Story Ave (2023)
Director: Aristotle Torres Run Time: 106 min. Release Year: 2023
Starring: Alex Hibbert, Asante Blackk, Coral Peña, Luis Guzmán, Melvin Gregg
Country: United States
Language: English
About the film:
Special Jury Award for Cinematography, 2023 SXSW Film Festival
South Bronx teen Kadir is a gifted visual artist who loses his way following the death of his younger brother. Overcome with grief and struggling with the pressures of school and family, he escapes into the thrilling yet dangerous world of graffiti gangs, seeking an outlet for the creative force threatening to explode out of him.
To prove himself and join his neighborhood’s ruling gang, Kadir tries to rob no-nonsense MTA conductor Luis on the Story Ave subway platform. He is caught off guard when Luis agrees to hand over the cash if Kadir agrees to have a meal with him. Following their conversation and the delicate, transformative friendship that grows out of it, Kadir sees for the first time how his artistic talent could lead to a better life.
“Touching… a poignant story of survival.”
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter
About the filmmakers:
Aristotle Torres is a writer and director out of New York City who developed his debut feature film Story Ave (2023) first as a short film, and then through the prestigious Sundance Labs. An accomplished music video director in the past, Torres has worked with artists such as J Cole, Nas, 2Chainz, and Ludacris. From there, he moved into commercial directing for clients like Starbucks, Pepsi, Red Bull, and Nike, among others. He also has written and directed short films that have played at various festivals around the world.
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