Carmen Marron
Writer, Producer, Film Director,
Education Advocate, &
Youth Empowerment Speaker
To book this speaker, call (310) 937-2789 or
e-mail speakers@bestkeynotes.com today!
Carmen Marron is the hottest Latina filmmaker and writer in Hollywood today. She is in high demand as a motivational keynote speaker at inner city high schools, university and college campuses, teacher and school administrators´ meetings, and as a panelist and presenter at women’s conferences. The reason: she embodies what CNN recently described as “an improbable rags-to-film-festival-success story.”
Carmen grew up in Chicago’s Logan Square community, a rough neighborhood where she recalls young people around her making poor choices that were ruining their lives. Years later, she was often reminded of this experience as she worked as a guidance counselor for high risk teens in south Phoenix. She explored how to reach them and influence their decisions and consequently, improve the odds for their success in life.
She discovered early on that inner-city youngsters bereft of positive models and encouragement, looked up to people in TV and movies. Her imaginations kicked in. Perhaps telling a story with characters that mirrored their reality could inspire these young people to make better choices, focus on goals, and give it their all. So began a 10-year journey in which she and her husband saved to create a little movie with a message for young, at-risk students: “Yes, you can overcome the worst of circumstances and challenges and become the person you've always dreamed to be. Just go for it!”
Carmen is living proof of what one person can achieve. Her do-it-yourself saga involved three cities, two career changes, at least one extra job, multiple failed film locations, a least one broken mirror, and one of Madonna's choreographers, among other challenges. Though such things are common in the realm of independent-film productions, what makes the achievement of Carmen Marron unique is that she is living a dream she didn't even know she had.
In the beginning, she didn't know anything about making a movie nor aspired to be a filmmaker. But she took books from the library and talked to screenwriters from top film schools that encouraged her along the way. They explained that successful writing was less about a film degree and more about having a story one felt passionate about and could visualize.
Carmen Marron decided to work on her script and Bread and Roses’ film director, Ken Loach, encouraged her to find a way to finance and direct it herself, asserting that no one could capture its social message better. It would lead to years of determined work to produce her first film, “Go For It!”
See the movie trailer here:
Carmen Marron's success in a competitive entertainment industry captures the imagination of audiences across the United States and around the work as they hear and identify with her story and embrace its inspirational message. "Kick yourself out of the rut and make a change," she says. "You're always going to have obstacles."
Her film, "Go For It!" is about the struggles of a young Latina college student (Aimee Garcia) with a passion for hip hop as she seeks entrance into a dance school. "Through the journey she deals with a loss and she deals with love and she learns how to become a woman," explains Marron.
It had an extraordinary debut for a director with no filmmaking experience and was well received on the indie circuit. It earned audience awards at multiple film events including Dances with Film Festival in West Hollywood, California; the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival; the San Antonio Film Festival; and Cine Las Americas in Austin.
Recognition didn't end there and the movie, "Go For It!" was an official selection of the 2010 Chicago International Film Festival. ABC interviewed her there:
Hollywood took notice of this Latino themed film as well and Pantelion Films, a partnership of indie studio Lionsgate and Spanish-language media giant Televisa released “Go For It!" in English in 2011.
Carmen Marron believes in the power of education and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business from DePaul University and a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Arizona. She is currently working on two new scripts. As she tours the world, the extraordinary woman who taught herself to write, produce, and direct a movie is achieving what she sent out to do as a guidance counselor years ago in Arizona: deliver the message and be a role model proving “you can overcome obstacles and live your own dream.”
Keynote program (available in English or Spanish):
- Go For it! How To Direct Your Own Story and Fulfill Your Dreams.
To book Latina filmmaker, Carmen Marron, for your next event : Calll 310-937-2789 today or contact us here.
Email speakers@bestkeynotes.com
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