Eva Longoria has boarded Jefferson Stein’s live-action short “Burros” as an executive producer.
She will exec produce alongside Sandra Condito, president of film and TV at Longoria’s production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment.
“Burros” tells the story of a “six-year-old Indigenous girl who discovers a Latina migrant her age who has lost her father while traveling through the Tohono O’odham tribal lands into the United States,” according to the logline.
The film is set just miles from the Mexico-U.S. border in southern Arizona.
“As a Mexican-American from Texas, it is vital that we champion stories like this, which is why I’m thrilled to come on board as executive producer,” said Longoria. “The Mexico-U.S. border crossing is such a complex political flashpoint, but in Jefferson Stein’s short film ‘Burros,’ we see two six-year-old girls: kindred spirits from opposing sides of the border who immediately connect with each other despite having no shared language. ‘Burros’ is touching, sad and inspiring all at the same time, and an important story that needs to be told.”
“Burros” (courtesy of Jefferson Stein)
Stein said: “Eva’s work as a director, producer and actor is of the highest caliber, and I’m thrilled to have her on board. Her activism on the Mexico-U.S. border and mission to lift up Latinx stories makes Burros a perfect fit. With the film, I sought to highlight the overlap of cultures and languages in the Tri-Nation area and present a point of view that’s not often seen on film.”
“Burros” premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and has since won a slew of awards including Best Short at SCAD Savanah Film Festival, New York International Children’s Film Festival and RNCI Red Nation Awards.
Stein’s previous short film “Tumble Dry Low” screened at Seattle International Film Festival, Maryland Film Festival, and was selected for the Shoot New Director’s Showcase. He has also written a debut feature screenplay set in the same world as “Burros” titled “Where the Sun Meets Magdalena,” which reached the quarter finals of the Academy Nicoll Fellowship in Screenwriting.
“Burros” was produced by Liz Cardenas (“7 Days”), Russell Shaeffer (“Thou Wast Mild & Lovely”) and Douglas Riggs (“I Was There Too”). Larry ‘Bear’ Wilson and Camillus Lopez who are members of the Tohono O’odham Nation exec produce. Cole Graham oversaw the cinematography.