The Ballad of Tita and the Machines by Miguel Angel Caballero: AI meets its match in an elderly farm worker.

Oscar®-qualifying The Ballad Of Tita and The Machines: AI meets its match in Tita

Los Angeles, CA (Oct, 13, 2023). Miguel Angel Caballero is directs The Ballad of Tita and the Machines. It examines the ethical, and social implications of AI’s encroachment into immigrant labor sectors in the near future.

“I wanted to shine a light on our essential workers. And unsung heroes who carry this country on their backs. Who are so often rendered invisible,” said Miguel Angel Caballero. Who brings a distinctive voice and vision to the film. Caballero has consistently tackled pressing social issues in the Latina and LGBTQ+ communities. He does it with grace and sensitivity, blending captivating storytelling with poignant social commentary.

His precise direction of The Ballad of Tita and the Machines, combined with the evocative cinematography of Robert L. Hunter. With the expertly crafted visual effects, and elaborate set design it creates a visually stunning experience. One that transports audiences into the heart of Tita’s story. 

The film is by writer Luis Antonio Aldana & Miguel Angel Caballero. It takes place in the not-too-distant future and tells the story of Tita. An injured elderly fieldworker who’s reluctantly replaced by an advanced AI humanoid.  The creators of the cutting-edge technology learn a lesson quickly. They learn that her human skill and resilience may not be as easy to substitute as they once thought.

The Official Trailer for The Ballad of Tita and the Machines DIrected by Miguel Angel Caballero

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This film’s producee is Helena Sardinha and Rafael Thomaseto. It’s presentation at the Tribeca Festival and was made as part of Indeed’s Rising Voices program. An initiative set up to discover, invest in and share stories created by BIPOC filmmakers and storytellers. It is in qualificatiion for consideration for a 2024 Academy® Award. Rising Voices’ creation is in collaboration with Emmy® Award-winning writer, creator, and actor Lena Waithe. Also Hillman Grad Productions, Ventureland and 271 Films.

Miguel Angel Caballero is the son of Mexican immigrant farm workers and an award-winning Queer Mexican-American/Chicano writer, director, and producer. His short film, ACUITZERAMO, premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival, won 20 awards internationally, and is screening on MAX. Miguel Angel is an Outfest Screenwriting Lab Fellow, Film Independent Project Involve fellow, and the Warner Bros. Discovery 150 Artist Grant recipient. Miguel Angel is one of 10 directors in 2022 inaugural Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Accelerator Program. He won the Humanitas New Voices Fellowship.

Luis Antonio Aldana (co-writer/actor) holds a BA in American Literature and Culture from UCLA. And is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He later joined the Latino Theater Company’s Laboratory. Where he co-wrote the play Melancholia, which was nominated for Amnesty International’s Freedom of Expression Award. He is an Outfest screenwriting lab fellow and Warner Bros. Discovery 150 Artist Grant recipient. In 2023, his feature script, ANGEL IN RETROGRADE, was selected as a finalist for Untold Stories at the Tribeca Festival. Luis is a winner of the Humanitas New Voices Fellowship 2023.

The short has qualified to be considered for a 2024 Academy® Award.

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Additional Details
Indeed’s mission is to help people get jobs. And while we know talent is universal, opportunity is not. Data shows that BIPOC directors remain critically underrepresented as directors. Rising Voices was born out of the question, what would happen if we took the production budget for a national TV spot and instead invested it in 10 BIPOC directors to create short films?

To help get the program right, Indeed partnered with Lena Waithe and Hillman Grad Productions to structure and launch Rising Voices. Mentorship was core to the program to ensure we were creating sustainable pathways to a career, so we also brought on a number of top filmmakers as mentors. The directors each received a $10,000 script payment and $100,000 in funds to create their films. While they were hard at work shooting and editing, we turned our focus to the release strategy by launching a partnership with The Tribeca Festival to debut the entire Rising Voices slate of films.

Following their Tribeca premieres, the mentors helped the directors network and make connections in the industry. Rising Voices was written up by more than 20 major entertainment and mainstream publications – with individual films and directors getting countless press hits as well. All this helped set the filmmakers up for long-term success with multiple filmmakers selling films, signing with agents, and getting hired to direct feature films. Through 3 seasons, their films created over 2,000 industry jobs–many going to people of color.

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