interviews
Armando Ibáñez le da voz a la comunidad LGBTQ sin papeles en esta serie de YouTube
- Los Angeles Times
An Interview with Armando Ibañez
His hopes for undocumented people
- Lush Cosmetics
The Web Series ‘Undocumented Tales’ Explores the Complex Lives of Undocumented Queer People
- HORNET
Armando Ibañez On Crafting ‘UndocuTales’ Season 3 With a Bigger Budget & More Inclusive Crew
- REMEZCLA
‘Undocumented Tales’ season 3, more undocumented queer Latinx stories
- QVoice News
Filmmaker shows his identity
- Talon Marks
When Art Imitates Life
-Define American
Web Series, “Undocumented Tales” Comes to the Big Screen
"The web series is an emotional roller coaster following Fernando through his obstacles: work challenges, trying to get into college, a stressful home environment, shocking love life and involvement in civil rights movements. The film sparked an array of emotions from the audience, making them laugh and cry at various points during the screening.
Directly after the show, there was a Q&A with some of the actors involved in the webseries. Ibañez was joined by his co-stars, Mela Lopez and Mia Belarosa. Lopez currently helps with language and accent coaching in Los Angeles while Belarosa plays a transgender woman, Alejandra, in the web series and in reality is also part of the transexual Latinx community.
The panelists shared many of their experiences and motivations with creating “Undocumented Tales.” Although they worked long hours and most of those who helped with the project didn’t have much experience, they saw great support from their community.
“Nobody got paid, so it’s amazing to create and be a part of something that people took time out of their days,” Belarosa said. “People were there because they believed in the project, they believed in the mission.”
Ibañez wrote the series to welcome people into his world so the public could have a better understanding of the struggles within the undocumented community.
'I wanted to break stereotypes and misconceptions about our community,' Ibanez said. 'To show that undocumented people are human beings.'”
-D49er
Armando Ibanez Encourages All Of Us To Always Tell Our Own Stories
"Armando Ibañez has taken storytelling to a whole other level with his web series, Undocumented Tales which he began in September of 2015. For him, being in charge of how the stories of queer immigrants are told is not something he takes lightly. Ibañez shares with us that the project was created for those who might be feeling a little down as [he] felt years ago. He wants to tell people that no matter the barriers we have, we are powerful.
For visionaries like Ibanez, his work is about putting those that are not represented onto the screen. He hopes to bring comfort to those that are struggling to find their place in the world while being queer, undocumented and working class. What began as a project inspired by his love for filmmaking has become a source of inspiration to many. The cast is composed of mostly immigrant queer and trans Latinx people which is a priority to Ibanez and through the power of the internet and with the love of many, Undocumented Tales has gathered significant success."
-Chispa OC
Undocumented, Queer Characters In 'Undocumented Tales' are portrayed as Human Beings
AUTHENTIC QUEER LATINO CHARACTERS
"Ibanez, 35, of Paramount, is committed to portraying authentic Latinx characters and addressing real issues impacting immigrant communities in the United States.
“I want to break Hollywood and mainstream media stereotypes about my people,” says Ibanez, who stars as Fernando. “I was tired of seeing films about us only showing our struggles, showing us crying. They don’t show our beauty, our celebration of life."
UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE AS HUMAN BEINGS
"'I want to show that undocumented people are human beings,' he says. 'Hollywood hasn’t done that.'
Ibanez wants “Undocumented Tales” to last five seasons. Season two debuted last year on YouTube. During those six episodes, Fernando continued on his journey to find his identity as an undocumented, queer man and met people who made him realize that hiding and living a lie is not the right way to happiness. Fernando found a love interest, and Ibanez had his first on-camera kiss."
-Queer Voice News
Screening at Ash & Elm Cider Co.
A Screening of Undocumented Tales at Ash & Elm Cider Co.
"Tale as old as time: boy loves boy, but one of them has no papers and whenever they go out on dates only one of them can drink because the restaurant doesn’t take Mexican IDs. OK. Perhaps you don’t recognize this story, but it’s not because it doesn't happen.
Latinx stories are hardly represented at all in the entertainment industry and much less told openly and unashamedly in mainstream media as they are in Armando Ibañez’s web series Undocumented Tales.
The series, filmed (and set) in Los Angeles, does have its fans in the Hoosier state..."
-Nuvo
Web Series Introduces Students to a Man Who Struggles with Identity and Documentation
"Last Thursday, the Cross Cultural Centers (CCC) presented Undocumented Tales: a web series that follows the life of Fernando, an undocumented immigrant who is a closeted gay. Fernando is portrayed by Armando Ibañez, the director and creator of the series.
Ibañez sat with Cal State LA students to watch episodes one, two and three of his web series. The episodes highlighted the obstacles and struggles Fernando has to overcome in Los Angeles including: employment, education, love and civil rights for the LGBT community and undocumented immigrants."
-CSULA University Times
Camille Jessie
Keeping the Dream Alive: Visual Artists Working to Change the Immigration Conversation
Armando Ibañez
"Filmmaker Armando Ibañez brings a fresh and original voice to the growing narrative of undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Inspired by his own life, his web series “UNDOCUMENTED TALES” follows the life of a Mexican server in L.A. as he struggles to conceal his sexuality from his family and his undocumented status from the world around him."
-Muse Magazine
De Dreamer a Cineasta: “Como Indocumentado Me Siento Con El Poder De Escribir Mis Propias Historias”
"La comunidad LGBTQ de Los Angeles apoyó a Armando para realizar la serie. La respuesta fue tan buena que al ver el éxito de la primera temporada de inmediato planeó la segunda, pero al platicar del proyecto con personas que tenían más experiencia éstas le decían que no iba a poder hacerlo, que era un proyecto muy ambicioso, que no estaba listo.
Él mismo también pensaba que no estaba preparado, pero se desafió a sí mismo y le vendió la idea a sus amigos del restaurante donde trabajaba para que lo ayudaran a decorar el set. Logró juntar 4 mil dólares en una campaña de fondeo y los usó para comprar comida durante la filmación.
'Hubo casi 300 personas que trabajaron gratis hasta 20 horas en un día. Estamos creando comunidad en el set porque el ambiente es diferente, se respira la pasión, se respira el amor, se siente que la gente cree en el proyecto'.
Hoy, Armando Ibáñez se siente más vivo que nunca, siente que quiere hacer todo, quiere escribir más, quiere dirigir, quiere hacer documentales y comedias."
-Radar En Linea
Indocumentado y Gay: La Nueva Serie Web 'Undocumented Tales' Busca Romper Estereotipos
"El mundo indocumentado está muy estereotipado. Sí, todos estamos sufriendo, pero también nos reímos, salimos, nos queremos enamorar, luchamos, nos emborrachamos", dice Ibáñez, un mexicano indocumentado de 33 años que vive en California. "En los medios de entretenimiento nos ven solo como víctimas, pero no es así".
Ibáñez interpreta al protagonista de la serie, Fernando, un joven gay e indocumentado que trabaja como mesero en Los Ángeles. Al igual que su personaje, Ibáñez creció con ambos secretos por décadas, hasta que decidió aceptar su sexualidad y perder el miedo a vivir abiertamente sin papeles.
Esa experiencia inspiró el arco narrativo de 'Undocumented Tales'.
"Fernando constantemente le miente a la sociedad por ser indocumentado, y le miente a su familia porque está en el closet", explica Ibáñez. "En toda la temporada va creciendo como persona, y le van sucediendo situaciones que le hacen considerar que mentir no es la opción correcta para ser feliz".
-Univision
Conversan en Twitter Sobre Los Medios y La Representación Latina LGBTQ
Armando Ibáñez, cineasta radicado en Los Angeles, señala que aunque hay programas con personajes latinos LGBTQ, éstos nunca son indocumentados. Esto interfiere con poder identificarse con esos personajes a muchos de la audiencia. Por eso es que él decidió crear su propio programa, Undocumented Tales, que sí incluye un personaje mexicano LGBTQ indocumentado.
