FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ADELINA ANTHONY’S NEW SHORT FILM “ODE TO PABLO”
PREMIERES AS PART OF THE PBS ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL
July 15-26, 2019
(Los Angeles, CA, July 15, 2019) – The new digital short film Ode to Pablo, a unique intersectional coming of age story, premieres today as part of the 2019 PBS Online Film Festival. Written and directed by Adelina Anthony and presented by Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), the film is produced by AdeRisa Productions. Two AdeRisa films have premiered as part of earlier PBS Online Film Festivals – the acclaimed Amigas with Benefits and Gold Star, which earned the People’s Choice Award in 2016.
In Ode to Pablo, a young queer deaf Afro Latino is challenged to a game of pickup basketball by local boys and agrees to play. He doesn’t reveal much about himself, but his obvious skill speaks for itself. He’s enjoying the game when an unexpected incident suddenly makes it clear to the other teens that Pablo is deaf. The assumptions the boys have about each other are challenged and Pablo finds himself making a deep and surprising connection with one of the boys.
“We’re very pleased to share Adelina Anthony’s new filmthrough PBS’s Online Film Festival this year,” says Sandie Viquez Pedlow, Executive Director of Latino Public Broadcasting. “This is our third collaboration with Adelina; her films are truly original, with a sly, offbeat storytelling style, and they offer a fresh look at people rarely seen on screen. We’re delighted to make Ode to Pablo available to audiences everywhere.”
Since its launch in 2012, the PBS Online Film Festival has featured diverse films from PBS member stations, the minority consortia, and ITVS and POV. Generating more than seven million streams over the course of the festival’s history, the PBS Online Film Festival continues to be an engaging annual digital event. The festival also received a nomination in the 2015 Webby Awards category for Online Film & Video: Variety (Channel).
Starting today, viewers can once again watch, share their favorites, and vote for their favorite film to win the “Most Popular” award. In addition, a distinguished panel of eight jury members will select their favorite film of the festival for the “Juried Prize.”
This year’s jury members include The Washington Post’s Chief Film Critic Ann Hornaday, International Documentary Association’s Executive Director Simon Kilmurry, Black Film Critics Founder Mike Sargent, WGBH Educational Foundation’s Executive Producer Judith Vecchione, Firelight Media & Films’ Documentary Lab Manager Chloe Walters-Wallace, Digital Media Executive Adnaan Wassey, PBS Programming and Development Senior Director Pamela Aguilar, FRONTLINE Producer & Editor Michelle Mizner and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Producer Eric Gulliver.
About the Filmmaker
Adelina Anthony (Writer/Director) is a critically acclaimed and award-winning queer Xicana two-spirit lesbian artista who hails originally from San Antonio, Texas. She works in various mediums and is best known for her provocative, comedic solo performances. Along with Marisa Becerra, she co-founded AdeRisa Productions, and returned to film as an actor, writer, director and producer. AdeRisa’s films Gold Star and Amigas with Benefits premiered on PBS’s Online Film Festival.
About Latino Public Broadcasting
Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) is the leader in the development, production, acquisition and distribution of non-commercial educational and cultural media that is representative of Latino people, or addresses issues of particular interest to Latino Americans. These programs are produced for dissemination to public broadcasting stations and other public telecommunication entities. Latino Public Broadcasting provides a voice to the diverse Latino community throughout the United States and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Latino Public Broadcasting produces VOCES, the signature Latino arts and culture documentary series on PBS devoted to exploring the rich diversity of the Latino cultural experience. Between 2009 and 2019, LPB programs won over 125 awards, including the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award as well as two Emmys, Imagen Awards and the Sundance Film Festival Award for Best Director, Documentary. In addition, LPB has been the recipient of the Norman Lear Legacy Award and the NCLR Alma Award for Special Achievement – Year in Documentaries. Sandie Viquez Pedlow is Executive Director of LPB; Edward James Olmos is Co-founder and Chairman.
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Contact:
CaraMar Publicity
Mary Lugo 770 623 8190 lugo@negia.net