Up With Me

After winning a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school, Francisco (Francisco Vicioso) must struggle to maintain his relationships with his girlfriend, Erika (Erika Rivera), who fears he will no longer be the boy from El Barrio she loves, and best friend Brandon (Brandon Thorpe), who acts out in increasingly serious ways to force Francisco back home. "What's innovative is the way the story is told. With hand-held cameras, natural lighting, and honest, unforced performances, the film has a level of intimacy and realism that could not have been achieved with famous actors and shiny production values. Even if you didn't know that these were non-professional actors who really do live in Harlem, you'd sense it when you watched them. An early scene of Erika and her two girlfriends gabbing about their love lives is so charmingly unaffected and funny that it could pass for a documentary. Even the best actors can't fake that kind of genuine teenage exuberance and delivery" –Eric D. Snider. From IFC Films.