Short Film Production in MADRID
La Secuencia Final
La Secuencia Final is an amateur film starring some friends, my brother and I, with no previous experience as actors. The result is a short film that is confusingly written, poorly directed and poorly acted, but, in my opinion, very charming. As an homage to B-horror movies, its lack of technical quality should be not only forgiven, but welcomed. On the other hand, he has a unique sense of humor, which I share with my partners Javier Vallado and Santiago Agulló, who wrote the script with me and also act in the film. A very Master Cluster humor, of which I am proud.
Clases de Ruso
When I was studying Direction at the Madrid Film School (ECAM), we had to choose between several scripts. The one I liked was a risky and difficult project, and I opted for another: a topical and easy comedy that I thought I would pass. I would take the risk next year. But there was no next year, because I failed. That comedy that didn't even convince me, didn't convince anyone. When I came up with the idea for Clases de Ruso, everyone told me that it was a very risky project, that it was going to be difficult to find a Russian actress in Madrid and that the story is too subtle. But I had learned my lesson, and decided to go to the death with it. The result is my best short film, which in 20 minutes makes us understand the entire life of two lonely beings, mixing drama, romance and terror. Clases de Ruso had a spectacular international reception, with awards in Spain, the United States, France and Italy. It is curious, but the first award he received was precisely from ECAM.
Cuadrilátero
Cuadrilátero it is the story of a disagreement. Four characters in love... with the wrong person. They are anonymous characters, named by a cold voice-over. It could be any of us. Who hasn't made a mistake when choosing their love goals? Starring Mathieu Amalric, Silvia Marsó, Jordi Dauder and Ángeles Maeso, winner of more than twenty national and international awards, this short film is the seed of what will be my first feature film: Cuarteto.
Las Viandas
The idea arose while having dinner with my friend Santiago Agulló at a restaurant in San Lorenzo de El Escorial called precisely Las Viandas.
It was a long project. But in 2003, after my daughter Paula was born, in the hospital I read the rules for the Cinema Jove Short Project award, where they offered financing and a lot of help to produce a short film.
I had no ideas for a short film at the time, so I decided to adapt the story into a 20-minute script. If he won, which was unlikely, he would make the short; If not, it would serve as a first approach to a future feature film script. The project won (Paula came with a loaf of bread under her arm), which meant financing from several television stations and a period of one year to release the short. I was also lucky enough to obtain a subsidy from the Ministry of Culture, and that José María Pou and Roberto Álvarez, the first actors I thought of, agreed to participate. Las Viandas was selected in more than 150 festivals and won awards in 10 countries. I must admit, however, that I am not fully satisfied with the result. But I consider it a good rehearsal for the future feature film project.
José Antonio Bonet
Los Planetas
Financed with the help of the North American network Showtime Networks, Los Planetas is an intimate story, starring a couple in crisis, and whose starting point is a traffic accident in which the protagonist is about to die. The last image he remembers before losing consciousness is that of a woman he met years ago. That thought causes chaos in the couple's universe... just as any tiny detail could destroy the balance of the entire Universe.
Awards:
- Showtime Networks Award, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (USA), September 2005