Rich Kids – For just one day they wanted life on the inside
From Director Laura Somers and Producers Eddie Rodriguez bring you Rich Kids. An amazing story of 5 teens wanting to feel what a better life is like. It isn’t until an unexpectedly turn of events takes them on a roller coaster bringing everything full circle.
Overview
Gerardo Velasquez stars as Matías, a bright teenager whose family struggles with harsh financial troubles. When he discovers that “Los Ricos”, a wealthy family, are out of town, Matías breaks into their mansion where he and his friends spend an afternoon basking in the good life. The party is soon disrupted when a trouble-making relative shows up uninvited. Loyalties are then pushed to the breaking point as Matías’ desire for power in the house rises. At its heart, Rich Kids is about a young man’s transformation from the person he thinks he’s supposed to be into the person he really is, as he comes to terms with the realities and consequences of living a community ravaged by the wealth gap and income inequality.
Along with Velasquez, Michelle Magallon, Ulysses Montoya, Naomë Antoinette, Alessandra Mañon, Justin Rodriguez, and Brittney Sandoval round out the cast of some truly talented young actors. They provide an honest and compelling performance that many can relate to, while giving a voice to Latinx youth who are incredibly underrepresented in today’s media.
What struck me upon reading Rich Kids for the first time was how uncanny the parallels between Matt’s life and my own were. I grew up in Houston in a low-income household, so does Matt in the film. I had a turbulent relationship with my father (who worked in construction), so does Matt in the film (who’s father works in construction). I even rode my bike around to escape my home life, as Matt does for much of the film. It gave me a sense of empathy for a character unlike any I’ve ever felt. I didn’t really feel like I was acting because I felt like I was playing myself. – Gerardo Velasquez, Matías
Watch it at a Film Festival Near You
- Tulsa, OK Tulsa American Film Festival, October 13, 2018 at 3:30pm, Circle Cinema
- Minneapolis, MN Twin Cities Film Festival, October 21, 2018 at 10:10am, Showplace Icon Minneapolis
- Los Angeles, CA DTLA Film Festival, October 20, 2018 at Regal Cinemas LA LIVE 14
- Portland, OR Portland Film Festival, October 24 at 7:15pm and October 28th at 3pm, 2018, Custom Blocks
- Washington DC Washington West Film Festival, October 27, 2018 at 3pm, Bow Tie Cinemas
- Charlottesville, VA Virginia Film Festival, November 4th, 2018 at 4:15pm, Violet Crown 4
- Paducah, KY River’s Edge Film Festival, November 1 – 4 TBA
- Ft. Worth, TX Lone Star Film Festival, November 8th, 2018 at 9pm, Four Day Weekend Theater
- Kilgore, TX Reel East Texas Film Festival, November 16, 2018 at 7:30pm, Texan Theater
- New York, NY NewFilmmakers NY Film Festival, December 12 at 9:30pm at Anthology Film Archives
Festivals & Awards
- HBO New York Latino Film Festival – WINNER BEST FEATURE
- Woods Hole Film Festival – OFFICIAL SELECTION
- HoustonFilm Festival – OFFICIALSELECTION
- Phoenix Film Festival – WINNER BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
- Film Festival of Columbus – OFFICIAL SELECTION
- WomenTexas Film Festival – WINNER BEST FEATURE
