Alfredo de Villa directs films which layer complex characters onto the backdrop of vibrant emotions; irreverent humor and interweaving narrative themes which take the lead. They carry the weight of strong characters as they brace themselves for the reality they’re immersed in after not realizing the fact until someone, or something or their own voice rises to the surface and informs who they really are. His first film, Washington Heights, is a testament to that reality. Alfredo accompanied the juxtaposition of art, comics, familial love and respect with the culturally-diverse eponymous New York City neighborhood which acted as his canvas. The film, which Alfredo co-wrote with Pulitzer prize-winner Junot Diaz, starred Tomas Milian and Manny Perez, and featured Bobby Cannavale and Danny Hoch in supporting roles, and was released at the Tribeca Film Festival where it was acquired by Lionsgate. He next directed the dance-centered Yellow, which featured Roselyn Sanchez, Bill Duke and D.B. Sweeney on which he had mixed experiences; however, it allowed him to finance his third film - the seminal Adrift in Manhattan, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival in Dramatic Competition. The film featured riveting performances from Heather Graham, Victor Rasuk and Dominic Chianese alongside Elizabeth Peña, William Baldwin and Marlene Forte. His next film Nothing Like the Holidays, brought him back to his stylistic roots in terms of form and humor, and was made for Overture Films. It featured an ensemble cast helmed by Alfred Molina, Debra Messing, Luis Guzman, Freddie Rodriguez, Jay Hernandez, Melonie Diaz and reunited him with Elizabeth Peña, who played the matriarch of a Chicago, Puerto Rican family in Humboldt Park. Then came the comically-hilarious Fugly, based on John Leguizamo’s one-man show, Ghetto Klown, starring Leguizamo opposite Radha Mitchell, Rosie Perez and Griffin Dunne. He is also a prolific commercial director, and graduate of Columbia’s MFA program. In our conversation, we discussed his Mexican upbringing; mental health undertones in his work; films which influenced his diverse cinematic palate; and showing his son Pulp Fiction for the first time.
Opening Credits: HoliznaCC0 - Sick With Love I CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication; Crowander - Sloopy I Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0); Closing Credits: Siddhartha Corsus - The Fire of Your Peace I Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).