Indie Spotlight: Upcoming Web Series ‘Las Rosas’ Is A Showcase Of Latina Talent

We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we shout out a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the attention-grabbing films and series you probably haven’t heard about. Read previous installments here.

Announced today, Las Rosas is a forthcoming telenovela-inspired Australian web series that will begin airing on its dedicated YouTube channel Sept. 29. It’s a showcase of Latina talent, from Salvadorian director Daisy Montalvo to lead actresses Luciana Madrid and Lousia Panucci, starring as, respectively, sisters Marisol and Mariana.

In the series, Marisol, whose quinceañera was cancelled after her mother died, plans 14-year-old Mariana’s upcoming quinceañera with relentless detail. She’s determined to make it the perfect coming-of-age celebration, but she and Mariana clash on everything from dress design to cake to whether Mariana actually wants a quinceañera…or if this is all really for Marisol.

“The idea of a quinceañera came to me because it felt like such an important moment in my life for me, my sister and my mum,” Montalvo says. “I wanted to tell the story and the struggle of organising such a Latino-American tradition in a very suburban Western Sydney community.”

Las Rosas is produced by nonprofit media company Curious Works.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR FILMS AND SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Filmmaker Marina Bruno. Bruno is producing short films in a variety of genres from her indie studio, Wondering Pictures. All her films are available for free on YouTube.
• Artificial. We’ve mentioned Twitch’s first interactive sci-fi series before, but those who haven’t yet joined in now have the opportunity to catch up. Showrunners are holding a full rerun of Artificial’s first eight episodes this Sunday, Sept. 9, starting at 7 p.m.

Got something you’d like to see for eatured in the Indie Spotlight? Be sure to contact us here. For best coverage, please include the full film or a full episode in your e-mail.