DominiRican Productions Expands Involvement and Visibility

The award-winning DominiRican Productions expands their involvement and visibility as producers of original content, investors in content with a shared mission, and creators of content for organizations with a shared mission.

All efforts are in keeping with the production company's mission of representing diversity and presenting diversity, creating more opportunities for Afro-Latinx, Queer and under-represented communities in front of and behind the camera to tell the stories of those communities.

In addition, co-founders Pierre Jean Gonzalez and Cedric Leiba Jr, themselves actors, directors, producers and advocates, continue to deepen their individual visibility in the performing and literary arts as well as expand their advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community internationally.

As producers of original content, DominiRican Productions announced that American Made is an official selection for Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival. With a screenplay by Christin Eve Cato and directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene, American Made is the story of two male inmates, Edwards and Perez, who talk about work-life inside of the penitentiary and are faced with the harsh realities of modern-day slavery in the United States. The short film stars Jared Dixon as Edwards and Pierre Jean Gonzalez as Perez.

Filming on two new original screenplays is complete and in post-production with the films scheduled for the festival award circuit this fall. Our Friendly Neighbors, written by Marco Antonio Rodgriguez and directed by Pierre Jean Gonzalez, is set in 1984 in New York City when a curious boy awakens to his sexual nature and clashes with his ultra-conservative, over-protective, single mother while they live together in a tiny studio apartment. The cast includes Altagracia Nova as Juanita, Virgilio Anibal Rojo Mohammed as Mikey and Nylena Nicole Otano as Netta. Steven Luna/">Luna oversees Cinematography and Editing.

The Odd Year, written by B.C. Villalona and directed by Pierre Jean Gonzalez focuses on Val, a shy college freshman, who attends a New Year's Eve party and confronts her trauma as she tries to make room for new love and opportunities. The cast includes Darilyn Castillo as Val with Kai Heath as G, Nyseli Vega as Vanessa and Bianca DiSarro as Dreya. Steven Luna/">Luna oversees Cinematography and Paul Notice is the Editor.

As investors in content with a shared mission, DominiRican Productions' co-founders Pierre Jean Gonzalez and Cedric Leiba Jr are recent Tony Award winning investors in the current Broadway production of Topdog/Underdog, which won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, based on Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize winning play.

Recently appearing at the Tribeca Film Festival, Gonzalez and Leiba were noted as co-Producers and actors in Playland with Steven Luna/">Luna, DominiRican Productions' newest partner, as Assistant Director on the film. Written and directed by Georden West, the film is an Official Selection at the upcoming Provincetown International Film Festival and Frameline47 International Festival in San Francisco with additional film festivals to be announced in Spain, Italy and England.

As creators of content for organizations with a shared mission, DominiRican Productions has wrapped up filming the third year of Roundabout Theatre Company's Refocus Project, which will stream in the fall. This represents the second such collaboration between DominiRican Productions and Roundabout. Roundabout launched The Refocus Project in 2021 spotlighting 20th century plays from the Black American community, in association with Black Theatre United.  The second year  featured Latinx playwrights, in partnership with Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (PRTT) and was the first filmed collaboration with DominiRican Productions.  Year Three celebrates plays by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) playwrights from the 20th and 21st centuries.

In addition, because of their expertise in filming theatrical productions, Roundabout Theatre Company engaged DominiRican Productions to film b-roll and archival footage of several season productions including You Will Get Sick, the bandaged place, The Wanderers, and Primary Trust for Roundabout's marketing purposes.

On July 14, The Latiné Musical Theatre Lab presents 4xLatiné in collaboration with DominiRican Productions and Pregones/PRTT and sponsored by The Miranda Family Fund. Latiné Musical Theatre Lab is a NYC-based organization with a national footprint that develops and advocates for new Latiné-written works of musical theatre. Pierre Jean Gonzalez will direct two of the plays that evening, Cómo Correr: A Hippop Musical and Siluetas.

Just announced is that DominiRican Productions has been engaged by We Stay/Nos Quedamos to create a series of filmed vignettes to celebrate the organization's 30 years of service. As a South Bronx-based CDC committed to creating the conditions that maintain the health and culture of individuals, Nos Quedamos' work engages, empowers, and transforms marginalized communities to remain and thrive.

Individually, DominiRican Productions' co-founder Pierre Jean Gonzalez continues in his lead role of Hamilton in the national tour of the award-winning musical Hamilton including an extended run in Chicago beginning in September.

In May, Pierre was honored with the Award for Artistic Excellence and Inspiration from GALA Hispanic Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Pierre also maintains an active schedule of speaking appearances most recently at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He is also a U.S. Speaker Program participant for the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and recently returned from a U.S. Embassy organized week of events and personal appearances in Medellín and Bogota for Pride Month in Colombia.

Individually, DominiRican Productions' co-founder Cedric Leiba Jr marks his third appearance in Latino Book Review with the selection of his poem Mi regreso for publication.

Adding to his list of theater and film credits, Cedric was the Associate Choreographer at Manhattan Class Company (MCC) Theatre's production of Bees & Honey and he made his prime time episodic NBC debut in the final season of The Black List.

Cedric makes his debut in St. Louis at The Muny on July 15th in their production of West Side Storydoing double duty. He is in the lead role of Chino and is also engaged as the Dialect Coach ensuring authenticity for the portrayal of the Puerto Rican characters.

About DominiRican Productions

Pierre Jean Gonzalez and Cedric Leiba Jr, themselves actors, directors and advocates, founded DominiRican Productions in 2020 out of a need to see more Afro-Latinx and Queer representation in front of and behind the camera. "We aspire to create content that represents the under-represented and create opportunities for our Latinx community," explains Gonzalez. "Along with producing and developing our own work, our production company also seeks to collaborate with other organizations and visionaries who also seek to empower our communities through their art," explains Leiba. In 2021, Pierre and Cedric welcomed their lead cinematographer and editor, Steven Luna/">Luna, as a Co-Partner in DominiRican Productions.

Currently, filming on two new original screenplays is complete and in post-production with the films scheduled for the festival award circuit in fall 2023. DominiRican Productions is the executive producer for both films. An additional two original scripts are slated for filming in spring 2024.

Earlier films "release" and "Rhythm is Gonna Get Who?" received multiple film festival awards and accolades and are now being considered by streaming services. Awards for "release", based on an original poem by Cedric Leiba Jr and directed by Pierre Jean Gonzalez, include Best Experimental Film and Best LGBTQ Film from Florence Film Awards; Best NYC Film from NYC Downtown Short Film Festival; Gold Award for Experimental Film from Hollywood Gold Awards; Best Experimental Film from Fargo-Moorhead LGBT Film Festival; and Best Experimental Short from Uruvatti International Film Festival. Accolades for "Rhythm is Gonna Get Who?", directed by Pierre Jean Gonzalez and written by Sol Crespo, who returns with another filmed screenplay in 2024, include Best LGBT Short Film from Uruvatti International Film Festival; and being an Official Selection for Latino Film Market Film Festivaland BiteSize Film Festival.

The Advocate selected DominiRican Productions as "Champions of Pride" in recognition of their mission "to create opportunities for Afro-Latinx and Indigenous Latinx representation in TV and film in the rooms making the casting decisions, in the writers' rooms, on-screen and in the director's chair." Good Morning America similarly included Pierre and Cedric in their "Inspiration List" of people making LGBTQ+ history. Nominated by Nicco Annan, who wrote, "They remain collaborative visionaries that continue to create for those who so often don't see themselves on stage or the big screen. Their projects illuminate a part of our community that deserves more light. Two promising trailblazers bringing healing and much-needed conversations."

 

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