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Zachary Laoutides (born December 13, 1986) is an American actor, screenwriter and filmmaker from Chicago, Illinois. In 2014, he co-founded independent film company Ave Fenix Pictures,[1] originator of an art house filmmaking style known as "la raza".[2][3][4] Inspired by La raza cósmica, this technique involves working together with the urban youth in recreating their own stories, regardless of film background.[5][6]
Zachary Laoutides | |
|---|---|
 Laoutides in 2019 | |
| Born | December 13, 1986 Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
His first starring role was in the film Adiós Vaya con Dios (2014), which earned him nominations for Best Actor and Best Screenplay at the Bel Air Film Festival.[7] He also wrote and acted in Ave Fenix Pictures' Arise from Darkness (2018), based on the story of psychic Lázaro Rubén Torres,[2] and Black Ruby (2019), claimed to be the "first feature to be shot on an iPhone 7."[8]
Early life
editLaoutides was born in 1986 in Chicago where he studied media and journalism. He spent his early years working in community outreach and introducing the performing arts to youth at risk.[9] He resides in Chicago and is still active in community outreach working with Mónica Esmeralda León.[5]
He is of Sephardic, Greek, Turkish and Slovenian heritage.[10][11] His Eastern European ancestry were ethnic minorities from the Austrian Empire and Russia Empire; Slovenian with some Polish and Scandinavian. His Jewish heritage traces back to Levite rabbinical families Halevi and Benveniste of the 11th to the 15th century in Barcelona. His background includes Moroccan Jewish, Indian Jewish and distant Latino roots from his father's grandmother[11]
Career
editLaoutides's first role was in Adiós Vaya con Dios, released worldwide by Indican Pictures on January 19, 2016.[12] Laoutides starred in the film and wrote the screenplay while living in an urban Latino neighborhood, about a half white and half Mexican gang member trying to leave the barrio.[6] Adiós Vaya con Dios was the first movie to use real gangs and streets artists.[13] Laoutides was nominated as Best Actor and Best Screenplay writer at the Bel Air Film Festival where Adiós Vaya con Dios earned an Official Selection and Runner-up for Best Audience Feature Film.[7]
He was also the finalist out of Chicago for Simon Fuller's XIX Entertainment nationwide talent search for new actors.[14]
Laoutides was a musician on the Adiós Vaya con Dios soundtrack, composing and producing several songs. The movie was first to integrate a British and Mexican rock soundtrack over a Latino urbanized film.[15]
In 2014 Laoutides co-founded Ave Fenix Pictures with Mónica Esmeralda León.[16] Ave Fenix Pictures is the first Latino film studio in Chicago.[14][17][18]
In 2016 Laoutides wrote and starred in Arise from Darkness, an official selection at Film Invasion L.A. based on true events in the early life of psychic Lázaro Rubén Torres, who was declared clinically dead five times .[19][20] Laoutides composed and produced several tracks for the movie's soundtrack.[21] Laoutides was nominated for Best Screenplay and shared in the nominations for Best Feature Film and Best Director.[20][22] The film received three four stars reviews from Examiner.com, Inquisitr, and The Levity Ball, with critics comparing Laoutides performance to the opening of Javier Bardem's character Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men (film).[22][23] The film was ranked number one in the 10 Best Supernatural Horror Movies Of The Last Decade, Ranked According to IMDb Rating.[24]
In 2017 Laoutides premiered the film Black Ruby at the London Independent Film Awards. The company claimed it was the first to be shot with an iPhone 7.[8] He earned nine nominations in London[25] and Rome.[citation needed] His performance was compared with Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando.[26][1]
In September 2020, Laoutides was cast along with Jaime Zevallos and Alexander James Rodriguez in the upcoming film "Where Sweet Dreams Die."[27][28] The movie completed shooting in Chicago and New York in March 2022.[29]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Let's Go to Prison | Mexican gang member | |
| 2016 | Adiós Vaya con Dios | Rory King | Nominated—Bel Air Film Festival: Best Actor Nominated—Bel Air Film Festival: Best Screenplay |
| 2018 | Arise from Darkness | Lázaro | Nominated—Film Invasion L.A.: Best Actor Nominated—Film Invasion L.A.: Best Screenplay |
| 2019 | Black Ruby | Louis Katz | Nominated—London Independent Film Festival: Best Director Nominated—London Independent Film Festival: Best Actor Nominated—London Independent Film Festival: Best Screenplay Nominated—London Independent Film Festival: Best Feature Film Nominated—London Independent Film Festival: Best International Actor Nominated—London Independent Film Festival: Best Foreign Feature Film Nominated—Rome Film Awards: Best Actor Los Angeles Film Forum |
| 2024 | Where Sweet Dreams Die | Unknown | Upcoming Film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | Prison Break | Prisoner | |
| 2006 | Triple Cross: Bin Laden's Spy in America | Wadih el-Hage | National Geographic TV documentary |
References
edit- ^ a b "You Either Give It Your All, or You Live an Average Life – Zachary Laoutides". www.flaunt.com. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Stabile, Ryan (March 14, 2016). "Interview with 'Adios Vaya con Dios' Actor Zachary Laoutides". Inquisitr. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ Award-winning Latino filmmakers thrive in Aurora ABC 7 Chicago Retrieved August 25, 2016
- ^ "Art with Purpose: Interviewing Ave Fenix Pictures". Mogul. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ a b "La actriz, productora y directora Mónica Esmeralda León unificando artistas alrededor del mundo". Huellas de México (in Spanish). March 25, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ^ a b "La Revolución en las Calles de Zachary Loutides". Huellas De Mexico (in Spanish). April 24, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ^ a b The dynamic young founders of Ave Fenix Pictures, which entertainment folks describe as one of the first Latino film studio in the Chicago area Chicago Tribune Retrieved August 25, 2016
- ^ a b Gibson, Bradley (March 28, 2019). "Reviews: Black Ruby". Film Threat. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ Former Joliet man hoping to inspire young people through film he wrote and shot The Herald News Retrieved August 25, 2016
- ^ STAFF, BAE (May 19, 2016). "Zachary Laoutides The Emerging Performance". Bae Daily. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
- ^ a b "'Race, religion and violence haven't been more poetic and amusing.' Talking Diversity with Zachary Laoutides". Mogul. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
- ^ Producers credit the people of Aurora for movie's success Chicago Tribune Retrieved August 25, 2016
- ^ The first ever award winning film made by Chicago Latino gangs Costa Rican Times Retrieved August 25, 2016
- ^ a b Crosby, Denise (June 28, 2016). "Producers credit the people of Aurora for movie's success". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ "Adios Vaya Con Dios Soundtrack as compelling as the movie - AXS". December 2, 2018. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ Laoutides ha estado en las noticias recientemente, es un actor y escritor cuya asociación con Ave Fenix Pictures Huellas De Mexico Retrieved August 25, 2016
- ^ One of the nation's most successful Hispanic production companies is thriving in the Western Suburbs ABC Eyewitness Retrieved August 25, 2016
- ^ "Aurora Home To Only Latina Owned Movie Studio In Midwest". wbez.org. WBEZ Chicago. October 16, 2017.
- ^ "Chicagoland's own Latino film studio making its mark in cinema". WGN-TV. October 13, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ a b Crosby, Denise (January 12, 2017). "Fox Valley shooting for new film fest, more local movies". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ "'When my Eyes go Dark' has a soundtrack that will keep you awake - AXS". August 31, 2018. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Arise From Darkness: The Voices of Psychic Lazaro Torres Releases Worldwide 2017". costaricantimes.com. January 3, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "Arise From Darkness: The ominous life of a psychic captured through voices and soundtrack. - AXS". June 7, 2020. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ "10 Best Supernatural Horror Movies Of The Last Decade, Ranked According to IMDb Rating". ScreenRant. September 16, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "Production company joins forces Manchester, Glasgow, Chicago". Bdaily Business News. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
- ^ Akorede, Shakir (March 12, 2017). "Brando And Montgomery Clift Performances In First Iphone7 Film". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (September 10, 2020). "Indie 'Where Sweet Dreams Die' Sets Cast; Rom-Com 'They/Them/Us' Wraps Shoot During COVID-19; Danny Trejo & More Star In 'The Shift' – Film Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Deadline. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ "Oscars Release Clarifications in Diversity Rules Insider". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ "Where Sweet Dreams Die evoking inspirations of Taxi Driver and American History X – The Hollywood Reporter". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
External links
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