Director Rudy Joffroy rips his films from the headlines.
His documentary, "The Fallen," is based on the 2006 Pasta de Conchos mine disaster, in which 65 miners were trapped underground after a methane explosion about 70 miles southwest of the Texas border town of Eagle Pass. The film examines the aftermath of the tragedy, exposing corporate greed, corruption and negligence.
The film makes its U.S. premiere Sunday in the third annual Tucson Cine Mexico festival.
"El Camino del Diablo," Joffroy's next film and the reason he moved to Tucson in 2005, is an adaptation of Luis Alberto Urrea's book, "The Devil's Highway." A Pulitzer Prize finalist, it tells the story of illegal immigrants from Mexico who took a deadly path to the United States in 2001.
Spanish actress Paz Vega ("Spanglish") is projected to produce and possibly act in the film. Joffroy hopes to film throughout Sonora, including his hometown of Nogales, and Rocky Point and Sonoyta later this year.
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"We are excited that we will be hosting the U.S. premiere of Rudy's film. It has played in Mexico and Canada but not the U.S," said Vicky Westover, director of the Hanson Film Institute program.
"I think the subject matter is especially timely and needs to be brought more to light. We look forward to an interesting post-screening discussion."
Presented by the Hanson Film Institute and sponsored in part by the Arizona Daily Star's Spanish-language publication La Estrella, the two-weekend festival features modern Mexican films along with camp classics from the 1950s and '60s. Filmmakers, including Joffroy and producer Frida Torresblanco, will answer questions about their films at the screenings.
Joffroy gave his filmmaking career a jump-start in 1996 when he read that "Titanic" would be shooting in Baja California. He immediately left college in Monterrey, Mexico, and caught a plane to Tijuana, where he tracked down the film's production office and begged for a job.
"They were reluctant to hire anybody," Joffroy said. "I got a hotel room and cried myself to sleep."
He returned the next day and they let him answer phones as long as he worked for free. He ran into director James Cameron, who liked Joffroy's look and cast him as a bellboy (you can spot Joffroy 30 minutes into the film). Joffroy also landed work in the casting department, and by the end of the 10-month shoot was named an assistant director.
The big break led to jobs as second assistant director on "Tomorrow Never Dies" and production assistant on "The Thin Red Line," "In Dreams" and "Mickey Blue Eyes."
Determined to make his own films, he moved to New York in 1998 to take film and acting classes. He moved to Mexico City to produce commercials and music videos a couple years later. He married Marcela, a fashion designer, in 2003 and moved to Tucson to make his film in 2005.
Now 33 with two children, Joffroy has decided to make Tucson his home.
Is it tough being a filmmaker here?
"Tucson is as good a place as anywhere. It's just an hour flight from L.A. When I was developing my film I was in L.A. once every other week. You can do a film anywhere. I just prefer being here because I was born in Nogales and my family is quite close. It's a nice, quiet town."
You've worked on quite a few huge films. What's your favorite memory?
" 'Titanic' was my very first film experience so it will always be very special to me. I saw my first film camera, I got to work with incredible people from all over the world and mingle with the stars. I became really good friends with Leo (DiCaprio) and Kate (Winslet) at the time."
Did you keep in touch with anyone from "Titanic"?
"I did keep in touch with a lot of people. Leo DiCaprio was one of my good friends in the industry. It's so weird. You work with people so intensely for 10 months and then suddenly everyone's on another film in another country. You kind of start losing touch. E-mail was barely just kind of taking off, so it wasn't easy to network with a lot of people back then. I haven't talked to Leo in five years."
Your documentary opened in Mexico City last year and played at several festivals. What's next for the film?
"It's great for us to have Tucson as the U.S. premiere. I'm really happy for that. Hopefully we'll get distribution in South America. In the next couple of months we'll open it up, possibly on an Internet platform, self-distribution."
Did you ever consider shooting "El Camino del Diablo" in Tucson?
"We were looking at Tucson and Yuma but I think the whole incentive situation is still very murky and not very well established. Shelli Hall (of the Tucson Film Office) has been morally supportive in any way she could, but it was too hard."
Do you see yourself as possibly the next in line of Mexican directors who've had success in the U.S.?
"We're only talking about three internationally and commercially famous directors: (Alejandro) González Iñárritu, (Alfonso) Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro. I've met all three at events.
"There are a lot of exciting new directors who haven't had that exposure. It's great for these guys to have had an impact and it helps us all."
Tucson Cine Mexico 2009
• When: Today through Sunday, April 3-4.
• Where: Harkins Spectrum at 5455 S. Calle Santa Cruz; and Grand Cinemas Crossroads at 4811 E. Grant Road.
• Admission: Most screenings are $5 at the theater box offices starting one hour before show time. "Rudo y Cursi" is $10; $25 for reserved seating and post-film reception, available in advance at 621-9303.
• Online: clas.arizona.edu/ cinemexico
Tonight
• "Remember Lake Tahoe?" (2008). A young man looks for help fixing his car after he crashes it into a pole. 7 p.m. at Harkins Spectrum.
Friday
• "My Life Inside" (2007). An illegal immigrant is charged with the murder of a child. 7 p.m. at Harkins Spectrum.
• "The Monsters' Ship" (1959). Beautiful female aliens from Venus, on the hunt for men, land in Mexico. 9:30 p.m. at Crossroads.
Saturday
• "Silent Light" (2007). A married Mexican Mennonite falls in love with another woman. 7 p.m. at Harkins Spectrum.
•"El Santo vs. the Martian Invasion" (1966). Martians try to destroy Mexico. 9:30 p.m. at Crossroads.
Sunday
• "The Fallen" (2007). Documentary on a Mexican miner strike in 2006 and 2007. Director Rudy Joffroy will give a Q&A. 2 p.m. at Harkins Spectrum.
• "Planet of the Female Invaders" (1965). Carnival-goers enter a ride that turns out to be an actual spaceship. 5 p.m. at Crossroads.
April 3
• "The Year of the Nail" (2007). A Mexican teen and an American tourist fall in love. Producer Frida Torresblanco will give a Q&A. 7 p.m. at Crossroads.
April 4
• "Rudo y Cursi" (2008). Starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna. Brothers compete as pro soccer players in this comedy drama. Torresblanco, who produced this film as well, will give another Q&A. 7 p.m. at Harkins Spectrum.
