 . For the second year running, the .Dallas Film Society Honors. presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation provided an elegant forum for the awards presentation at the Dallas International Film Festival presented by Cadillac.