| Sun Belt Express | |
| Director: | Evan Buxbaum |
| Cinematography: | Luke Geissbuhler |
| Editing: | Beth Moran |
| Distributor: | Marvista Entertainment |
| Runtime: | 91 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
Sun Belt Express is a 2014 American independent comedy-drama film, written by Evan Buxbaum, Chance Mullen, and Gregorio Castro, and directed by Evan Buxbaum. Starring Tate Donovan, Rachael Harris, Ana de la Reguera, India Ennenga, Miguel Sandoval, and Stephen Lang, the project had its world premiere on June 11, 2014, at the Champs-Elysees Film Festival.[1]
Former ethics Professor Allen King (Tate Donovan) has some problems. After being terminated for plagiarizing the work of a student, he hits a personal rock bottom. To survive and get the cash he needs to cover his ex-wife Margaret's (Rachael Harris) expenses, he ends up shuttling illegal immigrants across the border and into Arizona from Mexico. On his most recent trip, he is accompanied by his pregnant Mexican girlfriend Anna (Ana de la Reguera) and his teenage daughter Emily (India Ennenga). While still south of the US border and with three undocumented immigrants supplied by human trafficker Ramon Velazquez (Miguel Sandoval) stuffed in the trunk of the car, the party crosses paths with crooked US Border Patrol officers Rick (Stephen Lang) and Cass (Michael Sirow).
The project filmed for almost a month in 2012 at New Mexico locations in Belen, Los Lunas, Socorro and Albuquerque,[2] with some financing obtained through crowdfunding campaigns at IndieGoGo[3] and Kickstarter.[4] In July 2012, Indiewire listed the project as its "Project of the Day".[5]
The film had its world premiere on June 11, 2014, at the Champs-Elysees Film Festival.[1] and its New Mexico premiere October 18, 2014 at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival.[2]
Marvista Entertainment obtained United States and Latin American rights to distribute the film,[6] which they have slated for a release through video on demand for on August 18, 2015.[7]
The Hollywood Reporter praised the film and wrote it was "a rough-and-tumble but occasionally very funny indie comedy".[8]