Trailer

 

Director

Director's Statement:

At the heart of this story is the conflict between generations. Aging parents and

grown children have difficulty expressing both their love and mutual disappointment

in each other. A father recognizes the unstoppable force of time and must say

goodbye to his daughter so she can start her own life.

 
For inspiration, I’ve looked to the naturalistic world cinema of the 1950’s, and an

approach that values subtle yet conflicting emotions above frantic action and the

overt fears and pleasures that tend to drive many current films.

It includes subtle romance, gentle humor, and heartbreaking tragedy – but it should not be depressing.

Instead, we concentrate on the Japanese idea of "mono no aware," which is

difficult to translate, but involves finding peace with life's imperfections.

 
Heartwarming scenes highlight the bittersweet nature of life, finding resolution in

the warmth of the characters, the beauty in sadness, and the universality of the

human experience.

 
My hope is that the project will express emotions that are frequently absent from

films today but are ubiquitous in our real lives.

 
- Chris Eska

Visit Chris' website!  

Production

Shortly after premiering his UCLA thesis film, Doki-Doki, on national PBS in late

2004, Chris Eska returned to his rural hometown in south Texas in search of

inspiration for his first feature film. He found his story, and spent the spring

developing a treatment for August Evening.

 
Chris began casting in California and Texas in May 2005 and found his lead in

an unlikely way. Nonactor Pedro Castaneda was installing computer networks in San

Antonio when he randomly bumped into Chris, who was struck by his authentic look

and his natural depth of character. After convincing Pedro that he was serious, Chris

showed him the script and they began months of intense rehearsals.

 

In June, producers Connie Hill and Jason Wehling left their jobs at PBS and

became the first residents of the three-bedroom house that would become a

homey mixture of production office and filmmaking commune. When they

weren’t scouring the county for props, wardrobe, and locations, more than 15

crew members slept on air mattresses, cooked meals together, and sang karaoke. The

entire community of Gonzales came together to support the project in the 105-degree

August heat, and all on-set meals were donated and prepared by local citizens,

many of whom appeared in supporting roles in the film.

 
Over 55 hours of footage had to be sifted through and edited during the course

of 2006.

As soon as a rough cut was complete, August Evening was invited to

several top film festivals, and Chris decided to wait and premiere at the Los

Angeles Film Festival in June of 2007.

Press

Press

Scott Foundas on "August Evening" in LA Weekly:

Shot in Spanish, in and around San Antonio, August Evening occasionally seems rote in its conflicts and could benefit from a slightly shorter running time, but the powerful, lived-in performances and Eska’s keen understanding of the reciprocal disappointments between parents and children make for a deeply absorbing viewing experience.

Read Scott Foundas’ full review of "August Evening"

Festivals

Festivals

 
Los Angeles Film Festival (world premiere;  winner: best film, best acting ensemble)

 
SXSW (rough-cut sneak preview)

 
Mill Valley Film Festival

 
Woodstock Film Festival (winner: best film)

 
West County Film Festival

 
Special Screenings in Taos an Albuquerque for Santa Fe Film Festival

 
International Latino Film Festival--San Francisco Bay Area

 
Santa Fe Film Festival

 

Filmmakers

Actors

Pedro Castaneda

Pedro spent his early days as a migrant farmer throughout

Texas and the Midwest. He attended medical school, obtained

a pilot license, and taught himself to build and install wireless

networks. Pedro lives with his family in San Antonio.

 

Veronica Loren

Veronica grew up in south Texas before moving to Los Angeles

to pursue a singing career. Just three months after arriving in

LA, she came back to Texas for August Evening, her first

feature film role.

 

Abel Becerra

A Dallas native, Abel is a talented musician. He has appeared

in numerous television commercials and in a short film called

The Grass Grows Green, which recently premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival.

 

Walter Perez

Walter grew up in South LA and earned a B.A. in Criminal Justice

from Cal State University, Fullerton. He has acted in numerous

television series, including Friday Night Lights, CSI: Miami, The

District and in films like HBO's Walkout.

 

Sandra Rios

Sandra was raised south of Houston (Richmond/Rosenberg).

She has worked as an actor for several years, primarily in

commercials and industrials. August Evening is her first

feature role.

 

Raquel Gavia

Raquel was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. She currently

teaches French at Austin Community College and has appeared in

numerous films and stage productions. Most recently, Raquel

played the role of Rita in Richard Linklater's Fast Food Nation.

 

Cesar Flores

Cesar was born in a migrant labor camp in Michigan and raised in

Crystal City, Texas. He’s a core member of El Teatro Campesino in

San Juan Bautista, CA. He holds a B.A. from Cal State University,

Fullerton and an Emergency Teaching Credential.

 

 

Chris Eska Writer, Director, Editor

Chris was raised in Ottine, Texas (pop. 98) and studied sociology and art at Rice University before attending UCLA's MFA film directing program. His films have screened on PBS, at the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Competition, the Texas Filmmaker's Showcase, and at festivals worldwide. After a one-year leave of absence from UCLA to backpack across India and Asia, Chris returned to Japan to produce Doki-Doki, his master's thesis film. Doki-Doki premiered on the national PBS series Independent Lens with an introduction by Susan Sarandon. Buy a copy of "Doki-Doki" right now!   August Evening is his first feature.

 

Connie Hill, Producer

Connie Hill has worked in the Houston PBS Education & Outreach Department for seven years. Currently in the role of Outreach Coordinator, she extends the impact of national PBS programs through collaborations with community partners, special events, and local television productions.  Connie received Telly Awards and the Lone Star Emmy Award for her production work on Houston PBS programs. She is certified to teach Elementary Education PK-6 and ESL PK-12.

 

Jason Wehling, Producer

Jason grew up in Georgetown, Texas. He met Chris while studying at Rice University, where he wrote, directed and edited numerous projects, including a feature called Lemmy Lemmm…  In 2002, he was hired by PBS headquarters outside Washington, DC, to evaluate projects and proposals for the national schedule, and in 2005, he returned home to produce August Evening.  Recently, Jason associate produced an award-winning documentary called A Place to Dance and worked as coordinating producer on episodes of Forecast Earth for The Weather Channel.

 

Yasu Tanida, Director of Photography

Yasu has photographed award-winning feature films, music videos, and commercials. He

holds a BFA from Chapman University, where he won the Einstein Award and the Kodak Best Cinematography Award in 2001. Some of Yasu's work include The Cavern for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Until the Night, Ways of the Flesh, and Universal Remote. This is Yasu's second collaboration with Chris, having shot his award-winning short, Doki-Doki.