'On The Downlow' Road - Part 2

April 16th 2004 - As coincidence would have it, on today's TV broadcast of the Oprah show, the guest was author J. L. King talking about his new book 'On The Down Low'. This is great publicity for us! Sort of. This may also ruin our 'Big Secret' about the film.

April 22^nd 2004 -  It's time for Tadeo to head off to Turin Italy with 'On The Downlow'. Unfortunately I was unable to attend (boo hoo). Tadeo did keep a little journal of the trip which is as follows...

4 -22-04 - So it’s that time to leave overseas for a 9 hour trip to Italy! Man, I’m really nervous, but hey, it’s all good. One thing about me is that I never in a million years thought that I would ever travel anywhere outside of the North American continent. Not even Hawaii, and that’s one of our states! I always thought it was just gonna be the U.S. and Mexico for the rest of my life. But this is a real treat so I’m really excited and looking forward to it.

May ^th 2004 - Tadeo, actor Michael Cortez & publicist Jesse Rodriguez fly out to Florida to screen ON THE DOWNLOW at the Jacksonville independent Film Festival. Click Here for an article. Some pictures below.

May 16^th 2004 - Tadeo & actor Michael Cortez fly out to California to screen ON THE DOWNLOW at the Antelope Valley Independent Film Festival.

May 19^th 2004 - We prepare for the Chicago Theatrical Release of ON THE DOWNLOW & have a press screening of the film at the ICE Theatres on Western Avenue. It will then play there for two weeks beginning May 29th.

May 23rd 2004 - A special ON THE DOWNLOW party is held at the Zentra nightclub. Pictured are Donato Cruz, Tony Sancho, Michael Cortez & Tadeo Garcia.

May 25^th 2004 - Tadeo Garcia & Michael Cortez are interviewed by Telemundo Television. Later that evening they are joined by Tony Sancho & interviewed for Columbia College Radio.

FROM TADEO'S JOURNAL  - "Today was a very interesting day. Apart from the daily grind at work, we had 2 interviews. One with Telemundo, and the other with WCRX Radio Station. As always, the day begins with work trying to make that money for our next film “Greasepaint.” So we all meet up at my studio; Donato Cruz, Michael Cortez, and yours truly. Then we head off to the University of Chicago to pick up Carmen Cenko. THEN we are off on lower Wacker drive. Man I haven’t been on lower Wacker for the longest time, not since after the renovation. That’s our tax dollars at work! 

May 28th 2004 - Tadeo, Michael, Tony & Jesse are interviewed about ON THE DOWNLOW on WOJO - La Qué Buena 105.1FM Chicago Radio. Also our film begins playing for two weeks starting today at the ICE Theatres on 2258 W 62nd St.

Check out that Marquee!

June 4th 2004 - Tadeo & Jesse notify me of the great news that the NewFest New York (New York Times sponsored) screening of ON THE DOWNLOW is SOLD OUT!!! It hasn't even played there yet & it's sold out!!!! Unbelievable!!! NewFest 2004: The 16th New York LGB&T Film Festival (June 11th - SOLD OUT)

June 6th 2004 - ON THE DOWNLOW is doing pretty great at the ICE Theatres & we are notified that it will run there another week! Wow, a three week run for our 'Little Big Film That Could'.

June 10th 2004 - Tadeo flies to New York for the ON THE DOWNLOW screening at the NewFest 2004: The 16th New York LGB&T Film Festival (June 11th - SOLD OUT)

FROM TADEO'S JOURNAL - JUNE 10, 2004-06-16 - It’s that day. I get up at the ass crack of dawn and get ready. Hell, I didn’t even pack last night. Well, what’s the big deal anyways? I’m only gonna be there for like a day and then come back so it shouldn’t be that hard. I’ll just make sure to give out lots of t-shirts. I finish packing and I call the cab to pick me up. If I had been awake only 2 hours earlier, I would’ve just walked to the airport ‘cause it’s only like 3 blocks away. Well, the cab comes and I’m off to the big apple. Let’s see what happens.

I’m sitting here on the plane. The attendant says that it’ll be an hour and a half to get there. Sweet! I can’t wait.

Now I’m sitting in a cab stuck in traffic and we’re not even out of the damn airport yet! I got this cab driver who keeps saying fucking shit, as if that’s gonna miraculously alter the traffic jam. Yeah whatever.

We’re finally out of traffic and I’m on my way to the HoJo or hotel. I’m staying at some place called the Chelsea Savoy Hotel. From what I saw in the picture, it looks really nice, until I get there. The place looks like a dump from the outside. I get in and its actually really nice! The chick at the counter tells me that the room isn’t ready and that I should wait 10 minutes. An hour wizzes by and I go up to the counter. She is surprised and apologizes that she didn’t tell me.

I’m taken up to my room and its really nice. I unpack my camera and say a few words. I change and am about to explore my surroundings when I turn the tube on and it lands right on the cartoon network. Its Tom & Jerry! My most favorite cartoon! I sit on my bed and watch. There must have been some marathon because I completely lost track of time. It’s been an hour! I decide to go to the theatre to pick up my packet which has the schedules, festival badge and whatever else I may need to navigate through the festival.

I go to the lobby to ask for directions. The theatre is actually like 5 blocks away! Sweet! As I walk I can’t help but notice how fast people walk around here. My kind of town. I’m a fast walker. So fast I manage to walk down 6 blocks in like 5 minutes! I get to the theatre and whip out my camera to record the theatre. It’s a Loews Cine multiplex theatre! This is tight!

I go and retrieve my packet and receive a goody bag with CD’s, vouchers, and a variety of other nick knacks. Cool! I go back to my hotel and rest. Then I receive some messages on my cell phone. I check them. There are some from Jesse and one from Jean Tate, the director of the Jacksonville Film Festival. I never knew she lived out here in New York. Jean wants to hook up for dinner and I happily accept. We go to this really kick ass Mexican Restaurant called Mary-Ann’s for some Margaritas. Aggggggggh. The drink of drinks! We literally stay there a good few hours and just talk about movies, talk about the festival circuit and just about life itself. Jean really rocks! I was really happy to meet her and actually get to know her on a one on one basis. I know that while we were at the Jacksonville film festival, she was busy right out of her mind so there was no way in hell she would be able to sit down and have a decent conversation. We wrap up the night and I head back to the hotel. A little buzzed, but a nice enough to knock me out.

JUNE 11^TH. HALLELUIAH HOLY SHIT! So today’s the day of the screening. Shitballs! What the hell am I gonna wear? I decide to walk out of the hotel for a change. I don’t want anything to eat ‘cause I'm nervous. And to top it all off, the flick is sold out! So the Q&A will be balls out nuts. I decide that I will have a few margaritas at Mary-Ann's while the film is in progress and I will be nice and buzzed enough to answer questions. I am bored right out of my mind! I decide to go and watch this flick called “The Day After Tomorrow.” True, I know what the flick will end like, but the effects are eye candy so why not? I go check out the flick. It was ok, nothing too ostentatious. Its about an hour before this flick “Dorian Blues” is ready to show. Jesse told me it was a hit at the Jacksonville flick fest. It was like Downlow only funny. Cool, I could use a good laugh.

I get to the theatre, and that film too is sold out, luckily my badge gets me anywhere I want. I sit down and watch the movie. Not bad! It was pretty damned funny. It was a take on the cliché film of coming out only done better and funnier. Well, no doubt about it, "Dorian Blues" is gonna win the festival. Well its over and I gotta get ready for the screening. It’s coming up next. I walk out of the theatre and call the cast and my family in Chicago and tell them that the flick is about to start. They send their wishes. Jesse’s friend, Sorel is waiting downstairs for me. Perfect opportunity to record stuff with my camera. I walk downstairs and film the people in the will call line that haven’t gotten tickets. Then I go back up to the theatre with Sorel and film the people waiting in line. Everyone is led into the theatre as I pray to God that all goes well. After everyone’s in, I go in and walk down the corridor on the side of the theatre. With my camera in hand, I record the image of a jam packed theatre. A theatre jam packed and sold out with people waiting to see our flick! We get introduced and the flick starts with a short film called “In Any House” by fellow Chicago filmmaker, Luis Ulloa! GREAT! It’s so cool to see another Chicago Filmmaker here!

The movie starts out flawlessly. I call Roger and tell him that everything is going great! Being a little nervous I might have said some stupid shit during the Q&A but at least I told the truth. Like my old man says, there are only two types of people in this world that will tell you like it is, children and a drunk. Sorel told me that everything went great, goodtimes!

Sunday June 13^th, 2004 - I started work back in Chicago as usual at the ass crack of dawn that morning. I opened up the restaurant and the flood of customers came in, thank God. It was about 9:00a.m. and I got a call on my cell phone from an area I didn’t even know. I was carrying some plates to the dishwasher and I answered the phone. It was the New York film festival. They asked me how I enjoyed the festival and screening and I told them that everything went great! Then he broke the news. "On The Downlow" had just won Best U.S. Narrative film of the festival. Now mind you I have plates in my hand. I gasped and I said the first thing anyone would say. “Thank you!” I couldn’t believe it! There was so much competition at that festival I never even knew that anyone would really take our little practice film seriously, but they did, and I was grateful that they took notice not on my work, but on the aspect of the story and the actors who portrayed it. They took the chance and helped make it successful. I called everyone and their mother. Well I called my mother and she screamed! I called Jesse and started to freak out. Then Jesse called the actors because I was busy at the restaurant, I called the one man who really helped make all this happen, Mr. Roger B. Domian himself. He was excited! Everything went great! I thanked God and the many saints that I prayed to. I then called Jesse and asked him if he wouldn’t mind asking Ms. Jean Tait to accept the award on our behalf. Jean was so cool and I really connected with her that I felt that she was the right person to accept the award and I was also honored to have her say yes! Next stop - San Francisco!!!!!

June 13th 2004 - We Won!!!!! Tadeo receives word that ON THE DOWNLOW has won it's first award!!! Selected by New York's NewFest Film Festival as Best USA Narrative Feature Film.

June 21st 2004 - Tadeo travels to San Francisco for an ON THE DOWNLOW SCREENING - But that is after he misses a plane out of Midway (Four blocks away from the airport & he still misses the flight). I hear from him later in the night telling me that he is gambling away his money in Vegas!!! Tomorrow is the screening & he is trying to raise money for our feature film 'GREASEPAINT'!!! What a trooper!!!

FROM TADEO'S JOURNAL - Monday June21st 2004 - I live like 6 blocks away from Midway International Airport in Chicago. I’ve always, for the most part, flown out of there and, under the gun, have managed to make the flight in time regardless of how late it is. Not this morning. Again I woke up at the ass crack of dawn and got ready. Then I lay down again. I woke up and called the cab at about 5:54 in the a.m. then I received a call. It was Jesse. I guess he got to the airport before I did. He tells me that I better hurry because the airport is jam packed with peoples. No problem, I’ve done this a million times. There’s no way in the world that I can miss my flight. And sure enough, I did.

DAMN!!!!!!!!

I told Jesse the bad news. As in the usual Jesse manner, he was calm and cool about it. I told him that I was booked on the next flight out though, but as standby. So I may not even get a flight, then again I may. It’s a give or take thing. I check my bag and head for the terminal. I watch all the people walk into the plane and wonder when in the hell they’re gonna announce who gets to go on. Well, I can tell you it wasn’t me. Only two standby’s were boarded. Holy shit, I think to myself, this is pretty damned real. I talk to the lady at the counter and she says I could wait on standby for the next 4 flights which take off at 12:00, 3:00. 6:00, and 9:00, but there’s no guarantee because they’re all completely booked. Holy shit. There’s really nothing these peeps can do so I tell her that I'm taking a separate airline and she gives me a voucher since I’m not flying with ATA anymore. I go to the ATA baggage claim to try to claim my luggage to check it in with Southwest, but it turns out the my luggage has already left with the flight that I was on standby with. SHIT! They did say though that I can pick up the luggage at San Francisco International Airport so its not a loss. I can just come in get my luggage, and go to the Hotel. I check with Southwest Airlines, but they don’t go to San Francisco, just to Oakland California which is like 20 minutes away from the city by the bay. I buy it, but first, we go to Las Vegas or Lost Wages, then to Oakland. I call Jesse as soon as I land in Las Vegas and tell him the situation. He then calls the festival peoples and all is good because they’re picking me up in Oakland! Yay!   

I get to Oakland and I see Jesse waiting. Good times! Curtis, the volunteer from the festival, picks us up and takes us to the HoJo. Curtis rocked and we told him we’d see him laterz on that day if not the next day at the flick fest.

The HoJo is pretty kick ass. No view though. I call my cousin up and tell him that I done just arrived and that I need to pick up my luggage at the San Francisco airport. He said he would pick me up from the airport so we had Mr. Curtis drive us up to the airport, God bless him for driving me! I got my suitcase and I called my cousin Tony to pick me up. He came and we drove off to San Jose so that I could see his new house he just had built. It was kick ass! Tony was hungry so we went to one of California’s most respected fast-food restaurants - In-N-Out Burgers! Good times! We ordered our food and my t-shirt and we just talked away about life. We took off and Tony showed me his new abode. It was kick ass! Really really big house! After the grand tour, we sat in the family room and watched TV. Being from Chicago and the 2 hour time difference, I had a serious case of jet lag. I guess Tony noticed because I was nodding off left and right. We called it a night.

Tuesday June 22^nd, 2004 - I wake up at 6 in the morning, that damned jet lag!  I just stare at the ceiling and wonder how all is going to go today. I hope people show up. I hope people enjoy the flick, I hope people even understand the flick. But we’ll see. Tony takes me to the train station so for that I can catch the train to San Francisco. We decide to meet before the screening later on that night.

I arrive in San Francisco. It’s a bit cold outside, but no big deal. I’m a Chicago boy so cold is no big deal to me. I take a cab to the HoJo where I’m staying with Jesse. I arrive, shower up and we’re off to festival central to pick up tickets for other movies we may want to see. We arrive at the festival and are greeted warmly by the festival coordinator, Ben. He really rocks! He asks us about the film and we talk about it. The issues with making an indie flick, which are slim to none when you don’t have such a big crew and work on a limited budget. We go downstairs and start our campaign of passing out flyers. I get a call from the travel coordinator Kevin. I can hardly hear him. Something about the HoJo and that he was sorry. I tell Jesse that there is a problem with the HoJo and he forwards it to Ben at the festival. Ben calls Kevin up (DRAMA) and then he tells us that the HoJo we were staying at had us registered to check out on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Well, it wasn’t long before they got us a new HoJo with a kick ass view of the bay area and we each had our own room! How cool is that? I took video of the room then I noticed the bathrobes they had. They even equip the rooms with umbrellas! I gotta get me one of these, a bathrobe AND an umbrella. Oh well at least I’m happy.

We settle in and then leave for festival central. We’re gonna catch this flick called “Dorian Blues” again. This will be the 2^nd time I watch it and the 3^rd for Jesse. It’s really cool to travel with another movie through the festival circuit! After the flick is over, we pass out more flyers and talk with one of the judges of the festival. A lot of the complements I get for the film is that it is refreshing to see it from a different point of view. Well I’m glad of that. It makes me feel that we really did our jobs if people have these comments to say.

Well its almost showtime and I’m getting ready to go out with Tony and his girlfriend Simona and Jesse to get our eat-ons and to watch "On the Downlow" with a San Francisco audience. “God I hope they get it!”

Tony meets us at the HoJo and Curtis joins us as well. He drives us to this really cool Tai Restaurant. Traditionally I am a nervous wreck when I’m presenting the movie so I have a beer. Man, I never knew that Heineken Beer tasted so damned good!

We make it to the theatre and I notice the unusual large crown of people ready to see our little flick. It’s great! I grab my camera and start to record it all. I want to record every moment of it because we may never see this again. I walk into the theatre and give Tony the camera so he can shoot. I notice that the theatre is huge AND they have a balcony which is filling up too! My God! I cant believe the turnout! Well, the logo for ICONOCLAST FILMS comes on. The audience laughs at the graphics. Then A BEANS & RICE PRODUCTION comes on the screen and everyone in the audience start hooting. Finally A TADEO GARCIA FILM comes on screen and the audience goes nuts! I guess it wont be so bad.

Well the Q&A goes extremely well. We are then followed out by this guy named KOING who is from this distribution company called PICTURE THIS! ENTERTAINMENT. I have heard of this company before. Koing really dug the flick and wants his boss to have a look see at it. I’m like sure, why not. So we decide to meet for dinner the next night.

June 22nd 2004 - Tadeo informs me that the screening of DOWNLOW at FrameLine went great. Full house & balcony!!! More to come as I hear from him.

TADEO'S JOURNAL - Wednesday June 23^rd 2004 - Jesse and I spend most of the day at the flick fest watching movies. We meet up with his friend Rick and we watch this flick that is set in an unknown Italian city. We will name the city Turin. The movie was just there. Quite a few walkouts. That really killed me because I know what it feels like to be a director and watch people walk out on your creative effort.

Koing picked us up at the theatre and treated us to Dinner. We went to a tapas bar. It was pretty good. We talked and talked about the movie, then the Distribution company and why it’s good to go with them etc. Then he said that he wanted to work with us on promotions for the flick even if we didn’t go with his company. I just nodded. You see, one thing I’ve learned is not to get excited about something that is being said, better to see actions than just lip service. I was just calm and let all this great sounding stuff pass through me. Because as good as it sounds, maybe sometimes its just a little too good to be true. After dinner, we just went back to the Hojo  because we had an early flight back to Chicago.

And that was it. Koing has disappeared since San Francisco. Maybe he’ll do a Jesse and re-appear in a few months.

Next Stop HOLLYWOOD!!!!!!!

July 09th 2004 - Tadeo, Jesse & Donato Cruz (Reaper) fly out to LA & begin promoting 'ON THE DOWNLOW's' upcoming film fest screening.

July 12th 2004 - I fly the friendly skies of ATA to the sunny land of California, LA to be exact. Upon arrival I am met by Michael, a 6.8ft tall curtsey driver set up by the film festival to take me to my hojo. A really nice guy who treated me to a full scenic tour of the surrounding area before settling in. Sights included Venice Beach, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, & that famous murder location on Brentwood. LA is quite a place, huge posters & billboards advertising the new movies Catwoman, Anchorman, Collateral. The weather was great, cool air, hot sun, no humidity. The Days Inn location on Sunset where I stayed was actually really great. An In & Out Burger next door, an I-Hop across the street & a great Mexican restaurant called Acapulco next to that - it was the place we partied at later that night. After I made contact with Tadeo & my ol' buddy Vince Vieluf I had to suppress that hunger ping in my big ol' belly & trotted next door for a big ol' Double Double burger at In & Out -Yummy. Shortly after I was picked up by Tadeo & Donato & we traveled back to LAX to pick up Tony Sancho, Jimmy Borras Jr. & Nick Gomez (Michael Cortez wasn't going to be arriving until 10:30 that night). After they checked in & freshened up it was time to fill that belly again. We all met up across the street at the Acapulco including our film's agent Jesse Rodriguez & actor Jose Yenque (who has appeared in the film TRAFFIC). We talked about movies & an upcoming interview about DOWNLOW at LA's Univision studios on Wednesday over some of the biggest Margaritas I've ever seen. After an appetizer & a couple more Margaritas we were joined by Vince Vieluf - that silly ol' boy who left Chicago some 14 years ago & came out here to be an actor. And damn it if he didn't become one (see RAT RACE, CLAY PIGEONS, or GRIND). This reunion was a long time in coming & it was great to hang & chat with the 'V' man. Eventually we made our way into the back bar area where a Karaoke night was going on. Soon after Tadeo & the rest of the gang started singing they're ways into the hearts of - well, those that were listening. Ten thirty was quickly approaching & Michael Cortez's plane would be landing. Tadeo had planned to pick him but because of his 'festive' condition, we told him to just let Michael grab a cab. So after our pleading efforts trying to convince Tadeo not to drive out to LAX to pick him up - he just went anyway. The place was starting to close & the gang decided to grab some spirits & hang out in Tony's motel room. Vince offered to take me to a cool little bar called Three of Clubs, a place where Celebes sometime come for secluded gatherings. And it sure was secluded, a small brick building down a dark street with a tiny red florescent glowing light reading BAR. The inside was also just as dark & secluded for privacy barely making visible the people sitting in the booths next to you. Vince & I sat at the bar & talked for hours catching up on old times. It was just great to be hangin' with my old friend again. The place started to really pack up around 2am, I mean really packed up, & I felt it was time to head back to the hojo, after all tomorrow's another day. Vince dropped me off & I gave Tadeo a quick call to see how Michael's pick-up went & if all were still gathering in Tony's room. Tadeo answers saying that Michael & Tony are in for the night, he is trying to chase down one of the actors who is walking down the middle of the street upset about something & the remaining are filling they're gullets & sobering up at I-Hop. Ahhh, nothing like spending your first night in Hollywood in an alcoholic daze!

July 13^th 2004 - After a hearty breakfast at I-Hop the gang decides to spend the afternoon at Universal Studios Citywalk. Lots of walking around in the California sun, catching some needed air conditioning while going in & out of the shops & grabbing a lunch at the Hardrock Café'. Later in the afternoon some grabbed a swim & some (including myself) just rested up. Around 10:30pm we were going to be heading out to a club to promote DOWNLOW. It was just going to be a quick appearance, a half hour deal starting at 11pm & then we were all going to head somewhere else to celebrate (again) - Maybe more Karaoke at Acapulco's. This was to be promotional business time for the film - The pleasure was to come later. I called Vince to ask if he wanted to attend. He declined knowing of the place & said he'd meet up with us tomorrow. The Circus Arena was indeed an interesting place. Most of us were pretty comfortable with being there, after all this was to promote our film. Unfortunately we weren't announced until about 12:45, & when they did announced us Tadeo was nowhere to be found. Turns out he was mingling with some people outside! Fortunately Nick Gomez could speak Spanish so when we took the stage he was able to make the announcements (oh yeah, this was a Latino club). Not 3 minutes later (which felt like an eon) Tadeo appeared & jumped up on the stage to continue the promotion, handing out DOWNLOW T-shirts, free passes to the screening & just selling the hell out of the film. Whew! Needless to say we didn't get out of that club until about 1:45am. We head back to the hojo to drop us off. We were more tired now & in no mood for drinking but Tony still had some beer left in his room from the night before & we had to use it up - couldn't bring it home on the plane. On arriving Tadeo tossed Donato his keys to park the rental car in the garage & we made our way up to Tony's room. We didn't even pop open a beer when Tadeo received a call from Donato. Apparently he misunderstood Tadeo & didn't park the car - he scratched it along the wall while trying to get around a parked car! Now remember, Donato didn't have anything to drink, this was just, well, a mistake. It was time to call it a night. Tadeo took Donato back to they're hotel & Tony, Michael & I sat up a while just talking about the night & how our visit in Hollywood is going. Tomorrow's the big screening - One more day in Hollywood to go!

July 14^th 2004 - Today we were going to be interviewed by LA's Univision television so we met up & caught a quick lunch at a French Bistro. Soon after we met up with Jesse who told us that it wouldn't be a good idea for all of us to go to the interview. It should just be the director & one of the actors. Sad thing was that neither of the films leads Michael or Tony was fluent in speaking Spanish. So once again Nick stepped up to bat & the rest of us were dropped off at our Motel. I went back to my room & the others went walking along the walk of fame scooping out the various tourist shops. Not more than the time it took me to sit down did I get a call from Vince who wondered what I was doing. With a nothing answer he said he was coming by to pick me up, head out for some fish, & head back to his place so I can check out Vinnyland. We did pick up some fish, but not the kind to consume, these were the swimming kind for his fish tank at home. Seems he's playing matchmaker & wants some of his swimming buddies to mate. For the next few hours we talked about everything again, the old times, our movie ideas, the screenplay he wrote that he's trying to produce & the last movie he's been in that's making the festival circuit called MOJAVE. I met up with him again along with the director, producer & writer of his film at the film fest later in the evening. The theatre was really great & seated about 700. The attendance for DOWNLOW was a little over 600 & everyone loved the film. Awesome! After a quick Q&A we made our way across the street to a place called Sahara. A few drinks later we made our way back to our rooms & I readied myself for my early flight back to Chi town the next morning. All in all LA was a great place to visit, maybe even to live there. Looking back it was a great time, all the fun & celebration went so quickly. But you know three years ago I never would have dreamed that we'd actually make a movie that would screen in Hollywood. But Tadeo & I worked our best & we've done it. On to New York!

July 23^rd 2004 - Tadeo & I begin to talk about another film project, one we goofed on about jokingly, but now it may just work. It's working title - REVELATIONS.

July 27^th 2004 - I fly to the Big Apple (my first time there) meet up with Tadeo & the gang at LaGuardia Airport, then we all hopped into a cab to be dropped off at our various Hotels. I was staying in one on the outskirts of Manhattan & Tadeo & the others were bunching up in a room together more center of the city. Along the way I video tape some bits of us in the cab & some of the area we were traveling in. Well, I was until the driver scolded me saying that I shouldn't be videotaping due to security concerns. Hmm, a tourist that can't take any pictures or video in the city. Damn terrorists! I arrive at my very comfortable room in the Bentley Hotel, unpack & begin to walk the streets in search of some consumables. The weather was hot & rainy & by the time I bought some tacos & got back to my room I was drenched. After a quick shower & change of clothes I met up with Michael Cortez, who was also staying in the same hotel, & took a cab to our first Film Fest event. We met up with everyone to view the new Antonio Bandaras film IMAGINING ARGENTINA - A strong sometimes heartbreaking drama with sturdy acting. After the movie we ventured into a nearby club to celebrate the films after-party where we met actor Jimmy Smits & danced the night away. As the evening wore down we then walked many long blocks through the humid night stopping at a little restaurant called The Cafeteria. There we ate up some early morning eggs, talked about tomorrow & went to our pads for the night.

July 28^th 2004 - The day for me was pretty uneventful & I spent most of it in the Hotel watching old movies on AMC enjoying the nourishment of a pizza. I just wanted to rest up because tonight was going to be our first screening of DOWNLOW at the fest that included an after party that would again no doubt last into the early morning hours. The screening went really well, as did the Q&A afterwards. For dinner we treated ourselves to a big meal at a Spanish restaurant. After a few glasses of wine Tadeo & I broke out our video cameras to get a retrospective on the film from the actors. Well, that was until the waiter told us to stop taping in their establishment. Damn terrorists! After the (expensive) meal the gang was then going to catch some short films that were being shown before our after-party. I bowed out on the screening planning to just head back to the hotel to grab a quick shower & change clothes. No deal. See, with all the walking & humid temperatures I was pretty soaked again, so when I got back to my extremely cool air-conditioned room & readied for a shower, I decided to pause a while lying back on the bed to enjoy the climate. The next thing I remember was waking up & noticing that it was 3am! Too late for the after-party, but there's another one on Friday night.

July 29^th 2004 - Again a very calm day for me. More AMC & leftover pizza for lunch. Later in the evening we got together for another screening of shorts at another theatre but unfortunately the screening was sold out. Feeling again somewhat exhausted from the weather & boredom, Michael & I walked back to our hotel, but not after stopping for dinner at a pretty swank Mexican restaurant called. Deeelish!

July 30^th 2004 - It's the last day in New York for me & the final screening of DOWNLOW in the fest. I traversed the streets again searching out a small greasy spoon Chinese restaurant & quickly gobbled it down back in my room. Cool, the 'Cassandra Crossing' was on, a movie with Richard Harris that I have never seen - dated but fun. As evening draw near we met up at a place for an Industry gathering, here I met up with some of the other filmmakers & such. Afterwards we screened DOWNLOW for the final time to a pretty receptive audience, which included a wonderful woman who was moved to tears by the film. By the time the screening & Q&A session was complete it was around 12:30am. I had booked a wake-up call for 4:30am so I could catch my early flight back home, so that only led me to bowing out again from the after-party. Looking back on it all now as people ask me how I liked New York. Well, no offense to the Big Apple but personally I wouldn't want to live there. It's much to hustle bustle busy, crowded, & dirty. To experience walking along the streets to the sights & smells of garbage piled up along the curbs was something I wasn't expecting. But I guess every city has its bad things. The important thing was that the food was good, & the Latino Film Fest would be great. Fortunately both were fantastic!

September 23rd 2004 - Tadeo flies out to Texas for the CineSol International Film Festival in Texas. Some problems happen with the screening at Silver Lake Film Fest in California & Downlow is not screened.

September 29^th 2004 - I am notified by Tadeo that ON THE DOWNLOW has been selected to screen at the 12th annual Mix Brazil Film Fests in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia! Whoo Hoo!

October 15^th  2004 - Tadeo fly's out to Washington DC for the Downlow screening at the Reel Affirmations G&L Film Festival.

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'On The Downlow' - Heading Home

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