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Logline

Nine cousins who all happen to be half-white and half-Mexican with varying degrees of Spanish fluency and cultural knowledge connect with their Mexican heritage and learn to embrace their Latinidad on a family trip to their grandma’s birthplace in Mexico City.

Synopsis

Mitad is an examination of what it means to be Mexican-American today. My mother’s family immigrated from Mexico in the 1960s. Because my mother and her siblings all married white spouses, today the grandchildren all happen to be half-Mexican and half-white. Among the cousins, some of us are more white-passing than others, some grew up in a bordertown, and some speak Spanish. Despite our wide spectrum of experiences, there’s one thing we all have in common: we all struggle with the feeling of not being Mexican enough to fully claim that identity.

We’ll introduce the family by filming our annual holiday gathering in Yuma, Arizona and interviewing the Mexican-American parents, their white spouses, and the half-Mexican grandchildren. These gatherings only happen once or twice a year, and more sparingly now that the “kids” are all adults beginning to start their own families in different cities.

Once we’ve established our characters, we’ll film the first cousin-only trip to Mexico City. Most of my cousins don’t speak Spanish and have never been there, but I’ve been there seven times in the past few years in my own personal journey of self-discovery and mastering Spanish. Some of our outings might include group Spanish lessons, visiting the pyramids at Teotihuacán, and trying some amazing street food. We’ll also talk with my local friends in Mexico City who have only ever met one half-Mexican person before (me) and hear how the Mexican perspective might vary from the Mexican-American perspective. I’ve been told many times in my hometown that I’m not really Mexican, but I have only ever felt welcomed and validated in my identity during my trips to Mexico. I am eager for my sisters and cousins to feel this acceptance too.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Alyssa Callahan — Director/Producer
Alyssa Callahan is a Mexican-American producer currently working at Anonymous Content. Originally from a small border town in Arizona, she graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in 2019 and has been working in Los Angeles ever since. She has produced and assistant directed short films that have garnered the attention of Austin Film Festival, Tasveer, Dances With Films, NFFTY, NFMLA, Beyond The Short, Film Shortage, and more. Her most recent short film Legally Brown was highlighted by Film Independent in their Fiscal Spotlight. In addition to her narrative work, she often works with Jubilee Media and Nectar as a production coordinator and assistant director on their unscripted videos.

Claire Gostin — Director
Claire Gostin is a writer and director from Gig Harbor, Washington. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California and is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts with a major in Film and Television Production. Since graduation, Claire’s work has screened at many prestigious festivals including Urbanworld, NFFTY, and Austin Film Festival, among others. Her current unscripted clients include Brat TV and Jubilee Media, where her work has been viewed over 90 million times online. She is currently developing a feature that was a second-rounder at both the 2023 Austin Film Festival and the 2024 Sundance Development Track.

Christopher Yang — Cinematographer
Christopher Yang is a Chinese-American cinematographer based in Los Angeles. He has photographed films, episodic work, and music videos as well as commercials for clients including McDonald’s, Venmo, Got Milk, Hennessy, Panda Express, among others. With experience shooting various projects in a range of styles, he strives to create visual experiences through restrained but meaningful camerawork that is juxtaposed with natural yet expressive lighting. Most known for his work with Wong Fu Productions, Christopher has lensed some of their notable short drama series including Yappie, Dating After College, and Strangers Never Again. Collectively, these have garnered over 12 million views.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.