The Race for the Academy in a Spanish Song

New Orleans, LA, December 23, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Producing films can be very rewarding when the investment yields much more than money. The seductive rose petals that dance in the shape of a broken heart, as a melodic score tempts my curiosity, all place me at the center of an undiscovered effort to earn a nearly impossible Academy Award nomination for Paranoid Girls. As an Executive Producer of one of the few Spanish language films to approach the Academy of Arts and Sciences as a general category entry instead of a foreign language film, I have a Leviathan task.

I set out on this journey with Paranoid Girls director Pedro Del Santo when we planned to position the film for nominations theatrically. During the Cannes Market Premiere in May, there were some early signs that Paranoid Girls had the cross cultural appeal to entice the film industry to take notice. Before the end of Cannes Film Festival, Pedro Del Santo received his first official selection invitation. The following day, we received an official selection invitation from Spain's International Festival of Film and Architecture. Pedro Del Santo and screenwriter Helena Montesinos hadn't settled back in to Madrid before a third official selection arrived for them to accept in July. Our focus then turned toward the options of distribution. Paranoid Girls has an edgy style that surprises distributors who expect the story to be predictable. The story, the characters and the romance all give the film its unique theme and meaning. The screenplay is entirely original, the cast is made up of fresh faces and Paranoid Girls is the first dramatic feature film on Spanish fashion. Yet, the plot of the film is very intense. Unlike most comedies, Paranoid Girls paints a gray portrait of bachelorette life. The cast does a flawless job of becoming one with their characters. Their excitement, their disappointment, their dreams and their idiosyncrasies all add to the melancholy and charm of Paranoid Girls.

Each year we're reminded during the Academy Awards ceremony that there are so many gifted filmmakers who America has yet to embrace.

Shaune Bordere, Executive Producer

The question for many major distributors has been one of marketability of the film for the target audience. Without the American star power to boost the ratings, Paranoid Girls is somewhat of a mystery for networks and theaters. However, many foreign language films have done well without familiar faces. The unspoken rule is that international films create new celebrities and level the playing field for exceptional directors, producers, composers and screenwriters. Each year we're reminded during the Academy Awards ceremony that there are so many gifted filmmakers who America has yet to embrace. We're also called to realize that our mainstream sense of things is often counterintuitive in comparison to the international film audience.

In Spain, Paranoid Girls has been covered continuously by the press with red carpet events and televised interviews. Culturally, the film exceeds expectations for Spanish men and women alike. Interestingly enough, Pedro Del Santo's decision to release the film theatrically in Hollywood was a brave first step. He was surprised by the hollow aisles in the Los Angeles theaters on the day of his premiere. Yet, he realized how special it was for the film to open in the newly constructed NoHo 7 of Laemmle Theatre, where many highly sought after Academy Award and Cannes Palme d'Or winning films were released. The experience was unforgettable for Pedro Del Santo and Helena Montesinos. Not only had they survived the stage fright of box office jitters, but they'd seen their own poster side by side with headlining international films. The dreams of their Academy Award hopes had finally been made real. All of their creative efforts meant so much for that moment in their lives when their very own film could contend for the ultimate recognition. When we worked to prepare the on screen credits submission of Paranoid Girls as an entry to the Academy of Arts and Sciences, we'd all entered uncharted waters. Yet, we felt a certain sense of accomplishment in knowing that we'd prepared for the unexpected. Pedro Del Santo selected the title song, “Paranoid Girl” and the only tune in the film with lyrics as our entry for the Best Original Song category. The jazz, blues and traditional Spanish instrumentals were all composed especially for the film's production by Javier Del Santo and submitted in the Best Original Score category. When Pedro Del Santo finally received confirmation from the Academy of Arts and Sciences that Paranoid Girls had been accepted as an entry, we were all elated.

Despite the nearly insurmountable flood of press coverage for major studio entries, we were ready to begin our uphill race against time for nominations. An article by The Hollywood Reporter on Pedro Del Santo and his decision to qualify for the general category generated an undeniable amount of interest in Paranoid Girls. Yet, we had so much more work to do. Ultimately, we devised a strategy that would not only bring attention to the film, but it would recognize Pedro Del Santo as a trailblazing director of a Spanish film. When I began my journey as Executive Producer of Paranoid Girls, I was convinced that I had the tools to ensure the success of the film. Since then, I have learned a great deal about the many complexities of the film industry for international films. Most importantly, I have learned to value Paranoid Girls well beyond the offers from distributors for the sake of its creators and the many people who celebrate this veridical film.