LIFE IN L.A. TOLD THROUGH A LATINO LENS
A FILM BY JAY DIAZ
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THE STORY
LOG LINE
A first-generation Latino American spends a weekend navigating his past, present, and future across Los Angeles, and discovers nothing is ever too late in a city built for dreamers.
SYNOPSIS
Angel works multiple jobs and takes care of his mother, letting the dreams he once had fade into the rearview. But over one weekend, he finds himself navigating three corners of Los Angeles. His goddaughter’s birthday surrounds him with his roots, his culture, and an unexpected reunion with his ex, Mia. A co-worker’s gathering forces him to face the comfortable but hollow life he’s settled into. And a Hollywood after party at an old college friend’s home shows him a version of success he might have had.
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Through it all, he discovers that where he’s been might just point to where he’s going.
THE DIRECTOR
Born in Los Angeles as a first-generation American, Jay Diaz brings a unique voice rooted in bicultural experience and a deep love for storytelling. Over the years, Jay has directed numerous short film projects, many of which have gone viral. Among these are The Flip Side, 5 Stages of a Break Up, and Situationship, each of which has garnered over a million views. In addition to narrative short work, Jay has collaborated with leading brands to produce social content, working with Adobe, the NBA, Sony, Home Depot, T-Mobile, Chase, and Tissot.
Now, Jay is making the leap into feature filmmaking with Angeleno, his directorial debut.
THE CAST
JEFF TORRES - ANGEL
Jeff Torres is an actor and multi-hyphenate, award-winning filmmaker. He has studied acting, directing, and writing with various mentors from UC Riverside to Los Angeles, New York, and at UNAM in Mexico City. He is a proud Deadline Junkies writer/actor and company member of Playground LA and Company of Angels. He recently wrapped post-production on Champions, a short film he produced and starred in, directed by Nancy Mejia (The Chi, Vida, The L Word: Generation Q). In addition to Angeleno, which he stars in and executive produced, he appears in Bedrooms, The Vanishing Tour, and Champions on the upcoming festival circuit. TV and film credits include FBI, The Donor Party, Home Delivery, S.W.A.T., Night Sky, The Crumbles, Pitch, and In Flight. Theatre credits include King Henry IV: Part I at Antaeus, Love’s Labour’s Lost at Downtown Rep, and This Land at Company of Angels.
CORINA CALDERON - MIA
Corina Calderon is a Mexican American actress best known for her role as Jazmine in End of Watch (2012), directed by David Ayer and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña. Before relocating to Los Angeles, Calderon starred in the Sundance-nominated feature All She Can (2011), for which she was named Breakout Actress of the Year and Actress to Watch at Sundance on Deadline. The Hollywood Reporter called her performance “an auspicious debut as a leading lady,” and she was nominated alongside Gina Rodriguez, Eva Longoria, and Eva Mendes for Best Film Actress at the Imagen Foundation Awards in 2012. She recurred on the TNT series Murder in the First (2014) and landed a lead role alongside Richard Cabral in Khali the Killer (2017). In 2016, Calderon appeared in Suicide Squad under the direction of David Ayer. Most recently, she worked alongside Ben Affleck and Alice Braga in Robert Rodriguez’s Hypnotic.
BRIAN THOMAS SMITH - TAYLOR
Brian Thomas Smith is best known for his role as Zack Johnson on the CBS hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory, where he recurred for nine seasons alongside Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, and Johnny Galecki. His additional TV credits include The Neighborhood, 9-1-1: Lone Star, Happy Endings, Two and a Half Men, and United States of Al. On the big screen, Smith appeared opposite Al Pacino and Annette Bening in Dan Fogelman’s directorial debut Danny Collins, and has starred in Babysplitters, Concrete Blondes, and The Wedding Party. A writer, director, and producer in addition to his acting work, Smith co-created the viral internet series The Flip Side. Angeleno marks his return to feature film as both actor and Executive Producer.
ISSAC BAR-JONAH - VICK
Isaac Bar-Jonah is an award-winning actor who received Oscar consideration for his role of Laz in Canaan Land (2021). He got his start in second grade when his teacher cast him as the lead in a school assembly play, and he never looked back. From commercials to stage to independent film, Bar-Jonah has consistently answered the call of the craft. He has several projects currently in development and recently founded Forward Motion Productions, a nonprofit dedicated to creating films and music that inspire positive change. Isaac Bar-Jonah can be found on IMDb and Instagram.
KATHERINE CASTRO
Katherine Castro is a Dominican-born actress, producer, and host whose work bridges storytelling, culture, and wellness, bringing a distinctive Latina perspective to conversations around health, identity, and empowerment. Multilingual and world-traveled, she was named one of NBC Latino’s Top 10 Standout Latinos at Sundance and received the Hollywood F.A.M.E. Award for International Breakthrough Artist of the Year, along with recognition from the Women in Film Association in the Dominican Republic. She began her career hosting national television before moving to Los Angeles to train with renowned acting coach Aaron Speiser. Her film and television credits include Mamba, The Summoning alongside Eric Roberts, El Gallo, and the audio series America 2.0 featuring Laurence Fishburne, Patrick J. Adams, and Kate Walsh. As a filmmaker, she co-wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning short film Someday, which received multiple international festival honors. She also earned Best Actor at the DTLA Film Festival for her performance in Weak. Castro co-created and hosts Esencia, a wellness series on LatiNation Media exploring mental health, longevity, and holistic wellbeing.
LAUREN MARINI
Lauren Marini (Heather) is an American actress born in Washington, D.C. Film credits include a role opposite Ryan Gosling & Russell Crowe in the 2016 action-comedy The Nice Guys, and a coked-out 80s waitress with Josh Duhammel in the biopic Spaceman. Recent television credits include Nicki Rinanzo in Matlock (CBS), a recurring role on Interior Chinatown (Hulu), a co-star opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt Mr. Corman (Apple), a guest star as Kimmy on Anger Management (FX), as well as tv commercials including a Super Bowl spot for Uber Eats.
In addition to her work in major studio productions, Lauren has been active in independent film and shorts, heavily featuring works by Jay Diaz such as Casual, The Indies, The Flipside, and Brush.
When she isn't ripping apart her apartment for a self-tape, you can find her in the voiceover booth dubbing projects for Netflix, or taking selfies with her dog. Her role as Heather in the Angeleno happily marks her first feature film collaboration with Diaz, finally fulfilling a several-drinks-later promise made many years ago to "finally make a full film!"
NOAH BARON
After graduating from American University with a dual degree in Theater and Broadcast Journalism, Noah moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting and production. He co-founded Just Another Production Productions, building a digital audience of 50,000+ subscribers and 120M+ views. In 2023, he launched Its All Good Productions, creating high-quality content across budgets from short films and music videos to feature films and branded projects for Hewlett Packard, Pepsi, Marriott, and Six Flags. Acting credits include Hail, Caesar! (Coen Brothers), The Middle (ABC), Legion (FX), The Rookie (ABC), The Upshaws (Netflix), and more.
MARIA MONTENEGRO
Maria is a Latina actress born and raised in Los Angeles. I began acting in elementary school and continued throughout my youth, where I was active in various acting classes and stage plays. After high school I took a break to focus on my family as a wife and mother, I returned to acting in 2018. Since then, I have appeared in a variety of short films and commercial projects.
In film, several of my projects have showcased at prestigious festivals, including the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), LA Shorts International and The New York International Film Festival. I am also proud to have had two short films featured as part of the Mitú x Walmart program.
Im passionate about telling authentic Latino stories that both resonate with our community and reach broader audiences. Stories that have the power to make audiences both laugh and cry while highlighting our shared experiences.