What if I told you that two Chicagoans — one from Little Village and the other from Austin — executive-produced a gritty, coming-of-age tale that centers Black and Latino actors and lists Jamie Foxx as a producer?
That’s precisely the case with Martin Cabrera, Jr. and Robert Aguilar, the Chief Executive Officer and President of Cabrera Capital Markets, a Latino-owned investment bank and brokerage firm headquartered in Chicago.
Cabrera and Aguilar helped finance the film “Story Ave,” a tale of a young graffiti artist who attempts to rob an older man in what becomes a life-changing encounter.
But their decision to invest in this film was more than just financial. Both men believed in the movie because of the people behind it and what the story reflected.
The film takes place in the Bronx and is named after a fictional train station, but the world it depicts feels familiar to both men.
“I grew up in Little Village, and Robert grew up on the West side,” said Cabrera, “So, when we read the script, we knew that this is what kids are going through in the hood.”
“And we know how there are some guardian angels out there looking out for us and other kids as well,” Cabrera added.
Just as the young protagonist, played by emerging actor Asante Blackk, receives mentorship from a world-weary transit worker, played by veteran actor Luis Guzmán, Cabrera and Aguilar credit mentors for propelling their academic and professional careers.
Cabrera, a Bogan High School product, credits an elementary school teacher and a high school economics instructor for serving as early mentors.
Aguilar, who attended Lane Tech, added, “If we think back on our lives, we could identify who our Luis Guzmán was, right? I could definitely think about my math and science teacher in grammar school and how he was a big influence on me.”
‘We Need to Do This Movie’
Through Guzmán and his son Cemí, Cabrera and Aguilar first learned of “Story Ave” and director Aristotle Torres.
The award-winning actor approached them about investing in the film three years ago, recalled Cabrera. Guzmán was in Chicago to do benefit work on behalf of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students.
“Luis was so excited about this script and director Aristotle Torres,” said Cabrera. “He was like, ‘Martin, I’ve never seen a kid so talented.'”
Guzmán later told him, ‘We need to do this movie.'”
Both men agreed because they saw this film as an opportunity to make a more significant impact, particularly on their communities.
“For Robert and I, we know how difficult it is to invest and even get access and opportunities as Latino business leaders, and how difficult it is and how many times we get rejected and shut down and passed over,” said Cabrera, touching on the difficulties of raising money for an independent film like “Story Ave.”
“It was really at a point where Rob and I were looking at each other, and we’re like, ‘We know this is a big risk, we could lose all our money and just be left with a DVD, and that’s it,'” said Cabrera.” But we know that we have to advocate as well, not just in business, but for those gifted individuals like Asante Blackk and Aristotle Torres.”
“But we’ve got to do this,” said Cabrera, “We’ve got to make it happen.”
Earlier this month, they did.
‘Story Ave’ Comes to Chicago
“Story Ave” has already garnered rave reviews on the festival circuit this year, earning a special jury award in cinematography from the SXSW Film Festival. Kino Lorber picked up the film’s North American distribution rights in May and slated it for an October release nationwide.
But earlier this month at the famed Music Box Theatre in Lakeview, hundreds of people gathered for a special film screening, including their friends and family members. It was also the first time Cabrera and Aguilar saw the movie.
The urban drama, which has fantastical elements, stunning cinematography and powerful performances — most notably by Blackk, Guzmán and Melvin Gregg — drew a range of emotions from the hundreds in attendance. Laughter and gasps were heard at specific points, along with the stunned silence when a film steals your attention. When the end credits rolled, there was sustained applause from the audience.
“Opening that film up to the city of Chicago, the city that we love, means a lot to us,” Cabrera said.
Yet, Cabrera and Aguilar are also looking forward to getting more films made in Chicago, particularly with cast members from Story Ave and their associates, people they’ve worked with in other productions.
“It’s bringing those networks to shine the light on Chicago,” he said, “And so, hopefully, they’re going to be making more movies here, some that we’ll be involved with but others where we might not, but just encourage them to do more here in the city.”
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