Mireia Vilanova will participate in the 2021 Film Independent Project Involve

Promoted by Film Independent, a pioneering organization in independent cinema, innovation and diversity in Hollywood, Project Involve is one of the most prestigious artistic residencies for filmmakers based in Los Angeles in the Mecca of cinema.

Mireia Vilanova, a producer born in Barcelona and established in Los Angeles for more than two years, is one of the 30 filmmakers from around the world accepted for the 2021 Film Independent Project Involve, one of the most important artistic residencies in Hollywood for filmmakers based in Los Angeles.

With a duration of nine months, Project Involve annually selects professionals from the world of cinema, six of whom are film producers, who belong to communities underrepresented in the Hollywood industry to become part of this program. Participants will produce a total of five short films that will be fully financed by the organization.

"The projects that have come out of previous editions have been a success and have been screened at festivals such as Sundance, the Berlinale or South by Southwest. While it is true that this sets the bar very high for us, it is also true that the fact that they trust me encourages me to improve myself and face this challenge with even more enthusiasm," explains Mireia Vilanova.

Among some of the students who have gone through Project Involve, names such as Lulu Wang, director of The Farewell, or Jon M. Chu, director of Crazy, Rich and Asian, stand out. “For me it is an honor to be able to join a list made up of filmmakers whom I deeply admire and who are working to create an industry that is more inclusive and representative of the society in which we live,” says the producer.

Project Involve participants will have top-level mentors who will accompany them throughout the year and will attend events and workshops promoted by the organization. Christopher Nolan (Origen), Ava Duvernay (Selma), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) o Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) are some of the references who have acted as mentors in previous editions.

Film Independent, promoter of Project Involve, is the reference institution in independent cinema, innovation and diversity in Hollywood. In fact, it is the entity responsible for the Independent Spirit Awards, the most important independent film awards in the world. "Being one of those selected for this residency means for me to take another step in my dream of making a place for myself in the world of film production. As filmmakers, being able to share stories with the public is a privilege and a responsibility, and Project Involve is an opportunity to continue growing and be able to develop my career with a critical point of view," explains Vilanova.

A year of success

For Mireia Vilanova, 2020 has marked a before and after in her professional film career. And it was one of the seven producers selected last October to become part of the Bafta Newcomers Program. Promoted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, this prestigious program aims to support international filmmakers based in Los Angeles and New York in the development of their film careers.

Furthermore, one of the short films produced by Vilanova, Tiro Dominical, could be seen at the St. Louis Festival, one of the most prestigious events in the United States and one that qualifies for the Oscars. The film has a team made up entirely of Spanish professionals. Directed by Pablo Riesgo and starring Gonzalo Bouza, Rubén Navarro and Jesús Lloveras, Tiro Dominical comically explains the story of three Spaniards who in the 70s accidentally kill a hitchhiker while driving through the desert towards Las Vegas.

After a year full of successes, 2021 has also started strongly for Vilanova. And of the 15 projects it has produced over the last year and a half, four have just been selected for prestigious international film festivals. Thus, this February the Dam Short Film Festival in Nevada, the Santa Fe Film Festival in New Mexico and the Short. Sweet. Ohio Film Fest have screened his short film Managing, while the Seattle Children's Film Festival has done the same with its work The Covid is a Monster in the Forest. Additionally, after its world premiere at the Asians On Film Festival in Los Angeles last January, First, We Eat, a documentary produced and co-directed by Vilanova about the Chinese community in California, can be seen in the opening session of the prestigious Seattle Asian American Film Festival, which will take place in March. That same month, La casa de la granna will also premiere at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, one of the most important Latin film festivals in the United States.