José María Cabral (director)

José María Cabral González (b. Santo Domingo, July 24, 1988) is a Dominican film director, screenwriter, and producer.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Cabral and the second or maternal family name is González.
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He is considered one of the most important directors of the Dominican Republic, at his young age has directed seven feature films. And is recognized as the first Dominican to be selected by the Sundace Film Festival with his movie ¨Woodpeckers¨[1]

Early life and family

His desire was to be an actor, so he began filming short films in which he acted, with the purpose of being the main actor. But his work behind the camera caught him, then began his journey as director.[2]

He started financing his short films by having showings for each film in a movie theatre, renting the theatre for an hour and selling tickets, with the intention of getting a better budget for his next film.[2]

Cabral was born into an upper-middle family,[3] to José María Cabral Arzeno and Ingrid Josefina González Fiallo.[4] He is related to many eminent Dominicans such as Oscar de la Renta, Viriato Fiallo, J. Antinoe Fiallo, and Fabio Fiallo, by his mother’s side of the family;[4][5] to Poppy Bermúdez and Carmen Imbert Brugal by his father’s side; and he is also related to José María Cabral, Juan Bautista Vicini Cabral, Peggy Cabral, Donald Reid Cabral, from both sides of his family.

Ancestry

Career

Cabral started making films when he was 16 years old, making private screenings of short films to family and friends in local movie theaters, one of them "Excexos" got national distribution in 2008. His first feature film, Jaque Mate (2011), was screened at a high number of film festivals and selected as the Dominican entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.[6][7] "Arrobá" and "Despertar" followed in 2013 and 2014, also making it into the festival circuits. In 2015 he released "Detective Willy" a comedy adventure film. Cabral premiered his last film, Carpinteros, in January at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, a story about the realities and relationships of prisoners in Dominican jails.

Filmography

Carpinteros / Woodpeckers

Screened in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, Woodpeckers was the first Dominican feature film selected by Sundance.

Synopsis Julián finds love and a reason for living in the last place imaginable: the Dominican Republic's Najayo Prison. His romance, with fellow prisoner Yanelly, must develop through sign language and without the knowledge of dozens of guards.

The film has been selected by other festivals:

  • Guadalajara Film Festival, 2017
  • Miami Film Festival, 2017

Sources cited
  1. Hopewell, John (January 24, 2017). "Berlinale: 'Woodpeckers' Director José María Cabral on Love in Jail, the Dominican Film Boom". Variety. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  2. "José María Cabral: Arrobáse el show". saladeespera.com.do (in Spanish). Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  3. Sosa, José Rafael (July 3, 2010). "Cultura en sábado" (in Spanish). El Nacional. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  4. Espinal, Edwin (November 1, 2014). "Cápsulas genealógicas: Oscar de la Renta, entorno genealógico" (in Spanish). Hoy. Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  5. Espinal Hernández, Edwin (December 31, 2015). "Parentescos insospechados de personajes de la República Dominicana" (in Spanish). Santo Domingo: Diario Libre. Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  6. De La Fuente, Anna Marie. "It's 'Checkmate' for foreign-lingo Oscar race". Variety. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  7. Alexandra Gratereaux, "Latino NYILFF: With ‘Jaque Mate,’ Jose Maria Cabral Puts Domican Republic in Lime Light", Fox News Latino, August 17, 2012.
  8. Quiñones, Alfonso (April 24, 2013). ""Jaque Mate" gana premio Opera prima en Washington". Diario Libre (in Spanish). Santo Domingo. Archived from the original on January 27, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  9. Nova, José (June 13, 2014). ""Despertar", lo más personal de José María Cabral" (in Spanish). El Caribe. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.


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