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Logline

In a night of rebellion, 16-year-old Naomi confronts the disturbing truth that lives in her basement, in an effort to break free from her family’s dysfunction.

Synopsis

Telaraña is the story of Naomi, a 16 year old Puerto Rican girl trapped living in the shadow of her enormous pet spider. Overlooked by parents enamored with nurturing this creature, the family becomes tangled in a web of toxicity, isolated in their house. In a night of rebellion, Naomi confronts the giant spider and must make a choice: conform to her family’s identity or form her own path.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Nicola Ríos – Writer/Director
Nicola Ríos, filmmaker and editor from Puerto Rico, discovered her passion for storytelling at a young age. Intrigued by surrealism, allegories, and the exploration of womanhood in unconventional and intimate ways, Nicola is deeply committed to the transformative power of cinema. Eager to contribute to the Puerto Rican New Wave, her goal is to create innovative narratives that hold a deep understanding of cultural identity in Puerto Rico, in hopes of making a lasting impact on its legacy and people.

Julie Chen – Producer
Julie Chen is an emerging Chinese-American producer and fourth-year NYU Stern-Tisch Dual Degree candidate, majoring in Film & TV Production and Business Management. Her last commercial project, Camp Isaboko, recently won the top prize at the Berlin Fashion Film Fest, alongside being officially selected at fashion film festivals: VAEFF, ASVOFF 15, Sarajevo FFF.

Julie has worked as a theatrical distribution intern at NEON (Distributor of Parasite, I, Tonya, and Ferrari , and will be working at NBCUniversal this summer. Julie has always been passionate about empowering minority voices through representation on-screen and behind the scenes.

Valeria Benítez – Producer
Valeria Benítez is a bi-coastal actor, independent producer and filmmaker. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she discovered her love for producing and other aspects of film production while studying acting in NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Valeria is known for her love of crafting narratives that seamlessly blend the gritty, dark, and comedic elements of life, all within a heightened reality reflecting our world. In 2020, she made a significant impact in the Puerto Rican film industry as a production coordinator on the award-winning film Satos, the directorial debut of acclaimed actress Roselyn Sanchez. The film earned a Regional Suncoast Emmy Award for its outstanding cinematography.

She currently works as the Head of Production – Los Angeles at Juniper Productions – a female-run production company. Recent credits include LEO (Official Selection: Chelsea Film Festival 2023), Maria Isabel’s new single, I Drove U Crazy Music Video (Warner Music), Giving Up the Ghost (The Brick Theater).

Ethan Wen – Director of Photography
Ethan Wen is a Taiwanese Cinematographer currently based in New York City. He has shot numerous commercials and music videos for artists such as Kai Cenat, iShowspeed, Ashley Kutcher, Fresco Trey as well as short films including one that just finished production in Argentina. Born in LA but raised in China, Ethan’s experiences have fostered a multi-cultured visual language and style that he is confident will enrich every film he’s a part of.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.