.Their Love Was Perfect Except For One Thing...

National Publicity Field Publicity

Interactive Publicity International Publicity

Costume Designer

KELLY BLAIR FITZGERALD

STEVEN SWIMMER

JOHN HOFFHINES

GABRIELA is a passionate love story, with a unique blend of comedy and drama, set against the backdrop of a mental health clinic.

Mike (Jaime P. Gomez) is an idealistic social worker who dreams of finding the right woman, but whose ideals invariably bring him onto a collision course with all the wrong women, including Hungarian Princess, Ilona (Stacy Haiduk). One day at work he meets Gabriela (Seidy Lopez), a sensitive and beautiful Mexican therapist.

Working at the clinic, each have their share of hilarious and poignant interludes with patients. The two spark immediately, but the sparks do not turn into flames. Mike learns that Gabriela is engaged to be married to Pat (Zach Galligan), a man she no longer truly loves, but to whom she feels deeply obligated. Mike and Gabriela try to be just friends.

Mike’s best friend Douglas (Troy Winbush), a true ladies’ man, who never met a women he couldn’t lie to, tells him he is nuts. Even Mike’s eccentrically depressed brother, Steven (Steve Valentine), tells him to follow his heart and not his head. Still, Mike and Gabriela stay the righteous course and maintain a strictly professional relationship - until they find that there are forces even greater than they. The bond they build at work proves only to make their attraction even more overpowering, and the ideals they both hold are no match for the fire in their hearts.

The two start a passionate love affair. Mike finds himself in a difficult position. What do you do if you love a woman who is engaged to someone else, someone she has already spent years building a life with?

Although Gabriela is not in love with her fiancé anymore, her emotional ties to him, and her cultural background make it impossible for her to break the engagement. Gabriela heads to Mexico where her mother (Evelina Fernandez) and grandmother (Lupe Ontiveros) will host an impending engagement party. Will Mike and Gabriela be together?

Gabriela will be released nationwide by Power Point Films and will open in Los Angeles on March 16th 2001 following a sneak preview on Valentine’s Day.

Vincent Jay Miller (Producer/Writer/Director)

Vincent Jay Miller brings a new voice and original vision to the filmmaking scene.  He grew up in the poor, working class community of El Monte, California.  His father, David, grew up in poverty and was a gang member in the Bronx, but eventually broke away from the gang life and became a social worker.  Miller's mother, Alyce, was nationally recognized for her descriptive, humanistic poetry. 

Inspired by the movie Inherit the Wind, which is about famous defense lawyer Clarence Darrow, Miller always assumed he would be "a crusading lawyer for the people." In fact, when he was twelve years old he visited the local library to study law books. "I was ready to take the bar exam right then and there," he says with a laugh. However, he had already started making movies on video at the age of eight and his passion for moviemaking eventually led him to enroll at USC Film School, where he directed his award-winning film, Lonely. 

While at USC, he worked as a teacher at special schools for emotionally disturbed teenagers and gang members, and as a Social Worker in East Los Angeles for emotionally disturbed children and their families. He also worked as a Social Worker for troubled youth in South Central Los Angeles during the making of Gabriela. 

Miller has had many experiences to draw from as inspiration for his filmmaking. At one point, Miller stepped between his gang member students and a rival gang who were about to square off, threatening to explode into violence outside the Imax Theatre. On other occasions, Miller and his students were chased by about twenty Crips, and bullets were fired into Miller's classroom.  He repeatedly had to intervene with suicidal kids and once saved a student’s life by pulling him over a ledge. 

Miller feels that his humanistic film style is a reflection of his life experiences. "I’ve developed an ability to really connect and empathize with people. I can put myself into other people’s shoes and feel what they are feeling. Writing real and dynamic characters is going to be one of my strengths." 

Miller is currently writing the screenplay for his next comedy-drama, Prankster, which is inspired by his experiences as a teacher.

Vincent J. Francillon (Executive Producer)

Vincent J. Francillon is the CEO of Power Point Films which is distributing Gabriela Prior to founding Power Point, he edited the Film Composer's Guide (published by Lone Eagle) and produced the soundtrack album to the Witchcraft film series with composer Miriam Cutler. He also directed and provided voice-overs for a number of film and multimedia projects. At Power Point, he is currently developing several new projects, including "Level 7," a science-fiction thriller that he wrote. He was born and raised in France.

Jeff Silberman (Executive Producer)

Jeff Silberman is an independent Producer and Sales Agent. He served as Senior Vice-President of Aquisitions and Development for Solomon International Enterprises and as Senior Vice-President of New Business Development for Showtime. He also served for several years as Senior Vice-President at Viacom Pictures, and as Vice-President of Business Affairs at Alive Films.

Michael A. Miller (Executive Producer)

Michael A. Miller worked as an entertainment attorney for several years and served as Vice-President of Legal Affairs at Fox Television Stations. He is now a screenwriter and producer. He received a Humanitas Award nomination for Joan of Arc, which he wrote for CBS. He wrote the story and is Executive Producer of See Spot Run, which stars David Arquette and will be released by Warner Bros. in early, 2001.

Steven Swimmer (Co-Producer)

Steven Swimmer, a Los Angeles native, produces film and multimedia. He served as Vice President of Development at Eclipse Communications, a film production company. He has produced multimedia, web sites, videos and CD-ROMs for companies including the Getty Center, Philips Interactive, Technicolor, BMotion Design and StudentNow.Com. He earned an MFA in Cinema/Television Production from USC.

Adrian Rudomin (Director of Photography)

Adrian Rudomin has received several awards for his work, including a Silver Medal at the Houston World Film Fest, the Rodolfo Montes Award for Best Cinematography, and the USC Production Excellence Award for Best Cinematography. He directed Land of Darkness, which was displayed Opening Night at the Edinburgh Film Festival, and is currently writing, producing, and directing the independent film, Don Juan. He was born and raised in Mexico.

Jaime P. Gomez (Mike)

Jaime Gomez co-starred as Evan Cortez for five years on the action-drama Nash Bridges. He also appeared in several films, including Clear and Present Danger, Crimson Tide, LA Story, Solo, Clockwatchers, and American Me. He co-starred in several TV shows, including Picket Fences, JAG, and 21 Jump Street.. Gabriela is Gomez’s first starring role in a feature film.

Seidy Lopez (Gabriela)

Seidy Lopez is best known for her starring debut in the critically acclaimed film, Mi Vida Loca/My Crazy Life. She appeared in Solo, the hit film Selena, in Quentin Tarantino’s ER episode, and as a recurring character on Showtime’s Resurrection Boulevard. Lopez co-starred in Luminarias and the Elian Gonzales Story for the Fox Family Channel, and starred in Blink of an Eye. She also recently directed her first film, American Born, which is in Post-Production.

Lamont Bentley (Nick)

Lamont Bentley currently co-stars on Moesha and was a series regular on South Central. He received critical acclaim for his film debut in Tales from the Hood, and co-starred in Buffalo Soldiers with Danny Glover.

Zach Galligan (Pat)

Zach Galligan began his professional acting career starring in the hit film, Gremlins. He has since performed in numerous films, including Gremlins 2 and Waxworks. He recently co-starred in Star Trek Voyager and The Net.

Lupe Ontiveros (Grandma Josie)

Lupe Ontiveros is a legend in the Latino community. She has extensive film credits that include a co-starring role in Gregory Nava’s Oscar-nominated film El Norte, and supporting roles in The Big Fix, California Suite, Zoot Suit, Goonies, Born in East L.A., Universal Soldier, Mi Familia, and As Good as it Gets, with Jack Nicholson. She received critical acclaim for her performance as Selena’s estranged killer, Yolanda Saldivar, in the hit film, Selena. She also had a recurring role on the hit show, Veronica’s Closet, and co-starred in Luminarias. Ontiveros recently co-starred in Alfonso Arau’s Picking up the Pieces and in Chuck and Buck. She co-stars in Todd Solondz’s new untitled film which will be released early, 2001.

Troy Winbush (Douglas)

Troy Winbush made his theatrical debut at the age of 14 on The Principal. He had a recurring role in the hit sitcom, The Cosby Show, appeared in Bonfire of the Vanities, and co-starred in The Mutiny. He recently co-starred in The Replacements.

Evelina Fernandez (Sofia)

Evelina Fernandez began her acting career in Luis Valdez’ Zoot Suit. Her other film credits include Postcards from the Edge, Flatliners, and a starring role in American Me. She recently wrote, produced, and starred in the acclaimed independent film, Luminarias.

Liz Torres (Julia)

Liz Torres is best known for her co-starring role in The John Larroquette Show for which she received several Emmy, Golden Globe, and American Comedy award nominations. Her television credits include regular roles on nine series, including All in the Family and Phyllis.

Frank Medrano (Manny)

Frank Medrano has extensive film credits that include Coyote Ugly, Amongst Friends, A Bronx Tale, Shawshank Redemption, Usual Suspects, The Replacement Killers, Enemy of the State, Fallen, Sleepers, Fools Rush In, The Fan, Father’s Day, and Blue Streak. He had a recurring role in NYPD Blue and guest starred in numerous other TV shows, including Nash Bridges.

Stacy Haiduk (Ilona)

Stacy Haiduk is best known for her lead roles in seaQuest, DSV, Kindred: The Embraced, and Superboy. She recently guest starred in X-Files, Melrose Place, and The Sentinel.

Steve Valentine (Steven)

Steve Valentine co-starred in Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! and Albert Brooks’ The Muse. He has also made several appearances on television in such shows as Providence, Jag, Married with Children, and Melrose Place.

Sal Lopez (Head Cop)

Sal Lopez has appeared in over forty film and television productions. His film credits include Zoot Suit, Born in East L.A., Full Metal Jacket, American Me, and Selena. He produced and co-starred in Luminarias and co-starred in Price of Glory .

Danny De La Paz (Cop)

Danny De La Paz has appeared in several films, including a starring role in Boulevard Nights, and a co-starring role in American Me. He also performed in Star Maps, and recently starred in the independent film, Suckers.

Director Vincent Miller clearly breaks from the typical indie fare with this heartfelt, human story.  "Gabriela is definitely much closer to the spirit and style of a Moonstruck and Like Water for Chocolate than to the cynical and disturbing films that have dominated the independent film scene for the last several years," says Vincent Francillon, CEO of Power Point Films, which is distributing Gabriela. "The easiest way for a young filmmaker to get attention for himself has been to do a Tarantino rip off, so I hope the fact that Miller has made such a warm film doesn't obscure his artistic talents.  He's a brilliant new filmmaker with a very original voice. He’s the anti-Tarantino."

Gabriela has also been credited with inspiring the Premiere Weekend Club.  The newly formed organization is devoted to motivating Hollywood to make more films with Latino characters that don’t pander to stereotypes. The Premiere Weekend Club promotes Latino projects on a grass-roots level and will be handling the PR for the film. "Gabriela is a great film for us to rally around," says Gil Botello, President of The Premiere Weekend Club.  "Latinos are excited about it, but it will also cross over to the mainstream audience, because it’s a an outstanding film that presents the characters as just people who happen to be Latino."

Miller gives us a universal love story with a comedic edge. Gabriela features variations on the theme of "love" as portrayed through romance, passion, lust, betrayal, stolen kisses, true love, broken hearts, tears, and laughter. 

Miller cast many roles against "type." Except for the parts of Gabriela, her family, and the police officers in Mexico, which needed to be played by Latinos, Miller auditioned actors of every background. The result, a quality multi-cultural cast, speaks for itself.  

Miller wrote the character of Mike as sweet and romantic, but always intended the character to have the kind of edge that only a strong intense actor could bring to the part. The key was to create a sensitive, romantic lead without making him too soft, a character that would appeal to both men and women.

Casting the lead actor proved to be challenging. Refusing to compromise, Miller spent close to a year looking for the right actor and after seeing many talented people who weren't quite right for the part, he cast Jaime Gomez only three weeks prior to shooting. The payoff was obvious. Miller says, "Jaime is sensitive, yet strong as Mike. A big reason why I was so calm on the set was that I came in every morning knowing Jaime was going to deliver. He consistently did an outstanding job." Many people who have seen Gomez's tough and dangerous side will be impressed to see him giving this more subtle performance in a romantic lead. Gomez feels a strong connection with the character, "I think most of the stuff that was written by Vincent was tailor made for the way I try to be in life," says Gomez. "It's a great story. It'd be nice to see more love stories like this, more passionate things about relationships, things that bring tears to your eyes." 

Seidy Lopez radiates an intense beauty in the role of the intelligent but emotionally torn character, Gabriela. Ms. Lopez is best known for her debut starring performance in "Mi Vida Loca," after which she had been primarily cast as "street-wise" and uneducated girls. Lopez appreciated that Miller saw past her typecasting and gave her the opportunity to play a dynamic, professional woman in a romantic film. She says that she could relate to the cultural conflicts of Gabriela, of being torn between what she grew up being taught and what she feels. "Vincent wrote a wonderful character. It's a beautiful love story and a beautiful film." 

Zach Galligan performed the difficult role of Gabriela's fiancé, Pat. Galligan portrays Pat as an innocent victim of circumstance in a love triangle, and makes it believable that Gabriela cannot abandon him for Mike. Miller intended for the audience to feel for Pat in order to show the realistic struggles that a person can go through with love. "I think the tendency with most love stories is to make things really black and white. It would be really easy to root for Gabriela to leave Pat and be with Mike if I went the typical route and made the fiancé an obviously horrible person who mistreats her. But real life is usually not that simple. If Gabriela leaves Pat, she will hurt him deeply. He can not be easily dismissed and written off without repercussions." Galligan says, "The main reason I was attracted to the project was that the script was really good. There's a dearth of real material out there, stories that are good, warm, and funny. I guess everybody else had the same reaction to Gabriela because they got a lot of really good people."

Miller says that the Director of Photography, Adrian Rudomin, has unlimited potential and played a key role in creating the rich and stylized look of the film. Limited in the budget and shooting schedule, Miller needed to create a style for Gabriela that was simple and repeatable, on time, on budget, and still be of high quality. 

Miller says, "Frankly, quality lighting and art direction is much too risky for most independent films which tend to be lit flatly in order to save time and money. Most independent filmmakers, even the successful ones, are forced to sacrifice the look of their films in order to achieve quality performances with believable characters. I wanted great performances and a rich visual style that would help enhance the mood of the story and of the individual scenes. Even though keeping the characters real is such an obsession of mine – especially when I’m using so much off the wall humor, which can undercut the realism if you’re not careful - I also have an appreciation for how much the visuals can contribute to the magic of film and help make your story and characters larger than life." 

Perhaps where Miller’s film school experience paid off most was in his understanding that the only way to pull off his ambitious goals was through an extensive amount of Pre-planning. Miller spent several weeks of preparation before production, rehearsing actors as well as planning the lighting and camera work with Rudomin. Miller was able to give the film a unique style and mystique. The beautiful Chinese film, Raise the Red Lantern was a key inspiration. Miller says, "I wanted a warm look. We weren't afraid to go dark at times, in order to silhouette the actors. We used a lot of long lenses, and back-lit the actors whenever possible. We created our own unique world." 

Rudomin comments, "Working with Vincent was inspirational. With him, the lighting had to reflect character, and always had to represent the rich emotions of the story. Vincent is a very talented director who knows what he wants visually, and brings a lot of humanity and a lot of warmth into every one of the roles." In addition to Rudomin, Miller hired much of his crew from among his talented classmates at USC Film School, which made the movie like a family project. 

"Vincent was always interested in telling stories about real people that were poignant and humorous," says fellow former film student and Associate Producer, Steven Swimmer. "More than anyone since Bryan Singer (Usual Suspects) and John Singleton (Boyz in the Hood), it was clear to a lot of the other students and to the professors that Vincent would be the next big success out of USC Film School. I think that Gabriela will launch him as an independent director with a strong vision." 

Gabriela was shot in a grueling three week, twenty day, 16 hours a day schedule, in the Los Angeles area. The bar and nightclub scenes were shot in one twenty-two hour day. Miller was surprised so many of the extras, friends recruited by himself and other crew members, stayed until 4 A.M. and danced their hearts out, despite the fact that no music could be played during dialogue. The crew also participated as extras in between working. With a low budget, the filmmakers had to rely on the generosity of friends and family to donate their time. Gabriela is truly a labor of love for Vincent Miller, the cast and the crew, and this is reflected in the film's passion and warmth. It is a beautiful, funny, yet true-to-life story.

Mike JAIME P. GOMEZ 

Gabriela SEIDY LOPEZ

Pat ZACH GALLIGAN

Douglas TROY WINBUSH

Grandma Josie LUPE ONTIVEROS

Ilona STACY HAIDUK

Sofia . EVELINA FERNANDEZ

Manny FRANK MEDRANO

Head Cop SAL LOPEZ

Steven STEVE VALENTINE

Cop DANNY DE LA PAZ

Julia LIZ TORRES

Nick LAMONT BENTLEY

Adrian PATRICK FINNERTY

Gary PATRICK ROWE

Jesica YENIFFER BEHRENS

Ryan COLETTE O’CONNELL

Staci JENNIFER LOTO

Maria SUNNY LOMBARDO

Transvestite GILBERT GARCIA 

Rex TEDDY LANE JR.

Ethyl FLORA BURKE

Tania ERIKA GARCIA

Elegant Restaurant Waiter JOE RODRIGUEZ

French Maid ANNE CARTEGNIE

Magdalena YÉSICA PINEDA

Stunt Coordinator JOHN MICHAEL STEWART

Stuntman LEONARD CREE JR.

CREW

Unit Production Manager STACEY NELSON

First Assistant Director KATERINA VYSSOULI

Second Assistant Director JEANETTE WATTS

Art Director MICHAEL SCACCIA 

Set Decorator ALODIE LOPEZ

Set Dresser EILAH SCACCIA

Set Graphic Artist TONY MANZELLA

Script Supervisors ANNA ZIMMERMAN

JUAN DEJESUS

AMY HAMBRECHT

MICHAEL BRINK

JOE PACCELI

ARNIE RABANO

DAVID BIZON

Camera Operator ADRIAN RUDOMIN

First Assistant Camera SUZANNE ANDERSON

AYESA ADAMS

KIRA HELLICKSON

Second Assistant Camera MIKI GORALSKY

KIM SWANK

KIRA HELLICKSON

MIKE BLAKESLY

CHRISTINA CHRISTENSEN 

BRIELLIN WOLCHIK 

Loader PABLO SANTIAGO-BRANDWEIN

BRUCE LAFFEY

Gaffers MATT JACOBSON

BLAKE JACKSON

Best Boy Electric PABLO SANTIAGO-BRANDWEIN

Key Grips PABLO SANTIAGO-BRANDWEIN

RICHARD LUDT

EDWARD VAN BRUNT

Grips SELENA CHANG

GILBERT GARCIA 

CHRISTOPHER DRAKE

CARL CHRISTMAN

IAN STEWART

STEVEN SWIMMER

RANDY FLORES

PHILLIP GUILLAUME

MAREN SCACCIA

HOWARD JONES

SCOTT JONES

RICHARD VERNIERI

JENNIFER MACBAIN

AZRA HOT

ROSINE JARRIN

CONNIE BICICCO

EVAN FLOURNOY

MARCOS ROMERO

Production Sound Mixers STAN JAROS

BILL SPITZAK

Boom Operators PETE WAGSTAFF

DOUG GREEN

MARK DECEW

STEVEN SWIMMER

CANNON JUSTICE

Production Coordinator EMMA DUNTON

Location Manager EMMA DUNTON

Director’s Assistants GILBERT GARCIA

FERNANDA BARRETO

ALFREDO JARAMILLO

Producer’s Assistants YESICA PINEDA

FLOR RUBINA

Production Assistants FERNANDA BARRETO

NICOLE LEE

ZACH ROSENBLATT

KATE GAIL

MARK COTTON

JABNEEL FLORES

AMY STONEBREAKER

JENNA SCACCIA

Property Master ALODIE LOPEZ

Artwork MICHAEL SCACCIA

HISHAM ABED

Head Make-Up Artist ILONA SZABO-POON

Head Hair Dresser GRACE HUERTA

Key Make-Up and Hair Stylist NIKOLETTA SKARLATOS

Assistant Editors .JOHN HOFFHINES

POND

Apprentice Editors MICHAEL BERK

JEAN WONG

Editing Consultant BILL ZABALA

Editing Facility MONTANA EDIT

Sound Editor/Mixer GORDON D. HOOKAILO

Re-Recording Mixers SMALL WORLD CREW

Re-Recorded at SMALL WORLD STUDIOS

Dialogue Editors JOHN HOFFHINES

POND

DAVID RUTH

Foley Supervisor LENISE BENT

Foley Artist RICK PARTLOW

Foley Mixer LENISE BENT

Effects/Foley Editor GREG BEAUMONT

Post Production Supervisor JANEÉ THIEL

Post Production Coordinator JESSICA BORNEMANN

Unit Publicist DAVID WOLFSSON

Still Photographers STEVEN SWIMMER

JOHN NEIS

Music Editor GORDON D. HOOKAILO

JOHN HOFFHINES

Music Recorded and Mixed by CRAIG STUART GARFINKLE

Music Consultant DIANA ALEXANDER

Producer and Arranger of "GUILTY" CRAIG STUART GARFINKLE 

Spanish Guitar FRANK GAMBALE

Music Recorded at CSG/MIDIOT

Main Title Designed by BMOTION

Negative Cutter MAGIC FILM AND VIDEO

Color Timer FOUR MEDIA COMPANY

Arriflex Camera Supplied by OTTO NEMENZ

Color by KODAK

Filmed on Location in LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

The filmmakers wish to extend their

Personal thanks to the following for their

Contribution to the making of this movie:

MONTANA EDIT, JANEÉ THIEL, BUDWEISER, DEAN AYERS, LANTERMAN DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER , JOSE SANCHEZ, RUTH MAPLES, IRENE KIM, CHEZ SATEAU RESTAURANT, RYO SATO, MOE’S FLOWERS, MR. AND MRS. GABRIEL COHEN, FRANK AND LEE KUHN, MILTON AND JUDY SWIMMER, BILL AND LINDA VALLOW, NICK MILLER, SUSAN FITZGERALD, ARNOLD BAKER, CHARLES HOLLAND, ARI SHERMAN, DAVID ZINN, DR. JOSEPH MELILLO, JULIE JACOBSON.  

NO SHOW MULES WERE HARMED DURING THE MAKING OF THIS MOVIE.
 

THE PERSONS AND EVENTS PORTRAYED IN THIS PRODUCTION ARE FICTITIOUS. NO SIMILARITY TO ACTUAL PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD, IS INTENDED OR SHOULD BE INFERRED. 

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. GABRIELA PARTNERS IS THE AUTHOR OF THIS MOTION PICTURE FOR THE PURPOSE OF COPYRIGHT AND OTHER LAWS.

© 2000 GABRIELA PARTNERS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Seidy Lopez (Gabriela)

"I was born in Merida, Yucatan in Mexico. I was three when my parents moved here. I went back when I was ten and lived there for two years, which was a very special, very important part of my life. I lived in a really small town called Ixmal. The church was the center of the town; it was huge. There was a pyramid right across the street from where I used to live.

This is the first time I’ve had a lead role in a love story. Gabriela is a very confused, very sensitive individual. She’s a very emotional person, but doesn't realize it. It is a realistic portrayal. The culture has a lot to do with it. The fact that she comes from Mexico and has this Mexican background. You deal with the Catholic beliefs of how when you’re raised that way, if your living with someone, for example, that’s the guy that you marry. Your first sexual experience is with the man of your life, and he is supposed to be your soul mate. You’re raised with those beliefs, which makes things a little more complicated when you all of a sudden find after five years, six years, that your living with this person that you don’t feel is your soul mate.

[Writer-Director] Vincent Miller wrote a dynamic character and it was a great opportunity for me. Gabriela is going to be great for the Latin community. You hardly ever see those kinds of characters and they exist in our community and our society. There are Latin women who are doctors, psychologists, and professionals, but you rarely see them in films. I feel we’ve come a long way and that’s why Gabriela is so wonderful because it shows strong, professional women and it shows how far along we are now.

Gabriela being a therapist was something that was easy for me to identify with because working with kids has always been a part of my life. When I was sixteen, I taught AIDS prevention at juvenile hall, so I dealt with a lot of high-risk youth. So it wasn’t very difficult to feel comfortable in that atmosphere.

Vincent allowed us to play with the characters and gave us the freedom to adapt them to who we were and find natural ways of expressing ourselves through these characters. Vincent was a great director in the way that he did allows us to be free and just play and enjoy the process of discovering and living through these characters.

I think the love scenes are one of the most difficult things to do as an actress. You’re showing a part of your life that, at least for me, I like to keep private. The Director was not exploitative; we were very specific. We choreographed most of it and we would do it shot by shot. If something was showing that we didn’t want shown, we would cut or we would change, so it was almost like a dance, in a way. It’s easier, because it’s choreographed so you do feel like your going through a dance. Jaime was wonderful to work with. He's incredibly talented. And I was very fortunate and very lucky that I had such a supportive co-star. Someone who cared about what I felt and cared enough to go out of his way to make me comfortable and make sure I was okay.

I did this film because it was a really beautiful love story and it’s very rare to find that. If you don’t have someone jumping off a building and dying, blood all over the place or some explosion somewhere, someone killing someone, then people feel that it’s not as marketable. We’ve forgotten about the romantic and we’ve forgotten about the positive and beauty and fantasy of life. We need more stories like that, so whenever we get the opportunity to have a movie like Gabriela, it’s great. It’s a very important film."

Jaime P. Gomez (Mike)

"I felt great about being cast in a role that wasn't written specifically to be Latino. It's nice that I was approached to do this thing as just an actor, period, as opposed to being a Latino actor. One of the most important things about making the decision to do this film was the fact that the Latino characters were portrayed in such a positive light, as real people, as opposed to being caricatures of drug dealers or prostitutes or whatever.

The thing that I felt since the first time that I met Vincent [Miller, the Writer-Director] was that he had a genuine quality to himself. He was very much about doing something very artistic and very, very passionate and with a lot of heart. That was the first thing that I keyed into. It was a pleasure, because when things got kind of crazy, he was always very calm and always very levelheaded, never frazzled or out-of-control.

The fact that we had two weeks of rehearsal, working every day for four hours, five hours a day turned out to be such an advantage when we got into shooting, because we had already done it. And we already knew what we wanted to do, as opposed to trying to find it on the set, seeing what happens and then having to shoot it. It really helped the production moving time wise and I think it shows on screen.

Vincent was absolutely open to the contributions of the actors. I think that is important to make everybody comfortable and really feel that it is a collaborative process. I think one the best things was that he allowed us the freedom, not necessarily to make it better, because it was there in the writing, but to make it our own.

What attracted me to Gabriela was the idea that it was a love story. There weren't any shoot-outs, explosions or car chases, which is always fun to do, but it dealt with things on an emotional level, which we don't see very often anymore. Everything is smash'em-up and explode’em.

There are a lot of things that are written in love stories that people think are hokey or don't make sense. That's what love is. Love doesn't make sense a lot of times. Things happen and you do things that are totally unexplainable but you do them anyway and your thought processes go off. It'd be nice to see more love stories, more passionate things about relationships, like we saw in the forties, that brought tears to your eyes, because people were so in love, but they never took the chance to really go for it.

This film is a testament to people that really want to do the work and who are passionate about what they do. We made a really good film. I think people are really going to love it. It’s great, so write your congressman! Rush out to the theater and see it!"

Zach Galligan (Pat)

Pat is a fairly straight-laced, unimaginative, focused man whose work is pretty much his life, and he really does love Gabriela a lot. He’s probably not the greatest in terms of communication skills.

As far as the plot goes, one of the pivotal moments in the film is when I discover that my fiancée, Gabriela, is in my house, in my bed, making love with another man. Needless to say, it does not thrill Pat to find that scenario going on under his nose. Unfortunately, I did have an experience where I actually did catch someone that I was in a long-term relationship with cheating on me. I didn’t walk in on them, but I did discover that I was being deceived; I guess would be the appropriate word. So yes, that dredged up a lot of painful memories during the shoot for me.

In Gabriela, the challenge for me was that I’m really used to a style of filming where the camera is very close to me. So, I’ve sort of developed an intimacy, over the years, of just the feeling of the matte box and the lens being this close to me for close ups and things like that; it’s a certain king of comfort for me. The way Vincent shot it, he would have that camera all the way across the room and use big lenses so that it still looks that close, but it’s kind of like an unobtrusive camera. It’s about 15-20 feet away, so the major challenge I had at first was technical. It was so unusual; it took me a little while to adjust to it. I eventually found it kind of liberating, because you can then kind of forget about the camera in general and concentrate more on the situation.

Seidy is a very talented actress. We rehearsed on a stage in the Santa Monica Theater row. We went in there and we did it maybe two or three times just the way it was written. And then Vincent said: ‘why don’t you basically use the text, but do whatever you want with it, go with what feels natural to do.’ So, we just started saying whatever came into our heads. So we found a little shading and just nice, subtle things that perhaps expanded and made the relationship clearer. So immediately you know that these two are having some problems or the familiarity has breed contempt or both. I find it a rare situation when I can rehearse at all. Most of the times, there’s very little rehearsal, if any.

Honestly, the main reason I was attracted to the project was that the script was very good. Because there’s such a dearth of good material out there, when something good, warm, human, real and funny comes along and you read it, it strikes you. I really, really liked it. I guess everybody else had the same reaction to it because they got a lot of really good people.

Lupe Ontiveros (Grandma Josie)

Evelina Fernandez (Sofia)

"I met Vince Miller when he came to see a play I was in called August 29th. We met this young kid after the play and he started telling us he’s going to do a movie and we’re like: ‘yeah, yeah, kid whatever...’ I mean, I was ‘That’s nice, good for you, good luck.’ You know that kind of a thing, because you meet so many people who say ‘I’m going to make a movie.’ So I kind of forgot about it. Then my agent called and said Vince wanted to see me for a couple of roles and I went in. I did the audition in Spanish and stumbled all over my Spanish. I was born and raised here and my Spanish is kind of like half English, half Spanish. This was a more sophisticated kind of Spanish because Sofia is an attorney and she’s from Mexico. When he cast me Vince said, ‘but you have to promise me one thing.’ ‘What’s that?’ ‘You have to work on your Spanish.’ My husband is from Mexico, so he helped me, but I was conscious of my accent and trying to speak it correctly. But we had done some rehearsals and Vince said I sounded good. So I faked it pretty well!

It’s rare to play a professional Latina. The roles we usually go up for are suffering gang mothers, kneeling in front of La Virgin de Guadalupe, ‘Oh, please, God, my son, he’s a gang member‘ - that kind of stuff - and it’s so boring and such a victimizing image of Latina women, I really hate it. So this role was great. I think I decided to do this role because she was an attorney and sophisticated and plus it was in Spanish and it was going to be a challenge for me. That was great. You can see where she’s coming from, but I think most people are going to look at Sofia and think: what a bitch. And I think that’s fun. We Latinas hardly ever get to play bitches and it’s fun to play a strong woman, such a strong character. We’re always playing these wimpy victims: we’re so poor and uneducated. So it’s fun to play a strong character like Sofia.

I think that Gabriela is unique because it’s a Latino story without it being an issue that we are Latinos. The characters just happen to be Latinos. I think that all of the characters are very positive. None of them are stereotypical. I think that it's a whole new take and I think that it would be a good direction for us to go in with independent Latino films.

I think Vince wrote the characters realistically, and he was very open to suggestions. I mean, so many times I go on auditions and I read scripts and go, ‘Oh god, I can’t believe somebody really wrote this.’ The characters are usually so stereotypical; it’s written in really broken English. You get tired of people thinking Latinos are only one way. Vince did a great job."

Vincent Miller (Writer-Director)

"Gabriela is a love story. There's a lot of humor in the script and some people might label this a romantic comedy. Perhaps that is what I wrote, but as the director I approached this as a more serious film. Things are not wrapped up in a nice and neat fashion. In a typical romantic comedy, everyone's happy at the end when the leading lady dumps her boyfriend for the hero. Real life isn't that simple. With a love triangle, someone's going to lose, someone's going to be hurt, and it was really important for me to show that in the film. It's not formulaic like a big budget Hollywood film would be.

Adrian Rudomin (Director of Photography)

"Although some people might view this as a romantic comedy, there is a dramatic subtext to it all. There is a drama in having someone falling in love with someone who is not available at the time. So, for the style of the film, we wanted a softness, a magic that film can have, to give it a look that is not flat, that has a little glow in it, a uniqueness.

A film has to discover itself. This was not a 50 million dollar film where you could do crane shots; we had to create a style that's simple and repeatable, that you can do and still be on time and on budget and yet be of high quality. We were always aiming to not just have light, but to create a nice sensation with every shot. When you shoot, the location speaks to you and you create a pattern that is a combination of planning and taking chances.

Vincent Miller is very talented. He always knew what he wanted with the camera and with the actors. It was unique to see him work with the actors, giving them space to grow, yet knowing exactly when to come in and guide them. He's a great Director."

I was born in Mexico City. My family is one of immigrants. I want to make films that the whole world is going to see. Gabriela is a film for the whole world. It's not just for American people.

Steven Swimmer (Co- Producer)

"I met Vincent Miller at USC film school. A lot of us knew then that he had the ability to become a very successful filmmaker. He had the special gifts of an original vision, which made him stand out as a star of the school.

Vincent did not take the short cuts other independent filmmakers have taken. A lot of independent films compromise on the lighting. They have flat lighting because it’s easy to shoot that way, or they compromise the performances. But Vincent minimized the compromises by doing a lot of rehearsals with the actors, and by planning his shots out very carefully before production had started. Vincent went to film school, but he was also a social worker, like the character Mike, and he was a teacher. So when the crew or actors would present a problem, he was ready to deal with it calmly and always had an answer. He took charge but was always willing to change, as long as it fit his vision, but he wasn’t willing to compromise quality. Vincent’s directing style may be similar to Robert Altman, including in that he allows collaboration, and in doing so his own vision is even more realized.

It was very inspiring to see this film get made, especially as an independent film. I was the VP of an independent film company. And there, even though I tried to develop films I believed in, it ended up being about packaging, putting the right actors with the right script in the right genre. It was easy to forget that people can go out and basically on sheer belief, guts and talent, go out and make a film. Seeing Vincent do that is inspiring a lot of filmmakers; I know a whole group of about four or five filmmakers who went to school with him and are going to run out and try to do the same thing in the next six months."

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