Del Rio’s Lorenzo Leyva: “I Just Need a Moment to Breathe” film hits crowdfunding stage

A filmmaker originally from Del Rio is currently in the final stages of a fundraising campaign to bring a new cinematic project to life. Lorenzo Leyva has reached a critical point in the production of his short film, “I Just Need a Moment to Breathe,” a story he describes as a celebration of artists, community, and the inherent “chaos of chasing your passion”.

The film follows the story of Rosalba, a music artist living in Chicago who is suddenly tasked with preparing for a major performance at a local music festival with only 72 hours of lead time. After receiving a call from a friend to serve as a last-minute replacement, Rosalba must navigate the high-pressure environment of building a band and preparing a set while dealing with the everyday complications of life. Leyva noted that the character “drives a kind of beaten up, broken down car that’s always giving up on her or just unreliable”.

Through this narrative, Leyva aims to highlight the importance of human connection and mutual support. “I wanted to do something that shows the humanity that is so, so desperately needed. You need to have community,” Leyva said during a recent discussion of the project. He further emphasized that success is rarely a solitary achievement, stating, “You cannot, you don’t do it alone. You never do it alone. It comes from people who support you”.

While the film is set in Chicago, Leyva remains deeply connected to his roots in South Texas. “I mean, I just want my hometown to know that even though this is very Chicago-centered, I’m still a Del Rio boy,” he shared. He revealed that he has harbored a long-term goal of producing a feature-length film in Del Rio since his teenage years and views this current project as a vital stepping stone toward that objective. “And it’s ready in a sense that, like, I know what I want to do with it, but I know the money I need to have. I know the team that I need to pull it off. And this is my way of saying, OK, I’m not here yet, but this is going to be my first step to get me closer to that,” Leyva explained.

As of the latest report, the production has successfully raised a little over $13,000 toward its $25,000 goal. With only six days remaining before the fundraising deadline, the project is seeking further community support through the platform seedandspark.com.

The full transcription of the interview with Lorenzo Leyva is included below:

Lorenzo Leyva, a filmmaker originally from Del Rio, Texas, has six days to raise $25,000 for production of a short film he says is about celebrating artists, community, and the chaos of chasing your passion. I wanted to do something that shows the humanity that is so, so desperately needed. You need to have community. You cannot, you don’t do it alone. You never do it alone. It comes from people who support you, and that’s kind of why we have Rosalba, why she gets thrown into this chaos of having to put together a show really fast. Rosalba, a music artist in Chicago, has 72 hours to prepare for one of the biggest performances of her career at a local music festival. She gets a call from a friend who asks her to be a last-minute replacement in a festival lineup that she’s putting on. And, you know, she’s desperate because the festival’s just a few days away and somebody dropped out on her, and so she’s really coming to Rosalba as like, you know, like the last thing that, the way, her salvation. That call being a very big opportunity for Rosalba. She now has the pressure of putting a set together, building a band together, and preparing for that big show. In between that is all the chaos of life that’s happening. There’s things just like, you know, she drives a kind of beaten up, broken down car that’s always giving up on her or just unreliable. I Just Need a Moment to Breathe is the name of the short film, written and directed by Lorenzo Leyva, who also happens to be from Del Rio, Texas. I mean, I just want my hometown to know that even though this is very Chicago-centered, I’m still a Del Rio boy. And this is kind of, I have to think, I try my best to think very long term. Since I was a teenager, I’ve been wanting to make a short, or not make a short, but make an actual feature film in Del Rio. It’s one of the first stories I’ve ever outlined and written. And it’s ready in a sense that, like, I know what I want to do with it, but I know the money I need to have. I know the team that I need to pull it off. And this is my way of saying, OK, I’m not here yet, but this is going to be my first step to get me closer to that. The production has already raised a little over $13,000 out of the $25,000 needed for production. It’s a roller coaster ride that keeps on building and building and building until we finally get to see her on stage and she gets to release everything that’s been built up inside her. Their deadline is coming up in about six days, and you can find more information on the short film, I Just Need a Moment to Breathe, on seedandspark.com. https://seedandspark.com/fund/i-just-need-a-moment-to-breathe#team