NO TE OLIVDES
An Intergenerational Latinx Musical Film
INTRODUCTION
NO TE OLVIDES tells the story of Maria, a closeted twenty-something Chicana as she takes her grandmother Elena back to her very musically inclined ancestral village in Mexico for one last trip.
While the two share a “no secrets” catchphrase, Elena is hiding a small secret from Maria — she’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and doesn’t have long to live. No Te Olvides is a coming-of-age musical film filled with relatable characters and a story we all know and love. Our narrative is a love letter to our abuelos.
It's a nod to the intergenerational struggles of so many 1st and 2nd generation American families. It's a universal story filled with music, dancing, and a whole lot of tequila.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
No Te Olvides was named as one of the top 1% of over 10,000 scripts in one of the premiere screenwriting competitions, the Austin Film Festival.
It was also selected to The Black List’s Musical Fellowship. The Musical Fellowship was the first one of it’s kind created in The Black List’s extensive history, specifically created for this script. Advisors on the project included La La Land Oscar-winning songwriter Benj Pasek.
As quoted from The Black List, “This is a beautifully written musical that manages to be both rich in scope and intimate in detail. Its celebration of Mexican culture, growing old, and never allowing age to get in the way of the pursuit of happiness is deeply rewarding to read.”
Creator’s POV
Growing up in an immigrant single-mother household meant a childhood filled with music, strong women, and stories of the past. My abuela would always tell me stories about our patria, a wonderful little village in the middle of nowhere called La Noria.
Abuela was always a bit of a mystery, and hid her illness from me as a child. So when she passed sooner than expected, I felt like my connection to La Noria — the place she always wanted to take me to — was lost.
As life went on, I’d hear anecdotes about her from distant friends or relatives. I’d hear about how she was the sweetest woman in La Noria, the best singer, the town therapist, the most fun person at a party, and apparently the village heartbreaker: one man found me on Facebook and said my grandma was the love of his life (damn, Abuela).
She led a much more interesting life than anyone I knew. So as a filmmaker, all of this made me wonder why movies tended to reduce older characters to the do-no-wrong advice givers supporting our young protagonists. NO TE OLVIDES unapologetically aims to flip all of this on its head by placing an older Latina woman as the lead: dancing, drinking, making mistakes, and yes: having a spring fling in Mexico.
NO TE OLVIDES is much more than a Mexican story, but a love letter to the millions of 1st and 2nd generation Americans, to our families that had to work so hard to get here, and to the thousands of La Norias all over the world. Finally, this story is my own imagining of what my trip to La Noria might’ve been like with Elena, who I still miss every day.
“We don’t have an Eiffel Tower or grand Taj Mahal,
but we have a secret power: it’s the greatest gift of all.
You can travel all the world, but I guarantee you won’t find…
Another group of people so selfless and so kind.”
-Welcome to La Noria
OVERARCHING THEMES
Latinx Family
The triumphs and struggles of being a Latinx Family. The Catholic upbringing, the tight sense of community and the pitfalls of that tightness. Family, as much of a pain as they can be, is there to push you, for both good and bad, but most of all, love you.
Life and Death
Elena Alzheimer’s diagnosis makes the clock tick quicker to the inevitable end to her life. Knowing time is fleeting, she wants to visit her home to hold onto memories that seem to be fading more and more each day, while still celebrating a wonderful life.
Coming of Age
Even in old age, Elena has to learn that her ways of pretending everything is ok, need to come to an end. For Maria, she will discover what it means to truly be happy and loved for who you are, not for what’s expected of you.
LQBTQ+
During her time in Mexico, Maria discovers that a place she believed to be old and backwards, instead teaches her to embrace her true identity.
CHARACTERS
Adriel
Charming old-timer with a young heart, Adriel proves love has no expiration date or gender boundaries.
A fiery spirit with a ticking clock, Elena navigates between memories and reality, her powerful voice echoing her quest for roots and redemption.
Elena
A tech-savvy dreamer torn between two worlds, Maria navigates love and identity with wit and a hidden musical talent.
Maria
Singing, dancing, and still ready to flirt, Victor is equal parts charming, empathic, and full of understanding.
Victor
La Noria's sassy matriarch, Rosita weaves gossip and wisdom with equal fervor, her laughter a town soundtrack.
Rosita
She is poised, confident, and charismatic. As Maria's love interest, Xochil instills the passion in Maria to embrace who she truly is.
Xochil
Adriel's passionate other half, Panfilo adds spice to their golden years with dramatic flair and unwavering devotion.
Panfilo
Perfectionist lawyer turned reluctant adventurer, Celestina rediscovers her passion and voice amid chaos and mariachi.
Celestina
SAMPLE TRACKS
“Welcome to La Noria”
“Elephant”
“Under the Moonlight”
“This Dress”
“Making Menudo”
“One With the Wind”
CONTEXT
Alzheimer's disease casts an ever-growing shadow over our aging population, ranking among the top 10 causes of death in the United States, according to the CDC. For adults 65 and older, like Elena, it looms as the fifth leading killer, its insidious progression stealing precious moments and memories. The disease's cruel grasp tightens more swiftly around women, and disproportionately affects communities of color.
Elena’s Battle with Alzheimer's
Data from the CHAP study reveals a stark disparity: 19% of Black and 14% of Hispanic adults aged 65 and older grapple with Alzheimer's dementia, compared to 10% of their White counterparts. For Elena, this reality adds urgency to her journey, as the sands of time slip through her fingers in La Noria, each moment becoming more fleeting and precious than the last.
MARKET OPPORTUNITY
While the American box office has struggled in 2024, Latin American cinema has seen an impressive resurgence. This year, box office revenues in key markets like Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina have surged with an additional $500 million in revenue compared to the previous year, reflecting a 223% increase. With the vibrant Latin American market back in full swing, No Te Olvides is uniquely positioned to bridge both Hollywood's artistic appeal and the massive commercial potential of Latin America, allowing it to capitalize on this market's renewed strength while tapping into global audiences.
The U.S. Hispanic market is young and evolving, with 60% under 35. A shift towards 2nd and 3rd generation "brown-ish" identities is emerging, with U.S.-born children of immigrants now 12% of the population. Studies show time and again that demographic seeks authentic representation in media.
Gen Z, America's most diverse generation, is reshaping media consumption. Their multiplatform engagement requires content that resonates across diverse audiences and devices, challenging traditional media strategies.
The film industry's digital transformation is accelerating. In 2021, the U.S. digital market grew by 11%, while the international market surged 24%, indicating a strong trend towards digital content consumption.
Despite digitalization, theaters remain relevant, especially for Hispanic/Latino audiences. They represent 24% of moviegoers and 23% of ticket purchasers, demonstrating a continued appetite for culturally relevant stories on the big screen.
FILM COMPARABLES
Flora and Son (2022)
It follows Flora, a single mom who is at war with her son, Max. Trying to find a hobby for Max, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster and finds that one person's trash can be a family's salvation.
Budget: 4 million USD
Box Office: 20 million USD via Apple TV+
Distributor: Apple TV+
The Farewell (2019)
Billi’s family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch — the only person that doesn’t know she only has a few weeks to live.
Budget: 3 million USD
Box Office: 23 million USD
Distributor: A24
Sing Street (2016)
A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.
Budget: 4 million USD
Box Office: 14 million USD
Distributor: Lionsgate
Shooting Plan: MEXICO
"No Te Olvides" will leverage Mexico's diverse locations and financial incentives to maximize authenticity and production value.
The Mexican state of Jalisco offers a substantial 40% tax rebate for film productions. Additionally, Mexico has a unique national sponsorship program that matches corporate sponsorships dollar for dollar.
For example, if a company provides a $500,000 sponsorship, the Mexican government would match that amount, effectively doubling the sponsorship to $1,000,000.
Producing No Te Olvides in Jalisco will make every dollar go further, taking advantage of these financial incentives while showcasing Mexico's diverse filming locations - from well-equipped colonial towns to remote, authentically rustic areas.
Movies shot in Mexico: Sicario, Roma, Babel
Meet the Team
Anthony “Tony” Estrada
Producer
Tony Estrada is a Los Angeles-based producer and writer. A native of Southern California, Tony wrapped up the feature film, The Mother, The Menacer and Me, starring Lorraine Bracco and Leah Remini, slated to hit the festival circuit in 2025. Previous to that film Tony worked on the management teams for Nicki Minaj, and Jennifer Lopez, as they looked to grow their entrepreneurial endeavors.
Currently, Estrada is developing the stage musical, Labor of Love, set to hit its initial premiere in 2025. His debut thriller novel, Those Who Fear Us, opened in the Top 10 in Hispanic American literature and is currently being developed into a mini-series. His newest venture – Con Ganas — is a multi-faceted media company integrating development & production of entertainment with personal development. Estrada continues to pursue opportunities that help develop the influence of Latinos across every entertainment platform.
Nerris Nevarez-Nassiri
Screenwriter / Composer / Lyricist
Nerris is a first generation Mexican-Persian filmmaker, photographer, and musician on a mission to create compelling musical films reflective of his mixed upbringing. His script, No Te Olvides, was a quarter finalist for the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship, was a Top 1% script in the vaunted Austin Film Festival screenplay competition, and has won fellowships with The Black List, The Disruptors, Minorities in Film, and Theatre Now New York.
Nerris’s commercial collaborations include projects with brands such as Aputure, Walt Disney Imagineering, Cirque du Soleil, The Hype House, The Mighty, and others. He’s a proud graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.
Simón Wilson
Orchestrator
Simón Wilson is an award winning Los Angeles based film and television composer. After studying with Theodore Shapiro and working on major studio productions, he has gone on to score documentaries such as Rhino Man and Momentum, write additional music for Netflix’s Delhi Crime and Disney’s The Mysterious Benedict Society, and score the NBC special Celebrity Escape Room. Most recently he joined composer Craig Wedren (Yellowjackets) in co-scoring the short documentary Alok, which premiered at Sundance in 2024. Simón’s latest music can be heard in National Geographic’s UFO’s: Investigating The Unknown, Paramount’s reality show The Family Stallone and Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers and Extreme Music catalog.
Simón is a multi-instrumentalist as well as a classically trained singer. His compositions draw on a broad palette of musical influences - from cinematic orchestral music, to psychedelic electronic scores, to guitar-driven funky jams. His gift of precision tied to a relentless work ethic ascend his love for music into an elaborate and eccentric career.