Acclaimed Argentine screenwriter and director Gabriela Tagliavini chatted about her latest endeavors and the digital age.
Her Netflix film “Christmas With You,” starring Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr., which she directed, reached the Top 10 in over 80 countries all over the globe. “It was fantastic, we had a great time. We became like a family with the actors and the producers,” she said. “Being in the Top 10 in 80 countries felt incredible. It’s a cute movie and we all had a good time.”
In this film, pop star Angelina (played by Aimee Garcia) is feeling burnt out careerwise, so she escapes to grant a young fan, Cristina’s wish in small-town New York, where she not only finds the inspiration to revitalize her career but also a shot at true love.
“I met Aimee a long time ago and I have been following her career, I think she is wonderful. She did it all in this movie,” she said. “Freddie and Aimee had great chemistry on-screen, he is a sweetheart and super talented,” she added.
“For the role of the girl, we auditioned over 200 girls and Deja got the part, and she really earned it,” she said. “We filmed it in New York and the view was amazing.”
She had great words about producer German-Michael Torres. “I’ve known German for a long time and he’s the one that sold this project to Netflix, and then, we hired the actors. German is amazing, he is always on time, and always present, and I always felt protected. He is a hands-on producer,” she said.
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she said, “Excitement.” “I experienced a lot of happiness thanks to the warm reception of this movie,” she said. “I have a new movie coming out on Amazon in the fall of next year, which I did for Sony International.”
She shared that she enjoyed working with filmmaker Shaun Paul Piccinino in “Casa Grande,” which will be released on Amazon next year. “Shaun is such a sweet person, he is the best,” she said. “I love Lauren [Swickard] too, who was the showrunner of that project.”
Tagliavini opened up about being a filmmaker in the digital age. “The good thing about the platforms and the digital world is the worldwide distribution and the accessibility.”
She noted that it was the adverse times in her career that kept her going, and they inspired her to push forward. “I am a big believer of consistency,” she said.
For young and aspiring writers and directors, she said, “Make your own content with your cell phones, edit them on the computer and try to put them out there. Put them on YouTube or try to sell them to Netflix.”
On her definition of the word success, Tagliavini said, “Feeling fulfilled in life. On a spiritual level, you need to be joyful and happy.”
She concluded about her new film “Christmas With You,” “I hope everybody watches it and has a good time, and I hope people understand the importance of family and love, and I hope they have fun.”
To learn more about award-winning filmmaker Gabriela Tagliavini, follow her on Instagram and check out her IMDb page.
