Los Angeles is often portrayed as a city of fame, fortune and impossible dreams, but the new drama, ‘Angeleno,’ shifts the focus to the people whose stories are rarely told. The film explores the lives of the titular residents living beneath the city’s glitz and glamour. As a result, the movie is a deeply personal drama about ambition, identity and second chances. The feature also challenges familiar stereotypes, presenting characters whose hopes, struggles and relationships reflect the universality of the human experience.

Jay Diaz wrote, directed and produced the drama. Jeff Torres, Corina Calderon, Brian Thomas Smith, Isaac Bar-Jonah, Katherine Castro, Pamela Rose Evans, Ava Ramirez and Lauren Marini starred in the film.

‘Angeleno’ will have its World Premiere during Dances With Films: LA on Saturday, June 20 at 5:00pm PST at TCL Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood. The movie will also screen at the Big Apple Film Festival on June 20.

‘Angeleno’ follows Angel (Torres), who lives his life day by day, working multiple jobs, taking care of his mother and watching the filmmaking dreams he once had fade away. But over one weekend, he finds himself at three different parties, in three different corners of Los Angeles.

Angel’s goddaughter’s birthday surrounds him with his roots, his culture and an unexpected reunion with his ex, Mia. A co-worker’s gathering forces him to face the comfortable but hollow life he’s settled into. A Hollywood after-party at an old college friend’s home shows him a version of success he might have had. Now, the future he thought he’d lost may still be within reach.

Diaz generously took the time recently to talk about scribing, helming and producing ‘Angeleno’ during an exclusive interview over Zoom. Among other things, the filmmaker discussed that the feature was inspired his desire to tell an authentic Los Angeles story informed by his own experiences. He also reflected on his excitement over premiering the project at Dances With Films: LA.

Film Factual (FF): You wrote the script for the new drama, ‘Angeleno.’ What inspired you to pen the screenplay, and how did you approach building the story?

Jay Diaz (JD): I always wanted to tell an LA story from my perspective. I just didn’t know what that story would be. During the pandemic, I had a lot of time to think about where I was in my filmmaking career. I started thinking about a character who had dreams they had put on the back burner.

I’m a big fan of slice-of-life movies. Richard Linklater and Sean Baker are major inspirations, so I wanted to tell a grounded story. I started working on the script around 2020, built the cast over the next few years, shot the film in 2024 and finished it earlier this year.

FF: The film is deeply rooted in your own experiences and in Los Angeles itself. What was the process of finding the right locations, and how important was it for the city to feel like a character in the story?

JD: A lot of it was run-and-gun, guerrilla-style filmmaking. There were times when we didn’t even know if we had a location, and we were scheduled to shoot the next day. There was a lot of scrambling.

I come from the YouTube world, where you figure things out as you go. I was fortunate to have a cast and crew who believed in my vision. Even with all those challenges, we always knew what story we wanted to tell. As long as we were telling that story, it didn’t matter where we were or how we were doing it. That’s what mattered most.

FF: ‘Angeleno’ stars Jeff Torres, Corina Calderon, Brian Thomas Smith, Isaac Bar-Jonah, Katherine Castro, Pamela Rose Evans, Ava Ramirez and Lauren Marini. How did you approach casting the movie?

JD: About 90 percent of the cast were people I’d worked with before, so we already had an established creative relationship. That made the process much easier.

There were only two or three actors I hadn’t worked with previously, but they came highly recommended by other cast members. I’m always happy to work with people who want to collaborate.

As a director, I’m very collaborative. I talk with actors about who they think their characters are, and we work together to shape those performances while giving them the freedom to bring their own perspective. That helped keep the film grounded, which was very important to me.

I didn’t want anything to feel exaggerated, even though the film features many different characters. That’s what Los Angeles is like – you constantly meet interesting people who can have an impact on your life, and I wanted to capture that.

FF: How much time did you have to develop the characters with the actors? Were you able to rehearse together?

JD: Jeff Torres, who plays Angel, and I started talking about the character before there was even a script. Building that foundation early was incredibly important. Once we understood who Angel was, everything else started falling into place.

Corina, who plays Mia, had worked with me before. I knew I wanted her in the film because she brings such a natural rawness to her performances. I encouraged her to keep everything as honest and authentic as possible because I trusted her instincts.

Brian Thomas Smith, who plays Taylor, has been a producing partner on projects with me for more than 15 years. He’s always believed in me and my work. Once he joined the cast, I knew we had the right team and were ready to move forward.

FF: ‘Angeleno’ marks your feature film directing debut. What was it like helming your first feature after helming television and short-form projects?

JD: It was daunting. I knew it would be difficult, but I didn’t realize how emotionally demanding it would be. You’re responsible not only for yourself but also for your actors and crew, and making sure every part of the production is working while still telling the story.

Since I was also editing the film, I was cutting it together in my head while we were shooting. We didn’t have much time at many of our locations, so I had to know exactly what coverage I needed. Being both director and editor helped because I understood what was essential and avoided overshooting.

FF: What was the editing process like for the movie? How did you shape the final version of the film?

JD: Post-production took longer than anything I’ve ever done. It lasted about a year and a half.

After production wrapped, I actually stepped away from the film for about three months. I thought I’d be ready to edit immediately, but I realized I needed time to recover emotionally. That break allowed me to return with fresh eyes and watch the film more like an audience member than its director.

The film went through many different versions. The first rough cut is always the weakest. From there, I gradually removed anything that wasn’t serving the story. You can’t become attached to every scene you shoot. A lot ended up on the cutting room floor, but the movie became stronger because of it. I had to set aside my ego and focus entirely on what made the film better.

FF: Besides directing the drama, you also served as a producer, alongside Samantha Diaz, Kevin Huie and Danielle Savage. How did you work together as producers to make the movie?

JD: My wife was also a producer on the film, and it was her first time producing. She’s really the reason this movie exists. She encouraged me to make it and brought together the right people to help us accomplish it.

We were working with a shoestring budget, so having people who believed in us made all the difference. When people hear how little money we had, they’re surprised by how the film looks. We were able to secure locations, organize large party scenes with extras, and accomplish things I still can’t believe we pulled off.

FF: ‘Angeleno’ is having its World Premiere at Dances With Films: LA on June 20. What does it mean to you that the drama will screen at the festival?

JD: It means everything. It’s a childhood dream come true. I’ve always wanted to premiere my first feature film at a major festival.

I’m excited more than anything else. I’m proud of the film because it’s exactly the movie I wanted to make and the movie I wanted to see. I can’t wait for audiences to experience it.

FF: After the movie premieres at Dances With Films, are there any other festivals that will be screening the feature?

JD: We were just accepted into the Chicano Hollywood Film Festival at the end of July, which is another exciting opportunity. We’ll continue submitting the film and seeing where it lands.

Ultimately, the goal is to find a platform where audiences everywhere can watch it. For now, we’re grateful to be screening at great festivals and continuing to build momentum.