Rudy Mancuso is ready to woo Camila Mendes with his life story, as told through song.
The digital creator makes his big screen debut writing, directing, and starring in “Música,” which charts his own coming-of-age story as an artist with synesthesia. Mancuso hears music everywhere, especially when he locks eyes with Isabella (Mendes) while at a New Jersey diner. Set in Newark, “Música” follows Mancuso’s balance of love, family, and his Brazilian culture.
The film will premiere at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival on March 13. Mancuso wrote and directed the feature, with Dan Lagana co-writing. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star J.B. Smoove, Francesca Reale, and Maria Mancuso also round out the cast.
This year’s SXSW features a slew of first-time filmmakers, including actor Dev Patel’s directorial debut “Monkey Man” and “SNL” alum Kyle Mooney stepping into the director’s chair for “Y2K.” “Música” premieres in the Narrative Spotlight section of the festival alongside titles like “Omni Loop,” “The Greatest Hits,” and “Arcadian” with Nicolas Cage. The festival opens with Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” and fellow Prime Video release “Road House.” Rom-com “The Idea of You” closes this year’s SXSW.
“Música” continues supporting actress Mendes’ recent Prime Video reign on the heels of “Upgraded.” Deemed a “lovable take on ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ set in the art world” in the IndieWire review, “Upgraded” comes on the heels of Mendes’ star turn in “Do Revenge.” Mendes’ fellow “Riverdale” alums Cole Sprouse and Charles Melton have also aced recent releases, with Sprouse starring in “Lisa Frankenstein” and Melton earning a slew of awards at the Gothams and NYFCC for “May December.”
Mendes spoke about representing her own Latin heritage on screen with roles in both “Upgraded” and “Música.”
“We don’t get to see Latinas star in rom-coms very often,” Mendes told Refinery29. “I appreciate that in ‘Upgraded,’ I get to play this character in a movie where I’m not tokenized. In ‘Música,’ I get to do a version of representation that’s more celebratory — it’s a Brazilian-American story.”
Mendes, who made her executive producing debut with “Upgraded,” added, “I want to ensure we create space for us to have great opportunities to play interesting, engaging roles. I just don’t see those opportunities being created. Every award season, it’s very rare to see Latine representation. A huge part of that is that there aren’t enough roles showcasing how talented we are.”
“Música” premieres April 4 on Prime Video. Check out the trailer below.
