Part of Filmmaker Programming
A Conversation with Fernando Frías de la Parra and Gerry Kim
Please join SFFILM Makers for a conversation with Fernando Frías de la Parra, the writer, director, producer, and editor of I’m No Longer Here and Gerry Kim, producer of the film.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Live Talk
Thu, Feb 25 at 5:00 pm PT
Talk
Description
I’m No Longer Here has been praised by critics and audiences alike for its moving portrait of identity, community, and the search for belonging as well as its heart-felt and powerful performances. Frías de la Parra and Kim will be in conversation discussing the creative storytelling process from script to screen, the journey of realizing the project and more. I’m No Longer Here received an SFFILM Rainin Grant for post-production and since the film’s release has received numerous accolades including 10 wins at the 62nd Ariel Awards, presented by the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences. The film was recently shortlisted in the International Feature Film category as Mexico’s official country selection for the 93rd Academy Awards.
Fernando Frías is a Mexican documentary filmmaker, screenwriter and award-winning director. He recently directed all six episodes of the first season of Los Espookys on HBO, from Saturday Night Live alums Julio Torres and Fred Armisen.
He wrote, directed, and produced his latest feature, I’m No Longer Here, which was selected for the Sundance Screenwriters lab and won over 10 prestigious development, production, and post-production grants. The film has gone on to win the feature film competition and audience prizes at the Morelia Film Festival in 2019, and best film at the Cairo International Film Festival. I’m No Longer Here has also garnered 10 Mexican Academy Premios Arieles, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Script. It has been chosen to represent Mexico at the Goyas and the Academy Awards in 2021.
Frías received his MFA in directing and screenwriting from Columbia University where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar.
Gerry’s previous films include director Jennifer Kroot’s To Be Takei, a documentary portrait of actor and activist George Takei (2014 Sundance Film Festival premiere, released theatrically by Starz Digital) and directors Esra Saydam and Nisan Dag’s Across The Sea (winner of the Audience Award at the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival, released on Amazon Prime).
Most recently, he produced The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, winner of the Audience Award at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival. The film made its broadcast premiere on the Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens in 2018, and is now distributed worldwide by Netflix. He also has helped produce long-form content for several companies, including Red Bull Music Academy and Mastercard. In 2014, he was selected as a Creative Producing Fellow of the Sundance Institute for I’m No Longer Here.
Activist, filmmaker, and musician, former FilmHouse resident and SFFILM Rainin grantee Boots Riley studied film at San Francisco State University before rising to prominence as the frontman of hip-hop groups The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. His debut feature film Sorry to Bother You premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, was acquired by Annapurna Pictures, and was released to resounding box office success and widespread critical acclaim.
His book of lyrics and anecdotes, Tell Homeland Security–We Are The Bomb, is out on Haymarket Press. He is the recipient of the Independent Spirit Awards for Best Feature Film, and SFFILM’s Kanbar Award for Storytelling. He is currently working on the dark absurdist comedy I’m a Virgo for Amazon.