The 1920s were the glory days for Tijuana, Mexico. The thriving town was a magnet for movie stars, mobsters, dignitaries and misfits seeking a place to escape the doldrums of US Prohibition. “Tijuana” follows French-born Carmen (Ilana Guralnik), a wildly intelligent and ambitious woman who aids her Mexican-born husband in becoming Tijuana’s Chief of Police (David ‘Blak’ Plascencia). Leveraging her newfound power in Mexico’s high society, she launches her own enterprise smuggling tequila to the north.
Actors Enrique Castillo and David ‘Blak’ Plascencia in Tijuana the Movie; photo by Photo by Ashly Covington
“Tijuana” was filmed in Sierra Madre, Los Angeles, and Lancaster, California, and recently wrapped principal photography. Currently the project is moving toward the post-production phase with the aim of hitting the festival circuit as well as the film and TV markets during 2018.
Executive Producer/Actor David ‘Blak’ Plascencia and Writer/Director/Producer Mary-Lyn Chambers teamed up to create “Tijuana” in association with Producer Cynthia Bravo and Glix Entertainment. Instead of telling the story through the expected Hollywood lens, the filmmakers tell the story in Spanish, through the eyes of the residents of Tijuana. It remains a central goal of the creators to explore the rich and diverse culture during this period, and to present a positive and glamorous depiction of Tijuana and its people.
The cast includes the fiercely talented Ilana Guralnik, David ‘Blak’ Plascencia, Ruby Pedroza, Art Bonilla, Daniel Edward Mora, Matt Medrano, Martin Morales, Jaime Alvarez, Elena Rojas, Emily Brooks, Hayden James Farrel, famed Colombian Actress Maria-Laura Quintero and renowned Mexican actor Enrique Castillo.
Behind the camera is award-winning Fiji-born, New Zealand writer/director/producer Mary-Lyn Chambers and her long-time Italian cinematographer Ludovica Isidori, and Mexican Producer Cynthia Bravo in a dynamic, female-led trio. In the true tradition of a Mary-Lyn Chambers film, women and minorities hold the majority of leadership roles, including Jennifer Zhang, a talented Chinese immigrant who was the on set sound mixer, a position where 95% of jobs are held by men.
Executive producers include the award-winning Panamanian filmmaker Eric Iglesias and David ‘Blak’ Plascencia.
“Tijuana” the movie formed a partnership with the all-girls high school, Alverno High, in which interested students shadowed woman filmmakers during the production of “Tijuana”, teaching the girls “if you can see it, you can be it”.
“Tijuana” the movie is the first step towards the development of the project for television and will be approaching the TV markets during 2018.
For more information, visit: www.TijuanaTheMovie.com
