A.J. "Alex" Avila

Creative Director at TexMex FilmWorks, LLC
Screenwriter, Producer, Filmmaker and Director

Austin, Texas

Member Since:
February 2015

Last online:
> 2 weeks ago

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About A.J.

A.J. "Alex" Avila is a native of Austin, Texas and spent 25 years as a professional journalist, including 12 years as an award-winning NPR producer. He holds a PhD in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, but his bachelor’s degree is in Radio-Television-Film with an emphasis in film production. In 1993, Alex co-founded and co-directed the Austin-based Chicano/Latino Film Forum, which brought together Latino filmmakers and audiences and was active until 1999. He has written several feature film screenplays, two of which have placed in multiple screenwriting competitions and two newer feature scripts already winning a couple of accolades. As writer/producer, Alex’s first feature, a Latino coming-of-age drama titled “Closer to Bottom,” won “Best Texas Feature” at the Austin Indie Fest in 2017. “Vecinos: Love Thy Neighbor” is his second feature film as a producer and his first as a feature film director. He is also officially in development with his third feature film project, a psychological thriller based on an award-winning original screenplay that he wrote.Currently, Dr. Avila is a visiting professor of mass communications at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas.

Unique traits: Award-winning storyteller.

Gender:
Male

Ethnicity:
Latin/Hispanic

Badges

Photos

Avila directing on location in Lockhart, Texas. Photo by M. Armendariz ©2020 by Vecinos Unit, LLC.

Loglines

A.I. Dad Budget: $1M - $5M | Independent When Alma Santos inherits a hard drive filled with her late father's memories and academic work, she forms an unexpected bond with him through an A.I. persona. But as their relationship deepens, the boundaries blur, leading Alma and her college friend David to confront the consequences when A.I. Dad's influence becomes overwhelming.
The Reserve Budget: $5M - $10M | Sports ⋄ Family "The Reserve" delves into the generational clashes and cultural divergences within the Moreno family, navigating the contrasting worlds of American football and Mexican "futbol". Diego Moreno's journey from a young immigrant boy enamored with his father's soccer legacy to a reluctant football kicker reflects the tensions between tradition and assimilation. As Diego grapples with his father's expectations of soccer prowess and his own burgeoning talent in American football, the film explores the complexities of identity, belonging, and the pursuit of personal dreams amidst cultural divides. Through poignant exchanges, familial conflicts, and pivotal sporting moments, "The Reserve" illuminates the nuanced dynamics of heritage, ambition, and the enduring power of sports to bridge divides and unite generations.
Cerebral Budget: $100K - $1M | Thriller Respected professor and family man Ruben Esteban suffers a traumatic brain injury and nearly dies. At first, his family is relieved that he survives. But, as his wife Sonia discovers, the more he recovers, the darker and more dangerous his new personality gets in this realistic psychological thriller.

Credits

Vecinos: Love Thy Neighbor (2021)
Film by Pinche Lampara Productions/Alex Avila Producer/Director A grumpy widower's life turns upside down when a sweet-natured new neighbor with a secret moves in next door in this heart-warming Romantic Comedy.
Closer to Bottom (2017)
Film by Adelante Communication/Jesse Borrego Writer/Producer Two brothers, mourning the loss of their father, fall for the same girl.

Awards

Quarterfinalist for screenplay "The Baptizer" - Faith and Film: International Film/Screenplay Contes
(2023)
"Honorable Mention" for screenplay "The Baptizer" - Big Apple Film Festival & Screenplay Competition
(2023)
"Top 10" for screenplay "Cerebral" - Table Read My Screenplay Genre Competition
(2022)
Semi-Finalist for screenplay "The Reserve" - ISA Family Holiday Genre Busting Screenplay Competition
(2022)
Quarterfinalist for screenplay "The Reserve" - Chicago Screenplay Awards
(2022)
Quarterfinalist for screenplay "The Reserve" - Miami Screenplay Awards
(2022)
Semi-finalist for screenplay "The Reserve" - Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards
(2022)
"REMI Award" - WorldFest-Houston for feature "Vecinos: Love Thy Neighbor"
(2021)
Quarterfinalist for screenplay "The Reserve" - Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices Screenplay Compe
(2021)
Semi-finalist for screenplay "The Reserve" - Scriptapalooza
(2021)
"Second Rounder" for screenplay "The Reserve" - Austin Film Festival
(2020)
Quarterfinalist for screenplay "Cerebral" - Table Read my Screenplay
(2020)
Finalist for screenplay "Cerebral" - Oaxaca Global Script Challenge
(2019)
Finalist for screenplay "Cerebral" - Filmmatic Screenplay Awards
(2019)
Semi-finalist for screenplay "Cerebral" - HCF Screenplay Competition
(2019)
Quarterfinalist for screenplay "Cerebral" - Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition
(2019)
Quarterfinalist for screenplay "Cerebral" - ScreenCraft Film Fund
(2018)
Quarterfinalist for screenplay "Cerebral" - Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards
(2018)
"Palma de Oro" - Mexico International Film Festival for feature "Closer to Bottom"
(2018)
"Best Original Song" Silver Medal - International Independent Film Awards feature "Closer to Bottom"
(2018)
"Best Texas Feature" - Austin Indie Fest for feature "Closer to Bottom"
(2017)