JOYRIDE

Teenage sisters are enlisted by their abuelita to break her out of her senior living facility for a joyride to the Grand Canyon. On the journey, their grandmother reveals some unfinished business while newly unearthed family secrets take things to telenovela proportions.

pROJECT STAGE: dEVELOPMENT

"Es tan corto el amor, y es tan largo el olvido".

"Love is so short, forgetting is so long."

-Pablo Neruda

executive producers

Vera SANTAMARIA

(PEN15, MS. MARVEL,

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK)

NATASHA ROTHWELL

(INSECURE, THE WHITE LOTUS, HOW TO DIE ALONE)

project MENTORS

Liz Flahive & Carly Mensch (GLOW, Roar)

Jeremy Konner (Drunk History)

Erika Thormahlen (Waffles + Mochi)

Mfoniso Udofia (Little America, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN)

Valerie C. Woods (Queen Sugar)

Director's Statement

'Joyride' is an homage to my deceased mother and grandmother, both strong Nicaraguan women that sacrificed so much, including at times, their own happiness. Our community places so many expectations on Latinas of all ages. My film eradicates those expectations and also reminds viewers that they have the agency to choose their own road. My narratives center strong protagonists that lean into their Latinidad and queerness. I find that even when I write characters outside of these identities, they always carry with them the sazón of the Queer Nicaraguan experience I embody everyday.

'Joyride' has served as a way for me to heal during difficult times. Writing this intergenerational drama has been a beautiful way for me to honor my mother since her death from Stage 4 breast cancer. It has allowed me to reflect on the emotional inheritance and familial patterns in my own life.

Finishing the short film/proof of concept for the feature during the pandemic taught me so much. One of the most moving things about releasing the short film in 2020 was the ways in which the film brought to light the issues around domestic violence. Many folks in this country were quarantining with abusive partners, and domestic violence spiked across the country during the film's release. We had messages, comments, and emails pour in about how audiences saw their mothers, their grandmothers, their aunts and even themselves in these women. This is not just a Latin American story, but a narrative that transcends race, ethnicity and nationality.

Fun fact: When I helped my father clean out my mother’s things after she passed, we found her Nicaraguan passport. I opened it and with tears in my eyes, realized she passed away on the same day she came to this country in 1972. It is moments like these, the ones that call upon our own suspension of disbelief, the ones that feel almost orchestrated by a greater force-that color my work as a filmmaker.

-Edwin Alexis Gómez

PROOF OF CONCEPT short film

The proof of concept short film received the

2018 Latino Public Broadcasting grant and premiered on PBS in 2020.

Most Popular Award

2020 PBS Short Film Festival

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast

2020 Official Latino Film and Arts Festival

LOLA Award

2021 Philadelphia Latino Film Festival

Best Short Film Nomination

2021 Imagen Awards

project history - FEATURE

LABS & PROGRAMS

2022 SFFILM Rainin Grant WINNER

2022

CINE QUA NON LAB - Script revision lab

2021

second-round selectee of the Sundance Screenwriting Lab

2021

2020 VONA Online Screenwriting for TV & Film Fellow

2020

Through their journey, Juana reveals her true purpose — throwing her engagement ring into the canyon as a way to escape the shadow of her unhappy marriage. Witnessing this, the sisters must decide if it should impact how they handle their own struggles of coming out of the closet and deciding to be a young mother.

Juana

70, spirited, fun-loving and Queer.

Lives at a Senior Living Facility due to her estranged relationship with her daughter and son-in-law.

Extremely lucky at Bingo and gambling but has been very unlucky in love.

BLANCA ARACELI

RITA MORENO

VERONICA

Latine, 40s,

beautiful and troubled.

Has been stuck in a loveless marriage for years because of her religiosity and fear of what others will say.

Estranged relationship with her mother because of her mother’s queerness.

STEPHANIE BEATRIZ

JUSTINA MACHADO

MARINA

Jenna ortega

MARINA Latine, 16-years-old is the voice of reason in the duo of sisters and loves her grandmother. She’s a star student and is always used to point out her sister’s shortcomings. She never likes to rock the boat in her family and tends to go with what her parents decide.

KARINA Latine, 17-years-old is the rebellious quick-fire in the duo of sisters she adamantly loves her grandmother and is severely opposed to her parents putting their grandmother in the Senior Living Facility. She’s never good enough for her parents and wears the chip on her shoulder like a badge of honor.

KARINA

ISABELLA GOMEZ

FILM FAMILY

‘Joyride’ has the potential to be a cinematic gem with a wide audience, following the path laid out from other intergenerational stories with wide success such as ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, ‘The Farewell’, and ‘Minari’.

ARTISTS

LUZ ELENA MENDOZA

HELADO NEGRO

LOLA FLORES

YMA SUMAC

JOSE JOSE

BOMBA ESTEREO

SALT CATHEDRAL

SILVANA ESTRADA

BUSCABULLA

LIDO PIMIENTA

Listen to the JOYRIDE PLAYLIST

TARGET AUDIENCE

Our target audience is wide in scope. 'Joyride' is an intergenerational story that allows audiences to reflect on mistakes in love and the ways we can avoid pitfalls by listening to and honoring the generations before us. The themes dealt within the film are universal, but are catalyzed through a Latina lens and the expectations our community has on Latinas of all ages.

Edwin Alexis Gómez (writer/director/producer) is a Queer Nicaraguan-American writer, director, producer and multidisciplinary artist. His body of work blends the comedy and exquisite pain of love and life. His films explore surrealist dream spaces, while adding the sazón of Latin telenovelas. His film QUÉDATE CALLADO (STAY SILENT) won a Grand Jury Award at the 2018 Outfest Fusion Film Festival. His sophomore film LA SAD BOY is currently available to stream on ShortsTV after a successful festival run. Gómez offers his feature film JOYRIDE as a testament to the lives and legacies of his foremothers.

Website: edwinalexisgomez.com

Evelyn Angelica Martinez (producer) is a queer first-gen Mexican-American filmmaker and producer based out of Los Angeles. Her narrative focus is on heartfelt stories that intertwine with the surreal and fantastical. She is a 2021 Film Independent Project Involve Producing Fellow and has produced content for brands such as Apple, Interscope, and TikTok. Previously she was part of the team at Lawrence Bender Productions (KILL BILL, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS), Quebrada Entertainment, and NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers).

Website: www.evelynangelicamartinez.com