Settling Up Film Premiere Sunday June 9th

My narrative short film Settling Up will premiere Sunday, June 9th, at 1:30 pm at Long Beach Island Historical Museum (129 Engleside Avenue, Beach Haven, NJ 08008, USA) in competition at Lighthouse International Film Festival, one of MovieMaker’s “Coolest 25 Film Festivals in the World”. Settling Up will also screen alongside Filmshop short films If the Shoe Fits by Cinder Chou and Self(Ish) by Dani Tennenbaum. Oscar winner Guy Nattiv will open the festival with his narrative feature film, Skin, and Sundance documentary American Factory will close the festival.

Check out the full program here and schedule here. We are so excited to screen at LIFF and hope to see you there!

Favorite Patient Film Wrapped

We just wrapped the latest narrative short film I directed starring Barbara Miluski and Isabelle Pierre. We were fortunate to have Jackson Eagan as the director of photography, and this was very much a Filmshop collaboration. Hats off to our talented and hard working cast and crew. Below are some behind the scenes photos by Monica Kapoor and we look forward to sharing our film soon. Stay tuned…

Settling Up Film Festival Premiere at Lighthouse International Film Festival

I’m excited to announce my latest short film, Settling Up, will have its film festival premiere at Lighthouse International Film Festival, one of MovieMaker’s “Coolest 25 Film Festivals in the World.” The festival will take place June 6-9 on Long Beach Island and stay tuned for screening info. Thanks to our cast and crew for all of your hard work and we hope to see you there!

Directed by Reuben Hernandez
Written by Brady Evan Walker
Produced by Reuben Hernandez, Maryann Alspaugh, and Brady Evan Walker
Production Sound Mixer and Sound Design by Ash Knowlton / Silver Sound
Edited and colored by Patrice D. Bowman
Made in collaboration with the Filmshop collective

WAVE. PARTICLE. DUPLEX. BY STUDIO SWINE

A/D/O by MINI + Studio SWINE: WAVE. PARTICLE. DUPLEX. Teaser

I was a DP for these short videos directed by Adam Sjöberg showcasing the making of WAVE. PARTICLE. DUPLEX. by Studio SWINE at A/D/O by MINI. It was challenging lighting the red and yellow rooms, while maintaining the integrity of the exhibit.

”From August 2018 through January 2019, acclaimed designers Alexander Groves + Azusa Murakami -- aka Studio SWINE -- participated in a design residency at A/D/O by MINI. This film by director, Adam Sjöberg, documents their research and exploration that culminated in a site-specific exhibition of their works entitled Wave. Particle. Duplex. at A/D/O in Brooklyn, NY.”

Read more about the making of WAVE. PARTICLE. DUPLEX. here and here.

Directed by Adam Sjöberg
Cinematography by Adam Sjöberg and Reuben Hernandez
Gaffer John Hudak
G&E Swing Milton De La Cruz
Produced by Loose Luggage Media

A/D/O by MINI + Studio SWINE: The Making of Wave. Particle. Duplex.

Maddie Online Premiere

I’m excited to announce my short film Maddie premieres online today on Film Shortage! Huge thanks to our cast and crew that worked so hard to bring this project to life, and to all of you that supported our film. Please consider sharing, leaving a comment, and/or liking on Vimeo. After watching the film, you can read my director’s statement to learn more about the inspiration and backstory. I recommend watching the film with good sound if possible.

There once was a time when I thought making this film would be impossible. I learned so much through the process and that ultimately anything is possible with the right team, hard work, and dedication. To my talented cast and crew, it was an honor working with you and making this film together.

Thanks for watching.

All My Best,
Reuben

Filmshop Presents Unfinished Business

This past spring season I was accepted as a member of the Filmshop collective, a supportive community of filmmakers that regularly collaborate, workshop, and provide constructive feedback on works in progress on a weekly basis. Filmshop members actively support each other to help bring each other’s projects to life. Filmmaking can sometimes feel isolating, so joining a likeminded community of creatives has been one of the best things for my professional growth. It has forced me to do more and work on passion projects more regularly. Each week we share a creative goal and try to hold each other accountable on a consistent basis. This has been one of my most productive seasons as a filmmaker, and being part of the Filmshop community is one of the best ways to get a film completed. There are a tremendous amount of resources available through Filmshop.

This upcoming Saturday, July 21st at 7 pm, is Filmshop's yearly showcase of short films at Rough Trade NYC in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The latest film that I directed will screen this Saturday along with other Filmshop films on the big screen. Our film was written by Brady Evan Walker, and edited and colored by Patrice D. Bowman, so it is truly a collaborative Filmshop effort. Our lead, Jonathan Randell Silver, played the lead in a Sundance short film this year and it was a joy to work with him along with the rest of our cast and crew. Some behind the scenes photos are below. We look forward to sharing our new film with you on the big screen! Tickets can be purchased in advance here, and use code "Filmshop" for 20% off.

If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a Filmshop member, we are hosting an open house for prospective members tonight from 7 - 9 pm (Monday 7/16) at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP (30 John Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201) in Dumbo. Applications for the 2018 fall season are due next Monday, 7/23 and can be found here.

In other news, I am also in the middle of developing an exciting and immersive virtual reality project that I have workshopped at Filmshop. My team and I are currently applying for grants and will hopefully have some news to share soon. More on that later...

BTS photo by Nikolai Basarich

BTS photo by Nikolai Basarich

BTS photo by Lars Fuchs

BTS photo by Lars Fuchs

BBC Travel - The tiny village hidden inside the Grand Canyon

I'm excited to share my first story for BBC Travel, featuring Supai, the most remote town in the lower 48 states. I hiked 40 miles carrying 50 pounds of gear for this story. It is best viewed on desktop rather than mobile. Enjoy!

http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20180222-the-tiny-village-hidden-inside-the-grand-canyon

Maddie Wins Best Williamsburg Short Award

Maddie wins the Best Williamsburg Short Award

The audience at the 11/16 screening of Maddie at the Wythe Hotel Cinema

Neil LaBute and Gia Crovatin both won awards for their short film, Good Luck (in Farsi)

Maddie won the Best Williamsburg Short Award at the 8th Annual Williamsburg Independent Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY last week. This was a total shock and completely unexpected.

I want to thank my talented cast and crew for your tremendous hard work and dedication. Without you, this film never would have been possible. It has been quite a journey ever since we started production back in the summer of 2016. I'm so honored and grateful to share this award with you.

Overall I was really impressed with WillFilm. The programming was strong and the organizers did a wonderful job of making us feel welcome. It was also great to meet Neil LaBute, who won the Best Screenplay Award for his short film, Good Luck (in Farsi). I would highly recommend this film festival and look forward to coming back.

Maddie Premieres in Brooklyn Tonight

Maddie premieres tonight in Brooklyn, in competition at the Williamsburg Independent Film Festival, where it all began for this project. Come out and support our talented cast and crew and share a drink with us. We hope to see you there!

Much Love,
Reuben

Thursday, 11/16, at 9:15 PM
Williamsburg Independent Film Festival
Wythe Hotel Cinema
80 Wythe Ave. at N. 11th Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here: https://willfilmtickets.brownpapertickets.com/

Interview with The Day Collective

Check out the full interview here

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT MADDIE AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START THIS PROJECT?

Maddie is a narrative short film inspired by a life-altering personal experience I had in NYC, that I wrote, directed, and produced.

WITHOUT GIVING TOO MUCH AWAY, WHAT IS MADDIE ABOUT?

Maddie shows how certain events can alter the course of the rest of your life. It’s a very real, raw, and honest human story. The central protagonist in Maddie is a strong, yet complex female character.

WHAT IS PERSONALLY MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU ABOUT THIS FILM?

The film is a very personal story that is close to my heart, and was inspired by actual events that I witnessed firsthand. The process of creating the film has been very therapeutic and taught me that anything is possible because making this film was an uphill battle most of the time. Bringing this project to life has really empowered me as a storyteller and filmmaker.

Maddie Screens at NewFilmmakers New York

BTS Photo by Jen Trahan

Maddie will screen at NewFilmmakers New York in the East Village next week:

Wednesday, 11/15, at 6 PM
Anthology Film Archives
32 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Tickets are $7 (purchase at the box office) and include all screenings that night

Maddie trailer: 
https://reubenhernandez.com/maddie-trailer

Thanks for all your support and we hope to see you there.

Marina del Rey Film Festival

Thank you, Los Angeles and the Marina del Rey Film Festival. That was an incredibly special and unforgettable experience sharing my film, Maddie, with you on the big screen. A big thank you to everyone that came out and supported our film. I'm forever grateful and look forward to doing it again soon!

Tomorrow Maddie Premieres in LA

Tomorrow Maddie premieres in LA in competition at the Marina del Rey Film Festival and I'll be in attendance doing a Q&A afterwards. I just realized this is the first time one of my films will be projected on the big screen in Los Angeles. I grew up in Southern California, attended university in LA, and had no idea back then that I would become a filmmaker. Thanks for all your support and I hope to see you there!

AMC Classic Marina Marketplace
Wednesday, Oct 4th at 6:00 PM
Q&A afterwards by yours truly

Trailer: https://reubenhernandez.com/maddie-trailer
Tix: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sixth-annual-marina-del-rey-film-festival-tickets-37866102532

Maddie LA Premiere

I'm so excited for the LA premiere of my film Maddie next week at the Marina del Rey Film Festival. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this film and many of you know that this is a very important, personal story that is near and dear to my heart. Please come out and support our talented cast and crew. We look forward to sharing it on the big screen out west and hope to see you there.

Trailer: https://reubenhernandez.com/maddie-trailer
Tix: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sixth-annual-marina-del-rey-film-festival-tickets-37866102532

AMC Classic Marina Marketplace
Wednesday, Oct 4th at 6:00 PM
Q&A afterwards by yours truly

BTS photos by Jen Trahan and Andrew Klein

Maddie Wins an Award of Merit

My film Maddie recently won an Award of Merit at the One-Reeler Short Film Competition and will have its LA premiere in competition at the Marina del Rey Film Festival.

Maddie will screen at the AMC theatre in Marina del Rey in October. Stay tuned for screening info and we look forward to sharing it on the big screen out west.

Maddie Film World Premiere

Maddie premieres tonight at Landmark Sunshine Cinema and I can hardly believe it.

Looking back at BTS photos from Day 1, I can’t help but get emotional. So much of this project felt like an uphill battle, and I can’t thank my talented cast and crew enough for all of their hard work and dedication.

Thank you all and see you tonight!

BTS Photos by Andrew Klein and Jen Trahan

(at Landmark Sunshine Cinema)

Maddie Trailer

Maddie World Premiere

I’m excited to announce that my short film, Maddie, will have its world premiere at Landmark Sunshine Cinema on Tuesday, May 30th, at 9:55 pm in competition at the NY International Short Film Festival.

Tickets (Maddie screens in program 3): nyshortsfest.com/ny/content.asp?PageID=10

Our cast and crew did a remarkable job on this film and we can’t wait to share it with you on the big screen. We hope to see you there!

Cheers,
Reuben

Beauty, Balance, and Grace

I’m excited to share this short I directed featuring JR and some NYC Ballet dancers. Thanks for watching and be sure to check out the NYC Ballet on stage.

Official Selection 2016 Paris Short Film Festival

A film by Reuben Hernandez

Featuring JR, Lauren Lovette, Megan Johnson, Taylor Stanley, and Craig Hall
Produced by Marc Azoulay
Additional cinematography by Frank Maldonado
Set photography by Jen Trahan
Music by I Am Lightyear

That's a Wrap!

That’s a wrap! The cast and crew absolutely crushed it beyond all expectations. We can’t wait to share this film and bring it out into the world. Stay tuned…

PS Whoever invented the Easyrig is a genius! You saved my back

#maddieshortfilm

Photo by Andrew Klein

(at New York, New York)

Tomorrow

There are so many emotions running through my head right now, mainly of relief and excitement. I just received an email from the NYC Mayor’s office of Film that my shooting permit has been approved for a very exciting stunt sequence that we will film tomorrow. I literally screamed with uncontrollable joy into the phone while talking to my friend Evan. Sorry about that Evan! Long story short, I’ll be directing a narrative short film starting tomorrow that I’ve written and have been working on since March.

This will probably be one of my biggest projects to date. I’ve never worked so hard before in my entire life, and have enjoyed and learned immensely every step along the way.

I haven’t come this far by myself. I owe tremendous thanks and gratitude to my talented cast and crew, and every single person near and far that has helped in some form or another along the way. I could never do this without you. I sincerely love and thank you all (literal tear, tear).

We will do our best to do this story justice, and hopefully bring it to the big screen somewhere near you in 2017. Wish us luck and send us good vibes, we’ll need it :)

Gotta run and make a movie…

Peace and Love,
Reuben