Feature Film ALERT! SECRETS ON BONNABEL
Working with underrepresented actors & themes drives my body of work. All of my films touch deeply on personal experiences with death, eating disorders, transgender humans, and people of color. Young people consistently take center stage in the movies I have written and produced.
Secrets on Bonnabel, a young-adult thriller features a Hispanic family with 18-year-old Daniel Martinez leaving for college at New York University after receiving a full scholarship. On the afternoon of his little brother’s 11th birthday, Daniel meets Candace, the Senator’s daughter, and her best friend, Bree, at the ice-cream shop.
After the teenagers get into a car accident, Daniel’s world spins out of control unearthing shocking secrets that could have profound implications for his future.
According to The Black ListⓇ, “Secrets on Bonnabel is a compelling coming-of-age drama featuring a strong diverse cast, complex family conflict and a strong social commentary on politics, infidelity, and what it means to be a real family.”
The overall vision for this feature length film focuses on a young Latino man raised by a single-mom and his feelings of resentment and loss because of his abandoned father. What does it mean to be a family? What does it mean to have immigrant parents, especially one who makes a decision that causes insurmountable change?
I want to make this movie because it directly puts the spotlight on a young Hispanic male, growing up with a single mom, who always does the right thing. Daniel gets good grades in high school, loves his mom and little brother, works mowing lawns and provides income to his family budget. By doing well in high school, he earns a full scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in the country, NYU.
When Daniel faces the most challenging situation of his young life, he doesn’t walk away or back down. In fact, he finds resolution to the problem, and essentially brings everyone back together, including his lost father.
Secrets on Bonnabel found its inspiration from the community I live and work in. Married to an Immigration Attorney, an immigrant from Nicaragua, and devoting our lives to the legal proceedings of our clients’ status, it gave ample opportunities for uncovering qualities I wanted to showcase. For example: loyalty, devotion to family, strong moral compass, and hard working.
Working with young actors is a rewarding and exciting calling that appears in every screenplay that I have written and produced. Young actors are passionate, vulnerable, and incredibly appreciative of their opportunity working on a professional set. Quite frankly, young actors are the hardest working age group I know. They are still in school carrying a heavy load of academics, possibly working outside of the home, navigating who they are in society, and what they stand for. Secrets on Bonnabel captures all of these qualities.
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