Super Taco
Logline for the Feature Film “Down the Baja”
Two estranged siblings reluctantly take a road trip to Baja California, Mexico, in search of a shaman's cure for their abusive, dying father.
Logline for the SHORT “Super Taco”
After a social worker collects her drug-dealing brother from prison and tries to convince him to help their ailing, abusive father, she realizes that he's right to refuse as she struggles with her own commitment to family.
Synopsis
This is a story about family and forgiveness, blame and responsibility. A story about siblings and demonized childhoods. About faith and betrayal. About loving your parents anyway and doing your best to move forward from a place of empowerment.
Many of the themes are inspired by Carlos Castenada. I read all of the “Don Juan” books in high school. The mystical, somewhat terrifying at times, human journey that we all take, with tears and laughter, humility and irreverence is what I've tried to capture with Lycia and Rodillo Delgado. Their pain, their joy, their humor and their love of tacos as they stomp the road of fierce determination toward a better future.
In 2019 the feature length script of this story was a Quarterfinalist in the Nicholl Fellowship. In 2020 the story made the Finals the Sundance Screenwriting Lab. Additional placements at ISA and the Vail Film Festival in 2022 and a “7” on the Blacklist. I've continued to work on the story in hopes of distilling it down to its core truths.
Funding
The bulk of the funds raised will be used to pay top notch camera and sound people (+ their equipment) and our two actors over a 2-3 day shoot. Plus insurance, location costs and food to keep everyone happy and doing their best work. Music cues, and post production, plus editing and finishing editing stretched our original budget a bit but we are grateful for all the participants who worked at special rates. The director is deferring any pay to a later date.
We are basically creating a rich and complex $15,000 short for $7500 dollars. The idea is to raise interest and get people excited about the feature film so we can shoot the 85 page full script in Baja.
Thank You! (muchisimas gracias)
Your support means the world to me. I drove up and down the Baja Peninsula at least 25 times between 2007-2016. Every time I would blast my music and think, “I have to tell a story about this journey. About the magic, the mysticism, the food and the healing, natural beauty.” Your contribution enables me to live out one of my dearest dreams as a storyteller. It feels like we're working together and I am excited to see what comes of our collaboration.
Te quiero mucho, Rima Lyn
Whip is a director and editor of 12 years who has creatively guided commercials for brands such as Jack in the Box, Nike, Razer Laptops, and Virgin Airlines. He was drawn to the film Super Taco because of the important conversation it has with the ideas of forgiveness and generational hurt.
Descended from a long line of creative Jewish and Arabic cooks (her great grandmother worked at a Catskills resort in the 1920’s), Rima Lyn is always cooking up something heartwarming, delicious and inspiring. A proverbial Jill of all trades, Rima has enjoyed living a life full of adventure, emotional challenges and above all else, creativity.
A graduate of UCLA’s Film History program, she is also a successful member of SAG, a published poet and a longtime educator in the creative arts. From 2012-2016 she lived in the Baja Sur town of of Todos Santos in Mexico and ran a restaurant called Bistro Magico. You can read all about her taco obsession and see some of her video reviews and recipes at www.tacomaven.blogspot.com Her instagram handle is @bistromagico.
Cali Morales is a Colombian/Irish actress who is fluent in Spanish and the art of tackling tough characters. She can be seen bringing Gloria, a cartel member and Danny Trejo's daughter, to life in the film American Sicario and has had co-star roles in Netflix's Daybreak as well as CW's Dynasty.
She has appeared in Nationwide commercial campaigns and is a proud member of the SAG Actors Guild. She began acting in regional theatre productions in Florida as a child, moved to California to complete her degree in theatre, and then continued her acting training and began a family while living in Los Angeles.
Currently, she attends a Master Acting class at the DBA studio where she learned the Meisner technique from one of Sandford Meisner's students at the Neighborhood Playhouse. While attending Second Draft, a weekly cold reading series for writers and actors in Downtown LA, Cali met Rima Lyn while she was work-shopping her script there. She's excited to play Lycia Delgado in the Super Taco short film.
Cali is looking forward to bringing her cultural and familial experiences to the table for this film and sends you, "muchos besitos y bendiciones" for your support!
Victor is an L.A.-based actor appearing in independent films, two of which are currently on the festival circuit, as well as a stage play at the Two Roads Theater. His roles range from dramatic to comedic and he's thrilled to be playing the emotionally challenging role of Rodillo Delgado.
Adrion is a multi-talented Cuban-American with award-winning scripts, acting kudos and multiple levels of filmmaking in his arsenal. He was able to get to the emotional truth of this sibling relationship with his sensitivity to nuance and human behavior and we were very happy to bring him on board in the editing process.
Very exciting stuff! We finished about a month ago, but as the writer-producer (and what wound up being a co-director through the editing process), I was letting the ‘cake’ cool before sharing it with friends and supporters.
I learned so much through this process and none of it would have been possible without your support. We aren't able to have any public screenings until we know which festival the short will appear in first. But I promise there will be one before the year is out!
Any kudos or constructive comments are welcome. One could edit forever and probably do at least 5 completely different versions of this story based on what we shot. I feel this one is the cleanest and cuts to the heart of the story. It also does the best job of giving you an idea of what the feature film will look and feel like.
The password is: Jackinthebox.
If you are interested in seeing the longer 12 minute version, please email me at rimalyn16@yahoo.com and I will be happy to send you the link.
Muahs and more muahs!
ox Rima
Pictured in 1985's Better Off Dead with John Cusack
Ahoy Super Taco Supporters,
Where did the last 90 days go? Washed away in the record breaking rainfall here in Los Angeles. We have been sound synching, studying all the footage, editing and more editing. We are almost there!. Check out the Bee Taqueria scene at the link below.
We have our contests picked out and still want to have a local screening party of some kind, but all of our funds are going toward editing which many of you know, makes or breaks a film. We have been utilizing the wonderful editing skills of Adrion Trujillo to bring out the heart of the story and utilize the incredible acting performances to their fullest. I'm excited to be able to share the 12 minute short with you very soon.
Until then, enjoy this little clip and let us know what you think.
oxox Rima
We got rained out last weekend but we are back on track to have two great days of principal photography on Saturday and Sunday! Whoo-hoo. As a first-time producer of this sort of thing (I've produced many theatrical and food events as most of you know) I am learning alot and confirming what I already knew; filmmaking is HARD WORK.
Some fun numbers for those of you who are curious about these things….
Insurance on the equipment we rented plus accidental medical coverage for our crew of 10 people: $610
Rental equipment of a few lights, electrical cords (stingers), apple boxes, camera stands, filters and a very cool lens that hides inside of the taco! $750
Gourmet bagels for two days of crew breakfasts courtesy of Rosie's Bagels (the best if you are in LA!) $80.
Tech Crew Costs for 2 Days ($3000) and that's with everyone charging less than they normally would. Many thanks to all involved and that includes you contributing angels who made this all possible.
A few fun photos of rehearsals and Dima (our cinematographer from Russia) trying the famous Marisco Jaliscos taco for the first time during location scouting. The vintage photo will be part of memory-montages throughout showing the relationship of the two siblings as it evolved to present day.
Hope the post-holiday, January shuffle is smoothing out for everyone and I look forward to updating you soon. ox Rima
PS. Stickers have been mailed out! Signed copies of the shooting script are waiting for today's rehearsal revisions and they will go out early next week.
Amazing to have 30 of you delightful humans supporting our little project that could.. An “advance” cash donation allowed us to fund the Lompoc Prison shoot. Food, gas for two cars, a camera rig for the hood of the car, some wardrobe items, a $25 car wash! (lol) and some fancy window cleaner, along with generous time donations from the key creators and the cooperation and support of the Lompoc Federal Penitentiary. It all added up so some incredible footage ahead of our official shooting dates on Jan 14-15 2023. We have our opening moments and closing moments of the short!
Here are a few film stills and our best wishes for your New Year's Eve and 2023. This isn't the ‘end’ it's only the beginning and we will update you every breakthrough step of the way. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
oxox Rima Lyn
Love-love and love in the form of financial magic that allows us to make this short and tell this story! The two siblings, Lycia and Rodillo Delgado have matching Gumby and Pokey key chains. This is their insider nod to feeling like they were a team that got through tough times as kids.
Lycia is Gumby, ever flexible. Too flexible? In charge and a survivor but someone who still believes in family. Rodillo is Pokey. He takes his time, he's in denial but he does have the drive to carry a load and despite what his father says, he's not lazy but rather tied up in emotional knots. He thinks he's a self-sufficient loner but deep down he wants to belong.
We all thank you for your support and hope you are enjoying the holiday spirit we are feeling from your encouragement! ox Rima
Until we reach our half-way goal of $2500 I can't see who has contributed thus far! But I don't need to know in order to thank you for jumping in at the top of the campaign and supporting my dream to create this short film! Will be keeping everyone posted up until the 22nd when the holidays take over! Enjoy the season!
ox Rima and the Super Taco team!
