AMERICANOS
(World Premiere)

Director: Paul Callahan

Cast: John Mazenko, Michael Cullinan

Country: U.S.
Year: 2002
Running Time: 113 min
Format: Beta SP

Though Russ is in his twenties, he still stays out all night drinking, lives at home with his mom and can't hold a job. His ticket finally comes in though when seedy Victor rescues Russ from his aimless life, and they team up to smuggle Cuban Cigars into the states (it's hard to tell who's the bigger sucker). Victor shows him the ropes of this very lucrative and "glamorous" career, but more importantly teaches Russ how to juggle the Cuban mamacitas. After two years in the business, some close calls and many miles accrued, a newly matured Russ must make a decision about what direction he wants to take his formerly directionless life. Pressured by his wife to settle down, Victor must make some decisions as well.

Americanos is a fascinating movie to watch. Shot mostly in Cuba, the DV camera is the perfect device to discreetly capture the charm of the streets of this mythical and rarely seen country. The actors seem so natural in their roles, one wonders if the movie was completely improvised.

--Mary Kerr

Presented By: Paul Callahan

Paul Callahan graduated from Villanova and got a job in the travel business, managing a Spring Break company in Cancun, Mexico. Instead of following through with plans to go to film school, he decided to save the money that would have been spent on tuition and use it to make a movie. Inspired by stories he heard from American cigar smugglers in Cancun, he wrote the script for Americanos and shot the movie. Due to a lack of finances, it took over two years after shooting the film for the film to be finished. Paul is currently working on his second feature that will be shot in Mexico.