Photos by: Tyler Olson
GRIND
You have to find something deep in your heart that will make you change.
This format-bending profile of Robert Wilmote reveals the story of a Liberian refugee forced to flee the most drastic and terrible circumstances imaginable. Having narrowly escaped the ravages of war in Africa, Robert’s struggles continue in the U.S. when he succumbs to the gangster lifestyle, only to become a convicted felon in Newark, New Jersey. At his absolute bottom, Robert knew he was meant for greater good. Through dramatic reenactments, featuring Robert himself, we discover how Robert’s passion for fitness and helping others empowered him to transcend a life of violence and become a local legend.
Directed by Yuri Alves
Produced by: Yuri Alves, Igor Alves
Executive Producers: Igor Alves, Yuri Alves, Mike Gomes
Featuring Robert Wilmote, Justina Valentine
ON THE CUSP
His hands built a skate park. His spirit built a community.
Tommy Cuba, a renowned skateboarder from Newark, has competed in numerous tournaments and been profiled in top skating magazines. He is one of the founders of “Shorty’s Skate Park,” built by hand from scraps, which has become a legendary hub for skating enthusiasts from all over the country. Despite a motherless childhood, Tommy owns a timeless joy for life and generosity of spirit that captivates all those around him. Yet, his deliberately insulated world cannot prepare him for the looming forces of change.
Directed by Yuri Alves
Produced by: Yuri Alves, Igor Alves
Executive Producers: Igor Alves, Yuri Alves, Mike Gomes
Featuring Tommy Cuba
ECHOES OF FADO
This music is more than magical. It’s destiny.
This short documentary explores the melancholic music of Portugal known as “fado”, renowned for expressing the unique sentiment of “saudade,” and designated as an UNESCO world cultural asset. Nathalie Pires, the first American fado singer to tour internationally, reveals her origins, passions, and fears, while her fado godmother, the legendary Anita Guerreiro, and oldest touring “fadista” in the world, reflects on her epic career. The film includes intimate yet sweeping performances from these inter-generational ambassadors of a musical art form that mesmerizes audiences worldwide. Produced in partnership with Newest Americans.
Directed by Yuri Alves
Produced by: Yuri Alves, Igor Alves
Executive Producers: Igor Alves, Tim Raphael, Julie Winokur
Featuring Nathalie Pires, Anita Guerreiro
EXIT ROAD
Freedom from self is hard.
Dane thought he left his demons and his drug addiction behind him, but his first day out of prison challenges both his promise to go clean and his very survival. Having exhausted the sympathy of others in neighborhood, Dane’s desperation leads him to test his fate… and grapple with whether his journey leads him to salvation or back into the jaws of addiction. Filmmaker Yuri Alves presents a gripping, tense study of a flawed man teetering on the edge of redemption and self-destruction.
Directed by Yuri Alves
Produced by: Igor Alves, Joe Carollo, Yuri Alves
Featuring Dane Sansevero