03/05/2021
AUGUST 20, 2011- It was an evening of stardust and memories, magic, joy, and wonder. The stars illuminating exquisitely upon the cinema heavens to burst forth a film that continues to inspire. LUMINARIAS written with resilient buoyancy by Evelina Fernandez and directed with loving affection by Jose Luis Valenzuela, a wife and husband team who have collaborated on a repertoire of brilliant Latinx/Chicanx stories for the stage, is a twinkling gem in the archives of Latinx/Chicanx filmmaking and cinema history. The 10th Anniversary screening held as the Los Angeles Theater Center in downtown L.A. and presented by the Latino Theater Company, was a remarkable evening. The film is a light-hearted romantic comedy about the friendships of four professional Latinas who gather at a restaurant name Luminarias, to share their secrets of love, careers, family life, prejudices, relationships, and s*x. With some fine and sturdy performances, the film stars and features Dyana Ortelli, Evelina Fernandez, Sal Lopez, Robert Beltran, Scott Bakula, Angela Moya, Marta DuBois, Cheech Marin, Fidel Gomez, East Carlo, Geoffrey Rivas, Mike Gomez, Seidy Lopez, Alma Beltran, Liz Torres Andrew C. Lim, Pepe Serna, and the late great Lupe Ontiveros. The lovely cinematography was by Alex Phillips, Jr. and the romantic Production Design was by Patsy Valdez. The event brought out some of the Cast and Crew who reminisced about the making of the movie and its time. It was also the first and only time I had the opportunity to meet the late Lupe Ontiveros, an actress I greatly admired. It was a joy to meet her as she graciously signed my DVD copy of the movie, an autograph I will always cherish. She had such a bubbling personality and an incredible spirit that was truly unforgettable. 2020 would have been the 20th Anniversary screening of the film. But due to the Corona Pandemic it was unfortunately postponed. But I hope that someday a future screening will be presented somewhere, so that the cast and crew can fondly gather once again to remember a wonderful movie that has continued to inspire and entertain audiences around the world throughout the years.
