Coming to Theaters and IFC On Demand January 20. 2010

Click here to go to: www.fallingawakefilm.com


The Story
"Falling Awake" is the powerful story of Jay (Andrew Cisneros), a young man struggling to find his identity in The Bronx in a house crowded with family members and a neighborhood filled with loyal friends and dangerous enemies. A gifted musician, Jay hopes to leave it all and pursue his dream of composing and performing music. Once he meets Alessandra (Jenna Dewan), a beautiful young woman who lives in Brooklyn, his determination to defy the expectations of his frustrated, angry father become even stronger.

Yet Jay is tied to his home through loyalty to his friends and to his brother, who has returned unexpectedly from service in the Marines. As he reaches toward a wider world, he is pulled back over and over by the cycles of anger and violence that have defined his life and neighborhood for so long. It takes love, a change of heart and a new understanding of life's elusive chance at happiness to finally help Jay make the long, uncertain leap to a fresh chance.

The Director
"I wanted to tell a story that was set in its natural location, populated by real people and full of heart," says the film's director, Agustin. "We had an amazing experience making this movie and I hope audiences will feel the emotion and truth in it when they see the film."

Filmmaker Agustin previously directed the local hit "El Vacilon The Movie," which was released on 17 screens in New York City and grossed $2.3 million. It was released on DVD by LionsGate and has sold more than a half-million copies to date. He followed it with "A Wonderful Christmas, Feliz Navidad" which featured some of the brightest stars in Hispanic entertainment, including Raul de Molina, Giselle Blonet, Mariana Seoane and Jose Feliciano. Agustin also co-created, wrote and directed "Gabriel: Amor Inmortal," starring international icon Chayanne.

The Cast
Falling Awake" introduces talented actor/singer/songwriter Andrew Cisneros, and features Jenna Dewan, who starred in "Step Up," with Channing Tatum and now has three films in the can, including the comedies "The Seix Wives of Henry Lefay and "The Jerk Theory. Dewan is set to play Patience, the lead role in Gale Anne Hurd's "Magdalena

Other top cast members are Nester Serrano, Julie Carmen, Nicholas Gonzalez, Flaco Navaja, Michael Rivera and rap artist Kazi Rolle.

The Music
The soundtrack for "Falling Awake" includes original compositions by Andrew Cisneros and Kevin Stuart, and sung by Cisneros, as well as music from Ze Luis, a Brazilian composer who has performed as a solo artist and longtime member of Caetano Veloso's band, and by Flaco Navaja, an actor/musician who also portrays one of Jay's closest friends.

The Credits
IFC Films, MegaFilms and CinemaLab Present an Andrew Adelson production of A Film By Agustin: "Falling Awake." The film stars Jenna Dewan, Andrew Cisneros, Nestor Serrano, Julie Carmen, Nicholas Gonzalez, Flaco Navaja, Michael Rivera, Luis Jimenez, Gerald Bunsen, J.D. Williams and Chris "Kazi" Rolle. Casting is by Sig de Miguel and Stephen Vincent; the costume designer is Beth Ann Kelleher; the production designer is Alex Brook Lynn; and the music is by Kevin A. Stuart and Andrew Cisneros. "Falling Awake" is edited by Michael Spence; the director of photography is Mark Schwartzbard; and the supervising producer is Straw Weisman. Executive producers are Steven Molasky, Brad Friedmutter, Dean Valentine and Raul Alarcon, Jr. The story is by Agustin and the screenplay is by Agustin and Michael Baez and Doug Klozzner. The film is produced by Andrew Adelson and directed by Agustin.