Festival Spotlight: COYOTE – A 2018 Short Subject Entry
As part of its ongoing mission to showcase impactful and relevant storytelling, the Beverly Hills Film Festival is proud to introduce COYOTE as one of the entries in the 2018 festival under the category of Short Subject.
“I was shocked to learn that California has the most human trafficking activity in the U.S. It’s disturbing that this still happens in 2017… so close to home,” says writer and director Mark Grabianowski. And that was the starting point for COYOTE.
Set deep in the heart of the Mexican desert, the film follows a young woman who escapes from human traffickers and makes a desperate attempt to reach the United States border. Inspired by true events, COYOTE sheds light on the harrowing world of modern-day human trafficking through the journey of its protagonist, Esperanza—a name that fittingly means “Hope.”
Esperanza represents countless women who are exploited as sex workers, trapped in a brutal cycle with little hope of escape. In the film, she is forced to make a life-altering decision as she nears the U.S. border—her only hope for freedom.
The film was written, directed, and produced by Mark Grabianowski. Cole Welendorff served as Co-Producer and 1st Assistant Director, while Roger Viloria was Director of Photography. Nicolas Repetto composed the haunting original score.
Cast: Caesar James (Ramon), Diana Dorempz Campos (Esperanza), Johnny Rey Diaz (Marco), George Capacete (Carlos), Clinton Elledge (American Hitchhiker), Jesse Charles (American Hitchhiker), and Diegodiego (Santiago).
“I wanted the U.S. border to represent the connection human trafficking has to North America, while also serving as Esperanza’s only hope of escape,” explains Grabianowski. “I introduced the American influence through two wandering hitchhikers whose help is neither given nor useful—as a statement on how disconnected the majority of Americans are.”
Mark Grabianowski created COYOTE with the goal of bringing greater awareness to the issue of human trafficking through a compelling narrative that audiences can emotionally connect with. His hope is to shine a light on the fact that human trafficking isn’t confined to less developed countries like Mexico—it’s a global issue that affects communities worldwide, including within the United States. Coming from Northern California, a region synonymous with innovation and modernism, Mark was stunned to discover how prevalent human trafficking is in his home state.
Directing is Mark’s true passion. “It’s the only thing I want to do with my life. I want to use my skills to tackle real world problems and hopefully educate as well as entertain,” he says.
If selected as a finalist, COYOTE will screen at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood during the Beverly Hills Film Festival from April 4th to 8th, 2018.
The Beverly Hills Film Festival is truly inspired by the quality and diversity of the films and screenplays submitted for the 2018 season. SUBMISSIONS ARE STILL OPEN! To join this exceptional community of filmmakers and writers, SUBMIT your film or screenplay here.
And of course, best of luck to everyone who has submitted their work so far!
