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The Ohio Independent Film Festival began Wednesday May 18 at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern located in the Cleveland art community of Collinwood -152nd area. The film festival’s schedule for the evening included 10 short films preceding the main attraction, a 80 minute feature film, Close Up. The entire four day film festival included close to 50 shorts and features.
The opening night film Close Up was written and directed by Jose E. Cruz Jr., a Philadelphia native of Puerto Rican descent. Close-Up was Cruz’s first major full-length film. The film was also produced by his wife, Elizabeth and had numerous latino actors in lead roles. The film follows an aspiring actor as he overcomes a drug addiction and his attempt to win back his family over the course of one day in New York City. Jose and his wife drove in from Philadelphia to attend the screening. After the film, Jose entertained a Q&A session about the making of the film and his experiences in the film industry.
Close Up is a film that will resonate with audiences, particularly artists, said Cruz. It represents singers, actors, writers or filmmakers trying to make their dreams become a reality while overcoming the obstacles they face in life.
Cruz took examples from friends, as well as his own life experiences, into account when writing the script. It is half autobiographical, he said.
Growing up in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in Philadelphia, Cruz and his brother wrote and produced their own radio shows for fun. However, by high school, Cruz got mixed up with the wrong crowd and eventually dropped out altogether. By the age of 17, Cruz had been a drug dealer, homeless and addicted to drugs.
After being arrested, the judge gave him an ultimatum
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Close Up Trailer
