Latina Actress Lisann Valentin only recently ventured into the world of acting, yet she has already worked with Sundance featured filmmakers and Golden Globe winners. Her success in front of the camera sparked an interest to tell her own stories, which led the actress to write Our Quiet Night, marking her directorial debut.
“My goal is to tell stories about the struggles and strength of Latinas especially when it comes to family. The first example of that strength came from my Puerto Rican mother and that’s what sparked the idea for this film,” says Valentin.
The short film tells the story of a young mom who desperately tries to hold on to cultural tradition and during a turn of events, she wonders whether her grasp is too tight. “The story is set during the holidays, but it’s really a story about faith and love,” says Valentin, “which seems fitting given that it will be shown the day after Valentine’s Day.”
Filmomaniac is a screening and networking event on the Lower East Side of New York City that showcases quality short films while providing a network of support from within the entertainment industry. “To have my film shown to a community of emerging and award-winning filmmakers is a phenomenal feeling,” says the first-time director.
Our Quiet Night will be shown in conjunction with six short films, as part of the sophomore launch of Filmomaniac on Sunday, February 15th at 7:00pm, at Subject L.E.S. (http://www.subject-les.com) 188 Suffolk Street, New York, New York 10002. Admission is free (http://www.facebook.com/events/1591838637714650/).
Valentin admits that, “it takes a certain level of courage to be able to tell such personal stories, but the reward of impacting others through storytelling certainly outweighs the risk.”
For more on Our Quiet Night visit: http://ourquietnight.tumblr.com/
To learn more about Filmomaniac, visit http://www.facebook.com/filmomaniac.
To learn more about Valentin’s work as an actor, visit her website at: http://www.LisannValentin.com