By
Vanessa Francis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Yuri Makino's "Alma" to be made with aid of $40,000
Yuri Makino's dream film is about to become reality.
The UA media arts professor's feature-length film project, "Alma," was awarded the Roy W. Dean grant of $40,000 for production costs this past weekend.
Makino's pitch to a board of judges at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Calif., included a synopsis of the film and the reasons she believed it should be considered for the award.
She focused her pitch on being personable to the judges and discussing the universal themes of the film - as well as observing the four-minute time limit.
"I also tried really hard to keep it to four minutes, which some of the others (filmmakers) didn't," she said.
"Alma" is a coming of age story about a nineteen-year-old Chicana woman - Alma - who discovers that she is not an American citizen and is deported to Mexico, where she is incarcerated in a maximum security prison.
"This story is a catalyst to decide what she wants to choose in life and whether she wants to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor ... not about the conspiracy of the government," Makino said.
Interim media arts department head Nohema Fernandez said she was pleased with Makino's achievement.
"This is really one of the most prestigious grants going to a young filmmaker," she said. "The cost of making a film is very high and this award will help her in financial support to make the film."
The grant covers the rental of film equipment as well as other services, such as lawyers and photographers from the Los Angeles area.
"Since this film is of feature length, I want to work with professionals," Makino said.
Makino 's filmmaking efforts have been honored before - last year "Alma" was a semi-finalist for the Sundance feature film workshop, and another one of Makino's projects, the short film "Umeboshi Picked Plums," won the Visual Arts Fellowship from the Arizona Commission on the Arts last year.
Makino co-wrote the "Alma" screenplay with Gretchen Mauer, a teacher at Mendocino College in Ukiah, Calif. Makino is anticipating directing "Alma" herself and filming it in southern Arizona and Mexico.
For more information on "Alma," log on to www.borderlinefilms.com.
