120 DAYS: Undocumented in America
Family man Miguel Cortes could be forced to leave the country in four months as a result of his immigration status. In exchange for Miguel agreeing to leave the country voluntarily and paying a $5,000 bond, a North Carolina immigration judge offers him 120 days to get his affairs in order before leaving his wife and two daughters in the United States to continue their education. Miguel has 120 Days to work hard, save money and weigh his options about returning to Mexico alone, or risk changing his name and disappearing back into another U.S. city illegally to keep his family together.
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Ted RoachDirector
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Ted RoachWriter
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Ted RoachProducerSomay Ku; A Uganda Tennis Story, Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life
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Brad AllgoodProducerLandfill Harmonic
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Margaret HermanProducer
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Miguel CortesKey Cast
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Maria Luisa CortesKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary, Feature
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Genres:Documentary, family, current events, political
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Runtime:1 hour 19 minutes 3 seconds
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Completion Date:March 1, 2014
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Production Budget:70,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English, Spanish
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Shooting Format:HD
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Boston Latino International Film FestivalBoston, MA
United States
September 30, 2016 -
Santa Cruz Film FestivalSanta Cruz, CA
United States
June 3, 2016 -
Down East Flick FestGreenville, NC
June 3, 2016
WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM -
Riverside International Film FestivalRiverside, CA
May 6, 2016 -
(In)Justice For All Film FestivalChicago, IL
April 21, 2016
Illinois Premiere
WINNER AUDIENCE AWARD and SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD - FEATURE FILM -
Ozark Foothills Film FestivalBatesville, AR
April 9, 2016
Arkansas Premiere
WINNER BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY -
"Latino Americans: 500 Years of History" Museum screeningNorth Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC
March 4, 2016
Solo exhibition -
Atlanta International Documentary Film FestivalAtlanta, GA
November 21, 2015
WINNER BEST SOCIAL ISSUE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE -
Napa Valley Film FestivalNapa Valley, CA
November 12, 2015 -
Big Latino Cinema FestLos Angeles, CA
November 12, 2015
BEST FILM NOMINATION -
Greater Washington Immigration Film FestivalWashington, DC
October 25, 2015 -
Human Rights Film Series, American UniversityWashington, DC
October 8, 2015
DC Premiere -
Cincinnati Film FestivalCincinnati, OH
September 20, 2015
BEST DIRECTOR NOMINATION -
Longleaf Film FestivalRaleigh, NC
May 2, 2015
WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY and BEST MADE-IN-NC -
Richmond International Film FestivalRichmond, Virginia
March 1, 2015
Virginia Premiere
WINNER BEST FEATURE AUDIENCE AWARD, AND BEST DIRECTOR FOR TED ROACH -
RiverRun International Film FestivalWinston-Salem, NC
April 25, 2015 -
Palm Beach International Film FestivalPalm Beach, FL
March 28, 2015
Florida Premiere
NOMINATED BEST DOCUMENTARY -
Julien Dubuque International Film FestivalDubuque, Iowa
April 23, 2015
IOWA PREMIERE -
San Luis Obispo Film FestivalSan Luis Obispo, CA
March 14, 2015 -
Irvine International Film FestivalLaguna Hills, CA
January 16, 2015 -
Kansas International Film FestivalKansas City, Kansas
October 11, 2014
Midwest Premiere
WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY JURY AWARD -
Charleston International Film FestivalCharleston, SC
April 13, 2014
East Coast Premiere
WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY AUDIENCE AWARD -
St. Louis International Film FestivalSt. Louis, MO
November 16, 2014
Missouri Premiere -
AMFM FestivalCathedral City, CA
November 15, 2014
WINNER FILM 4 CHANGE AWARD -
Louisville International Film FestivalLouisville, KY
October 11, 2014
Kentucky Premiere -
Cucalorus Film FestivalWilmington, NC
November 15, 2014 -
Atlanta Film FestivalAtlanta, GA
April 2, 2014
Southeastern Premiere -
Dances With FilmsLos Angeles, CA
June 7, 2014
West Coast Premiere -
CineVision FestivalSanta Fe, NM
May 3, 2014
WINNER BEST SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY AWARD -
Durango Film FestivalDurango, CO
February 27, 2014
Premiere of Completed Cut -
Southern Colorado Film FestivalAlamosa, CO
September 12, 2014 -
CINE Golden Eagle AwardsWashington, DC
December 13, 2013
No screening, juried competition (submitted as Work-in-progress)
WINNER CINE GOLDEN EAGLE AWARD - FEATURE DOCUMENTARY -
Austin Film FestivalAustin, Texas
October 26, 2013
World Premiere (as Work-in-progress, many changes before completed February 2014)
Nominated for Best Documentary (1 of 5 in competition)
Distribution Information
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Gravitas VenturesCountry: WorldwideRights: Video on Demand, Pay Per View
Ted Roach is a director, producer and editor who has worked in the film and digital media industries for almost twenty years. His productions have screened in over 50 film festivals, won many awards, and have been broadcast internationally.
Most recently Ted edited 4 music videos for Trace Adkins, directed/edited 3 videos for Drake White, and has started post-production on a new feature documentary entitled "In the Executioner's Shadow." Previously he served as a producer and co-editor on the MTV docu-series "Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life" in 2012-2013, and has produced/edited several other award-winning, broadcast documentaries ("Somay Ku; A Uganda Tennis Story", "Ecoviews; Three Stories from the Chesapeake Bay" for Maryland Public TV, and "Saving the American Wild Horse"). As a freelance video journalist and editor in Washington, DC between 2008-2012, he created many digital video shorts for organizations such as the National Park Service, NOAA, the Investigative Reporting Workshop, and the American News Project (more details and video links available at www.TedRoach.com).
Prior to his documentary and journalism work, Roach spent six years in Los Angeles working as an assistant director, production coordinator, location scout, production assistant, and also as a motion picture talent agent’s assistant at the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills. He formed his own production company during this time, Sammy Slate Productions, to produce and direct his first film, “The Gentleman Don La Mancha.”
Ted holds an MFA Film degree from American University in Washington DC, where he won the 2011 University Award for Outstanding Graduate Scholarship, and was a national finalist for the 2010 Student Academy Award in Documentary. He earned a directing/editing certification from the Los Angeles Film School in 2002, and a BA History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996.
Illegal immigration issues appear in documentary and journalistic programming frequently. However most of this coverage seems to take propagandistic sides in this contentious debate. The ones that manage to avoid opinion-based bias often focus on the most "spectacular" aspects of the issue, such as drug smuggling and treacherous border crossings to lure audiences with danger and adventure. The real-life, personal stories are often lost between the pundits and the dramatizations, and the sum of these programs has created an unrealistic and divisive picture of the undocumented immigrant population in our society today.
I wanted “120 Days” to be different, in order to introduce some balance and humanity into this ongoing debate. As we hear politicians and pundits arguing over statistics, we need to remember that the people most affected are not just numbers. They are individual human beings caught up in economic, social and political forces beyond their control.
"120 days" is an observational, character-based documentary. We tell a very personal family story, but the Cortes family's situation also presents a unique lens through which to examine the larger issues of illegal immigration. It is crucial that the public sees immigration from as many sides as possible, and "120 days" offers one unique, compelling perspective from which to view this controversy; through the eyes of a man could soon lose his family, due to both his own decisions, and the U.S. government's current immigration policies.
My goal in making "120 days" was to let viewers feel what it’s like to be Miguel and his family as they face these difficult decisions. In understanding their perspective, a lot can be learned about not only their plight, but also the same decisions that face millions of immigrants in America everyday. With this goal in mind, we present our documentary "120 days" for your consideration.