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Mr. Zoot Suit

After putting his dreams on hold, a university housekeeping supervisor follows his passion for dancing and educating others about the history of the zoot suit.

  • Chan'Cellore Makanjuola
    Director
  • Jessuly Suarez
    Director of Photography
  • Antoinette Winstead
    Executive Producer
  • Karina Martinez
    Producer
  • Chan'Cellore Makanjuola
    Co-Producer
  • Maria Elena Cruz
    Co-Producer
  • Daniel Bommer
    Assistant Camera Operator
  • Jesse Arenas
    Lighting Designer
  • Anna Boone
    Production Assistant
  • Chan'Cellore Makanjuola
    Editor
  • Moses Porras
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Rosemary Porras
    Key Cast
    "Herself"
  • Rose Barerra
    Key Cast
    "Herself"
  • Josey Porras
    Key Cast
    "Herself"
  • Richard Sanchez
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Chuco Garcia
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 12 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 19, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    550 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Our Lady of the Lake University
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • San Antonio Film Festival
    San Antonio
    United States
    August 2, 2018
    Official Selection
  • El Paso Film Festival
    El Paso, Texas
    United States
    September 14, 2018
    El Paso Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival
    San Antonio, TX
    United States
    November 10, 2018
    Official Selection
  • West Texas Film Festival
    Odessa, TX
    United States
    November 16, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Festival de Cine Latino Americano
    Denton, Tx
    United States
    February 23, 2019
    Honorable Mention
  • Houston Latino Film Festival
    Housto, Tx
    United States
    March 30, 2019
    Houston Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Philadelphia Latino Film Festival
    Philadelphia
    United States
    June 1, 2019
    Philadelphia Premiere
    Official Selection
  • CineOdyssey Film Festival
    Charlotte, North Carolina
    United States
    July 19, 2019
    North Carolina Premiere
    Winner-Best Student Film
  • South Texas International Film Festival
    Edinburg, Texas
    United States
    September 5, 2019
    Winner-Best Documentary Short
  • ¡Cine Magnífico! Albuquerque Latino Film Festival
    Albuquerque, NM
    United States
    September 7, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Anaheim FIlm Festival
    Anaheim, CA
    United States
    September 29, 2019
    Winner-Best Documentary Short
  • Dallas VideoFest 32
    Dallas
    United States
    October 4, 2019
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Chan'Cellore Makanjuola

Chan’Cellore Makanjuola is a filmmaker from Dallas, Texas. She graduated in Spring 2018 from Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) in San Antonio, TX where she received her BA in Digital Film and Multimedia Production with a minor in English. During her college career, she made several short films and videos for her undergraduate portfolio. She served as news anchor and reporter for OLLU’s student-produced newscast, The Lake Front, where she interviewed guest speakers, writers, students, and faculty to name a few. She later went on to serve as The Lake Front’s news director, producing several newscasts on current events relating to the OLLU community. The journalism skills she gained in The Lake Front, as well as what she learned as a film major, piqued her interest in documentary filmmaking. “Mr. Zoot Suit,” is a short documentary she directed, edited, and co-produced for her senior undergraduate portfolio. Chan’Cellore wants to continue making documentaries and share inspiring stories of people who make positive differences in their communities.

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Director Statement

I first met Moses in the Fall of 2016. He and his family were hosting a zoot suit event at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) for Hispanic Heritage Month and my job was to report on it for the student newscast. I had never met him before and this was my first time learning about the zoot suit: a wide-legged, high-waisted, men’s suit commonly worn during the 1940s. Moses and his family put on a spectacular performance that night and after I got my interview with him, I hurried back to the editing lab to make my news package. I didn’t think much about it then, but it was that encounter with Moses that eventually led to the production of “Mr. Zoot Suit.” I made the film as part of my Digital Film II course at OLLU under the guidance of my professor, Antoinette Winstead. What drew me to feature Moses as the subject of my documentary was the fact that he was an unsuspecting person with a huge talent. Despite adversity, Moses continues to pursue his dreams, and I hope this film will inspire others to do the same.