Lucia & Nicole, 10min., USA
Directed by Marlene Emilia Rios
On the cusp of adulthood Lucia finds her childhood friend Nicole living on the street. Houseless after coming out, Lucia’s mother Ximena invites her into their home. However, Nicole’s re-appearance into their lives raises questions about their own daughter’s identity and how to respond to Lucia and Nicole’s re-connection.

https://instagram.com/huelgamedia

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I wanted to make this film because growing up I had this idea of romance that came from my grandparents' stories of how they met, their serenading—and I'd sit in my living room and watch 'A Walk in the Clouds,' and I'd dream of romance. As I grew older, I realized there were no depictions of this for queer love. There wasn't a vision of the future to latch on to. It seemed to only exist to me in vague, whispered possibilities. Very rarely do we actually get to see romantic films about queer relationships. I wanted to make something that was an ode to those moments and those films I loved as a child, 'A Walk in the Clouds,' 'Pride & Prejudice' but that existed in a world that was grounded to me. And I knew I wanted to showcase the beautiful community of Albuquerque that had welcomed me as a student and seems to be in constant celebration of identity. I wanted to make the kind of story you could imagine your grandmothers or your cool old aunts telling you someday about how they met long ago, and how their romance blossomed over the years.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you
to make this film?

Longer than I'd like, this film really pulled together through challenging moments in my life, as seems to be the case with most films. I wrote the first draft of this film back in my bedroom in New Jersey during the early intense social isolation days of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Back when we were all still afraid of our grocery bags, wiping everything down with sanitizing wipes as sirens blared down the suburban streets of New Jersey.

Then in 2023 we were finally able to shoot in Albuquerque for 2 days. Years in the making for days. It took a little over a year to complete post production, as I shot this film while I was employed full-time and finished it after I was laid off. Giving me the bittersweet gift of time to devote my full attention to finishing the film. It's been a comfort to me through so many long cold moments of life—which I think is why it was always important to me that the film felt warm and I hope it does for others too.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Queer joy.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Time, the most expensive luxury and the enduring enemy. We had only 2 days to shoot and we were producing remotely from Los Angeles, so it was very much a hit-the-ground-running sort of shoot. And the entire film takes place during the day with no dusk or dawn moments, so we had to be very organized. So much of making short films is an exercise in precision and being concise. We had to get the film there, arrange the camera, pick up the gear, find bicycles, source costumes, confirm our locations and so on and so on. I met most of the crew on the morning of, and only met the cast face to face then. It was definitely an interesting experiment in creating a sense of familiarity so quickly, which was definitely another obstacle for me as a director. I knew I was asking for vulnerability from everyone on board in some form or another so even though we were short on time it was important to me to gather everyone before our first shot and lay out my intent and what this story meant to me so we could all be on equal footing. I wanted everyone that worked on this film to truly feel like the valued and skilled collaborators they are.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking
about your film in the feedback video?

I was pleasantly surprised to see how people connected with the story, this film is a departure from my previous work, and I think of this film as coming from the more romantic and idealistic part's of myself and I'm glad to see that recognized. I'd love to live in a world full of empathy and community care and I very consciously chose to reject certain narratives and stereotypes when writing and directing this project because I wanted to show that, and it's really gratifying to see people appreciate that. It's always meaningful to see when your intent comes through and when people are able to connect to a story that feels so personal to you. As storytellers we always strive to connect with people and stir an emotion within them, but with shorts, it's often hard to gauge impact. Sometimes they live only in private screenings or online. Being able to hear from an audience is especially valuable in this sense.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Truthfully, it happened in a conversation with my father when I was about 12. There's an expression that you can't be what you can't see, or rather you don't know what you don't know. In my case, I grew up loving stories, listening to my grandfather pass down tall tales, reading whatever I could get from the library, picking the weekly rental my mom would allow me from Blockbuster—but I hadn't realized there was actually a path for me there. I simply didn't know that there were entire industries, careers in these fields. So I remember having this heart-to-heart about what I wanted to do when I get older. I liked writing, but I wanted more. And that was when my dad asked me why I didn't think about making movies if I liked them so much? It felt at once like a light bulb moment and a realization that the writing was on the wall.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

It's either Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 or Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other
festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking
career?

More opportunities to connect with fellow filmmakers and demystify key career steps—funding a film, stepping up to a feature, breaking into TV.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your
experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I like how centralized everything is on FilmFreeway, it makes it incredibly easy to create and manage a festival strategy and get your work seen.

10. What is your favorite meal?

This is really a hardball question. I'm always open to tacos and a tamarind margarita.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

For sure, I don't plan to stop. There's so many stories I'd love to tell, lingering in my mind just waiting for the right moment. I'd love to do something else shot on film. Right now I'm exploring a few different ideas—either a queer relationship horror about losing yourself in the one you love or a sci-fi project about a sex robot tailor-made to fulfill our darkest fantasies. I'm always writing new things and experimenting with different styles. I've a 90-page road film centered around coping with the betrayal of a deceased spouse. And another short about cult-like Homeowners Association simmering on the backburner as well.