Contra el Mar (Against the Sea)

Nominated for Best Student Film and Best Actor (Adolfo Madera)

Despite his wife’s disapproval, Hector bides his time as a deep-sea diver to provide for his family and to save for his own fishing boat. But after an accident at sea, Hector is forced to confront the deadly nature of his profession and consider more lucrative possibilities, while weighing the responsibilities to his family.

Plays as part of the Student Films Block 2

Film's Website: http://www.contraelmar.com/

Richard Parkin is a Los Angeles based filmmaker and writer. In 2005, he graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley and was the recipient of the Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prize; UC Berkeley’s highest recognition in Film/Video arts.

Currently, Richard is completing an M.F.A in Film Directing at UCLA where he was accepted with a fellowship award. He has gone on to receive a 2009 Motion Picture Association of America Award, 2010 Army Archerd Fellowship, 2011 Jack Oakie Memorial Award in Directing and a nomination for a 2011 Princess Grace Award.

His recently completed short film CONTRA EL MAR was selected by an industry jury to screen at this year’s prestigious UCLA Director’s Spotlight Showcase where it received awards for Best Direction and Best Screenplay. The film went on to a World Premiere screening at the 2011 Palm Springs International ShortFest and Film Market. In Fall 2011, Richard was recognized by the Directors Guild of America with a Student Film Award in the Latino Directors category for his work on CONTRA EL MAR.

Laura Arvizu is a San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico based filmmaker and producer. She has worked with diverse international productions and cultural institutions as a member of Teeka Films; providing consultation and production services to projects filmed in Mexico and the Southwest United States. Credits include Between (Official Sundance Selection '05), Morenita, El Escándalo, Recién Cazado and Pete Small is Dead.

In 2008, Laura produced Luis G. Ramos' La Horda, her first feature length documentary production. The film received a Special Jury Mention at the IV Festival Internacional de Cine de Monterrey and was also chosen to participate in the Young Producers Workshop MoreliaLab, during the IV Festival de Cine de Morelia. Last year she produced Andrés Torres-Vives' The Book of the Border which was later nominated for Best Short Film at the 24th Imagen Award and was an Official Selection of the HBO New York Latino Film Festival, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and VII Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia.

Laura received an M.F.A in Production for Television, Film and New Media from San Diego State University. She also lectures on Pre-Production Filmmaking and Introduction to Latin American Cinema at the Universidad de las Californias.