LAST DAYS OF THE LAB Official Trailer - Watch Here
Academy Award Qualifying Short Film
Directed by María Alvarez Written by Ethan Newmyer + María Alvarez
A mother and daughter sift through old memories as they prepare to permanently close down their family's photo lab.
“Last Days of the Lab” is a 2023 Rising Voices film - a fellowship between Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions, Indeed, and 271 Films. The film premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
FESTIVALS: 2023 Tribeca Film Festival 2023 Toronto International Film Festival 2024 Cleveland International Film Festival 2023 HollyShorts Film Festival 2024 Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner 2023 LA Shorts International Film Festival
PRESS: Deadline Tribeca Film Film Threat Vocal Media Upcoming on Screen
vimeo.com/mvafilms/didilookcubanthen
“did i look cuban then?” is an exploration into the intersectionalities of my cuban-american upbringing and multigenerational womanhood through the lenses of poetry, photography, screen-printing, super 8, vhs, and found family archives.
A Film by María Alvarez
2022 SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
2022 NFFTY - BEST DOCUMENTARY NOMINEE
COLDPLAY x SELENA GOMEZ - LET SOMEBODY GO (BEHIND THE SCENES)
Director / Cinematographer / Editor - María Alvarez
Photographer - Ethan Newmyer
Official Video Directed by Grammy Winning Director Dave Meyers
NIKE - CONSCIOUS MOVEMENT WITH NIKE FEATURING UMI / SAGITTARIUS
Director / Photographer / Editor: María Alvarez
Talent: UMI
Client: Nike / Nike Los Angeles
Agency: Only Another
DP: Peter Hou
Senior Art Director: Stevy Wang
HILLMAN GRAD PRODUCTIONS - MENTORSHIP LAB 2021
Director / Producer / Editor: María Alvarez
Client: Hillman Grad Productions
Full Monologues can be watched here
NIKE - CONSCIOUS MOVEMENT WITH NIKE FEATURING UMI / CAPRICORN
Director / Photographer / Editor: María Alvarez
Talent: UMI
Client: Nike / Nike Los Angeles
Agency: Only Another
DP: Peter Hou
Senior Art Director: Stevy Wang
NIKE - CONSCIOUS MOVEMENT WITH NIKE FEATURING UMI / AQUARIUS
Director / Photographer / Editor: María Alvarez
Talent: UMI
Client: Nike / Nike Los Angeles
Agency: Only Another
DP: Peter Hou
Senior Art Director: Stevy Wang
COLDPLAY - HIGHER POWER (BEHIND THE SCENES)
Directed and Edited by María Alvarez
Shot by María Alvarez, Ethan Newmyer, Lou Jasmine and Nathan Shadrach
Official Video Directed by Grammy Winning Director Dave Meyers
SPLIT ENDS
Written and Directed by María Alvarez
Hermida | Karina Kamble
Andres | Carlos Acuña
Producer | María Alvarez
Assistant Director | Neal Mulani
Director of Photography | Peter Hou
1st AC | Dimitri Tzoytzoyrakos
Editor | María Alvarez
Composer | Katya Richardson
Gaffer | Danny O'Bryan
Grip | Micah Jimenez
Production Sound | Alex Bologna
Production Designer | Sophie Gray
PA | Saul Singleton
PA | Ariann Barker
BTS Photographer | Ethan Newmyer
2021 HORIZON AWARD FINALIST
2021 CANNES COURT MÉTRAGE OFFICIAL SELECTION
2021 NEW FILMMAKERS LA OFFICIAL SELECTION - HOSTED BY THE ACADEMY
2020 NALIP LATINO MEDIA FEST OFFICIAL SELECTION
PRESS:
MARÍA ISABEL - ‘DISTANCE’ (MUSIC VIDEO)
Director | María Alvarez
Creative Direction | María Alvarez + Ethan Newmyer
Producer | María Alvarez
Director of Photography | Peter Hou
Production Designer | Priya Seth
Editor | María Alvarez + Ethan Newmyer
Colorist | Aubrey Woodiwiss
Color Assistant | Briana Brackett
VFX | Max Retik
AD | Neal Mulani
1st AC | Connor Williams
Gaffer | Danny O’Bryan
Grip | Fiona Kida + Candace Ho
Art Assistant | Alex Ioanoviciu
VHS | Hassan Rashid
Photographer | Ethan Newmyer
Graphic Designer | Quincy Banks
Stylist | Aly Abbott
PA | Isaac Lee + John Yi Jr.
Special Thanks | Anthony Brown + Alexander Glantz
PRESS:
MARÍA ISABEL - ‘THE 1’ (MUSIC VIDEO)
Director | Producer | Editor: María Alvarez
DP | Peter Hou
Color | Arianna Shining Star @ Apache Digital
PRESS:
Director | María Alvarez
Screenwriter | Zoe Cheng
Producers | Liam Campbell & Fiona Kida
2019 CANNES COURT MÉTRAGE OFFICIAL SELECTION
2019 CANNES - CREATIVE MIND GROUP PROGRAMMING BLOCK
2019 OUTFEST FUSION - US PREMIERE
2019 HARVARD COLLEGE FILM FESTIVAL - BEST FILM
2019 NEW FILMMAKERS LA - FEMALE CINEMA
2019 CINEYOUTH FILM FESTIVAL - SPECIAL MENTION: WOMEN IN CINEMA AWARD
2019 GRAND FOUNDATION STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL - BEST FILM: COLLEGE DIVISION
2019 SHORT SWEET FILM FEST - HONORABLE MENTION: BEST STUDENT FILM
2019 SHAWNA SHEA FILM FESTIVAL - BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
2019 ACCOLADE GLOBAL FILM COMPETITION - AWARD OF MERIT: WOMEN FILMMAKERS
2019 BRENTWOOD & PACIFIC PALISADES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - BEST SHORT FILM
2019 FIRST LOOK FESTIVAL
2019 USC FEMINIST MEDIA FESTIVAL
2019 BECHDEL FILM FESTIVAL
2019 STRAPLESS STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL
2019 EMERGE MICROCINEMA
2019 INDIENIGHTS
PRESS:
Director & Screenwriter | María Alvarez
Producer | Fiona Kida
DP | Liam Campbell
2018 HORIZON AWARD FINALIST
2018 CANNES COURT MÉTRAGE OFFICIAL SELECTION
2018 CANNES CREATIVE MIND GROUP OFFICIAL SELECTION
BEST FIRST TIME FILMMAKER AWARD @ LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
OUTSTANDING STUDENT FILM @ SHORT SWEET FILM FEST
WOMEN FILMMAKER AWARD @ ACCOLADE GLOBAL FILM COMPETITION
2018 CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SELECTION
2018 CINEYOUTH OFFICIAL SELECTION
BEST STUDENT SHORT NOMINEE @ HOLLYWOOD VERGE FILM AWARDS
2018 LOS ANGELES CINEFEST OFFICIAL SELECTION
SEMI-FINALIST @ BURBANK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
2018 GLENDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SELECTION
Director, DP, Editor | María Alvarez
Screenwriters | Lina Khan & María Alvarez
2017 CANNES COURT MÉTRAGE
NARRATIVE SHORT FINALIST @ 60TH CINE GOLDEN EAGLE AWARDS
WOMEN FILMMAKER AWARD @ ACCOLADE GLOBAL FILM COMPETITION
SHORT SWEET FILM FEST OFFICIAL SELECTION
Director, DP, Editor | María Alvarez
GOOGLE BREAKTHROUGH IN TECHNOLOGY AWARD @ SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
413K VIEWS ON YOUTUBE
BEST OF THE FEST @ SHORT SWEET FILM FEST
BEST DIRECTION @ ATLANTA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD @ ROCKLAND YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL
NOMINATED FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AND EDITING @ ATLANTA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
NEW YORK CITY STUDENT FILM SHOWCASE OFFICIAL SHOWCASE