Candle Media’s Exile Content Studio, in collaboration with Trojan Horse Media and iHeartMedia’s My Cultura, a podcast network dedicated to elevating Latinx voices and stories, today announced a new podcast series “More Than a Movie: American Me.”
The 12-episode audio-documentary will launch its first two episodes this Thursday, Sept. 15 in anticipation of Hispanic Heritage Month. Hosted by Emmy®-nominated producer and writer Alex Fumero (HBO Max’s “Menudo: Forever Young”) and produced by journalist Nigel Duara, the series delves into the true story of Edward James Olmos’ 1992 cult film classic, “American Me,” and the legacy the controversial film left behind. The series will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.
When Edward James Olmos set out on his directorial debut of “American Me,” he wanted to accomplish two things: to represent Chicano culture on the big screen and to save part of his community from gang violence.
But when people were allegedly murdered because of their participation in the film, and Olmos himself was reportedly extorted by the real Mexican Mafia, it brought to light the unintended risks of trying to expose corruption.
Daniel Batista, Exile’s Chief Digital Officer, said, “‘American Me’ and its director, Edward James Olmos, both hold prominent places in Latino film history for the film’s powerful portrayal of Latinos facing the realities of gang life in the late 20th century. But perhaps more historically significant than the film itself is the bigger story surrounding the film, which this podcast series explores in detail with people close to the story.”
The podcast’s host, Fumero, is a celebrated producer and creator whose most recent project, “Menudo: Forever Young” for HBO Max, premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival. His other projects include “Mucho Mucho Amor” (Netflix) – an Official Selection of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival – and the critically acclaimed sketch show, “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson” (Netflix/Irony Point).
Fumero also produces the podcast through his Trojan Horse Media banner, along with executive producer, Kareem Tabsch.
Added Fumero, “When I first heard the rumors about ‘American Me’ it all sounded so wild, I had to try to separate fact from fiction. But beyond that, Edward James Olmos is an artist and activist I deeply respect, so I wanted to understand how this could’ve happened, if it did. I really believe that even those who have never seen the cult classic ‘American Me’ film, or aren’t familiar with Olmos, will find this podcast both fascinating and addicting.”
There are a total of 12 episodes in the series, with Episode 1:“American Me: The Backstory” and Episode 2:“Edward James Olmos (Santana)”set to premiere on Sept. 15. New episodes of “More Than a Movie: American Me” will be posted every Thursday.
“This podcast gives a behind-the-scenes look at a film that paved the way for Latino cinema, while also diving into the controversial topics of prison and gang life. It’s important to highlight our stories, our movies and give Latino creators a platform to speak on it,” said Gisselle Bances, SVP, Head of Production and Development for iHeartMedia’s My Cultura.
“More Than a Movie: American Me” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts. To stay up to date with Exile’s upcoming projects, follow along at @ExileContent. For updates from Trojan Horse, follow @TrojanHorseMedia on Instagram.