The American Alien
2024 Winner Best Director - Miami International Sci Fi Festival
2024 Winner Best Short - Miami International Sci Fi Festival
2024 Winner Best Comedy Short San Diego Movie Awards
2024 Winner Silver Remmy Comedy Short
2023 Winner Best Cinematography Hollywood Show For Change
A GENRE BENDING SHORT - COMEDY, DRAMA, & SCI-FI set on January 6th 2021.
The American Alien is the absurd journey of a Grey Alien who gets caught at the US - Mexican border and is processed into the US immigration system.
His fellow detainees can see that he is “not one of us” and US bureaucracy only sees a small brown skin boy. He befriends Yesenia, a seven year old El Salvadoran girl who has been separated from her Mother. The two navigate the bazarr bureaucratic world of the asylum seeking migrant.
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Rodrigo RodriguezDirector
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Rodrigo RodriguezWriter
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Melissa KirkendallProducerThe Vast of Night, Chocolate Lizards, You Are Me & I Am You
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Wilfred ShipleyProducerThe Good Wolf
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Ayli PinonKey Cast"Yessina"
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Lucas HowellKey Cast"Grey Alien"
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Adriana RiveraKey Cast"Carmin"
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Scotty WalkerKey Cast"Judge Lee Brown"
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Calros Diaz-MunozDirector of PhotographyThe Butterfly Trees, Me Late Chocolate
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Sci-fi, Drama, Comedy
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Runtime:12 minutes 32 seconds
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Completion Date:March 1, 2023
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Production Budget:30,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:1:2:39
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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HOLLYWOOD - A SHOW FOR CHANGEHollywood
United States
September 1, 2023
Best Cinematography Award -
SAN ANTONIO - 44 Cine FestivalSan Antonio
United States
September 3, 2023
Official Selection -
MACEDONIA - Manaki BrothersBitola
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
September 29, 2023
Special Selection -
TEXAS - Lost River Film FestivalSan Marcus
United States
October 14, 2023
Official Selection -
BRAZIL - ECOCINE International Enviromental & Human Rights Film FestivalSao Paulo
Brazil
November 3, 2023
South American Primier
Official Selection -
FRANCE - Paris International Childrens Care Film FestivalParis
France
November 24, 2023
Official Section -
SAN DIEGO - Movie AwardsSan Diego
United States
May 18, 2024
no
Best Comedy/Drama Short -
MIAMI - International ScFi Film FestivalMaimi
United States
March 30, 2024
no
Best Short Film -
HOUSTON - WorldfestHouston
United States
May 1, 2024
no
Silver Remmy Award - Best Short Comedy -
MIAMI - International ScFi Film FestivalMaimi
United States
March 30, 2024
no
Best Director - Short Film -
AUSTIN - Lift Off FestivalAustin
United States
March 23, 2024
Official Selection
Director Rodrigo Rodriguez started his career working as DP for three seasons for the Travel Channels, Travelview Program, he has worked as Field Producer for Michael Moore TV Nation , Discovery Channel’s, Investigation Discover, the Learning Channels, How they do that. Rodrigo has Directed dozens of national commercials for brands like, Uniroyal Tires, Long John Silvers, Rent-A-Center, American Lung Association, and ESPN.
Fifth Generation of Mexican/Spanish descent, Rodrigo’s was raised thirty minutes form the Texas and Mexico border. He grew up crossing the, then open border, and enjoying the experience of living in a bi-cultural environment. Rodrigo’s “American Experience” has always been one of two countries and two cultures. A world traveler, Rodrigo has worked in over 25 different counties and calls Austin, Texas his home. From there he manages his two companies, Production Company, Rio Films and Equipment Rental House, Citrus Digital. His main focus is in writing screen plays like Masa and Strawberry’s In Texas, developing pilots, and directing and writing short films.
I was inspired to write and direct The American Alien after spending several days being embedded with the US Border Patrol on the Texas and Mexican border for a documentary project. Seeing the process first hand had a profound impact on me. I have had a life long love of all things science fiction and have always been inspired by the surreal. It was that blend of inspiration that drove the idea of, what if a space alien was captured and process into the US Immigration system? The American Alien, is by design a genre-hybrid short mixing, comedy, drama, and Sci-fi. I wanted to the tell the story of the absurdity of the process and the blind bureaucracy that drives it.