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Exclusive Clip: A Sibling Showdown in Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)
Filmmaker is thrilled to share an exclusive clip of Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo), which releases today in New York City via Oscilloscope. The debut feature from Bronx-bred filmmaker Joel Alfonso Vargas—who appeared on our 25 New Faces of Film list in 2024 on the strength of the short film version of the project—takes place during a sweltering summer in the borough, capturing the texture of daily live for its residence with a documentary-adjacent approach.
Vargas cast local actors and shot guerilla-style all over the neighborhood, completing approximately 100 scenes in just 16 days. In an interview ahead of the world premiere of Mad Bills to Pay at last year’s Sundance, he elaborated on the technical finesse needed to make each shot feel natural.
“I used a child-like perspective where you place the camera kind of at waist level, which is below the eyeline of a lot of people. So, when people walk by the camera, even if they look at it, it never seems like they are. That was how we were able to cheat our way through it.”
The film follows Rico (Juan Collado), a wayward 19-year-old who scrapes together a minor income by selling nutcracker cocktails on the beach. He lives with his overworked mother (Yohanna Florentino), spirited younger sister Sally (Nathaly Navarro), and his younger girlfriend Destiny (Destiny Checo). Cramped quarters, financial strain, and interpersonal drama are only some of the stressors on the scrappy family’s livelihood—all while gearing up to bring a baby into the mix.
In the above clip, Rico and Sally demonstrate the universaility of their specific sibling dynamic: snitching, sobbing and scoffing in equal measure. Their mom is fed up with them, but also doesn’t have time to administer real discipline or support between her demanding jobs. Despite their tendency to feud, though, it’s clear that mom need not worry: Rico and Sally have each other’s backs (and braids).
Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) opens today in NYC at Film Forum in Manhattan and Regal Concourse in the Bronx. The Q&A following the April 18th screening at Film Forum will be moderated by Natalia Keogan, Filmmaker‘s Editorial Manager.
