Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, but the disaster home away from home can be just as devastating. In our ever-so-connected world, an act of nature can easily disconnect us but can also show us what is truly important. I decided to make a film that hit close to home. Having had been disconnected from my own family during Hurricane Irma, I felt a sense of helplessness. It had been the first time I had ever experienced a hurricane of this magnitude away from home. While I can't truly communicate what the people of Puerto must have felt when Maria hit, I can definitely tell you how it felt on the other side. I urge everyone to continue to donate to Puerto Rico as they are still in need. Written/Directed/Dp: Wesley Rodriguez Edit & Sound Design: Angelica Lopez Music by James Craft Starring: Angelique Rivera Sandra Rodriguez

'Palante' came to fruition as part of a 10-day master class and workshop in Cuba with acclaimed director Werner Herzog as our teacher, or as he liked to be called: "Mi Coronel." As one of his soldiers of cinema and the only filmmaker of Cuban-American descent, I saw this as a chance to return to my father’s homeland—the one he had forsaken since the mid-1950s because of political reasons—to tell an authentic story from my culture. Sixty years later, I saw Cuba through my own eyes and not as a tourist, but as a filmmaker, and that’s why it meant so much to me. With an immense amount of pressure to share a story worth telling, while at the same time making my family and fellow Cubans proud, I dedicated myself to making my short-film ‘Palante’ a success. ‘Palante’ was born out of a similar sacrifice I had endure by moving to Los Angeles to pursue my dreams and the aspirations of a better life. The film’s title and theme was inspired by my Cuban grandmother, Aleida, who would always console me with the words of “¡Pa’lante, Pa’lante!” which means keep moving forward. Shot in the colorful town of San Antonio de los Baños, I let the environment tell the story. As we follow Estrella and her grandfather, we get a glimpse of the impoverished lifestyle many Cubans have had to endure in their day to day life for decades; lack of resources, broken, tarnished buildings and walls etc. Captured mostly through wide angle and handheld camera, I focused on highlighting the beauty and resilience of Cuban culture in contrast to that of their surroundings in each frame. Winner: Grand Jury Prize Award - Oklahoma Cine Latino Film Festival 2018 Winner: Best Director - Oklahoma Cine Latino Film Festival 2018 Winner: Best International Short Film - Official Latino Film Festival 2017 Winner: Audience Award - Gainesville Latino Film Festival Winner: Best Short Film Script - Premios Latino, España Winner: Best Direction - Premios Latino, España Official Selection: Oklahoma Cine Latino Film Festival Official Selection: Official Latino Film Festival 2017 Official Selection: San Francisco Latino Film Festival 2017 Official Selection: Gainesville Latino Film Festival 2017 Official Selection: Short to the Point September 2017 Official Selection: Feminist Border Film Festival 2018 Official Selection: Cine Miami Fest 2018 Official Selection: Cuban International Film Festival 2018 Official Selection: Chicago Latino Film Festival 2019 Official Selection: I'm Not Going to Move to LA Film Festival 2019 Official Selection: Chicago Latino Film Festival 2019

The dramatic psychological story of one man's struggle to derive meaning to a series of nostalgic events during a night at the Laundromat. Written and Directed by Wesley Rodriguez Cinematography and Editing by Brian Moghari Assistant Director Monique Dos Anjos Audio Design by Luke Sipka Starring: Russell Schultz Nino Barucci Candace Clift Reese Goodman Production Assistants Terri Officer-Mcintosh Izabella Faria Shot on Nikon D800 using Nikkor glass, 80-200mm 2.8, 24-70mm 2.8, 17-35mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4

"Where Two Worlds Meet" A lone grocery store clerk that takes a plunge into the depths of an inter-dimensional freezer finds himself out of this world. Written and Directed by Wesley Rodriguez Cinematography and Production Design by Janice Duncan Produced and Edited by Pedro Patricio USC MFA film project shot on the Sony EX-1.

Client: LG Chem Agency: Swell Energy Swell Energy Marketing Director: Tyler Gaul Director/DP: Wesley Rodriguez Editor: Doug Yablun Producer: Justine Barker Gaffer: Bailey Clark 1st AC: Briana Del Giorno 2nd AC: Takuma Yamada Camera Utility: Nickie Machacz & Angela Menarin PA: Ana Pierucci

Client: LG Chem Agency: Swell Energy Swell Energy Marketing Director: Tyler Gaul Director/DP: Wesley Rodriguez Editor: Doug Yablun Gaffer: Bailey Clark 1st AC: Briana Del Giorno 2nd AC: Takuma Yamada Camera Utility: Nickie Machacz & Angela Menarin PA: Ana Pierucci