During a random ICE encounter, two Latinas form a friendship through fear, and resilience. A story of community and the ability to persevere with humor.
PANIC en LA BODEGA
Two Latinas, one who is Mexican-American and the other who is Dominican, bond over a random ICE encounter. While in hiding, the two women discuss the differences between being American-born and first-generation Latina. Through their eyes, we see the strength in the face of adversity, resilience, and laughter that get them through panic and fear; this traumatic experience forms a friendship, reaffirming that, for Latinos, our community (and chisme) is everything.
DIRECTED BY Miguel Garzón Martínez
Miguel Garzón Martínez is an award-winning filmmaker with a strong passion for philosophy, movies and travel. He always felt a deep love for telling stories and even before he knew he wanted to be in film, Miguel made his own comic books, which he drew and wrote in high school. Miguel spent four years in Los Angeles where he wrote and directed several short films and one feature film, THE BROKEN LEGACY. He is currently based in New York where he continues to write and direct different projects, such as PAROUSIA, THE LONG COMMUTE and HERO. His work has been screened in several film festivals and has won awards for Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Director and Best Actor at prestigious venues such as the Chelsea Film Festival, & Pasadena International Film Festival.
“I believe that our job as artists and storytellers is to help people understand the situation that others less privileged are experiencing and that can very easily not be represented fairly in the news and in media. Latinos (both legal and illegal immigrants) are the backbone of New York City and we should use our voices and creativity to showcase this reality through a lens that, hopefully, can capture not only the hardship that our community faces, but also our sense of humor and resilience.”
“Latinos are often treated as second-class citizens because of our skin color. Furthermore, many negative and derogatory stereotypes are often projected onto our community.
This film aims to illustrate what the Latino/Hispanic community is currently experiencing during a time when the U.S. is experiencing extreme fascism, racism & xenophobia, while showcasing that we are more than a stereotype.
We are vibrant, hard-working, kind, industry disruptors, and most of all, we are resilient. Being Hispanic is a beautiful thing.”
PRODUCER / WRITER SARAH CEBALLOS
Dr. Sarah Ceballos is 3rd generation Mexican-American. She holds her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio and is an Associate Professor of Management. Sarah is a 5x award winning “Best Actress” for her role as “Sabrina” in her self-produced debut film “Hero”. This film also won Best NY Short at The Jersey Shore Film Festival, and was a Finalist at the NY Short Film Festival & Star-City Film Festival.
As a Producer, Sarah won the “Trailblazeher” Award during the NYWIFT (New York Women in Film & Television) Online Shorts Festival presented by iWomanTV. The Trailblazher Award represents outstanding representation of women in a behind the scenes role.