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THE SHORT FILM
Illegally Brown Short Film .png
Illegally Brown Short Film .png
Official Selections
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Awards

CATALINA FILM FESTIVAL 
Long Beach, CA

WINNER - Award of Excellence

LOS ANGELES CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARDS
Los Angeles, CA
WINNER -Best Cinematography, WINNER - Best Director, WINNER - Best Short Film, WINNER - Best Producer

MALIBU FILM FESTIVAL
Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles Premiere
WINNER - Best Comedy Short

UPCOMING SCREENINGS
HollyShorts Monthly Screening | Wednesday, Nov 29th @ 9:30PM
LA Comedy Film Festival  | Saturday, Dec 9th @ 8:00pm (Program 21)
TRAILER
SYNOPSIS

Illegally Brown is a dark comedy, in which two undocumented sisters become the ultimate hope to catch a terrorist organization and save the country that expelled them. Vanessa and Luna Hernandez along with their all American, hijab-wearing best friend, Farrah, find themselves in uncharted territory when they are forced in exile to Mexico, a land they have not only never been to, but don't speak the language either. While they enjoy every moment of eating taquitos, they want to go home to Los Angeles, by any means necessary. They make a list, which includes swindling bad hombres out of money in order to pay a coyote to smuggle them across the border.

 

When they inadvertently connect with a few lovelorn terrorists, all bets are off as they become the FBI's only hope for taking the terrorists down and saving the world. These two undocumented women and their friends are the only hope for a country that fears them. They take up the challenge willingly because they love their country, and no piece of paper or lack thereof changes that.

CAST
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Jessica Marie Garcia
VANESSA

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Annie Gonzalez
LUNA

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Ferez Ozel
SAMIR

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Aliza Pearl
IZZY

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Peter Pasco
CHAVEZ

Gabby Revilla Lugo

Writer and Director

A dramedy writer/director/producer and daughter of formerly undocumented immigrants, Gabby Revilla Lugo started her career in physical production where she had success with films including the award-winning Palm Springs. Gabby staffed as a writer on ABC's hit drama, A Million Little Things and sold multiple projects, including a feature film for Mattel and the reboot of 16 Candles for Peacock. She completed the 2022 WGA's showrunner training program and the 2022 Starz Program for underrepresented writer and is set to direct her first feature film this fall. She is repped by Talitha Watkins and James Shani @ Color Creative and Chris Abrahmson at Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson McGinnis Ryan.

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Jessica Olthof 

Producer

Jessica Olthof is a Producer at Roann Films and is responsible for overseeing the company's slate of work from initial pitch through delivery. In 2018, Jessica produced the accelerating short film "American Muscle" which premiered at the Los Angeles Indie Film Festival. Her most recent production "Breakfast" (dir. Nick Martinez) is an adaptation of John Steinbeck's "Breakfast" from The Long Valley and was screened at the Beverly Hills Film Festival in 2021.

Jessica began her career as a camera assistant working on over 15 feature films, eventually moving over as a Producer and Production Coordinator for Revek Entertainment. Recently, she coordinated the notable feature Palm Springs starring Andy Samberg and JK Simmons, which was the highest sale of a film at Sundance. She also coordinated, The Starling, helmed by Director Ted Melfi and starring Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd and Kevin Kline set to release on Netflix in 2021 as well as LA Units for films such as, The Banker, Voyagers, Molly's Game, and Greenland.

Rachel Scott

Executive Producer

Rachel started working in live event production where she worked on projects from MTV's Video Music Awards to Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year Awards. She went on to study video editing and videography where she would take those skills and produce social media and various content for Prince, Justin Timberlake and a number of international and independent artists and brands. Rachel is also currently involved in real estate and renewable resource/ eco-forward businesses.

STORYBOARDS

Storyboards created by Neil D'Monte