ENCUENTRO

AMERICANO

a short film

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This is an american film.

it’s a film about america...

...and a dream.

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An american nightmare.

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Encuentro Americano unfolds within the confines of a busy diner, on a severely hot morning, where the clinking of coffee cups, the chatter of customers, and the sharp sizzle of the grill set the backdrop for a tense morning.


Undocumented workers in the kitchen nervously prepare breakfast for a group of Border Patrol ICE agents. Hijab-wearing Gen Z students numbly scroll through real-time atrocities---uncertain of the present, uncertain of a future. An exhausted server leaves no mug unfilled. A millennial, uncomfortable in their adulthood, seeks closure from the ex that was “the one”. An elderly war vet finds solace in the warmth of syrup-soaked pancakes amidst 24-hour news cycles and commercial breaks. The atmosphere thickens with the palpable unknown of what may happen next in these slices of life. Who will walk through those diner doors next? Can this greasy, little ecosphere provide protection from sinister external factors born out of extremism and legacies of violence?


In the end, as each scenario reaches a crescendo, the bustling diner abruptly pauses. A sickening silence cuts through the web of workers and customers. There, at the entrance, stands an all-American nightmare---armed with an assault rifle and a bullet-proof vest lined with several magazines of ammunition.

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if not now,

then when?

This short film is a recreation of a dream.


It was 2019. I was in a diner. Sitting alone in a booth. Waiting for someone. It was crowded. Familiar strangers preparing and eating greasy breakfasts. Some were working. Some starting their days with family, friends, colleagues. It was comforting to be somewhere so underwhelmingly ordinary. But the more I waited, the more tense I felt, and the more something felt terribly off. Suddenly a burst of white light flooded the warm dinner interior. I could see a figure standing at the entrance. An ethereal silhouette. Soon it became clear: Death had arrived. A faceless shooter in combat gear, took a step forward, pointing his store-bought assault rifle straight at me. Then...


BANG!


I woke up. Minutes before my alarm, heart beating fast, short of breath, body still shaking from adrenaline. For weeks I was terrified this was more than a bad dream. I worried this was a premonition, a glimpse of tragic fate.


Diners have always felt like sacred spaces to me. I’ve experienced so much of life in them. To dream up such a terrifying encounter as a mass shooting in what has always felt like a safe space absolutely shook me to my core. It felt so real, and it is so real.

In 2019, according to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 414 mass shootings in the United States---a record high up until then. There have been over 600 mass shootings every year in the U.S. since. Only half-way into 2024, there have already been over a hundred documented mass shootings.

In 2022, the Southern Poverty Law Center documented 109 active white nationalist hate groups operating increasingly more openly in this country. Legislation has done little to nothing to prevent or even recognize this kind of violence, and instead has continued to perpetuate violence against “minorities” (immigrants, the LGBTQI+ community, women, Muslims, Black & brown folks) with hateful rhetoric and draconian laws, stripping the rights of individuals and restricting community action. Instead of addressing systemic racism, domestic-terrorism, housing and food insecurity, decaying infrastructures, and climate catastrophes, we export more division and death to our borders and to our special interests around the globe, while funding more militarized policing of our communities and supporting the genocides of others.


Safety is only guaranteed to a few within a society that prioritizes profit over people.


Encuentro Americano intentionally centers so-called minorities not as one-dimensional caricatures written in for diversity’s sake, but as the very real people who inhabit this strange and paradoxical concept of the United States of America. From one version of "American" to the next, every struggle is a real struggle, and every struggle is connected to some form of oppression.


At the end of the day, we’re all doing our best to just get through it.

We are connected

in our grief.

As a child of immigrants and as an outspoken queer person of color, I am well aware that my right to exist in this country is precarious. With many of the most tragic and heinous mass shootings having been hate crimes committed against people of color, immigrants, and the LGBTQI+ community, these increased acts of violence feel more like inevitabilities than shocking tragedies.


Writing this story helped me process the dream I had. I was reminded that no matter where we’re at in life, death will meet us on its own time. It is the greatest equalizer for us living and the only certainty we’re granted. In a way, Death is the easiest part of existing. But how we get there--the lives we live before the credits roll--that’s the magic. That's the magic of meaning-making that creates and changes worlds. Maybe we can meaning-make our way to a world with less violence towards one another and a better understanding of our human-connection. Maybe this little film can be a little part of inspiring that.

E.T. Vazquez

Writer/Director

MEET THE TEAM

E.T. Vazquez

Writer/Director

Andrea Camacho McCracken

Co-Producer

Sheheryar Ahsan

Co-Producer

Bailey Salwey

Director of Photography

Cyrum Aytana Ramirez

Production Designer

Marisa Llamas

Wardrobe Stylist

Shrayek Kapil

1st AD

Marshall Granger

Editor

E.T. Vazquez is a first generation Mexican-American artist, writer and filmmaker from Los Angeles. They received their BA in Film Production with a focus on cinematography at the Arts University Bournemouth in the UK. Their undergraduate thesis film HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY WEI received notable attention in the festival circuit including a nomination for best student short at the Royal Television Society Southern Centre Regionals. From 2021 to 2022, they were an artist-in-residence at The Philosophical Research Society and exhibited their first solo show at the Hansell Gallery. They also graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory with an MFA in Screenwriting in 2022. Their thesis film GORDITX premiered at the GuadaLAjara Film Festival and was included in various festivals including AFI Fest, OUTFEST Fusion, and the New York Latino Film Festival

Andrea Camacho McCracken is a first generation, Mexican-American writer and director, based in LA and Arizona. Her work uses genre to reimagine underrepresented stories, exploring themes of identity, resilience, and the complexities of the American Dream. With a strong passion for breaking stereotypes and promoting inclusivity, Andrea is dedicated to bringing vibrant stories and diverse perspectives to the forefront of cinema. She was awarded "Best Female Director" at the Georgia Latino International Film Festival for her short film IN WONDERLAND. The same film is currently nominated for the "Narrative Student Shorts Jury Award" at the 30th Austin Film Festival. She earned an MFA in Directing from the AFI Conservatory and was selected as an AFI Awards Audi Scholar. Currently, Andrea is developing her narrative feature film, IN WONDERLAND, based on the short film she wrote and directed in 2022

Sheheryar Ahsan is a writer, producer, and AFI Producing Fellow. He ​is a former Digital Media Producer for The Brain Scoop. His AFI Thesis ​film STALLED was awarded the Jack Larson Southern California ​Student Filmmaker Award and was showcased by PBS in collaboration ​with KCET.

Bailey Salwey is a cinematographer and photographer originally from ​Montana. Her career began as a painter and photographer focusing ​on experimental and alternative processes. She recently graduated ​from the American Film Institute with a masters degree in ​cinematography and is living and working in Los Angeles. Bailey ​strives to push the boundaries of how she views filmmaking and ​continues her search for humanness within a moving and still image.

Cyrum Aytana Ramirez, originally from Cancun, Mexico, began her ​career in Vancouver, Canada where she studied visual arts and ​design. Following that, she moved to NYC to get her BFA in film and ​later earned her masters degree in production design from the ​American Film Institute Conservatory.


Based in Los Angeles, Ramirez is a student member of the Set ​Decorators Society of America and has been the production designer ​of three features, multiple short films, commercials, and music ​videos. Her films have been part of a variety of film festivals, ​including Telluride, SXSW Sydney, Austin Film Festival and a project ​she art directed was nominated for the Academy Awards in 2022. Her ​work has also been selected as part of the Design Showcase West ​and the CAA Moebius Showcase.

Voted 'Best Dressed' in clown school and 2x Cage Match Winner at ​Comedy Café Berlin. Marisa Llamas is a filmmaker and actor whose ​comedic sensibilities are apparent in many forms.

Shrayek Kapil is an Indian-American writer and director. His journey ​into filmmaking began with making sketches and short films involving ​self-taught VFX. He completed his BA in Film and Journalism from ​Pune, India, before moving to LA for his MFA in Directing at the AFI ​Conservatory. Kapil loves comedy, fantasy and science fiction and ​wants to work in both animation and live action. He aspires to blend ​humor with themes of empathy and compassion in his work.

Marshall Granger is a Los Angeles-base film editor, born and raised ​in Montana. He co-produced and edited the feature film WE BURN ​LIKE THIS, which premiered at Santa Barbara International Film ​Festival and Deauville American Film Festival. His second feature, ​APORIA, starring Judy Greer, Edi Gathegi, and Payman Maadi, was ​released to the theaters across the US after a world permiere at ​Fantasia Film Festival.


He is an Editing alum of the AFI Conservatory, and a member of the ​Motion Picture Editors Guild, Local 700.


Marshall is currently in post-production on his own documentary ​short, YOUR OPINION PLEASE.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

As the world seems to escalate into further instability and uncertainty, we wonder how we will continue to cope or carry on. How will it feel? How will we physically, emotionally, and spiritually survive? And as storytellers, how will we document it? For us, this film is how.


We know things have got to change. It won't be any one thing. It won't be easy or tidy or quick, but as filmmakers, we can offer our talents by raising awareness. In this case, awareness that we all deserve safety. Our safety is interdependent on one another.


Most importantly, we must encourage empathy. Cinema is one of the most powerful vehicles for empathy. This is also why it is so effective as a tool of propaganda. Storytelling shapes our realities. People act when they feel. We hope this short snippet of life, filled with colorful, familiar, and memorable characters, makes people feel something. And we hope it makes people want to do more to ensure safety for all by simply recognizing ourselves in each other.


Making films is an impossible task. But here we are constantly doing the impossible, especially with the help of our generous families, friends, and community! Whatever you're able to contribute will go directly into funding the production, post-production, and distribution of this film.


We will be shooting in late July of this year, and we need to make at least $20,000 to cover our costs for a two-day shoot in Los Angeles. That’s where YOU come in! We have some wonderful perks to show our gratitude! Books, stickers, zines, film credits, and mystic guidance...truly a wide range!

donate today!

Thanks to our sponsors, From the Heart Productions, all donations are tax-deductible! Simply scan the QR code or click on the PayPal button and enter the amount you would like to generously contribute to our film! Scroll down for the full list of perks we will gift you for your donation and make sure to add a note to your payment if you have any perk requests!

Donate $5 or more and receive a social media shoutout by @fishheadmortuary.productions and @stripmalldreams

Donate $10 or more and receive a mystery book pdf! Novels of any genre, poetry collections, nonfiction essays, comics, critical theory readers, and so much more!

Donate $25 or more and receive a bundle of stickers created by Liz Vazquez

Donate $50 or more and receive a bundle of zines + mini-zines

by Liz Vazquez

Donate $75 or more and receive a special Tarot or Oracle (choose from several decks!)

3-card reading

Donate $100 or more and receive a 60-minute astrology birth chart consultation

Donate $500 or more and receive a limited-edition ENCUENTRO AMERICANO companion book filled with story development, references, behind-the-scenes photos, film stills, production notes and more!

Donate $1,000 or more and receive a Special Thanks film & IMDB credit + your choice of perk

Donate $5,000 or more and receive an Associate Producer film & IMDB credit

+ your choice of perk

Donate $10,000 or more and receive an Executive Producer film & IMDB credit

+ your choice of perk

Donate $20,000 or more and receive a Co-Production film & IMDB credit (an “In Association With” credit in the opening credits of the film for yourself or your production company)

+ your choice of perk

All donations are Tax-Deductible through our Fiscal Sponsorship with From the Heart Productions, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization

YOUR DONATIONs cover...

CREW & LABOR: Your donations help us pay fair wages to our wonderful crew members and cast!


PRODUCTION COSTS: This encompasses everything from our on-set catering and craft services, as well as renting production essentials like tents, walkie talkies, chairs, and any other set-operation supplies we may need. Everyone’s safety and comfort is paramount!


LOCATION: We will be shooting in a functional diner for authenticity’s sake. In addition to rental and insurance fees for this location, we will also need to pay for additional parking, bathrooms, security, and a location monitor, as well as COVID safety protocols.


ART DEPARTMENT & COSTUME/MAKE-UP: Although we’ll be working in an actual diner, our wonderful production designer and their art department team will still need to factor in rental fees for additional props, food (and food prep), and any set decorating elements to realize our story. Wardrobe will also be essential to bring our characters to life, especially for our Border Patrol/ICE Agent uniforms.


POST PRODUCTION: Once we’re done shooting, our editor will get busy to have this film in the can as soon as possible. In addition to paying our editor, we will need closed captioning, color grading, and post sound (particularly sound design!) to polish the film and get it ready for festivals and distribution. This always ends up adding up!


FILM FESTIVALS: We plan to submit to as many festivals and showcases as possible! This comes with submission and processing fees that add up quick. Your donations will help us cover this as well as help pay for travel to any festival that accepts our film.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

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matching grants

Many companies will match donations made by their employees to non-profit charitable institutions. This can double your donation! Your company’s Human Resources Department will be able to inform you if your employer offers this benefit. If so, please contact us for additional help.

in-kind donations

Anything helps! You can make a contribution to our film by offering goods or services to our team at a discounted rate. Examples include props, catering, and transportation.

spread the word

Help us reach our fundraising campaign by sharing it with your friends and family! Please like and share our posts relating to the campaign and spread the word however you can! We deeply appreciate your time and support

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contact us

Fish head mortuary Productions

EMAIL US AT:

fishheadmortuary@proton.me

encuentroshortfilm@proton.com