Roberto F. Canuto

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Roberto F. Canuto Biography

Desire Street (aka “La Calle Del Deseo” or “Calle Deseo”) is Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi’s first feature film, produced as a graduation work in their Master of Fine Arts at the New York Film Academy (Los Angeles) in Hollywood. The story follows three family members (mother, daughter and son) as they try to survive their loneliness and obsessions by going through different sexual experiences and relationships with a prostitute. “This film has a flamboyant style that is oddly downplayed by characters that tend to be frustrated by the barrenness of their urban living. The protagonists are socially malformed as they struggle with self-identity and self acceptance”. The directors take as a reference the Mexican melodramas of the 1960s. They exaggerate the representation of the characters to accentuate the irony that is a basic element in the story, creating many situations of comedy. At the end of the story the family became the main reference for the individual survival. The reception at film festivals was very good and score positive reviews and awards (Best Film at Asturian Film Festival in Spain and Special Mention Best Feature at Mix Mexico International Film Festival ):

Roberto Fernandez Canuto (born April 13, 1973 in Gijon) is a Spanish film director and screenwriter. He belongs to a new generation of filmmakers from Spain with learning or working experiences internationally and with multicultural influences. Roberto F. Canuto is one of the first European directors to establish stable collaborations within the Chinese industry. Since 2010 he co-directs all his films with the Chinese director Xu Xiaoxi and together open a film production company in China, Almost Red Productions.

Roberto F. Canuto was born in Asturias, Spain. Since an early age he was curious for moviemaking. He remembered to watch The Jungle Book at a movie theatre when he was only 5 and question his family about the process of making a movie. During his childhood he starts music studies and obtains degrees in Piano, Harmony and other relates subjects at the “Royal Conservatory of Music of Asturias” (Spain) and he joins a short curse on acting at the “Superior Dramatic Art School of Asturias” in 1989. It is during these years when he discovers independent films from US and authors from Europe and, according to the director: “that was probably the moment when I decided that my dream was to follow my storytelling passion”.

He studies Arts in Audiovisual Communication at Madrid’s Complutense University and in 1998 he obtains a bachelor’s degree (Licenciate) specializing in Filmmaking. During his years of study he collaborates as a film critic in different media and classic directors influence him after he attended frequent sessions at the Spanish Cinematheque. Also, he organizes film seminars at the cinema room of his Hall of Residence “Empresa Pública”, but his first attempts to direct shorts were frustrated.

From 2008 his film career starts developing, directing some films that achieved great reactions in the festival circuit, including awards, and most of them created with his usual collaborator, Xu Xiaoxi. During the two years of study in US, Roberto directs over 14 short films in celluloid and digital formats and collaborates in more than other 20 shorts covering different crew member positions, from Cinematographer to Script Supervisor, allowing him to know the profession inside out. His two graduation projects became the most successful films, “Toto Forever” (Year One graduation) and the feature “Desire Street'”, co-directed with Xu Xiaoxi (Master graduation). Both projects received “Best Film” awards. “Desire Street” at “Asturian Film Festival 2014” and “Special Mention” for “Best International Feature” at “Mix Mexico International Film Festival 2011” and “Toto Forever” at “LesgaycinePTY, International Film Festival of Panama”, together with other awards, nominations and special screenings.

During the years of study in Los Angeles, the directors start the collaboration with the composer Andrea Centazzo, Italy’s top orchestral percussionist. An artist known for his ability to “synthesize Oriental percussive vibration with timbales understanding of Contemporary Music and the soul of jazz and rock.” Andrea Centazzo composed the scores for all their films since then: Mei Mei (2009), Toto Forever (2010), Desire Street (2011) and Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal (2013).

A short trip to London (UK) to visit a close friend became an adventure that expand for over 8 years, working in fields, far away from filmmaking (from Chef to representative of companies as Prada or Calvin Klein). Frustrated with his life style and having a job that focus only in monetary gain, he decided to give up everything, travel to Los Angeles (CA) and enrol in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) – Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, Universal Studios (Hollywood), that allow him to be in contact with filmmaking again. He graduated in 2009 with the feature film “Desire Street”.

Toto Forever (aka Toto Para Siempre or Siempre Toto), is the first international successful film directed by Roberto F. Canuto and written by Roberto and Xu Xiaoxi. The film participates in over 30 international film festivals, mainly of LGBT theme, with awards as Best Film at “LesGayCinePTY in Panamá 2010”, Third Award for Best Short Film at “6th CinegailesAST in Asturias, Spain, 2014”, nominated for Best Film at Kashish 1st Mumbai International Film Festival together with other selections and Opening Ceremonies in different venues. It is considered Cult film in many circles, after becoming a Classic in the underground Gay Cinema with many screenings around the globe.

In 2011 Roberto decides to travel to China and start a film career there, combining the western and eastern culture in his work. Together with Xu Xiaoxi founded officially their own production company, Almost Red Productions, where they alternate the fiction narrative projects with commercial/advertisement works.

Roberto F. Canuto, while attending the Master of Fine Arts at NYFA, directs many shorts as “Me Inside Me”, “Lila” or “Our Sweet New Home”, but most of them remain unreleased. His graduation films, the short “Toto Forever” and the feature “Desire Street” (co-directed with Xu Xiaoxi), are the works that bring more attention, awards and international recognition. In China, produced by Almost Red Productions, he co-directs with Xu Xiaoxi in 2013, “Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal” that attracts media attention, with press interviews and TV coverage. They release in 2015 “Floating Melon” and englobe both films, together with their new film “Sunken Plum” in a trilogy that they call Invisible Chengdu. Back in Spain, in 2016 he release Advent (Ad-vientu), spoken in Asturian language.

In 2013 released the Chinese-Spanish production short film “Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal”, film that obtained awards for Best Film (Riverside Saginaw International Film Festival, Michigan, USA), Best Actress Sherry Xia Ruihong and Runner up Short (Asturian Film Festival, Spain) together with other nominations, like the GAVA awards for “Best Short” and “Best Screenplay”.

The premiere of Desire Street in Spain took place in 2014 at the “Asturian Film Festival” and in China at the “Contemporary Art Museum A4” of Sichuan also in 2014 .

In August 2014 the Contemporary Art Museum A4 in Chengdu (Sichuan), one of the most prestigious museums in China. organised an exhibition titled ID/EGO, dedicated to the filmmakers Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi, that included a showcase of pictures and objects used during their shootings and the presentation in China of Desire Street and their latest short film Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal (2013). The exhibition had a very positive reactions and a very good turnout in all the projections. Due to the success, the exhibition was extended for further weeks.

Floating Melon (Original Chinese: 浮果 ; pinyin: Fu Guo ; lit.: ‘floating fruit’; Spanish title Sandía amarga) is a 2015 Spanish and Chinese co-production drama film written and directed by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi. It is a low budget independent short movie that tells the story of Xiao Cheng, when he finds his lover dead in his bed, after a lethal drug reaction. In the dark roads of Chengdu, Xiao Cheng, scared of the consequences, send a message asking for help to his friend. She thinks that the best solution is to hide the body, but when they return to the apartment, they found the unexpected.

Floating Melon was shoot in Chengdu (China) with non professional actors. The film premiered in Spain at the 53rd FICXIXON, Gijón International Film Festival in November 2015 and in China at the Art Gallery Shujingtang Alley Art Space in Chengdu (Sichuan) in June 2016. It received an Audience Award at the 15th Aviles Acción Film Festival (Spain) and the Audience Choice Award and Best Cinematography Award (Guo Yong) at the III Asturian Film Festival of Proaza 2016 (Spain). In the first 12 months after the release it has been presented in over 40 international film festivals in Europe, America, Asia and Africa.

In 2015 present the film Floating Melon and introduced the project as the second part the trilogy, “Invisible Chengdu”, that will include Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal (2013), Floating Melon (2015) and Sunken Plum (a new productions to be presented in 2017).

The world premiere of the film was held in Spain, at the 53rd Gijon International Film Festival in November 2015. It received the audience award for best short film, Asturian section, at the 15th Aviles Action Film Festival and at the Audience Choice Award for Best Film and Best Cinematography at the 3rd Asturian Film Festival of Proaza. In China the film premiere was held at an art gallery, Shujingtang Alley Art Space in Chengdu in June 12, 2016 and the reactions where very positive. The premier in China was held relatively underground (due to the censorship laws of the country).

The world premiere of Advent took place at the 54th Gijón International Film Festival on the 25 of November 2016 and the film obtained the Audience Award Dia D’Asturies for Best Short Film. It will start the international festival circuit in 2017.

The film uses non professional actors and it was partially produced with a Crowdfunding project. The filming process took place in October 2016 and the postproduction is expected to be completed in Spring/Summer 2017.

The following year, in 2016, Roberto F. Canuto directs his first film in Spain, in Asturias (his hometown), using the language of the region, the Asturian language, titled Advent (Ad-vientu), a psychological mystery drama film. The world premiere of Advent took place at the 54th Gijón International Film Festival on the 25 of November 2016 and the film obtained the Audience Award Dia D’Asturies for Best Short Film.

Sunken Plum (Original Chinese: 沉李 ; pinyin: Chen Li ; lit.: ‘sunken plum’) is Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi’s latest short film, to be released in 2017. Produced by “Almost Red Productions” (China) in association with “Arkadin Ediciones” (Spain). It is a melodramatic comedy with mystery elements and tells the story of a transgender woman who works in a nightclub in Chengdu. Unexpectedly, she gets a visit from her cousin who tells her that her mother (whom she didn’t sees for a long time) is deceased. As the only son, she feels obligated to return to her birthplace, but can not appear as a woman in front of her family.

Invisible Chengdu (aka El Chengdu Invisible (Spanish)) is a Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi trilogy of short films filmed in Sichuan (China) and using the local language of the region, the Sichuanese Mandarin. This set of films reflects the underground scene of Chengdu. It includes “Sunken Plum” (2017), “Floating Melon” (2013) and “Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal” (2013). The trilogy tell stories about people normally segregated and that have to survive in the shadows of the Chinese society, that is against diversity and individuality.

His new film, Sunken Plum, will be released in 2017. It completes the trilogy “Invisible Chengdu”. It is a melodramatic comedy with touches of mystery and social realism (with a mix genre typical of the directors). The film uses non professional actors and the filming took place in Sichuan (China), mainly in Chengdu City Center, the lake “Bai Ta” and a remote village in the mountains of Sichuan, “Nan Bu”.

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