May 31, 2015
Dennis visits the Echo Park home of writer-drector Javier Fuentes-Leon to discuss his new thriller "The Vanished Elephant," which makes its US premier at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 16th. Javier talks about the inspiration for the complex, engrossing mystery, the pressure of having to follow-up to his Sundance Audience Award-winning breakthrough "Undertow", the difference between shooting in the U.S. vs his home country of Peru--where both of his features have been set, and how the Outfest LGBT Film Festival changed his life. Javier also recalls his lowest moment professionally, what it was lke to give up a careeer in medicine and a girlfriend in Peru to move to LA and pursue his dream of being a filmmaker, and the encouraging voicemail he got from one of his directing heroes. Other topics include: Javier's teenage rock n roll crush, seeing "My Fair Lady" in the theater as a kid and having his world rocked and the aspect of his personality that is quintessentially Peruvian. With this installment, Dennis Anyone? begins a partnership with Frontiers newsmagazine, which will post podcasts along with a little bonus content that's not on the podcast. To learn what Javier's surprising dream project is, check out www.frontiersmedia.com