SMC film students project their short films on the big screen at the 13th Annual DTLA Film Festival. 'La Cuarentena' dismantles vaccine fears, 'Borders' tackles the aftermath of war veterans and 'Azizam' on young Iranian love in a time of class division—each film varies from the other, but all send powerful messages about the importance of representation and inclusion.

(L to R) ‘Azizam’ Actor Shahrooz Mahmoodi with editor Joelle Brianne and the film’s director Alci Rengifo stand alongside Salvador Carrasco, the head of Santa Monica College’s Film Department, Johaira Michelle Dilauro, director of ‘La Cuarentena’, Frank Velasquez, director of ‘Borders’ and Valeria Zuniga, production designer of ‘Azizam’ and ‘Borders’ after the screening of their short films at the 13th Annual DTLA Film Festival at Regal LA Live on Sept. 17, 2022. Los Angeles, CA (Ee Lin Tsen | The Corsair)

While the world was watching the Toronto International Film Festival, Angelenos gathered downtown on Sept. 14 to 18, to watch local filmmakers showcase their films in Regal L.A. Live for the 13th Annual DTLA Film Festival.

Of the numerous films that were shown on the big screen, three of them were made by current and former Santa Monica College (SMC) Film students, Alci Rengifo, Frank Velasquez and Johaira Michelle Dilauro. The three short films were screened on Saturday, Sept. 17 as a part of DTLA Film Festival’s Short Series Part 1.

Dilauro’s music video "La Cuarentena" which she directed, wrote the lyrics to and even starred in, went on to win the category for the “Best Experimental Short”.

Translating to The Quarantine, "La Cuarentena" is a colorful comedic musical that uses humor to spread awareness and opens up conversation about the importance of getting vaccinated within the Latino community. Dilauro saw the horrors of the pandemic firsthand as she worked on the frontlines as a nurse in the Postpartum department at Kaiser West LA. When the vaccine came out Dilauro thought that her family back in the Dominican Republic would get vaccinated, however they decided against it due to online forums spreading misinformation about the vaccine.

“What I was hoping for was that it was a humorous way to talk about vaccines and talk about taking care of each other and dropping the defensiveness with humor. I find that Latinos do really well with hard subjects with humor as it's just a way of dealing with processing things,” Dilauro said.

“So my goal was to at least be able to have the conversation with people without there being a wall immediately," the director said, explaining that she incorporated different Latino characters and jokes prevalent in Latino culture.

"La Cuarentena" serves as Dilauro’s directorial debut. It is the first of her three-part pandemic jam with the second music video, "Hot VaXxX Summer" already out on YouTube and Spotify, and the final segment of the series, "Rona" is soon to be released and Dilauro adds that she is especially excited for this one.

Daniel Mora, lead actor of 'Borders' with the film's director Frank Velasquez after the screening of their short film at the DTLA Film Festival on Sept. 17, 2022. Los Angeles, CA (Ee Lin Tsen | The Corsair)

Directed and written by SMC Alum Frank Velasquez, "Borders" is a 16-minute drama that combines art and war as it intimately touches on war veterans, Mexican lynching and the hardships that immigrants and people of color in America face. The short film stars actor Daniel Mora, known for his role in the Oscar-winning Disney film "Coco" and Oscar-nominated film, "Please Hold".

Velasquez came up with "Borders" after hearing a story from his friend, a former veteran and social worker, about a veteran who was creating art out of trash due to a lack of resources. The script spoke volumes, as it won the Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation’s $10,000 Film Grant and allowed Velasquez to launch into the filming of "Borders".

“The frustration of being a person of color and feeling like you had no right to America and feel like it's home even though you’re born here. From that I met a lot of veterans of color who were even more critical of the military," the director said, adding that hearing those experiences "hit home a little differently."

“I think that’s important. If you really love a country and you really love where you live then you challenge it when it does wrong." Velasquez said. "I think that’s really the biggest thing and patriotism is something that is really difficult for me in general, but it doesn't mean I don't love where I live and love the people around me.”

"Azizam" was the last of the three films showcased in the Short Series Part 1 screening. The film was written and directed by SMC Alum Alci Rengifo, with cinematography by SMC cinematography instructor Vishal Solanki as well as a majority of the film crew consisting of SMC Film students.

The drama short depicts a tale of class divisions and forbidden love set along the golden beaches of Iran in 1971. Being half-Salvadorian and half-Colombian, Rengifo drew on the experiences his mother had when she first moved from El Salvador to Texas as the country erupted in civil wars during the late '70s. Rengifo's mother attended an art school and befriended Iranian students who supported the social revolution. There was an immediate connection while exchanging stories about the social and political clashes that swept both their countries.

"They all bonded through this similar experience where they were from different countries but had to leave their homes for similar reasons. Those stories have just always stayed with me,” Rengifo said.

“As you see in the film, class tensions, the need to find your own path when you’re young, independence, history, and war—these are things that affect every quarter of the world," Rengifo said.

"What I really hope the film does, is that when Iranians or Persians watch it they see how respectfully we immersed ourselves in their history," adding that he would also like someone who's not Persian to be able to connect to the film as there are certain elements of humanity that are universal experiences.

The five directors featured in the DTLA Film Festival Short Series Part 1 answer questions from the audience after screening their short films at the Regal LA Live theatre. Sept. 17, 2022. Los Angeles, CA (Ee Lin Tsen | The Corsair)

"Azizam" has been accepted in The 13th EDUKINO Festival of Films Against War in Poland and will also be screening internationally in Egypt at the Cairo International Tehran Film Festival.

Alongside the directors, cast members and production crew was Salvador Carrasco, the head of the SMC Film Production Program was also present at the festival.

“Teaching Alci, Johaira, Frank, and all their SMC crew members has been incredibly rewarding because they are living proof that our philosophy and pedagogical approach work," Carrasco said.

“What the three films have in common is that they are all well-crafted and have something meaningful to say. We pride ourselves in that our students do not make derivative films,” he said, highlighting that students’ individual life experiences help them tell stories that question and challenge the world in new and original ways.

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