Becoming Chavela

Adapted from Stephanie Trudeau’s docu-cabaret performance of the iconic lesbian Mexican singer Chavela Vargas’ life and music. Told in a hybrid genre--using performances, animation, and scripted narrative--this blend of approaches is a perfect combination to bring this unique tale to vivid life.

Director Biography - Joyce Callo

Joyce Callo, a New York Emmy Award winner, is an independent writer/director and occasional producer for film, television, and other media. Her films have been selected for dozens of film festivals worldwide and have won numerous awards. She has written, produced, and directed five short films, written several feature film screenplays as well as various TV projects and an original series pilot currently going out. Her short film Happenstance (based on her feature screenplay currently in development) was funded by and aired on HBO. Her short film The Science of Love won the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant, played dozens of film festivals, and appeared in the online exhibit at The Museum of Moving Images. And her short film Extreme Mom, starring Ann Dowd (HULU’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Emmy winner - and HBOs “The Leftovers” Emmy nom) was selected by NYWIFT (New York Women in Film and TV) for their first-ever global short film showcase, which played in 18 countries. She holds an MFA with honors in writing/directing from Columbia University’s Graduate Film School. She began her career as an on-air TV news reporter and weekend anchor. She currently lives with her wife of 26 years and their dog in Palm Springs, CA.

Website: www.joycecallo.com