Kickstarter Pick: Lisa Cifuentes Teams Up With Her Sisters For Feature Film, "After The Wedding"

You've seen her working the front desk and soon you could be seeing her producing her first feature film. 3rd Ward Member Associate Lisa Cifuentes mentioned this "little project" when we spoke with her back in March, but she was obviously being modest, as it sounds like an amazing endeavor. 

Teaming up with her sisters Claudia and Karina, Lisa is raising money via Kickstarter to begin production on After The Wedding this summer. The film, which is written and directed by Claudia and co-produced by Lisa and Karina, "follows newlywed Diego Diaz (Nick Puga) as he heads down to Miami Beach for a few weeks to finish his latest novel, but when he becomes emotionally intimate with a sexy bartender, he and his wife are left to examine the true state of their young marriage."

By pledging to the After The Wedding Kickstarter you will not only be supporting an ambitious project from a 3rd Ward staffer, but also a couple of underrepresented segments in entertainment world. As the Cifuentes sisters point out in their Kickstarter pitch, the United States' Latino population has grown significantly, but the same can't be said of the film industry. They also highlight the fact that only 5% of directors are female and only 18% of behind-the-scene film roles are held by women. With After The Wedding's Latina writer and director, producers, and a largely Latino cast, those statistics are another great reason to get behind the film.

And if you still need a little extra nudge, the Cifuentes sisters are also offering tons of enticing rewards for pledges. Lisa herself will be baking some "delicious Latin sweets" as part of a $100 "Cafe con Leche" pledge package and leading a 4-hour driving tour of Miami's best spots for a $300 "Ocean Drive" package. On top of such great Kickstarter rewards, the sisters have also started "Our Secrets to a Happy Marriage," a blog series in which they ask couples to share their marriage secrets.

For more check out the After The Wedding website and Facebook page and keep up with the Cifuentes sisters via their Dreaming of Palm Trees blog and Pink Forest Films Twitter. And, of course, hit up their Kickstarter page to help make After The Wedding a reality.

-- John Ruscher

New Staff Welcome: Get To Know New Member Associate Lisa Cifuentes

Whenever we meet a new 3rd Ward staffer, we like to welcome them by "grilling" them with some "hard-hitting" questions. They invariably shoot back amazing answers that make us even more glad to have them as part of the crew.

New Member Associate Lisa Cifuentes is no exception. Below she'll tell you where you should eat in Williamsburg, what social media website she can't get enough of and much more.

So tell us about what you do here at 3rd Ward.

I sit at the front desk. I greet members when they walk in and assist them if they need anything. I also give tours of the space and help new members register.

And where are you from?

Originally from here, but we moved back and forth between New York and Miami a lot. Both cities feel like home to me.

What were you up to before coming to 3W?

Well, my background is in public relations and production. So after I left the PR agency, I was producing a few music videos and short films. I still love doing that on the side when opportunities come up.

You'll definitely fit in around here then. Anything you've seen at 3W so far that's been particularly inspiring?

The fact that we offer such a diverse variety of classes is pretty amazing. I'm especially inspired when I see members with day jobs in completely unrelated fields coming in here on nights and weekends picking up a new craft or hobby. It's really cool to see them excited about what they're learning and creating.

Any 3W events that you're especially looking forward to?

Yes! I haven't been to the Drink N' Draw yet and I hear it's always a blast. Every Wednesday from 8pm to 10:30pm. 

You may be new, but you know your stuff. OK, as you know, we're all food junkies around here. So give us your recommends on where we (and everyone in New York) should be eating.

Well, I'm guilty of frequenting the same spots regularly. Among my faves are Caracas, Juliette, Beco and Mesa Coyoacan. All in Williamsburg.

What's your favorite gadget or tool?

Not sure if you'd classify it as a tool, but I'm a total Pinterest junkie.

Psychological horror movies or romantic comedies?

There's not enough choices with this question!

What else?

Can I say indie dramedies?

Sure, we'll take that. What's the best event that you've seen so far this year?

I went to the screening of a film my friend was in recently at BAM. It was a film by Joshua Bee Alafia called Let's Stay Together. It was super low budget, but really well done and surprisingly funny. There was a Q&A afterwards too, which was cool.

What's your favorite drink?

Depends on where I am. If it's a place known for cocktails, I can't resist a good Manhattan. Otherwise I'll stick with Jameson and soda or beer.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of 3W?

I write a blog with my sisters called Dreaming of Palm Trees. We're also working on this little project, a film my sister wrote and will be directing. We'd love to shoot it hopefully this summer.

Anything else you'd like to share?

If we haven't met yet, come say hi if you see me at the front!

-- John Ruscher