(A little later than usual — there’s a lot to catch up on.)
July was a month of things becoming real in a few different ways — official on paper, and also just out in the world in front of actual audiences. Here’s what happened.
It’s Official: Fiscal Sponsorship
El Pinero has been accepted for fiscal sponsorship by From the Heart Productions, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that’s supported independent filmmakers for decades.
In plain terms: a nonprofit has taken the project under its wing, which means donations to El Pinero now run through a registered charity — and that makes every gift tax-deductible.
This is the kind of milestone that doesn’t look like much from the outside but changes a lot on the inside. It means the project passed review by an organization that vets independent films, and it means larger gifts and institutional support become more realistic. If you’ve been thinking about contributing, you can donate directly here — every gift now comes with a real tax benefit attached, not just goodwill.
Meet the Team: A Fundraising Video
We sat down with the people behind El Pinero — Ava, Meilín, Gabriel, Jonathan, and myself — along with historian Michael Neagle, author of America’s Forgotten Colony: Cuba’s Isle of Pines, the book that’s anchored this project’s research from the start. All of it went into a longer fundraising video for the film, and it’s now live on the channel.
It’s the most complete picture of the project we’ve put out so far — who’s making it, why, and what the history actually is behind the story. If you’ve been following along on Instagram or Facebook and want the fuller version, this is it.
The full, extended conversation with Michael Neagle will also be posted on its own on YouTube at a later date — this cut only uses a piece of it, and there’s a lot more history in the full interview worth sharing on its own.
The Script: Fourteen Drafts In
The script is now on its fourteenth draft. Each pass has been sharper and more targeted than the last — the sprawling notes from Shore Scripts’ professional coverage earlier this year have mostly resolved into specific, surgical fixes rather than open questions. Cole’s arc keeps tightening. The bones of the story haven’t changed, but the way it earns its emotional beats has gotten a lot more precise.
Last Thread in Miami
Late last month, our previous short film, Last Thread, screened at the FilmGate Festival in Miami — Florida’s longest-running monthly short film showcase. Meilín couldn’t make the trip, but Ava and I were there, and it turned out to be a great excuse to talk with people about El Pinero in person. Festival audiences are a good crowd for this, people who already care about independent film and are used to sitting with a short story rather than needing everything explained. A few good conversations came out of it, and hopefully a few new people are now following along because of it.
Last Thread itself will also be premiering on YouTube soon, so if you weren’t in the room in Miami, you’ll be able to watch it directly.
An Open Call: We’re Looking for Cole
We’re actively searching for the actor to play Cole, the lead role in El Pinero — an American who travels to Isla de la Juventud after his father’s death to find his grandfather’s grave, and ends up uncovering a piece of history he never knew was his. It’s a role that carries most of the film, mostly through what Cole doesn’t say, and we’re looking for someone who can hold that kind of quiet.
We’re looking at actors roughly mid-20s to mid-30s. Travel to Cuba will be necessary for the December shoot, so availability for that matters. Some knowledge of Spanish is preferred, though fluency isn’t required.
If that sounds like you, or you know someone who might be right for it, send an inquiry to the email below and we’ll follow up with more details on how to audition.
And more broadly — if you’ve got an idea for a partnership, a collaboration, a connection we should make, or a way you could help this project along, reach out. We’re a small team and some of our best leads so far have come from people who just sent an email.
How You Can Help
Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok at @cubaxfilm. Sign up for the email list if you want updates that don’t depend on an algorithm. And if you’re in a position to give, donations are now tax-deductible thanks to From the Heart Productions — every bit helps keep this moving toward a December shoot.
— Robert