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Joel Alfonso Vargas’ debut feature “Mad Bills to Pay” has been acquired by Paris- and Berlin-based company Salaud Morisset for festival, theatrical and non-commercial rights.
After premiering at Sundance Film Festival, where it won the NEXT Special Jury Award for ensemble cast, the film was picked up by the Berlinale for its Perspective section, and is now about to screen at Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
The film follows Rico, whose summer is a wild mix of chasing girls and hustling homemade cocktails out of a cooler on Orchard Beach, the Bronx. But when Destiny, his teenage girlfriend, crashes at his place with his family, it’s only a matter of time before his rowdy, carefree days come spiraling down.
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Vargas said: “’Mad Bills to Pay’ was born from memories of growing up in the Bronx: the hustler culture, the mad hot summers – of first loves. It was inspired by my parents who were teen parents and by the guys I grew up around who lived life on the edge, who carried the weight of being the ‘man of the house’ despite having no blueprint for what that means. That tension between the social pressure to be a man, compounded by poverty, and the naïveté of childhood, sits at the heart of the film. I wanted to make something that felt true to that world, to the young men of color navigating adulthood with reckless abandon, and to the messy beauty of home.”
As well as directing, Vargas is the screenwriter, editor and a producer on the film.
“His upbringing in the Bronx and surrounding areas of New York City shaped his creative instincts, influenced by the culture of his Dominican American community and his love of hip-hop,” according to a statement from Salaud Morisset.
Self-taught, he began making short films as a one-man band, casting through Craigslist ads. “He remains committed to grassroots filmmaking, working with small crews, street-cast talent, and semi-improvised dialogue.”
Vargas won Locarno’s Pardi di Domani best direction award for his short “May It Go Beautifully for You, Rico.” He is a Tribeca Film Institute All Access and WarnerMedia Our Local Is Global grantee.
The film was produced by the Italian producer Paolo Maria Pedullà who honed his skills working alongside filmmakers such as Paolo Sorrentino and Luca Guadagnino. His credits include “The Young Pope,” “The New Pope,” “We Are Who We Are,” and the Academy Award-nominated “The Hand of God” (as associate producer).
The production companies are Killer Films and Perpetuum Films. The co-production companies are Watermark Media and Spark Features.
Lexi Kroll is an associate producer; executive producers are Christine Vachon, Gabriel Mayer, Julie Waters, Evan Dyal, Robina Riccitiello, Josh Peters and Liam Francis Quigley.
“From the moment we saw ‘Mad Bills to Pay,’ we knew we were witnessing the arrival of a powerful new voice in independent cinema. Joel Alfonso Vargas brings raw authenticity and lyrical vision to a coming-of-age story that pulses with life and urgency. We’re proud to champion this remarkable debut and help bring it to audiences worldwide,” François Morisset, founder and managing director of Salaud Morisset, said
