Israel Luna(I)
- Director
- Writer
- Editor
At the young age of five, writer/director Israel Luna was exposed to
film for the first time. The movie The Exorcist had such an impact on
the impressionable youngster that it was then he announced that his
goal and dream in life would be to make films. While an announcement
like that was a little unusual coming from a five year old, it was even
more so considering the modest life he and his family experienced in
the small town of Wellington, Texas.
Years later, Luna took the brave step of leaving his small town and moving to the big city of Dallas. It was there that he became involved with the local community access cable channel where he took classes and eventually developed his first project. The locally produced soap opera, Boobs, Boys and High Heels, aired two episodes and was very well received. Luna recognized that this was his stepping-stone to help him develop and prepare for what would eventually become his first feature-length film, Str8 Up.
Luna wrote and directed Str8 Up, which was shot in Dallas the first few months of 2001. The project was a noble undertaking for a first-time director with a cast of hundreds and almost 50 locations showcasing Dallas' nightlife. The hands-on experience Luna garnered prepared him once again for the next step.
Before principal photography wrapped on Str8 Up, Luna began writing another script. Based on a real-life experience he recently had had, he was able to write within the genre that originally inspired him - horror. Luna spent the remainder of 2001 developing his production company, La Luna Films, and the script he would eventually call 'Is Anybody There?'. The feature was shot in three weeks in late winter 2002. Is Anybody There? (2002), a La Luna Films production, added another facet to the Indy filmmaker's credentials by bringing production in-house.
Luna decided to broaden the scope of his venture and created La Luna Entertainment. This new structure, developed with his partner, Toni Miller, would allow them to explore new ideas, concepts and projects in various fields of entertainment. In addition to producing under La Luna Films, La Luna Entertainment would create, develop and produce new concepts for major national/international television and cable networks as well as provide a platform for Luna to explore projects as a book writer.
Years later, Luna took the brave step of leaving his small town and moving to the big city of Dallas. It was there that he became involved with the local community access cable channel where he took classes and eventually developed his first project. The locally produced soap opera, Boobs, Boys and High Heels, aired two episodes and was very well received. Luna recognized that this was his stepping-stone to help him develop and prepare for what would eventually become his first feature-length film, Str8 Up.
Luna wrote and directed Str8 Up, which was shot in Dallas the first few months of 2001. The project was a noble undertaking for a first-time director with a cast of hundreds and almost 50 locations showcasing Dallas' nightlife. The hands-on experience Luna garnered prepared him once again for the next step.
Before principal photography wrapped on Str8 Up, Luna began writing another script. Based on a real-life experience he recently had had, he was able to write within the genre that originally inspired him - horror. Luna spent the remainder of 2001 developing his production company, La Luna Films, and the script he would eventually call 'Is Anybody There?'. The feature was shot in three weeks in late winter 2002. Is Anybody There? (2002), a La Luna Films production, added another facet to the Indy filmmaker's credentials by bringing production in-house.
Luna decided to broaden the scope of his venture and created La Luna Entertainment. This new structure, developed with his partner, Toni Miller, would allow them to explore new ideas, concepts and projects in various fields of entertainment. In addition to producing under La Luna Films, La Luna Entertainment would create, develop and produce new concepts for major national/international television and cable networks as well as provide a platform for Luna to explore projects as a book writer.
