Film Projects
El Último Tramo
In Buenos Aires, a recovered addict desperate to rebuild his relationship with his son returns to the rehabilitation center that saved his life. When a fellow patient runs away, he sets out to bring him back before it’s too late.
On the outskirts of Buenos Aires is Vencer Para Vivir, a rehabilitation center you wouldn’t easily come across. I discovered it in 2022 when I visited my cousin, Lucas Fernández, for the first time in almost a decade. After spending two years there recovering from addiction, he showed me a place that defied my expectations, not a traditional program, but a community built on love, understanding, dialogue, and dedication.
For Lucas, it wasn’t just a rehabilitation center, it was home. During my visit, we decided to make a short film inspired by his experiences and the stories of others there.
Shot on location in Argentina, the film features both actors and real residents of Vencer Para Vivir, including Lucas in his first acting role. It tells a fictional yet deeply authentic story that seeks to humanize addiction and shed light on the realities of recovery. Rooted in Argentine culture, the presence of maté is woven throughout as a symbol of connection and community. While the story reflects a perspective on addiction in Latin America, it speaks to something universal and can resonate with people anywhere.
Winner, Best Latine Story - Portland Film Festival (2024)
Follow along on our website here!
Directed by Dominick Cura
Written by Dominick Cura, Lucas Fernandez & Johnny Bauza-Schuler
Produced by Jeremiah Bauza-Schuler, Johnny Bauza-Schuler, Christian Hostetler
Edited by Johnny Bauza-Schuler
Spirit of the River
“In the jungle of the Bolivian Amazon Rainforest is Madidi National Park, one of the largest protected areas in the world. The heart of the park is home to several indigenous groups as well as hundreds of unique wildlife. All this has been in constant threat of the Beni/El Chepete Dam Project that has been in the works for the last decade."Our documentary tells the stories of the local people that live in the area. To them the river is more than just a river. It’s a communication route, their livelihood and a place of deep culture and legends.
Watch the full short documentary to learn more about the local defenders in Bolivia who are standing up against a massive dam project and its multiple social, cultural and environmental threats. It is a story that is relevant not only in Bolivia, or Latin America, but all over the world. There are communities across the globe fighting a similar struggle to protect their homes and it’s important to recognize and remember this so we can support our neighbors.
Directed and Edited by Dominick Cura
Produced by Dominick Cura, Erin Pedersen and Daniel Dowling
Dawn Rising
Life is complicated, grief is complicated.
"Three friends try to navigate the sudden death of their friend by continuing his dream of going on a trip to watch the sunrise."Dawn Rising is filled with nostalgia and bittersweet memories yet still holds a gentle reminder that there is always something special the future holds as well. We want this story to be something that makes the audience reflect on their own friendships and relationships in their lives as well as to show the importance of focusing on the small things in life such as watching the sunrise.
Directed by Dominick Cura
Written by Dominick Cura and Erin Pedersen
Produced by Erin Pedersen
Edited by Doruk Kahraman
Color of the Sky
"In a world where no one sees color, new glasses are created that grant the ability to see color. Sky, a failing painter, buys them in hopes of reviving his lost creativity."
With this film I set out to tell a story about what it really means to live in the moment. This short film was my passion project towards the end of the main COVID-19 quarantine. I gathered talent from my hometown of Seattle, and together with a group of mostly strangers we created this short.
The sunset is a large part of this story, and in my own life I have learned that watching the sunset is a stunning way to really appreciate living in the moment. My inspiration behind the film also came from my own experiences being color blind, and realizing that although I see the world in a different way, it's not any less beautiful. This is a lesson that Sky, the protagonist seeks to learn in the film and in the end, enjoying the moment can be a lot simpler than it seems.
Written, Produced and Directed by Dominick Cura
Directed and Written by Dominick Cura
Edited by Erin Pedersen