By Kelli DeWalt

Mexico City isn’t a place where most people meet their future classmates, especially while making a movie. Yet, three University students did just that while making the independent film “Alma De Mi Padre” in 2005.

Liliana Candelario, Luis Servera and James Calinda, all communication majors met at the Ghetto Film School (GFS) four years ago.

At the time, all they had in common was a love of filmmaking. Little did they know that after their 15 month program they would go on to make a film in Mexico City, have it debut on the Independent Film Channel (IFC) and all decide to attend the same university.

The Ghetto Film School was established “to connect talented young people to artistic, educational and career opportunities in the world of film and video. Since that time, more than 400 students have participated in GFS programs and workshops . . . for hands-on production and cinema studies courses,” Ghettofilmschool.org said.

Candelario, a senior film production major and the cinematographer of the film, heard about the Ghetto Film School from her boss while working in an art gallery.

The deadline was only a day or two away, but she fortunately got it extended. She got in and was able to hone her skills over a year and a half with top industry professionals.

The school allowed each of its students to really get a feel of what it’s like in the industry and the process one goes through, Candelario said.

“The making of the film was an amazing experience . . . they took us all to Mexico City and for five days we worked from the time we got there to the time we came back,” Candelario said.

“Alma De Mi Padre” premiered on the IFC on Feb. 8, 2008, but was filmed in 2005, taking a year and half to complete due to the difficulties of getting everyone back together explained Candelario.

“The Dean (Sybil DelGaudio) actually saw it before I did,” Candelario said about the film being aired on TV. “It was really surprising.”

The film the three students helped make was written by Jawann Carmona, a fellow GFS graduate, and centered on a man searching for a magical medallion that keeps his heart from being broken.

The man believes his medallion is what makes him a “ladies-man.” When it’s stolen from him he feels that he has lost his manliness. The man discovers many interesting surprises along the way, yet, the biggest surprise of all is at the end. He finds the medallion but realizes that he’s all alone; it didn’t have the powers he thought it did.

The crew consisted of about twelve GFS members and between 20 to 25 people from Mexico City.

James Calinda, a junior film major, heard about the Ghetto Film School from his mother who had found an ad for it in the newspaper.

While Calinda directed the other films he has worked on, for “Alma De Mi Padre” he edited and produced the visual effects.

“It was a fun experience, but extremely difficult,” Calinda said. “Since it was filmed in Mexico there was a huge language barrier because everyone spoke Spanish.”

Of the films he’s made, this one had the biggest budget, around $40,000 according to Calinda.

“I’ve never worked on a production so big . . . but I learned a lot,” Calinda said.

While he has had his films air before, he still gets a rush from seeing them on TV.

“It’s the best feeling to have people watch your film and to get their feedback,” Calinda said.

The director of the film was Luis Servera, a senior film production major as well. He had attended the University all along, while Candelario and Calinda transferred in later on.

“After successfully coping with the challenges of directing ‘Alma,’ Luis went on to direct projects for a variety of companies and educational organizations, including Nike, the Independent Film Channel (IFC), the New School and Hofstra University,” Almademipadre.com said.

If the success of “Alma De Mi Padre” is any indication, Candelario, Calinda and Servera are all off to a great start for careers in film. Who knows, in a few years maybe one of their films will be aired at the Academy Awards.

DVD case for “Alma De Mi Padre.” (almademipadre.com.)

Luis Servera, director of the film. (Luis Servera)

Liliana Candelario (Liliana Candelario)