This year’s South by Southwest has been quite the event. Coming hot off the heels of the Oscars over in Los Angeles, the film, music, and entertainment festival has proven to be worthy of the crowds it draws to Austin, TX year after year. As always, the fabulous Paramount Theater was home to many of the prestigious film premieres, and that is where I happened to catch a showing of feature-length film Switch Up.
The rom-com stars Cristian De La Fuente (Driven, Ugly Betty) as an internationally renowned talk show host who falls victim to false accusations of his involvement in a Ponzi scheme that cause him to lose his wealth and the lavish lifestyle that comes with it. With the help of an unhoused veteran, played by Jeff Fahey (One Life to Live, Hypnotic), and the woman who runs his homeless shelter, played by Julieth Restrepo (Deadland, The Residence), the down on his luck show host manages to turn his life around with a newfound respect for helping others.
The full interesting story is: Ricardo de la Cruz (de la Fuente) has it all. His success as a talk show host has given him every perk life could offer. When his ratings drop, he finds himself broadcasting from South Texas at a homeless shelter run by Cassie Harris (Restrepo) to show his “charitable side.” Scandal erupts as Ricardo is falsely accused of running a Ponzi scheme. He loses everything and is now stranded in South Texas. Cassie and her family bring him into the shelter. With the assistance of a homeless vet named Charlie (Fahey), Cassie’s family, and his producer Marie (Avery), Ricardo regains his throne. However, the life he once had has lost its shine. He finds a way to win Cassie’s heart and gains a renewed sense of purpose in his life.
This is a fun little film. Switch Up is not going to blow you away or be a big name come awards season, but it is the perfect movie for when you want a little pick-me-up. Producer/Director Tara Pirnia brings together a fun cast of faces, including Alecia Witt (Urban Legend, The Walking Dead) and Shondrella Avery (Napoleon Dynamite, End of Watch), that help bring this movie to life, and most were present at SXSW for this premiere. The energy from them was electric and you can tell they were all thrilled to be there. Watching their project make it out to an audience is the true goal of every filmmaker, and they should be proud of their accomplishment.
In a few months, when the film finds its way into theaters or streaming, be sure to give it a watch and enjoy. Every single movie is hard to make, no matter how big or small, so see them all and support these artists. Independent films like this are heart and soul of the industry and keep filmmakers engaged with the audiences. Watching little
We wanted to give a special thanks to our Entertainment Today Reporter: Nina Ameri for doing a fantastic job with covering The SXSW Film Festival and Special Events, for us in Austin, Texas!
There will be a lot more great news stories from Nina Ameri!
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