FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2008

CONTACT: Producers Frank Perez / Steve Carrillo
212-831-0650 ext.115

Feature Film “Up With Me” New York Premiere

Nigrita Films, East Harlem Tutorial Program and The New York International Latino Film Festival are proud to announce the New York premiere of the feature film “Up With Me."

“Up With Me” 2008 running time 82 min
Director: Greg Takoudes. Producers: Frank Perez, Greg Takoudes and Christopher Roberts. Starring: Francisco Vicioso, Erika Rivera, Brandon Thorpe, Justin N. Coltrain, Bernice Veloz, Destiny Waters. When Francisco, a teenager from East Harlem, receives a scholarship for an upstate boarding school, he is torn between his life and friends at home (his loyal girlfriend and his jealous best friend) and the new environment. “…a poignant tale of friendship, loyalty, betrayal and individual growth from El Barrio, (East Harlem) New York to an Ivy League school." (New York Premiere)

“Up With Me” will have its New York premiere at The New York International Latino Film Festival on Thursday July 24th at the Clearview Cinema 1871 West 62nd St. at 7:30pm and on Friday July 25th at the Fordham University Cinema: Lincoln Center campus 113 west 60th St. 12:00pm. The film will make its East Harlem premiere on Friday August 8th on the roof of El Museo del Barrio Rooftop Films series at 7:00pm.

This realistic narrative feature was shot using teens from East Harlem who are members of the East Harlem Tutorial Program. The storyline is based on actual real stories of the teens, developed by the teens themselves who are not professional actors. The teens helped to shoot and write the story after having gone through a film production workshop with Co-producer and writer Frank Perez and Director Greg Takoudes. The film, shot in East Harlem and Boston, has been described as “a visual ode to El Barrio, with stunning performances by the cast."

The film premiered March 11th at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin Texas. Out of the 3,140 movies that were submitted to SXSW only 113 feature films were accepted. Out of those 113, only 8 movies were playing in the main competition, and “Up With Me” was one of them. The film was in the juried narrative film competition, where it won the Best Ensemble Acting Award. “Up With Me” screened at the Vail, Colorado Film Festival, Sarasota, Florida Film Festival, and the Wisconsin Film Festival.

The trailer can be viewed at: www.myspace.com/harlemfilmproject.