BBHS Alum Guillermo Prieto IV shares his film with community screening

Hearing his grandparents love story was all the inspiration filmmaker Guillermo Prieto IV needed for the film he would create for his senior thesis project while a student at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

“I wanted to make a film that is inspiring and heartfelt,” Mr. Prieto said. “I was really touched by it. It’s a timeless story about love.”

Mr. Prieto is a 2020 graduate of Blind Brook High School. On Friday, February 28, his film “El Pumita,” which translates to “the little puma” will be shown during a special screening for the community. 

Mr. Prieto had interviewed his grandparents during a visit they made to his home in Rye Brook. He learned how his grandfather, Guillermo “Memo” Prieto II, played American Football for Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico in Mexico in the 1960s. He met his future wife, Concepcion “Conchita” Dominguez, however, her family were not impressed. They wondered how “Memo” could make a living as an athlete and were skeptical of their age difference. Eventually Miss Dominguez moved to Boston, where “Memo” followed her. He convinced her to return to their native Mexico. She could attend college there, and the rest, they say is history.

The filmmaker, who graduated from NYU last year, began making short movies while still in high school. An admittedly shy child, Mr. Prieto said he began to change when he discovered film making and honed his acting skills by participating in school drama productions. 

“I think I was 13 when I saw ‘Star Wars the Force Awakens,’” Mr. Prieto said. “I was blown away by the audience reaction. I decided I want to make movies that cause reactions like this.”

Using his iPhone 6, he’d capture stories created through his imagination and would post them on his YouTube channel, 4Gen Productions. It was easy to see the future he would prepare for when he went to college.

For this short film, Mr. Prieto not only plays the role of his grandfather, but also served as director and producer. He worked to get funding for the project and said he was fortunate to find a local composer who wrote several original pieces for “El Pumita.” He was also inspired by his mentor, Barry Rosen, who assures him he has a future in filmmaking because of his ambition.

Mr. Prieto’s goal is to create films in a variety of genres, from horror to crime and romance adventure stories.

He is currently working on a feature-length film, one he wrote for a class while in college. He described it as “a crime-romance adventure, set in the 1990s.” He would like to shoot the film in Mexico and is working to get financing for the project.

“I feel confident I can direct a film of that scale,” he said.

This spring Mr. Prieto said he is submitting “El Pumita” to several film festivals.

In the meantime, Mr. Prieto is excited to share his grandparent’s story with friends and neighbors.

“Hopefully this film inspires other young filmmakers to get into the business,” Mr. Prieto said. “What I want to do with my films is to unite people.

“Guillermo is a passionate and driven film maker, especially when it comes to ‘El Pumita,’” said Scott Jaffee, former BOE president who was instrumental in helping to make the upcoming screening a reality. “When you see the film, it's immediately clear that this is a very personal story, and he's ready to share it with the world. As a big supporter of independent film, I'm excited to see where his talent takes him and will help him as much as I can.”

The screening, Mr. Jaffee explained, was first proposed by the district’s DEI committee last year with the help of Taka Kimura, a Blind Brook alum who was the President of the BBHS Multicultural Club at the time. He enthusiastically supported the idea, in part, due to his own legal work in supporting independent films. His company also supports the New York Latino Film Festival.

It was not lost on anyone involved how meaningful it is during these challenging times for a district like Blind Brook to screen a powerful film like this, Mr. Jaffee said. 

“We hope that this event is a success and opens the door for other film screenings showcasing interesting works from other under-represented cultures,” he said.

“El Pumita” will be shown on Friday, February 28 at 7 p.m. in the cafetorium at BMPRSS, an event hosted by the BBHS Spanish Club and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Board of Education. There is no charge, however there will be light refreshments for sale and a raffle. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles. Following the screening, the audience will have an opportunity to ask Mr. Prieto questions, along with actress Regina Gonzalez, who played his grandmother.