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Sun Belt Express

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Sun Belt Express
Official poster
Directed byEvan Buxbaum
Written by
  • Evan Buxbaum
  • Chance Mullen
  • Gregorio Castro
Produced by
  • Francile Albright
  • Pierce Berolzheimer
  • Iyabo Boyd
  • Evan Buxbaum
  • Arun Kumar
  • Noah Lang
  • Chance Mullen
  • Jake Pokluda
  • Joseph Schick
  • Adrienne Weiss
Starring
CinematographyLuke Geissbuhler
Edited byBeth Moran
Production
companies
  • Lola's Productions
  • RGB Media
  • Theatre In A Trunk
Distributed byMarvista Entertainment
Release date
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Spanish

Sun Belt Express is a 2014 American independent comedy-drama film, written by Evan Buxbaum, Chance Mullen, and Gregorio Castro, and directed by Evan Buxbaum.[1] Starring Tate Donovan, Rachael Harris, Ana de la Reguera, India Ennenga, Miguel Sandoval, and Stephen Lang,[2] the project had its world premiere on June 11, 2014, at the Champs-Elysees Film Festival.[3]

Plot

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Former ethics Professor Allen King (Tate Donovan) has some problems. After being terminated for plagiarizing the work of a student, he hits a personal rock bottom. To survive and get the cash he needs to cover his ex-wife Margaret's (Rachael Harris) expenses, he ends up shuttling illegal immigrants across the border and into Arizona from Mexico. On his most recent trip, he is accompanied by his pregnant Mexican girlfriend Anna (Ana de la Reguera) and his teenage daughter Emily (India Ennenga). While still south of the US border and with three undocumented immigrants supplied by human trafficker Ramon Velazquez (Miguel Sandoval) stuffed in the trunk of the car, the party crosses paths with crooked US Border Patrol officers Rick (Stephen Lang) and Cass (Michael Sirow).

Cast

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  • Tate Donovan as Allen King
  • Rachael Harris as Margaret King
  • Ana de la Reguera as Ana
  • India Ennenga as Emily King
  • Miguel Sandoval as Ramon Velazquez
  • Stephen Lang as Border Patrol Officer Rick
  • Oscar Avila as Rafi
  • Michael Sirow as Border Patrol Officer Cass
  • Robert Buxbaum as Pat
  • Greg Eichman as Jack
  • Mario Moreno as Julian
  • Chance Mullen as Josh
  • James Ning as Wei
  • Lisa Radecki as Professor
  • Emma E. Ramos as Emma
  • Brenden Wedner as Jimmy
  • Arturo Castro as Miguel
  • Deborah Chavez as Miguel's Mother

Production

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The project filmed for almost a month in 2012 at New Mexico locations in Belen, Los Lunas, Socorro and Albuquerque,[1] with some financing obtained through crowdfunding campaigns at IndieGoGo[4] and Kickstarter.[5] In July 2012, Indiewire listed the project as its "Project of the Day".[6]

Release

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The film had its world premiere on June 11, 2014, at the Champs-Elysees Film Festival.[3] and its New Mexico premiere October 18, 2014 at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival.[1]

Marvista Entertainment obtained United States and Latin American rights to distribute the film,[7] which they have slated for a release through video on demand for on August 18, 2015.[8]

Reception

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The Hollywood Reporter praised the film and wrote it was "a rough-and-tumble but occasionally very funny indie comedy".[2]

Awards and nomination

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Gomez, Adrian (October 10, 2014). "Filmed in NM, 'Sun Belt Express' premieres at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  2. ^ a b van Hoeij, Boyd (July 3, 2014). "'Sun Belt Express': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Jagernauth, Kevin (May 30, 2014). "Exclusive: Travel Down 'Sun Belt Express' In Trailer For Comedy Starring Tate Donovan & Stephen Lang". Indiewire. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  4. ^ staff. "Sun Belt Express". IndieGoGo. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  5. ^ staff. "Sun Belt Express". Kickstarter. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  6. ^ staff (July 24, 2012). "Indiewire Project of the Day: 'Sun Belt Express' An Illegal Immigration Road Trip Movie". Indiewire. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  7. ^ Vlessing, Etan (April 21, 2015). "Former Continental Media Partners Form New Film Venture". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  8. ^ "Sun Belt Express on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2022-04-30.[user-generated source]
  9. ^ Clark, Ashley (November 4, 2013). "Polish Progress: American Indies in Wroclaw". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c d staff. "2015 CFF Winners". Chelsea Film Festival. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
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