A stubborn and self-centered Latino cancer survivor returns home with a second lease on life, determined to make amends with the people he’s wronged – whether they like it or not – all in hopes that the good karma will keep him cancer free.
This short film will screen with other short films in Block 9 | CHEEZTOSOS(TM) COMEDY JAM
Saturday, December 10th at 8pm
Palm Springs Art Museum. Palm Springs, California.
Buy Tickets Here
A stubborn and self-centered Latino cancer survivor returns home with a second lease on life, determined to make amends with the people he’s wronged – whether they like it or not – all in hopes that the good karma will keep him cancer free.
Alex Hanno is an award-winning writer, director, and producer who has worked in development for the likes of Broad Green Pictures, Sanders Armstrong Caserta Management, and VMI Worldwide. His debut feature film, Elephants, is now streaming on Amazon Prime and “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, while his latest project, A Social Contract, is currently in production. Recently, his dramedy script, A Sanctuary For Water Voles, placed as a finalist in Scriptapalooza, Final Draft’s Big Break Screenwriting Contest, and in Austin Film Festival’s Screenwriting Competition. In addition, his television pilot, Served, took home a top award at the Catalyst Content Festival (formerly the Independent Television Festival) and his thriller adaptation, A Tell-Tale Heart, reached #1 on The Black List. He has also created numerous short films, including the Sunscreen Film Festival selection Lunacy, the Cardiff Film Festival selection The Chameleon, and the DTLA Film Festival selection Bonus Time, as well as a piece for NBC’s Diversity Showcase. Alex is a proud member of the Deadline Junkies screenwriting organization, based in Los Angeles, and a co-owner of his production company, The Chameleon Effect.
Five years ago, I met the multi-hyphenate talent that is Marc Anthony Sepulveda. I was producing a dramedy pilot at the time and within moments, he blew the casting room away with his mile-a-minute humor and ever-cheery disposition, so much so that I knew I would be collaborating with him for years to come. It then came as a massive shock to learn that less than two years earlier, Marc Anthony had beaten stage 2A Colon Cancer and what’s more, that he was afflicted by the genetic condition known as Lynch Syndrome, which dramatically increases one’s likelihood of developing colon cancer.
As we continued to work together through the years, Marc Anthony taught me that colon cancer is now the second leading cancer-related cause of death, and rising at an alarming rate among adults under 50. (He was only 29 when he developed it). On top of that, Latinos are more prone to Lynch Syndrome, have lower screening rates, and are often burdened by decreased access to quality insurance and healthcare. These factors only further contribute to increased mortality within the Latin population, and they ensure that frequent and early screenings are the only things that we – as a global community – can promote to combat this rise.
Then one day, Marc Anthony came to me with a story – his story. He informed me that after surviving cancer, he felt as if he’d been given “bonus time” on this earth, and that he knew he needed to use this time to share his story with the world, in part to educate viewers, but also to bring comfort to people who have gone through a journey similar to his own. Sadly, many cancer survivors – especially those with Lynch Syndrome – often live the rest of their life in fear that their cancer will return.
I was on board before he had even finished saying, “I have an idea…”
Much like Marc Anthony, I knew right away that we had met for a reason. I needed to be a part of getting this beautiful, tragic, hilarious, and heartwarming vision out into the universe – no matter what it might take to make it happen. Now, years later and thanks to a wonderful network of artists, cancer survivors, and family members who support our causes, that story is ready to be shared. Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy.
“If our film can educate audiences and breathe some light into the lives of survivors mired in darkness, I’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt why I was granted this Bonus Time.” ~ Marc Anthony Sepulveda
