Synopsis
EARTH or The Monster of Tierra Amarilla
In 1911 New Mexico, a pregnant woman desperate to save her injured husband must choose between surrendering her land or her body to a corrupt doctor, setting off a haunting struggle for survival.
Cast
Eric Charles Jorgenson as CATRON
Eric Charles Jorgenson as CATRON
Eric Charles Jorgenson as CATRON
Holger Moncada Jr. as LEANDRO
Francisco Ovalle as PABLO ANTONIO
Francisco Ovalle as PABLO ANTONIO
Francisco Ovalle as PABLO ANTONIO
Francisco Ovalle as PABLO ANTONIO
Francisco Ovalle as PABLO ANTONIO
About the Writer/Producer
Leo Garcia
Leo Garcia is a filmmaker whose work moves between narrative cinema, experimental video, and psychologically driven horror. His films often explore themes of identity, entrapment, cultural history, and the consequences of power, drawing from both personal narrative and broader historical contexts.
He wrote, produced, and directed his first film, A Rainy Day, distributed by Universal Television and screened internationally. He later produced Excess Flesh, a psychological thriller rooted in body horror, which premiered at SXSW and received a theatrical release in L.A. before wider distribution on major platforms.
Garcia’s shorter works, including Hammurabi and the experimental documentary ten minutes is two hours, extend his interest in surreal imagery and political critique, examining cultural exploitation, colonial legacy, and the instability of perception. His cinematic language is informed by both early political montage filmmakers and later experimental traditions.
Across his film work, Garcia maintains a multidisciplinary sensibility, integrating performance, visual art, and theatrical structure into a distinct cinematic voice grounded in both personal mythology and social inquiry.
About the Director/Editor
Patrick Kennelly
As well as working as a full-time video post-production guru (editing, sound design, coloring, post supervision), Patrick Kennelly writes, produces, directs, and curates for film & video, theater, live events and the visual arts. In his highly stylized and darkly surreal genre-infused works, Kennelly examines the prismatic nature of identity - broken, mistaken, clashed, crossed, unknown. What is unleashed is a style of extreme "raw pop."
Kennelly was a recipient of the 2008 Princess Grace Award for Theater, and has received numerous fellowship, grants, and awards for his work. He received his BFA in Film/Video at Cal Arts and an MFA in Theater Direction at UCLA.
Kennelly is Artistic Director at renowned experimental arts center Highways Performance Space & Gallery, in its 32nd year, as well as serving on their board of directors.
Kennelly's debut feature film Excess Flesh, which world premiered at SXSW in March 2015 to much controversy and divisiveness (The Daily Beast called it “the most twisted movie at SXSW—and of the year.”) is distributed by Midnight Releasing and is available on VOD/DVD.
About the Scenic Designer
Mark Kanieff
Mark Kanieff is a set designer and sculptor working across theatre, opera, and dance. His recent design credits include Democracy [sic](Art of Acting Studio, HCLAB), Il Giasone (NEO Opera), Intimate Apparel (Chapman University), Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (Edgemar Center for the Arts), and the dance work The Other Side (Gramercy Studios).
He also designed extensively in Rome, Italy, where he spent 20 years working in epidemiology and biostatistics—an experience that continues to inform the conceptual rigor of his visual work.
He holds an MFA in Scenic Design from CalArts and a BFA in Sculpture from Carnegie Mellon University.
His recent sculptures and installations explore the concept of “plodding,” while his current projects include the development of a puppet work examining informed consent in human medical research.
About the Lighting Designer
Pablo Santiago
Pablo Santiago, originally from Chiapas, México, is a lighting and scenic designer whose work engages film, live cinema, and performance. His collaboration on Francis Ford Coppola’s Distant Vision—Live Cinema reflects a sustained interest in cinematic language and the convergence of camera, light, and real-time performance.
Alongside his film work, he has designed for theatre and opera with institutions including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, LA Opera, San Francisco Symphony, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. His designs are recognized for their precision and atmospheric depth, translating across intimate narratives and large-scale productions.
Santiago is the recipient of the Richard Sherwood Award and a Stage Raw Award, with multiple Ovation Award nominations. He holds an MFA in Lighting Design from UCLA.
About the Costume Designer
Isabel Rubio
Isabel Rubio is a Mexican costume designer and longtime New Yorker whose work reflects a sustained commitment to storytelling and collaboration. Following Covid, her return to the field has been grounded in bringing characters to life with clarity and care.
Her practice is defined by flexibility and a willingness to explore new visual perspectives, allowing her to work across theatre, dance, film, and television. This range of experience informs a broad and adaptable visual vocabulary.
Her designs have been presented internationally at the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia, the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow, and the Morelia Film Festival in México. She has held a Fellowship in Costume Design at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art and was a juried exhibitor at the USIT/Prague Scenofest.
She is based in Brooklyn, New York, where she continues her work with the support of her family.
https://www.isabelrubio.com/bio
About the Composer / Sound Designer
Aaron Drake
Award-winning Los Angeles based composer, Aaron Drake, writes for a variety of media including film and television, contemporary dance, interactive media, and sound installation.
He has a deep interest in meta-narratives and the sonification of social relationships. Aural mnemonics, EVP, sonic masking, codes and ciphers, historical trends, and social tendencies are a few areas that have inspired his compositions.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2509120/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
About the Visual Effects Artist
Ryan Harrison
Ryan Harrison is a filmmaker and actor known for writing, directing, and starring in the action-comedy Ninja Badass. He is not the professional tennis player or a contestant on the American Ninja WarriorTV show. He specializes in indie filmmaking, having previously done VFX work for films like The Revenant.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2509120/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
About Sirius Productions
Founded in 1998 by Leo Garcia, Sirius Productions is an indie film company specializing in magical realism, psychological drama, and short-form documentary films. Our team challenges norms and ignites imaginations, creating innovative and original narratives. We value creative freedom, collaboration, and inclusivity, fostering a supportive environment for diverse voices. Join us as we push the boundaries of indie filmmaking and inspire with our cinematic experiences. Sirius Productions, where storytelling is the star.
"EARTH or The Monster of Tierra Amarilla" Supporters
CREATION & DEVELOPMENT FUND
The Creation and Development Fund is made possible with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency), and co-commissioners; Highways Performance Space (Santa Monica, CA), Adobe Space(Alamosa, CO), and Outpost Productions (Albuquerque, NM).
SANTA MONICA ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
Santa Monica Cultural Affairs awards two Fellowships of $16,000, and three $4,200 Project Fellowships, annually. The awards provide opportunities to Santa Monica artists and help promote public discourse on topics of human creativity and learning. Leo Garcia is a recipient of the 2020-2021 Santa Monica Artist Fellowship and the project will support performer fees.
National Performance Network Co-Commissioner
ADOBE SPACE provides access to space for the development and presentation of new works. We support artists who deal with political, psychological and personal narratives.
Founded in 2011 by land preservation activistt, Maria Abeyta.
National Performance Network Co-Commissioner
Established in 1988, Outpost Productions is based at The Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque’s nonprofit, member-supported, 160-seat Performing Arts Center.
Outpost also presents in larger venues in Albuquerque and Santa fe, notably during the New Mexico Jazz festival. Outpost presents 100 concerts annually — jazz, experimental, folk and roots, spoken word, teen nights and more — plus classes for youth and adults. Outpost hosts visual arts exhibits in its Inpost Artspace.
While an important presenter of touring acts, Outpost also remains committed to supporting local performers. Dedicated to a mission of linking with other organizations, Outpost collaborates with an ever-growing number of partners.
The Roy Cockrum Foundation
Mission
The mission of The Roy Cockrum Foundation is to award grants to support world-class performing arts projects in non-profit professional theaters throughout the United States of America.
