August Evening
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Connie Hill
- Jason Wehling
- Pedro Castaneda
- Veronica Loren
- Abel Becerra
- Walter Perez
- Sandra Rios
- Raquel Gavia
- Cesar Flores
| August Evening | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Chris Eska |
| Written by | Chris Eska |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Yasu Tanida |
| Edited by | Chris Eska |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Maya Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 128 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Spanish |
| Budget | $35,000[2] |
| Box office | $74,759[3] |
August Evening is a 2007 Spanish-language American drama film written, directed, and edited by Chris Eska (in his feature directorial debut). It stars Pedro Castaneda, Veronica Loren, Abel Becerra, Walter Perez, Sandra Rios, Raquel Gavia, and Cesar Flores. It follows the relationship between an aging, undocumented farm worker and his young, widowed daughter-in-law.
The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 21, 2007, where it won the Target Filmmaker Award and the Best Ensemble Acting Award. It was theatrically released in the United States on September 5, 2008, by Maya Entertainment. It received positive reviews from critics, who mostly praised the performances of Castaneda and Loren. At the 23rd Independent Spirit Awards, the film was given the John Cassavetes Award and Castaneda was nominated for Best Male Lead.
As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified):
- Pedro Castaneda as Jaime
- Veronica Loren as Lupe
- Abel Becerra as Victor
- Walter Perez as Luis
- Sandra Rios as Alice
- Raquel Gavia as Maria
- Cesar Flores as Salazar
- Grisel Rodriguez as Andrea
- Tom Spry as Jason
- Jeremy Becerra as Gabe
- Ethan Mallen as Matthew
- Amelia Castillo as Juana
- Richard Moreno as Manuel
- Rosalba Aguayo Villegas as Wedding Photographer
- Stella Romero as Grocery Cashier
- Benito Lara as Diego
- Marina Hernandez as Young 'Maria' at Cleaners
Production
Chris Eska wrote the screenplay in just a few weeks, drawing inspiration from his own family and from Latino families he knew in Texas. In a 2008 interview, Eska recalled how the idea for August Evening came about:
I wanted to explore ideas that were important to me and that I rarely see in other films, even if it wouldn't strike Hollywood types as a potential blockbuster. The film deals with the meaning of family, the inevitability of change, the bittersweet nature of life, and finding peace with life's imperfections.[4]
Eska began casting in California and Texas in May 2005, with non-actor Pedro Castaneda selected to play the lead role. The film was shot in Gonzales, Texas in August 2005, and over 55 hours of footage was sifted and edited during the course of 2006.[1]
