NALA PANTELION FILMS TELEVISA FILMS AND LIONSGATE PRESENT
A GARY SANCHEZ PRODUCTION
A NALA FILMS PRODUCTION
WILL FERRELL in
(HOUSE OF MY FATHER)
Starring
Will Ferrell, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Genesis Rodriguez, Pedro Armendáriz Jr.,
Nick Offerman, Efren Ramirez, Adrian Martinez
DIRECTED BY:
Matt Piedmont
WRITTEN BY:
Andrew Steele
PRODUCED BY:
Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Emilio Diez Barroso,
Darlene Caamaño Loquet, Andrew Steele
EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY:
Kevin Messick, Scott Lumpkin, Jessica Elbaum, Billy Rovzar,
Fernando Rovzar, Alex Garcia
RUNNING TIME: 84 minutes
CAMERA: Shot on Panavision Series C 35MM
For Further Information Please Contact:
Publicity
Kate Rosenbaum
42West
Kate.rosenbaum@42west.net
PH: 212.277.7555
Linda Garcia
Pantelion Films
lgarcia@pantelionfilms.com
PH: 310.255.3653
CASA DE MI PADRE
Synopsis
Armando Alvarez (Will Ferrell) has lived and worked on his father's ranch in Mexico his entire
life. As the ranch encounters financial difficulties, Armando's younger brother Raul (Diego
Luna), shows up with his new fiancée, Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez). It seems that Raul's success
as an international businessman means the ranch's troubles are over as he pledges to settle all
debts his father has incurred. But when Armando falls for Sonia, and Raul's business dealings
turn out to be less than legit, all hell breaks loose as they find themselves in a war with Mexico's
most feared drug lord, the mighty Onza (Gael García Bernal).
PRODUCTION NOTES
Armando Alvarez is an earnest, gentle soul, a dreamer. He has lived at and worked on his
father’s ranch his entire life. He has a special bond with nature and enjoys his life in the
countryside. He is the local patron saint of animals and lost causes. So what if he is not exactly
un cientifico de la NASA or suspiciously never seems to be too interested in women? He is kind
and dependable and loves his family - especially his brother Raul. It is clear to everyone that
they are siblings, they have so much in common. Their last name - for instance - they share that.
Raul is the shining star in the Alvarez clan. He is a sophisticated, suave and slick
international businessman. Charismatic and successful, he has earned his father’s respect.
Armando? Not so much. Still, Armando is happy and loyal and has only the utmost affection and
admiration for his father and brother.
Unfortunately, the Alvarez ranch has fallen on hard times. Fortuitously Raul returns
home and, ever the hero, pledges to settle all of his father’s debts and to shower the family with
expensive and extravagant gifts. He also introduces his beautiful and feisty girlfriend Sonia,
winning even more of his father’s esteem.
All is not what it seems, on so many levels. Raul’s business turns out to be less than legit
and slowly Armando starts to realize what kind of a person his brother really is - oh, in the
process, he also starts to fall for Sonia. But before that happens, he loathes her. It’s complicated.
The life Armando knew, everything he believed is turned upside down. His simple
existence undergoes a sea change. Slowly he begins to embrace his manhood, to understand who
he is, to accept his destiny. A magical white mountain lion helps. It’s tricky but ultimately makes
perfect sense - to Armando, anyway.
Raul’s machinations will eventually lead them all into a war with Mexico’s most feared
drug lord, the mighty Onza. The stakes are incredibly high. There are many guns and cigarettes.
Yet Armando feels no fear. La Onza will soon find that he has never tangled with anyone quite
like Armando Alvarez!
Starring Will Ferrell as “Armando”, Diego Luna as “Raul”, Gael García Bernal as “La
Onza” and Genesis Rodriguez as “Sonia”, Case de mi Padre is a romantic action adventure with
an affectionate nod towards the classic telenovelas..
Casa de mi Padre began several years ago, mostly because Will Ferrell just thought
starring in a Spanish language comedy would be funny.
“I don’t remember when I got the idea and there was really no good reason, but I always
had the notion of doing a Spanish language comedy. I do not speak Spanish but I thought the
concept of having someone who is - depending on who you talk to - either fairly well known or
kind of well-known in American language film - placed in a foreign language film would be
something you don’t see every day. And I love the Mexican-Western genre,” Ferrell says.
Fortunately, Ferrell knew some likeminded souls who also thought this pescado fuera del
agua theme would be entertaining - writer Andrew Steele and director Matt Piedmont, both of
whom won Emmy Awards for their work on Saturday Night Live.
“I just had the most general concept of what the movie would be about, but I had nothing
specific and that’s where Andrew Steele, a writer who is a longtime friend from our time
together at Saturday Night Live, came in. I pitched the potential, and asked him if he thought this
would be fun to write? And he actually came up with the story of Casa de mi Padre. And then
we reached out to another friend of ours from Saturday Night Live, Matt Piedmont,” Ferrell
recalls.
Part of the Ferrell’s general concept revolved around the classic telenovela, dramatic,
serialized melodramas in Spanish that are extremely popular in Latin American countries.
Telenovelas typically revolve around a family and focus on a romantic couple. Often the
storylines reflect sociocultural messages. They have also, in the past, provided rich comedy
opportunities for Ferrell, Steele and Piedmont.
“From the outset, Will had always framed the project as something ‘like’ a telenovela.
Telenovelas have always been a comedy staple for comedy writers. When I was at Saturday
Night Live, we probably parodied telenovelas five or six different times. They are so over the top
and so dramatic that they just lend themselves to satire. We did not want to do a mere parody
however, so we used the telenovela as a kind of springboard for something hopefully more
imaginative, with an affectionate nod towards the format,” Steele says.
In fact, “Casa de mi Padre” is an intentionally eclectic nod to several film genres.
“Most of the inspiration for the movie came from old Mexican movies and Spaghetti
Westerns and even old, classic Hollywood films with dramatic themes. Telenovelas were the
little extra flavoring on top thrown in,” Piedmont says.
“Probably the easiest label to put on this movie is that it’s a little bit of an homage to
telenovelas, it kind of dips its toe into all of that and yet at the same time its more complicated
than that. It’s a telenovela meets bad kind of Mexican-Western meets a Tarantino film. It’s all of
these fun elements rolled into one. It’s not just the joke of a telenovela movie, it comments on all
these things,” Ferrell sums up.
Will Ferrell in a Spanish language romance action adventure send up required a
stouthearted director, which Ferrell knew he had in Matt Piedmont.
“We felt his visual style and zeal for this kind of project would create a nice collaborative
spirit,” Ferrell says.
“Honestly, I loved everything about it,” Piedmont says. “I thought the script was brilliant.
Of course it was funny but it also had drama, action and weirdness - all the stuff I love. It has a
story that could be told in a uniquely visual way. The chance to do a movie with shoot-outs and
an emotionally satisfying story sold me. We tend not to worry about the humor part since we all
see the world through a comic lens anyway and that part always seems to take care of itself. The
fact that it was going to be entirely in Spanish didn’t throw me. In fact it made me giddy that we
were committing to something so wholeheartedly,” Piedmont says.
The “collaborative spirit” was genuine and also hearkened back to the trio’s days at
Saturday Night Live and then on Funny or Die. Casa de mi Padre was an opportunity to get the
band back together.
“Andrew and I shared an office as writers on SNL and all three of us have very similar
sensibilities. Thought we usually wrote our own stuff solo, we always loved what the other did
and of course both loved writing for Will. I left the show and had begun directing a bunch of my
own stuff, and then we were reunited again for the HBO Funny Or Die series that Andrew had
been hired to completely run. It was a great experience. So when he sent me the script for Casa
to do, I absolutely loved it and immediately said yes. It had everything,” Piedmont recalls.
For Steele, writing a comedy entirely in Spanish was particularly tricky, especially since
part of the joke is that the dialogue is often purposefully stilted, bad and therefore funny.
“I don’t speak Spanish so writing the script was a little worrisome for me. After I finished
the English version, I had to find a translator who was willing to sit down with me and go over
practically every line. The script is intentionally formal at times and at other points, it breaks
down into what looks like very bad writing. I love bad writing. It’s hard for a translator to read it
and not want to fix things that I deliberately wrote poorly. I felt sorry for the guy because in the
audition phase, actors would actually tell me the translation was bad. They would say something
like, ‘Well, no Mexican would speak that way.’ And I would have to explain that ‘No American
would speak that way either.’ And they would either get it or they would not,” Steele explains.
NALA Films, which produced and financed “Casa de mi Padre,” definitely got the joke.
“They had me at Will Ferrell in Spanish,” says Emilio Diez Barroso, NALA Films CEO.
“It’s Anchorman in the telenovela world. Working with Matt, Andrew and Will was a
phenomenal experience and the movie is a perfect fit for our company. It’s a commercial
Hollywood mainstream movie with Hispanic sensibilities.”
“Working with NALA was an absolutely fantastic experience”, Piedmont says.
“Creatively we were on the same page, making the same film, which was amazing.”
NALA Films is a financing and production company that focuses on commercial stories
that empower and uplift audiences. Casa de mi Padre dovetailed with NALA’s corporate and
artistic mission and struck a personal chord for NALA President & COO Darlene Caamaño
Loquet.
“What appealed to me the most about it was; finally here was an opportunity to make a
mainstream comedy with a major comedic movie star that just happened to be in Spanish. I am a
mainstream human being who just happens to speak Spanish because of my Cuban descent and I
think that there are millions of movie goers just like me,” she says. “We at NALA love to make
people laugh and we love to do it in a thoughtful and responsible way. This movie is finally an
opportunity to acknowledge that the Hispanic cultures are a part of the American mainstream,
without patronizing and boxing us as a demographic.”
The film attracted incredibly talented and highly regarded actors- in particular, two of
Mexico’s finest actors, Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, who are also old friends and
business partners. Luna plays Raul Alvarez, Armando’s successful, charismatic brother and
Bernal, the feared drug lord Onza.
“We have an outstanding cast, it was an incredible coup to get them - we are still in
disbelief that they agreed to do it,” says Ferrell.
In particular, Luna and Bernal committed entirely and enthusiastically to their roles.
While the pair have a teasing and joking rapport and engage in a constant banter off camera, they
are not primarily known as comedic actors. In “Casa de mi Padre,” they absolutely reveal their
funny side.
“It was an amazing stroke that Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna signed on as they
bring so much gravitas to the picture and are amongst the best actors in the world. I remember
talking to Gael on the phone about it while he was shooting some movie in Georgia -- I'm talking
in Eurasia not the US. He had like an hour of cell phone reception a day and we were able to talk
about it and how it might go. Diego got it right away and it was exciting thinking he may come
onboard, and they did and we were thrilled. They are super hilarious in the movie, as we
approached the whole thing as if we were making and epic drama like The Godfather or
Scarface. Diego comes off like a young Pacino and all of his ideas on how to play his character
were right on and really funny. Gael played it so perfectly too and comes across so funny,
playing it like a villain from a James Bond film. His instincts comedically were right on -always play it as straight as possible,” says Piedmont.
“When my agent pitched me the movie, it sounded so crazy that I thought he was making
fun of me,” Luna recalls. “A film with Will Ferrell, set in Mexico but will be shot in California.
It’s all in Spanish, you will play his brother and you are both supposed to be Mexicans. It’s a
comedy but it talks about what is happening today and has a very interesting social comment. I
was like, what the fuck? Then I read it and I loved it. I talked to Matt Piedmont and I REALLY
liked him. He had these creative ideas as to how to shoot it and the kind of visual language he
was going to use that sounded very interesting and crazy and like nothing else I had seen before.
So it was quite easy to want to be part of this.”
Both Luna and Bernal have experience acting in telenovelas. Luna and Bernal, whose
respective parents worked in Mexican film and theater, appeared in telenovelas as children. But
as Luna points out, as the filmmakers intended, “Casa de mi Padre” went much further than a
simple spoof of telenovelas - and in so doing, provided some fascinating, borderline harrowing
acting challenges.
“It is really a parody of movie making. We intentionally made mistakes and pointed at
them. We allowed ourselves to be terrible actors, which was very tough. You spend your whole
career saying, I’ll never do this or that and in this film, we were asked to do that kind of stuff.
It’s the first time I’ve done a film like this where I was allowed to laugh so much about what we
were doing, where I was able to do everything that crossed my mind. There was a lot of
improvising. In this film, we were supposed to make the wrong choice and by making very many
wrong choices, it happens to be funny. Like there’s these uncomfortable moments where we held
the reactions longer than we would have and we were encouraged to keep going. We may have
started with the telenovelas but then we made fun of people making movies and how fiction
works, of the characters and the props … Everything was a chance to make a joke about art,”
Luna says.
Ironically, Ferrell, a renowned and nimble improviser, hewed closer to the script than he
might have, mostly because he is not fluent in Spanish.
“A lot of it was rote memorization,” Ferrell explains. “I had probably a good month
before filming, I would work with a translator three to four times a week on the script, just going
over pronunciation, going over the scenes, going over the right kind of cadence with the
sentences, that sort of thing. And then every day we would drive to set together and go over that
day’s work so that hopefully when we began our day of filming, no one was waiting on me to
learn the scene.”
“Will is undisputedly the Improv King but he couldn’t really do that on this one. It was a
brave thing for him to do - like when they made Rocky fight southpaw - let’s see if you can do it
with one hand tied behind your back - which he did - and then some,” says Piedmont. “Will is a
total genius. That word gets thrown around a lot but with him it’s true. His instincts are
otherworldly and he is fearless and commits completely. He likes to be challenged yet he is the
most generous performer I have ever seen. The thought of him speaking Spanish is insane but if
you know Will, you know somehow it will become completely legitimate and logical and a
blast.”
Ferrell’s dedication to his version of Spanish immersion impressed his castmates.
“Working with Will was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had. I really like the
guy. He is such a giving man and works so hard and had such a heavy weight on his shoulders.
Doing a film in Spanish when he speaks the Spanish he speaks? Oh my God, it must have made
him a little bit crazy. But he really went for it and was so committed, really amazing job,” Luna
says.
He adds that Ferrell’s limited grasp of Spanish made for some very funny cinematic
moments, especially because Piedmont encouraged his Spanish-speaking cast to be spontaneous
and creative.
“Matt would always allow us to do anything we wanted. The first day I realized that what
was on the page was the beginning of something that was going to be completely different in the
end than what was written. When you’re there, in wardrobe, you have the props, ideas start to
come and Matt allowed us to explore anything. The improvising was fun but very unfair with
Will because we had to improvise in Spanish. It was very funny because Will would look
straight at me with a face like, I can’t believe you are saying this, but the reality was that he was
thinking, what IS this guy saying, what should I do? So he would have this very intense look
when I was trying to improvise something,” Luna recalls..
Ferrell thoroughly enjoyed his foray into the Spanish language and sees it as an
opportunity to expand his horizons.
“I think there’s a whole opportunity out there for me to take control of the Spanish
language market in a way that’s never happened for a non-native speaker. I have 17 projects in
development, mostly in Spanish, some in Korean and one in German. It’s an exciting time,”
Ferrell says.
Piedmont faced an equivalent challenge in that he also does not speak Spanish - and yet
agreed to direct a Spanish language film featuring some of Mexico’s finest actors.
“Matt did an amazing job of not only working on a movie in a foreign language - and
keep in mind, very few people outside the actors spoke Spanish - but Matt was able to get all the
actors on the same page,” Ferrell says.
Ferrell describes his character, Armando Alvarez, as “… a very sweet, earnest soul. He
loves his family, he loves his father and brother. Armando may not be the smartest guy but he
has great intuition and a corazon grande.” As it turns out, his quirky charm ultimately wins the
affections of his brother Raul’s beautiful fiancée Sonia, played by Genesis Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, who appeared in 150 episodes of the telenovela “Prisonera,” certainly
understood the more histrionic aspects of “Case de mi Padre.” But as Piedmont points out, it was
more than her telenovela experience that appealed to the team - in fact, she was the first actress
they saw for the part.
“Genesis Rodriguez is amazing. She was the first woman we saw in casting for the role
and she blew us away. She was so committed and real but she totally got the vibe. She really
pulls off the entire movie - she’s funny and an exceptional actress and looks classically beautiful
- like a young Lana Turner,” Piedmont says.
“Casa de mi Padre” marks Rodriguez’s motion picture debut. Rodriguez admits that her
background in telenovelas was absolutely helpful, especially in a move as unique as Casa de mi
Padre.
“The movie is pretty spot on to what I’ve been doing for the past six years. It’s my genre,
so I felt really comfortable with the material, something I could really deliver. I definitely
thought it was a crazy movie but that’s the beauty of it,” Rodriguez says. “ I definitely was not
expecting to do a Spanish language film in Hollywood. It was really fun - and something
different. Everyone was taking a risk. We didn’t know what line we were crossing but we were
definitely crossing one,” she says.
Although Ferrell may not be a fluent Spanish speaker, his dedication and delivery
inspired Rodriguez nonetheless.
“He had a beautiful accent and he puts the correct emphasis and emotions on the words. I
was so impressed by him,” she says.
Rodriguez was also thrilled to work with Luna and Bernal.
“Gael and Diego are great actors, I really admire them. They are giants in the cinema, in
truth and they are very kind, very dedicated, very natural, unaffected. They were funny and
ridiculous but I mean that as a compliment. It was a great experience to work with everyone,”
Rodriguez says.
Some of the “ridiculous” had to do with a running gag about smoking. Raul and Onza
smoke anything and everything all the time, while throughout the film the hapless Armando
struggles to roll a simple cigarette.
“Yeah, Raul will smoke anything that burns,” Luna comments. “I quit smoking before the
movie and these bastards made me smoke like crazy in the film. I was smoking like a pack a day
because it was one take after another. It wasn’t planned or anything. The first day, we had the
character smoking and I said, well what if we have him suddenly smoking a cigar and any other
thing. I didn’t realize we were going to have him smoking in every scene at every moment but
that’s what happened. It was a great idea but today I cannot climb simple stairs.”
The movie shot for 22 days in such locations as Simi Valley, CA, Chatsworth, CA &
Hollywood CA, Piedmont and his cinematographer Ramsey Nickell employed a classic
widescreen, using anamorphic lenses, and aimed for a rich, classic composition - with a few pops
of deliberately bad production values played for laughs.
“We shot the film in a formal manner - no hand-held camera, all dolly moves and
carefully planned out shots. We aspired to look like something shot in 1972 by Sam Peckinpah.
My sensibility always goes back to those 70s films and I know Andrew’s does too. We do play
around with continuity and intentional errors and other things that are usually associated with
lower budget narco films. We definitely mess around with film conventions but the actual film’s
production values are quite high,” Piedmont says.
A more subtle subversion of film conventions in “Casa de mi Padre” is tonal - within this
very funny film is a powerful message about drug trafficking between the United States and
Mexico.
“I knew I wanted that combination of action and romance that is classic Hollywood
movie making. I also knew I wanted to use the drug problem in Mexico and this country as a
catalyst for all of the action. My research consisted of watching a ton of 70s, 80s and 90s
Mexican movies and my reading obsession with the ‘war on drugs,’ as we call it in this country.
Our inability to point the finger of blame in this war at our own consumption just baffles me to
no end,” Steele comments.
It was, in fact, this funny but serious commentary on the “war on drugs” that especially
appealed to Diego Luna.
“Will, Matt and Andrew definitely had a point of view (about the drug war). And I love
that because their comedy is full of context and a point of view. Otherwise it just is a laugh that
you forget the next day. But the film does have a soul and wants to say something and takes a
position on something that is actually happening. Normally in the States they seem to see the
drug trafficking as a Mexican issue, a thing that happens over there, south of the border. What I
like about the film is that it makes a comment that the drug war is one that we share - a drug war
is happening because there is a market for it. The film says it quite clearly. And I think it is a
film that has layers - it’s a funny film but behind the comedy you can realize that it is making a
comment. It’s interesting how film can make a reflection and promote a debate. That’s also why
I accepted. I wanted to work with Will and I admire his work a lot but I also felt that this was the
right time to do it because of what it says,” Luna says.
Caamaño Loquet adds that “Casa de mi Padre” manages to combine its sociocultural
point with deft humor.
“I think what the movie does effectively is show how easy it can be to say, ‘it’s all them,
they are bad,’ without looking at ourselves and realizing we are all in this together. Together we
can screw it up and together we can fix it. And it does this all while cracking us up,” she says.
Piedmont hopes that the many different aspects that define “Casa de mi Padre” comedy, romance, action, satire, social commentary - contribute to its unique, quirky and
hilarious charm.
“I describe ‘Casa de mi Padre’ as a ‘real’ movie that is also funny but has dramatic
shoot-outs, violence and true romance. It’s not what you think it is yet it’s a party that everyone
is invited to. There are layers upon layers of cinematic references. If you know them, you will
enjoy them, but if you don’t you will still enjoy the movie on its own. I would also say it’s a
comment on the failed drug policies of the US and delivers that in a comic, visually satisfying
way that is not ham-fisted. I mostly hope that people come out of the theater and say, ‘Man, that
was really entertaining and original. Now let’s go get a drink and talk about it,’” Piedmont sums
up.
Caamaño Loquet notes that “Casa de mi Padre” proves that comedy is truly a universal
language and the team behind the movie are definitely fluent speakers.
“To experience what Andrew did in making what’s funny in English, be just as funny in
Spanish was truly inspiring. I mean the guy doesn’t speak a lick of Spanish and yet he totally
understood the cultural nuances that needed to be addressed in the translation of humor. Going
from hearing Matt’s vision for the film to actually seeing him direct was both exhilarating and
powerful. He made me realize that some people are actually really born to direct. The very first
time I sat in a theater on the opening weekend of ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,’
half way through the film I turned to my husband and said, ‘I have to work with these guys.’ To
work with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay and their team at Gary Sanchez actually was a dream
come true. To experience Will Ferrell transform into “Armando Alvarez” on that set every day
was mind blowing and something that will always be a highlight in my career. These guys are
pure class and brilliance, I feel blessed to be a part of something with them all.”
Piedmont adds, “Darlene and Emilio have set up a situation at NALA that really is a
filmmaker’s dream—they’re smart, passionate, film-literate producers who ask the right
questions and are interested in what is best for the film itself. As the same time they really are
good people, so it’s a combo that I found to be perfect.”
#
#
#
ABOUT THE CAST
WILL FERRELL (Armando Alvarez)
Will Ferrell has come a long way since his days on Saturday Night Live, crossing over from
television icon to motion picture star.
Ferrell most recently starred in the acclaimed independent feature Everything Must Go, directed
by Dan Rush. Based on a Raymond Carver short story, Ferrell portrays an alcoholic who has
relapsed and in turn loses his wife and job. In an attempt to start over, he holds a yard sale on his
front lawn where he discovers a new neighbor may be the key to his recovery. This dramatic
departure from comedies for Ferrell premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.
Ferrell also recently lent his voice as the title character super villain, Megamind in the
Dreamworks Animation 3-D animated film. Released last fall, Megamind also stars Brad Pitt,
Tina Fey and Jonah Hill, and went on to make over $140 million in the domestic box office.
Prior to Megamind, Ferrell was seen opposite Mark Wahlberg, as he collaborated with his longtime producing and writing partner, Adam McKay to release the buddy-cop film, The Other
Guys. The film went on to make over $100 million domestically.
In 2009, Ferrell debuted on Broadway by headlining the sold out, one-man comedy show You're
Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush. Nominated for a Tony Award in the
“Best Special Event” category and directed by Adam McKay, Ferrell perfected his infamous
Saturday Night Live character "President George W. Bush" in this show that Daily Variety called
"consistently funny." At the end of its Broadway run, Ferrell performed the show in its entirety
live on HBO.
In 2007, Ferrell and McKay founded the popular and award-winning video website
Funnyordie.com. With hundreds of exclusive celebrity videos and a steady stream of huge viral
hits, Funny Or Die has become the “place to be seen” for comedic celebrities, and the obvious
destination for a daily comedy fix. The site's first video, “The Landlord,” has received over 78
million views and features Ferrell confronted by a swearing, beer-drinking two-year-old
landlord. The site averages over 7 million unique viewers per month and over 24 million video
views per month.
Soon thereafter, Ferrell and McKay joined forces to open their own production company, Gary
Sanchez Productions. Gary Sanchez is in production on the third season of the dark HBO
comedy series, Eastbound and Down starring Danny McBride who will be co-writing with
director Jody Hill, as well as the new Comedy Central show Big Lake. Additionally, he and
McKay produced Virginity Hit a chronicled adventure of four teenage boys set out to experience
the terrifying rite of passage: losing their virginity. Virginity Hit is scheduled to release
domestically in September.
Thus far, Gary Sanchez supported the 2006 Sundance hit The Foot Fist Way starring McBride
(Tropic Thunder), who also co-wrote with director Hill, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
starring Jeremy Piven, and Step Brothers which earned over $100 million domestically. In 2006
Ferrell starred in the hit comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with co-stars John
C. Reilly and Sacha Baron Cohen. Earning nearly $150 million at the U.S. box office, the film
became the season’s #1 comedy (non-animated) and continues to set records on DVD.
In the summer of 2004, Ferrell starred in the cult comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron
Burgundy for DreamWorks Pictures. Produced by Judd Apatow, Ferrell co-wrote the script with
McKay. Ferrell portrayed Ron Burgundy, a 1970s anchorman with an inflated ego threatened by
the arrival of an ambitious female newscaster who, unlike him, has mastered journalism.
Ferrell starred for seven seasons on Saturday Night Live in 2002, having taken the nation by
storm during “Indecision 2000” by his portrayal of President George W. Bush on the show.
Some of his most memorable SNL characters include Craig the Spartan Cheerleader, musical
middle school teacher Marty Culp, and President George W. Bush. Among his many
impressions are Janet Reno, Alex Trebek, Neil Diamond and the late, great Chicago Cubs
sportscaster Harry Caray. His work on SNL earned two Emmy nominations in 2001
(Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, and Outstanding Writing
for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program).
Ferrell’s previous film credits include Zoolander, Elf, the Woody Allen feature Melinda and
Melinda, Old School, and the screen adaptation of The Producers, which earned Ferrell his first
Golden Globe nomination in 2006 for Best Supporting Actor. In 2007, Ferrell earned his second
Golden Globe nomination (Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical) for his portrayal of IRS agent
Harold Crick in Stranger Than Fiction.
A testament to his impact on the American comedic landscape, Ferrell was recently named the
recipient of the 2011 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The award recognizes people who
have had an impact on American society in the same vein as social commentator, satirist, and
creator of memorable characters, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). Previous recipients of the prize
include comedy greats such as the late Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Lorne Michaels, Steve
Martin, and Tina Fey.
Raised in Irvine, California, Ferrell attended USC and graduated with a degree in sports
information. Upon graduation, he worked as a sportscaster on a weekly show broadcast over a
local cable channel. Soon after, he enrolled in acting classes and stand-up comedy workshops at
a nearby community college and was eventually asked to join the esteemed comedy/improv
group The Groundlings after just one year of training. It was at The Groundlings that Ferrell was
discovered for Saturday Night Live.
GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL (La Onza)
Having worked as an actor in his native Mexico since childhood, Gael García Bernal made his
feature film debut in Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu's Academy Award®-nominated “Amores
Perros”. His breakthrough performance in the universally acclaimed film earned him a Silver
Ariel Award (Mexico's equivalent of the Oscar) as well as a Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago
International Film Festival, both as Best Actor.
Gael García Bernal's next film role was in another globally celebrated feature, Alfonso Cuaron's
Academy Award®-nominated “Y Tu Mama Tambien” (And Your Mother Too), starring opposite
his lifelong friend Diego
Luna. For their performances, the two friends were jointly voted the Marcello Mastroianni
Award at the Venice International Film Festival. In 2008 he starred alongside Diego Aluna again
in “Rudo y Cursi.”
He subsequently starred in the title role of Carlos Carrera's Academy Award-nominated romantic
drama “El Crimen del padre Amaro” (The Crime of Father Amaro). His performance earned him
the Silver Goddess Award for Best Actor from the Mexican Cinema Journalists, as well as a
nomination from the Chicago Film Critics’ Association for Most Promising Performer.
Since 2004, Gael García Bernal has starred in important films like “Diarios de una Motocicleta
(The Motorcycle Diaries”) directed by Walter Salles, “La Mala Educacion” (Bad Education)
directed by Pedro Almodovar and “Babel” directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu.
In addition to acting, Gael García Bernal has taken on the roles of both director and producer. He
founded the production company Canana, with his close friend, actor Diego Luna and producer
Pablo Cruz((. Canana was established)) in order both to further the awareness of the popularity
of Mexican Cinema and to prove that Mexican Independent films can find local audiences as
well.
Recently Bernal starred in “Limits of Control” (Los limites del control) with Tilda Swinton and
directed by Jim Jarmusch. He also starred in “Even the Rain” directed by Icíar Bollaín and
“Mammoth” (Mamut) with Michelle Williams and directed by Lukas Moodysson, and “Letters to
Juliet” (Cartas a Julieta) with Amanda Seyfriend. Next up, Gael will star in “Casa de Mi Padre”
(House of My Father) with Will Ferrell and Diego Luna.
DIEGO LUNA (Raul Alvarez)
Diego Luna was introduced to worldwide audiences with his starring role in the award-winning
“Y Tu Mama Tambien,” alongside life-long friend Gael García Bernal for director Alfonso
Cuaron. Beginning his professional acting career on stage at the age of seven and making his
television debut at age twelve in “El Abuelo Y Yo,” Luna has appeared on stage in such theater
productions as “De Pelicula, La Tarea” (based on Jame Hurnberto Hermosillo’s movie of the
same name), “Comedia Clandtina” and “El Cantaro Roto,” for which he accepted the 1996-1997
“Masculine Revelation Award” from the Association of Theatre Reviewers. Under the direction
of Antonio Serrano (“Sexo, Pudor y Lagrimas”), he performed Sabina Berman’s “Moliere.” He
produced “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” in Mexico for which he won the 20012002 “Best Comic Actor” award from the Association of Theatre Reviewers.
Luna’s feature film directorial debut, “Abel”, premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
“Abel” is a heartwarming story about a peculiar young boy who assumes the role of “Man of the
house” and the positive impact his actions have on the family and their unity.
Luna and Bernal most recently reunited as actors in Carlos Cuaron’s “Rudo y Cursi.” Luna
recently starred in the award-winning “Milk” opposite Sean Penn for director Gus Van Sant. He
also enjoyed a successful run on stage as an actor and producer in John Malkovich’s “The Good
Canary.”
Luna directed the documentary “Chavez” that premiered at 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. The film
explores the life of legendary boxer Julio Cesar Chavez, whose rise from humble circumstances
to thirty-seven world title fights mirrored the struggle of his people and allowed him to win the
hearts of the world. Chavez was created under the banner of Canana, the international film and
television production company based in Mexico City that Luna founded with Bernal and Pablo
Cruz. The company focuses on story-based projects of Latin American origin, with a worldwide
market perspective. Canana’s main objective is not only to develop projects that serve their
needs as actors, but also to open doors to new talent and produce film and television projects
with a contemporary vision. Canana recently produced Luna’s film “ABEL” and Bernal’s
directorial debut. Canana’s “Deficit” premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2007.
Luna’s additional feature films include Harmony Korine’s “Mister Lonely,” “Before Night Falls”
for director Julian Schnabel, Luis Estrada’s “Ambar”, Erwin Neumaier’s “Un Hilito De Sangre”,
Gabriel Retes’ “Un Dulce Olor A Meute,” Marisa Sistach’s “El Cometa,” Fernando Sarinana’s
“Todo El Poder,” “Criminal” for Stephen Soderbergh and George Clooney’s Section Eight
Productions, “The Terminal” for director Steven Spielberg, “Solo Dios Sabe” (“What God
Knows,”) “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,” “Open Range” alongside director and star Kevin
Costner, “Frida” opposite Salma Hayek for director Julie Taymor, “Carambola,” “Fidel” (for
Showtime), “Ciudades Oscuras,” and “Soldados de Salamina” for director David Trueba.
Additionally, Luna has starred in a number of short films made by students at CUEC and CCC,
including Javier Bourges’ “El Ultimo Fin Del Ano”, the Oscar-winning short film.
Luna currently resides in Mexico City.
GENESIS RODRIGUEZ (Sonja)
Genesis Rodriguez is rapidly emerging as one of Hollywood’s most engaging young talents.
Rodriguez is currently filming Summit Entertainment’s suspense thriller “Man on a Ledge” in
New York alongside Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris, Ed Burns and Kyra
Sedgwick. The film centers around an ex-cop and now wanted fugitive who threatens to jump to
his death from a Manhattan high-rise building while a hostage negotiator tries to talk him down.
Unbeknown to the police on the scene, the suicide attempt is a cover for the biggest diamond
heist ever pulled.
Rodriguez most recently starred in HBO’s “Entourage” as ‘Sarah’. She made her mark on
American television as ‘Becky Ferrer’ on the NBC soap opera “Days of our Lives.” Rodriguez is
also known for her roles in the highly acclaimed NBC Universal/Telemundo television series
“Prisionera”, “Dame Chocolate” and “Dona Barbara.”
Rodriguez was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is the youngest daughter of legendary
international recording artist and actor Jose Luis Rodriguez “El Puma.” She is an alumnus of the
Lee Strasberg Theater in Los Angeles and New York’s Film Institute. Rodriguez currently
resides in New York.
PEDRO ARMENDÁRIZ JR. (Miguel Ernesto Alvarez)
Pedro Armendáriz Jr. was born in Mexico City, the son of actors Carmelita (née Pardo) and
Pedro Armendáriz. Armendáriz has appeared in over 100 movies. Among them are The
Magnificent Seven Ride, El Crimen del Padre Amaro, Matando Cabos and La ley de Herodes,
and played Don Pedro in The Mask of Zorro and The Legend of Zorro. He also had small roles in
Earthquake (film) (1974), Tombstone and Amistad.
Both Armendáriz and his father appeared in James Bond movies. The elder Armendáriz appeared
in From Russia with Love in 1963, while Pedro Jr. appeared in 1989's License to Kill. Also both
actors portrayed Pancho Villa, the senior Armendáriz on several movies and Pedro Armendáriz
Jr in Old Gringo (Spanish: Gringo Viejo) opposite Gregory Peck and Jimmy Smits. Interestingly,
Pedro Armendáriz Jr also portrayed Pancho Villa's enemy Luis Terrazas in the film And Starring
Pancho Villa as Himself opposite Antonio Banderas. Most recently he has starred in NBC’s
Outlaws as Jimmy Smits father.
NICK OFFERMAN (DEA Agent Parker)
Nick Offerman got his start in the Chicago theater community, where he was a founding member
of the Defiant Theatre. He worked extensively at Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Wisdom Bridge,
and Pegasus Players, among many others. Off Broadway credits include Adding Machine at The
Minetta Lane Theater.
Television credits include Parks & Recreation, Children’s Hospital, Will & Grace, Deadwood,
George Lopez, ER, American Body Shop, and 24.
Films include Casa de mi Padre (House of my Father), 21 Jump Street, Rapture Palooza, All
Good Things, Men Who Stare At Goats, Somebody Up There Likes Me, and Harmony and Me.
EFFREN RAMIREZ (Esteban)
Efren Ramirez has been a professional actor for 16 years. Initially, his career consisted of guest
star appearances on television, as he appeared in diverse roles on "E.R"., "AMERICAN DAD",
"JUDGING AMY", "THE DISTRICT", "MAD TV", and "SCRUBS".
However, it was his iconic portrayal of “PEDRO” in the feature film "NAPOLEON
DYNAMITE" that elevated Ramirez to celebrity status. To this day, pictures of Ramirez can be
found on "VOTE FOR PEDRO" t-shirts being worn by people of all ages everywhere around the
world. Whenever Efren appears at public events, legions of Pedro fans converge for a glimpse of
their hero.
Moving on from Pedro was effortless for this gifted young character actor. In the years since
that film was released, Efren Ramirez has appeared in scores of films and television shows,
including leading roles in the
HBO film "WALKOUT", with Edward James Olmos, "EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH"
opposite Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson, "CRANK" and "CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE",
opposite Jason Statham, (playing his own twin brother in the sequel). He has also appeared in
"GAMER" with Gerard Butler, "WHEN IN ROME" with Kristen Bell and the indie twocharacter drama “CROSSING THE HEART” opposite Kris Kristofferson. Most recently, he was
seen last season as a member of the cast of the HBO hit series “EASTBOUND AND DOWN”
with Danny McBride.
Finally, for all of those "NAPOLEON DYNAMITE" fans who have refused to let go, Efren has
reunited with the full cast from the original film to voice the role of "PEDRO" in the soon to be
seen FOX TELEVISION animated series "NAPOLEON DYNAMITE".
Efren Ramirez currently resides in Los Angeles. When he isn’t filming, he is spinning records as
a guest D.J. in clubs all across the country. He has just published his first book DIRECT YOUR
OWN LIFE. Efren recently returned from a USO Tour visiting our troops in Bahrain, UAE,
Dubai, and Africa. He frequently speaks to students at high schools and universities and is very
involved with charitable organizations including UNICEF, THE RED CROSS, THE MAKE A
WISH FOUNDTION and AIDS RESEARCH.
ADRIAN MARTINEZ (Manuel)
Adrian Martinez was recently seen in a supporting role opposite Zach Galifianakis (THE
HANGOVER), on Focus features’ IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, directed by Ryan Fleck,
and Anna Boden, (HALF NELSON) and will soon be seen as Mr. Clean in IFC’s FLYPAPER
opposite Patrick Dempsey. Mr. Martinez is presently filming EXTREMELY LOUD, AND
INCREDIBLY CLOSE, opposite Oscar winner, Sandra Bullock.
Adrian has been seen in a variety of character portrayals including THE ENTERPRETER,
TAXI, MORNING GLORY, and MAIL ORDER WIFE, produced by Doug Liman, where his
portrayal was so convincing, audiences thought the film was a documentary. Recently, Mr.
Martinez worked on DON’T LET ME DROWN (Showtime), directed by Sundance lab fellow
Cruz Angeles, and MONA, which recently aired on PBS, and which Mr. Martinez also produced.
Mr. Martinez booked a series regular role in THREE STRIKES, a pilot produced by Emmy
winner, Jon Stewart, for Comedy Central. Martinez has also been seen around the dial in over
forty TV guest spots, including Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Law And Order: SVU, Conan
O'Brien, Barry Levinson's The Jury, and HBO’s FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS.
Theatre audiences know Mr. Martinez from his daring off-Broadway performances in "Our Lady
of 121st Street," at the Union Square theatre and “The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot,” at the Public
theatre, both directed by Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman for the LAByrinth theater
company of which he is a member. Additionally, Mr. Martinez co-starred in MASSACRE,
written by Oscar nominee, Jose Rivera, (THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES) for LAByrinth, as
well as BOLEROS, also by Mr. Rivera. As a writer, Mr. Martinez’ screenplay, MANNY, was
selected for the NALIP, (National Assoc of Latino Independent Producers), writers’ lab, as well
as the 2008 NALIP producers’ lab where he directed three scenes of his script with a
professional cast and crew. Mr. Martinez will be playing the title role and directing.
ABOUT THE CREW
MATT PIEDMONT (Director)
Matt Piedmont, AKA Clyde Mego, is an Emmy Award winning writer, producer and director
living in Venice, California. At 21, he moved to New York City, where he wrote his novel "Ultra
Lo Fi", and eventually landed a job as a writer for "Saturday Night Live", a position he held for
six years. Matt has since gone on to become a writer/director whose short film “Brick Novax’s
Diary” won the Sundance Film Festival grand jury prize in 2011. Matt is currently in post on his
debut directorial feature, "Casa de mi Padre" starring Will Ferrell, Diego Luna, and Gael Garcia
Bernal.
ADAM MCKAY (Producer)
Adam McKay is a writer, director, and producer who has previously done the movie
“Anchorman", "Talladega Nights", "Step Brothers”, and most recently “The Other Guys.” He is a
former head writer of SNL and one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade.
Other past credits include writing for Michael Moore's show “The Awful Truth", and co-founding
the comedy website Funny or Die. He has also produced the hit HBO comedy series which is in
its second season, "East Bound and Down" through his production company with Will Ferrell,
Gary Sanchez Productions. In 2009 he took to the stage, directing the Tony nominated
Broadway show “You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush.”
EMILIO DIEZ BARROSO (Producer)
Emilio Diez Barroso is Chairman and Founder of NALA Investments, LLC, a private investment
holding company with operations across various industries including communications,
transportation, energy, consumer products, real estate, IT infrastructure, Media and
Entertainment. The company manages a diverse portfolio comprised of multiple investment asset
classes primarily in the United States and Latin America.
Emilio has held senior level positions and sat on the board of most NALA owned businesses
including most recently NALA Films, a production company that produces and finances feature
films, television and new media projects that empower and uplift audiences. He was named one
of the 10 most powerful Latinos by PODER Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter and has
been recognized with multiple awards in Latin America.
He currently sits on the board of directors of various companies including Summit
Entertainment, LLC, a worldwide theatrical motion picture development, financing, production
and distribution studio. He also chairs the board of The World is Just a Book Away, a non-profit
organization created to bring books and education to children in developing countries.
Emilio studied Economics and Finance at Harvard, I.T.A.M. and Boston University and has an
M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica with an emphasis on
Consciousness Health and Healing.
DARLENE CAAMAÑO LOQUET (Producer)
Darlene Caamaño Loquet is President and COO of NALA Films, where she oversees the
company and produces its film slate. Caamaño Loquet is currently in pre-production on the
Steve Carr comedy “The Boondoggle” starring Rob Riggle and Thomas Lennon which NALA is
producing and financing.
Most recently, Caamaño Loquet produced the highly anticipated and groundbreaking Spanishlanguage comedy, Casa de mi Padre/House of My Father, starring Will Ferrell, Gael Garcia
Bernal, Diego Luna and Nick Offerman; and the critically acclaimed coming of age comedy
Ceremony, about a young man that falls hard for an older woman starring Uma Thurman,
Michael Angarano and Lee Pace directed by Max Winkler, which Magnolia Pictures recently
released.
In 2007, she produced “In the Valley of Elah”, released by Warner Independent Pictures and
starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric and James Franco.
The film was written and directed by Academy Award winner Paul Haggis. Caamaño Loquet
also executive produced the Touchstone Pictures release “Dan in Real Life” starring Steve
Carell, Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook and directed by Peter Hedges. Previously, Caamaño
Loquet served as producer on “The Air I Breathe”. Shot in Mexico City, the film stars Andy
Garcia, Forest Whitaker, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Fraser, Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy and
Emile Hirsch and was directed by Jieho Lee. NALA Films fully financed and produced “Casa
de mi Padre” “Ceremony” and “The Air I Breathe” and is continuing to produce and finance 3 to
5 feature films per year.
Recently chosen as one of Variety’s “10 Producers to Watch”, Caamaño Loquet was also named
one of the top “10 Most Powerful and Influential Latino Women in Hollywood” by the
Hollywood Reporter and Nielsen Ratings, and was featured in Latino Leaders Magazine’s “The
101 Most Influential Leaders in the Latino Community” issue. Caamaño Loquet began her career
in the newsroom of the Spanish-language network Univision and segued into the film industry
through assisting a producer at Trimark Pictures, where she helped to develop “Frida” starring
Salma Hayek and “Eve’s Bayou” starring Samuel L. Jackson. She then turned her efforts to
developing feature film animation projects at DreamWorks-based Patchwork Productions.
Within 4 years she became Vice-President of Production and helped to develop “Chicken Run”
and “Shrek”. Next up, Caamaño Loquet ran director Gregory Nava’s production company, El
Norte Productions, which was housed at New Line Cinema. While there, she was responsible for
developing feature film projects and television series, including the feature film “Bordertown”
starring Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas and the PBS TV series “American Family”.
Caamaño Loquet resides in California with her husband Mark and daughter Chloe Katherine.
ANDREW STEELE (Writer/Producer)
After 13 years as a writer and head writer for Saturday Night Live Andrew Steele has reunited
with his old friends Adam McKay and Will Ferrell and is currently the Creative Director of
Funny or Die. As well as overseeing the creative direction of the website that McKay and Ferrell
started he is in charge of Funny or Die television and film. He currently executive produces two
on air projects, "Funny or Die Presents" currently on HBO and "Jon Benjamin has a Van" on
Comedy Central. When he's not stuck on the 405 he lives with his family in upstate NY.
KEVIN MESSICK (Executive Producer)
Kevin Messick joined up with writer/producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Paramount
based production company Gary Sanchez Productions in January 2009. He was an Executive
Producer on the company’s hit comedy THE OTHER GUYS starring Will Ferrell, Mark
Wahlberg, Eva Mendes and Samuel L. Jackson. He is currently in post-production on the
action/adventure/fantasy HANSEL AND GRETEL, WITCH HUNTERS for Paramount starring
Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton.
Prior to joining Gary Sanchez Productions, Messick was an independent producer and his past
credits include THE GOODS: LIVE HARD SELL HARD starring Jeremy Piven for Paramount
Vantage; THE ANSWER MAN (Official Selection Sundance Film Festival - Dramatic
Competition), which starred Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham; Touchstone’s A LOT LIKE
LOVE with Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet; the documentary AMERICAN PIMP (Official
Selection Sundance Film Festival - Documentary Competition) directed by Allen and Albert
Hughes; Sony’s TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. directed by Kiefer Sutherland starring
Vincent Gallo; THE BABYSITTER starring Alicia Silverstone; and New Line Cinema’s
SURVIVING THE GAME directed by Ernest Dickerson, starring Rutger Hauer and Ice T.
Messick graduated with an MFA from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
JESSICA ELBAUM (Executive Producer)
Jessica Elbaum is an Emmy and Tony Award nominated producer who has worked for Gary
Sanchez Productions since the company was founded in 2006 by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.
Elbaum has served as a producer on several of the company's other feature films, including Step
Brothers and The Other Guys. In 2008 she was instrumental in bringing Ferrell's one man show
"You're Welcome America" to Broadway for an exclusive, limited run at the Cort Theatre, where
it broke attendance records. She most recently produced the feature film Bachelorette, written
and directed by Leslye Headland, which will premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
Jessica is a graduate of The University of Southern California and resides in Los Angeles.
RAMSEY NICKEL (Director of Photography)
Ramsey Nickell has very often found himself in the right place at the right time. With no formal
training, he got his start in the film business during the glory days of music videos. On his way
up the ladder, Ramsey was mentored by some of the emerging visionaries of contemporary
cinema. He shot his first music video in 1993
and has since filmed hundreds of music videos, commercials and several independent features.
His latest stroke of luck paired him with director, Matt Piedmont with whom he filmed “Casa de
mi Padre”. Ramsey is currently living the dream in Austin, Texas with his wife, Sonja and their
son, Streater.
DAVID TRACHTENBERG (Editor)
Originally from the Philadelphia area, David Trachtenberg began his editing career as an intern
at The Post Group in Los Angeles in 1993. He spent several years as an assistant editor working
in finishing houses and graphic design houses until 1996 when he landed his first commercial
editing job. As a commercial editor, Trachtenberg has cut for Nike, Ford, Chevy, ESPN, Boeing
and many others. In addition to advertising work, he also worked on music videos as well as the
2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
In 2007, Trachtenberg teamed up with director Matt Piedmont for the first time working on a
Budweiser web series featuring Tim Meadows. This collaboration led to several TV pilots and
shows including The Carpet Brothers and Brick Novax’s Diary for Funny or Die Presents. Brick
Novax’s Diary has gone on to win the Jury Prize at Sundance as well as Aspen, Vienna and
Seattle film festivals.
In 2010, Trachtenberg again collaborated with Matt Piedmont to edit his first feature film, Casa
de mi Padre, slated to be released sometime this year.
BEACON STREET STUDIOS (Music/Composers)
San Diego born composer/music producer John Nau and Boston bred Andrew Feltenstein have
emerged as Hollywood's best kept secret in music. The composer and producing team that cofounded Beacon Street Studios of Venice, CA in 2001, have teamed up to compose over 1000
commercials, various TV shows, produced for Blue Note records and, most recently, have
composed the score and written original songs for NALA Films', Casa de mi Padre, directed by
Matt Piedmont.
Nau and Feltenstein write together every day at their Venice studio compound on Abbot Kinney
with their team of studio musicians and engineers. Nau who has played with various artists from
Hootie and the Blowfish to Belinda Carlyle has worked on films for ESPN to Any Given
Sunday. Feltenstein, fresh off a song writing project and time with legendary producer Don Was,
founded Beacon Street Studios in Venice CA. Beacon Street has been a haven for artists and
musicians in the LA scene from which Nau and Feltenstein
constantly write and record music to picture every day. Some recent awards include best song
for commercials AICP 2009 and 2010 and Telly awards in those respective categories.
KEVIN KAVANAUGH (Production Designer)
Kevin made his debut as a production designer on Drew Barrymore’s first feature film as a
director, “Whip It.” And since then has done “Going the Distance” with Drew Barrymore.
Kevin Kavanaugh has also worked as art director on several occasions with production designer
Nathan Crowley: on Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” and “The Prestige,” “The Lake
House,” and the upcoming “John Carter of Mars”. Kevin’s other credits include
“Transformers”, “Mission Impossible II and III,” “8 Mile,” and “The Fast and the Furious.” He
was raised in Southern California and graduated from San Francisco State University with a
Bachelor of Arts degree. He first became interested in film design while working part time
during college at American Zoetrope studios during the making of “The Godfather: Part III”
and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” He worked as Francis Coppola’s Assistant for 3 years in San
Francisco before moving back to Southern California. He now lives near Pasadena with his wife
and 2 kids.
TRACY FIELD (Costume Designer)
Trayce is originally from Los Angeles, California where she attended the Fashion Institute of
Design and Merchandising. She now resides in New York City and Los Angeles as a Costume
Designer and Stylist. A childhood based in Hollywood allowed her creative imagination to run a
broad spectrum of ideas that has no boundaries. She believes that there is nothing that can’t be
created or brought to life, and that every character is important and has a life of its own. Whether
your medium is commercial, film, television, or print Trayce is inspired to create an original
character for each cast member. She always pays special attention to the unique details that make
us all individuals!
Trayce has costume designed a wide variety of feature films, the most recent of which have
included Kaboom and Little Birds (both of which screened at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival),
Casa de mi Padre, which stars Will Ferrell, and Ten Year. She also designed the short film
California Romanza, directed by Eva Mendes, which benefited the nonprofit Glamour Reels. In
addition to her film credits, she has been responsible for styling numerous television commercial
spots, and for the wardrobe rebranding of national corporations such as Seattle’s Best Coffee and
Medco. With more than ten years of experience, she continues to design costumes for all media
in the entertainment industry and loves it!
MARY LOU LIM (Costume Designer)
The expansive costuming career of Marylou Lim found its roots on MAD TV, styling
commercials and numerous features like, Dreamgirls, Blades of Glory and The Other Guys.
Her collaborative creative relationship with Will Ferrell on multiple feature projects, has helped
bring to life to some of his most memorable characters. Working together again, Marylou’s role
as Costume Designer can be seen in Will’s latest film Casa de mi Padre.
Marylou’s enthusiasm and attention to detail with costumes, energizes and organizes every
project she commits to. Most recently she completed work as Assistant Costume Designer with
Sharen Davis on the sci-fi feature Looper, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and
Emily Blunt.
#
#
#
END CREDITS
UNIT PRODUCTION MANAGER
SCOTT LUMPKIN
FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
ERIC HAYS
SECOND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
HOPE GARRISON
CAST
ARMANDO
RAUL
MIGUEL ERNESTO
SONIA
ESTEBAN
MANUEL
ONZA
OFFICER BLANCARTO
DEA AGENT PARKER
DEA AGENT #2
YOUNG MIGUEL ERNESTO
MIGUEL ERNESTO’S WIFE
YOUNG ARMANDO
HECTOR
OLD FRIEND #1
OLD FRIEND #2
OLD FRIEND #3
DOCTOR
DAN HAGGERTY
EL PUMA/WEDDING SINGER
BAND MEMBER #1
BAND MEMBER #2
BAND MEMBER #3
ESMERALDA
SHEILA
MARGARITE
FRIEND GEORGE
FATHER GUIZMAN
STUNT COORDINATOR
WILL FERRELL
DIEGO LUNA
PEDRO ARMENDARIZ, JR.
GENESIS RODRIGUEZ
EFREN RAMIREZ
ADRIAN MARTINEZ
GAEL GARCIA BERNAL
MANUEL URREGO
NICK OFFERMAN
JERRY COLLINS
LOUIS CARAZO
SANDRA ECHEVERRIA
ELIJAH VELARDE
ALEJANDRO PATINO
EDUARDO RICARD
PEDRO LOPEZ
JAMES VICTOR
WILLIAM MARQUEZ
HIMSELF
JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ “EL PUMA”
ERIC LEIDERMAN
PATTY GUGGENHEIM
BOB DASSIE
MARIANN GAVELO
MOLLY SHANNON
GAYLE HOOKER
THOMAS ROSALES
ARMANDO GUERRERO
TODD BRYANT
STUNTS
GREG ANTHONY
RICHARD L. BLACKWELL
RICHARD BUCHER
MAX DANIELS
JOHN DIXON
PETE ANTICO
BEN BRAY
ESTEBAN CUETO
MARK DE ALESSANDRO
DINO DOS SANTOS FRENKIEL
TONIA FORSBERG
RAMIRO GONZALEZ
TAD GRIFFITH
TOBY HOLGUIN
BROCK LITTLE
ALEX MADISON
ROBERT MADRID
TANYA CHA CHA MCMAHON
NORMAN MORA
ANTHONY NANAKORNPANOM
MARK NORBY
EDDIE PEREZ
MARIO PEREZ
NORBERT PHILIPS
AUDI RESENDEZ
BRANSCOMBE RICHMOND
GILBERT ROSALES
SEAN ROSALES
CRYSTAL SANTOS
JIM STEPHAN
MELISSA STUBBS
DAVID WALD
LELANI WYATT
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
SECOND SECOND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
DAMIEN LUBIAK
GAVIN KLEINTOP
POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
MICHAEL TINGER
ART DIRECTOR
SET DECORATOR
LEADMAN
SET DECORATION BUYER
CAMERA OPERATOR
“A” CAMERA FIRST ASSISTANT
“A” CAMERA SECOND ASSISTANT
“B” CAMERA FIRST ASSISTANT
“B” CAMERA SECOND ASSISTANT
CAMERA LOADER
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER
SOUND MIXER
BOOM OPERATOR
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
PRODUCTION OFFICE COORDINATOR
PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANT
ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANTS
PRODUCTION THERAPIST
ART DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
DIALECT COACH AND TRANSLATOR
DAILIES TRANSLATOR
GAFFER
BEST BOY ELECTRIC
ELECTRICIANS
RIGGING GAFFER
RIGGING BEST BOY
KEY GRIP
BEST BOY GRIP
DOLLY GRIP
ASSISTANT DOLLY GRIP
GRIPS
NAAMAN MARSHALL
MEG EVERIST
THEIRRY LABBE
JENNIFER DURBAN
STEPHAN COLLINS
CARLOS LOPEZ-CALLEJA
AARON TICHENOR
MARK FIGUEROA
ALEX SCOTT
MATTHEW WILLIAMS
JOHN ESTES
MICHAEL KOFF
DAVID BERNHARD
S.J. “JOJO” FIEGER
BERNADETTE GONZALES
MAGGIE MEANS
DAVID HARDBERGER
HOLLY LUMPKIN
MRS. PARKER
BENJAMIN NOWICKI
PATRICK PEREZ
RODRIGO OJEDA
DEO DARRYL COWHERD
THOMAS MARSHAL
ROBERT AMERIAN III
BRIAN HART
MIKE URSETTA
ROGER LATTIN
ANDY TURPIN
CHRIS LUMPKIN
ROBERT EXNER
CHRIS CHAPMAN
GEORGE HESS
BOB BRADSHAW
JOHN COYNE
MATT MCCARTHY
TROY RICE
RIGGING KEY GRIP
RIGGING BEST BOY
PROPERTY MASTER
ASSISTANT PROPERTY MASTER
ASSISTANT PROPERTY
ASSISTANT EDITOR
RE-RECORDING MIXERS
AMOS JAMES
MARVIN HAVEN
AMIE MCCARTHY-WINN
GLENN FORBES
GLEN ANASTASIOU
EDDIE MIKASA
JONATHAN WALES C.A.S.
RICHARD “TRICKY” KITTING
SOUND DESIGN & SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR MICHAEL ANASTASI
ADR AND DIALOGUE EDITOR
ANGELA HEMINGWAY
SOUND EFFECTS EDITORS
ANDRES VELASQUEZ
JOSHUA ADENIJI
FOLEY EDITOR
NASH CUBERO
ASSISTANT SOUND EDITORS
CHRIS TERHUNE
DAN NORWICK
DARREN LODWICK
JAMES HERAZ
FOLEY MIXER
FOLEY WALKER
ADR MIXERS
ADR VOICE CASTING
RE-RECORDED AT
SOUND STUDIO MANAGER
CONSTRUCTION COORDINATOR
CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN
PROPMAKERS
MILL FOREMAN
PAINT FOREMAN
PLASTERER
GREENS
ON SET DRESSER
SET DRESSERS
DEREK DEITZ
VICKI O’REILLY VANDEGRIFT
STEVEN IBA
JASON “FRENCHIE” GAYA
ADAM BUSCH
SONIC MAGIC
ROBERT DEHN
JOE ONDREJKO
ROBERT GARLOW
MARC FEKKES
JUSTIN GARLOW
WILLIE THOMS
MATT HRUPCHO
JIM HEIZITAYE
BRYAN MCBRAN
DENNIS WINTERS
PATRICK SHAW
CHASE CUSHING MURRAY
ALAN BAPTISTE
MAKEUP DEPARTMENT HEAD
KEY MAKEUP ARTIST
HAIR DEPARTMENT HEAD
KEY HAIRSTYLIST
STEVE ARTMONT
NICOLE ARTMONT
BRIDGET COOK
DARRELL FIELDER
COSTUME SUPERVISOR
KEY SET COSTUMER
SET COSTUMER
STEPHANIE COLIN
MELODY KOERBER
FRAN MURPHY
LOCATION MANAGER
KEY LOCATION ASSISTANT
ASSISTANT LOCATION MANAGER
KEI ROWAN-YOUNG
ZAK KAHN
BRITTANY PETROS
CLEARANCE COORDINATOR
SCRIPT SUPERVISOR
VIDEO ASSIST
AMANDA SHAMIS
LILIANA M. MOLINA
LANCE J. VELAZCO
SET MEDIC
CONSTRUCTION MEDIC
ERICA B. PONIEWAZ
ROBERT “SARGE” HEPBURN
NALA FILMS
SR. VP OF FINANCE
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
HEAD OF SOCIAL MEDIA
ACCOUNTING MANAGER
MARKETING, DISTRIBUTION AND
ADVERTISING STRATEGIST
CHRISTOPHER DOSS
RICARDO PALACIO
PATRICK CALDERON
PAUL MADRIGAL
PAULA SILVER
BEYOND THE BOX PRODUCTIONS
POST PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANT
ACCOUNTING CLERK
VICTOR VALENCIA
KATY WALKER
OFFICE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
MICKEY HEFFERNAN
CAY TEMPLETON
JAMES MCCOY
LAURA HOYT
DANA LEDOUX-MILLER
JUSTIN TRIMM
CHRIS COOK
MELANIE TOLBERT
SET PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
STAND IN
ART PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
COSTUME PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
ASSISTANTS TO MR. DIEZ BARROSO
ASSISTANT TO MS. CAAMAÑO LOQUET
ASSISTANT TO MR. MESSICK
TEEK MACH
APRIL DUNLAP
ANNETTE PONNOCK
LORI DANDO
BLAIR RICHMAN
ROBYN WHOLEY
CASTING ASSOCIATE
CASTING ASSISTANT
EXTRAS CASTING
BEN HARRIS
PETER KOUSAKIS
CLAIRE BENJAMIN
LAUREN COKELEY
CATERING BY
CRAFT SERVICE
ASSISTANT CRAFT SERVICE
GOAT FEATHERS
MARILYN KLEIST
ERNESTO TORRES
TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR
TRANSPORTATION CAPTAIN
TRANSPORTATION DISPATCHER
RICKY DAMAZIO
BEN BARSKY
DONNA BROWER
DRIVERS
OSCAR BEGUIRISTAIN
MICHAEL LOCKE
BART MCCARTHY
TOM RODRIGUEZ
DIANE SMITH
BARY GREGOS
DAVID MACHADO
BOB MCCARTHY
TIM SCHAU
BRAD WEBERT
VISUAL EFFECTS BY
INTELLIGENT CREATURES
VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR
VISUAL EFFECTS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
VISUAL EFFECTS PRODUCER
VISUAL EFFECTS PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
LON MOINAR
DARREN BELL
SARAH WORMSBECHER
BRANDON SCHAAFSMA
MATTE PAINTERS
BOJAN ZORIC
SLAV KRAVCHENKO
DIGITAL COMPOSITORS
DOUG COOK
JORDAN FLANAGAN
OMAR GUDJONSSON
NATHAN LAROUCHE
JEFF KLUG
SYSTEMS ENGINEER
VISUAL EFFECTS BY
GAINES IMAGES
VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR
MIKE GAINES
ANIMATRONIC CAT CREATED BY
JIM HENSON’S CREATURE SHOP
PUPPETEERS
MUSIC EDITOR
MUSIC MIXED AND RECORDED BY
MUSIC ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
SCORE RECORDED AT
ORCHESTRATIONS BY
MUSIC COORDINATOR
COPYIST
SPECIAL THANKS
SUPERVISING DIGITAL COLORIST
MICHAEL OOSTEROM
JOHN CRISWELL
TIM BLANEY
DEREK SOMARU
DANA NIELSEN
ADREA LAVEZZOLI
BEACON STREET STUDIOS
ANDREW FELTENSTEIN
JOHN NAU
MARK HOLLINGSWORTH
DEREK BREAKFIELD
MARK HOLLINGSWORTH
THE BEACON BROMIGOS
THE MAYAN GHOST CHOIR
MITCH PAULSON
ASSISTANT COLORIST
DI PRODUCER
DI ASSISTANT PRODUCER
DI EDITOR
DIGITAL OPTICALS
MAIN TITLES DESIGNED BY
END TITLES BY
LABORATORY COLOR TIMER
CAMERAS BY
CAMERA DOLLIES BY
ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT FURNISHED BY
LEGAL SERVICES
CLEARANCES BY
INSURANCE PROVIDED BY
PAYROLL BY
FOREIGN SALES BY
ORIGINAL SONGS COMPOSED BY
LYRICS BY
“YO NO SE”
“CASA DE MI PADRE”
“FIGHT FOR LOVE”
“LA LA,” “DE CIELO” SUNG BY
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY
MUSIC CLEARANCES
“STARTING POINT LINK 3”
COMPOSED BY KEITH MANSFIELD (PRS)
PUBLISHED BY KPM APM (ASCAP)
JAKE KING
ROB PHILLIPS
ROSALIE STALEY
LISA TUTUNJIAN
PAT CLANCEY
PICTURE MILL
SCARLET LETTERS
GEORGE CHAVEZ
PANAVISION
CHAPMAN/LEONARD
PASKAL LIGHTING
REDER & FEIG LLP
GLENN D. FEIG, ESQ.
DAVID PATINELLA, ESQ.
NOOR AHMED
ACT ONE
GALLAGHER ENTERTAINMENT
INSURANCE SERVICES
CAST & CREW ENTERTAINMENT
SERVICES
SIERRA/AFFINITY
ANDREW FELTENSTEIN
JOHN NAU
ANDREW STEELE
ANDREW STEELE
PATRICK PEREZ
ANDREW STEELE
CECILIA NOEL
ANDREW FELTENSTEIN
JOHN NAU
RACHEL FOX
“BLAZING FIDDLES”
COMPOSED BY CHRIS GIBBONS
PUBLISHED BY ZFC MUSIC (ASCAP)
COURTESY OF FIRSTCOM MUSIC
“TUMBLE WEED”
COMPOSED BY SEAN LYONS
PUBLISHED BY ZFC MUSIC (ASCAP)
COURTESY OF FIRSTCOM MUSIC
“PEPITA”
COMPOSED BY JULIUS STEFFARO
PUBLISHED BY DEWOLFE MUSIC (ASCAP)
“MARIE’S BLUES”
COMPOSED BY RIKKI CAINE
PUBLISHED BY DEWOLFE MUSIC (ASCAP)
“OH, MAGDALENA”
COMPOSED BY RIKKI CAINE
PUBLISHED BY DEWOLFE MUSIC (ASCAP)
“WESTERN THEME #1”
COMPOSED BY JOHN CACAVAS
PUBLISHED BY ZFC MUSIC (ASCAP)
COURTESY OF FIRSTCOM MUSIC
“THE GUNFIGHT”
COMPOSED BY DANIEL PEMBERTON
PUBLISHED BY ZFC MUSIC (ASCAP)
COURTESY OF FIRSTCOM MUSIC
“LAS MAÑANITAS A”
TRADITIONAL/ARRANGED BY CARLOS
PERIGUEZ (GEMA)
PUBLISHED BY SONOTON APM (ASCAP)
SONOTON MUSIC GMBH CO KG (GEMA)
“NIGHT RAID”
COMPOSED BY ROGER ROGER
PUBLISHED BY ZFC MUSIC (ASCAP)
COURTESY OF FIRSTCOM MUSIC
“FISH EYE”
COMPOSED BY JOHN HERBERT
LEACH/GEORGE FENTON
PUBLISHED BY 5 ALARM/IMPRESS MUSIC
“PSILORITIS B”
TRADITIONAL/ARRANGED BY DIMITRIOS
XANOPOLOS
PUBLISHED BY SONOTON APM (ASCAP)
SONOTON MUSIC GMBH CO KG (GEMA)
“LEDERHOSEN LAUGHS”
COMPOSED BY PHILLIP GREEN (PRS)
PUBLISHED BY CARBERT SPECIAL
ACCOUNTS (BMI)
“WIDE OPEN SPACES”
COMPOSED BY FRED TOMLINSON
PUBLISHED BY 5 ALARM MUSIC/IMPRESS
MUSIC
“CATACOMBS”
COMPOSED BY DENNIS FARNON
PUBLISHED BY 5 ALARM MUSIC/BOOSEY &
HAWKES
“ECHO TEN”
COMPOSED BY NACHUM HEIMAN (ACUM)
PUBLISHED BY KPM APM (ASCAP)
“PSILORITIS A”
TRADITIONAL/ARRANGED BY DIMITRIOS
XANOPOLOS
PUBLISHED BY SONOTON APM (ASCAP)
SONOTON MUSIC GMBH CO KG (GEMA)
“CON SU BLANCA PALIDEZ
(A WHITER SHADE OF PALE)”
WRITTEN BY KEITH REID, GARY BROOKER
AND F. CARRERAS
PUBLISHED BY TRO-ESSEX MUSIC, INC.
(ASCAP)
“CHANT DE L’UNIVERSE”
COMPOSED BY EDWARD MICHAEL
PUBLISHED BY DEWOLFE MUSIC (ASCAP)
“MAN WITH NO NAME”
COMPOSED BY ALAN HAWKSHAW (PRS)
PUBLISHED BY ZFC MUSIC (ASCAP)
COURTESY OF FIRSTCOM MUSIC
“RIDING TO LARAMIE”
COMPOSED BY DANIEL PEMBERTON
PUBLISHED BY ZFC MUSIC (ASCAP)
COURTESY OF FIRSTCOM MUSIC
“FINAL REDEMPTION”
COMPOSED BY DANIEL PEMBERTON (PRS)
PUBLISHED BY ZFC MUSIC (ASCAP)
COURTESY OF FIRSTCOM MUSIC
THE FILMMAKERS WISH TO EXTEND THEIR PERSONAL THANKS TO:
LYRICAL PARTNERS, L.P.
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
BOB DYLAN
BOBBY MEGO
PATRICK PEREZ
CHRIS HENCHY
BRIAN LOUKS
CHRIS KNIGHT
NOA REED
MARK LOQUET
DAVID CAAMAÑO
JENNIFER DOSS
MARTIN LESAK
ELYSE SCHERZ
IVAN DE PAZ
BRIAN O’SHEA
JOHN PAUKULIS
JEFF KESWIN
THE SAN BERNARDINO STRINGS
GLEN “TRIPPER” URQUHART, ESQ.
BEEBO BRYSON
CITY OF CLEVELAND, OHIO
JIMMY MILLER
IRVING AZOFF
BRIAN BUNNIN
TED GAGE
CHLOE LOQUET
ROBERTO AGUIRRE
JASON HEYMAN
DAN STEINMAN
DORA KOMURA
NICK MEYER
TONY BACHAALANI
BILL GROUX
ALEJANDRO GOLDBERG
DAVID CHAZEN
DAVID JASSAN ROSAS
TERE CHEJA
MICHELLE CASTRO
EMILIO GAMBOA
VICENTE MORENO
VICTOR MONTAÑEZ ESCOBEDO
VICENTE ZARAGOZA
GUILLERMO NIETO
KIM NIZAM PASHA-SHARPE
MARIA PAULINA STADELER
CHRISTINE SMITH
CHARLIE CHAN PRINTING
NO. 46786
ALEX KRYS
LUTFALAH BACHAALANI
JACOBO CHEJA
LUIS DOPORTO
ALFREDO BEJOS
MAURICIO GARCIA CEPEDA
ALEJANDRO MONTAÑEZ ESCOBEDO
JAIME MURILLO ARREDONDO
CRYSTAL MCCAHILL
PEPE SERRANO
PATRICIO PERDOMO MIRANDA
CARRIE LONDON
MAI VONG
THE CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS PORTRAYED AND THE NAMES HEREIN ARE FICTITIOUS, AND ANY
SIMILARITY TO THE NAME, CHARACTER OR HISTORY OF ANY PERSON IS ENTIRELY COINCIDENTAL
AND UNINTENTIONAL.
THIS MOTION PICTURE PHOTOPLAY IS PROTECTED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAWS OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND OTHER COUNTRIES. ANY UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION
AND/OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PHOTOPLAY MAY RESULT IN CIVIL LIABILITY AND CRIMINAL
PROSECUTION.
THIS MOTION PICTURE IS BEING EXHIBITED UNDER SPECIFIC LICENSE AND IS NOT FOR SALE.
COPYRIGHT © 2011 PARADOX HOLDINGS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
THIS FILM IS DEDICATED TO
PEDRO ARMENDÁRIZ JR.
1940 – 2011