Kate del Castillo & Jules Stewart interview with the Advocate about K-11

Kate del Castillo shines as the beautiful and vicious leader among the gay men and trans women incarcerated in the prison thriller K-11.

When gay men and transgender women are incarcerated in the Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail, they’re placed in a distinct dormitory with each other, in an effort to protect them from harassment at the hands of the general prison population. This ward, once known as K-11, is the subject of a new, unflinching prison drama from director Jules Stewart, a seasoned script supervisor who has worked in Hollywood for 30 years. (She’s also mother of Twilight star Kristen Stewart, who has a voice cameo in the film, and Cameron Stewart, who makes his acting debut as a prisoner.)

After a successful run on the festival circuit, K-11 is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD. The fast-paced, gripping thriller features stellar performances from its lead actors, including ER’s Goran Visnjic as the literal and figurative “straight man,” Raymond Saxx, a record producer thrown in jail for drug use. D.B. Sweeney is a sniveling, detestable foil to Raymond, as the corrupt prison guard Sgt. Johnson. As Ben Shapiro, Clerks star Jason Mewes serves as Johnson’s “man on the inside,” helping the officer funnel drugs into the prison at an exorbitant markup.

But the true star of the movie is Mexican actress Kate del Castillo, who shines in her most captivating, nuanced performance in English-language film as the self-proclaimed queen of the dorm, a Latina transgender woman named Mousey. Mousey is by turns sweet and vicious, conniving and vulnerable, at some moments the villain, at others the victim.

"You feel sorry for her,” says Del Castillo. “And on the other hand, she’s a bitch."

Mousey rules the dorm with an iron, manicured fist, physically striking down anyone who challenges her authority. She and Raymond forge an unexpectedly tender, symbiotic relationship in the film, which was shot inside a jail destined for demolition — a location Del Castillo calls “scary as hell.”

The film is not for the faint of heart, nor those easily upset by portrayals of sexual violence. While the 88-minute film does provide some sense of closure and vengeance, it depicts several instances of rape, though the scenes are not physically graphic. While director Stewart contends that, ultimately, the film is a “feel-good movie,” Del Castillo admits that it can be tough to watch.

 

“It’s a harsh film,” says Del Castillo. “It’s not an easy movie.”

 K-11 is the directorial debut for Stewart, who’s worked as a script supervisor on more than 80 films. After three separate attempts at financing the film failed, the director says she ultimately “didn’t pay any attention whatsoever to politics.”

 

Stewart acknowledges the conflict inherent in hiring nontrans actresses to play Mousey and the two other trans women in the ward. Ultimately, those roles went to nontrans actresses Portia Doubleday as Butterfly and Tara Buck as Crystal.

 

“I needed actresses,” says Stewart. “I needed the real deal. I couldn’t go, ‘Just because you’re transgender, [you get the role].’ That would be like doing a hospital film and hiring a real surgeon. I needed an actor. And there just aren’t very many [transgender performers] that I found that are actors of that caliber to play these roles.”

 

Del Castillo says she was nervous and excited about the role, calling it “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Mousey is dramatic, but Del Castillo says she tried to avoid turning her into a caricature.

 

“There was this very fine line to not cross and [become] a cartoon,” says Del Castillo. “I don’t want to insult anybody. It’s very delicate.”

 

In researching the role, Del Castillo sought training from actress Calpernia Addams and her business partner, filmmaker Andrea James, two trans women who advise Hollywood on transgender portrayals through their production company, Deep Stealth. (Addams and James also counseled Felicity Huffman when she portrayed a transgender woman in Transamerica.)

 

And though Stewart didn’t cast any transgender actors in roles portraying trans characters, she says there are trans-identified people in her film.

 

“A lot of them, actually,” says Stewart. “And they did a great job, and they were wonderful.… I was going for depth of character, and realism, and believability.”

Source Advocate

Video: Kate del Castillo launches 'Flor Violeta' perfume (CelebTV)

Actress Kate Del Castillo just launched Flor Violeta perfume and she took to her Facebook page to announce that the fragrance was finally available. According to Kate, she loves the floral, violet, fruity, fresh scent that she has created. It wasn’t just creating the scent that took time, Del Castillo says that creating the name is a nod to the fact that she’s Mexican and that she does speak Spanish, and she also wanted to give the perfume a name that Americans understand and can pronounce.

Source CelebTV

Photos of Kate del Castillo at the Toyota Celebrity/Pro Race - April 19

Click on each photo for a larger view.

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Jules Stewart talks to Cable TV about K-11 - Part 1

K-11, directed by Jules Stewart (better known as Kristen Stewart’s mom) will be on DVD and Blu-Ray April 23rd. The film tells the story of record producer Raymond Saxx, Jr. (played by Goran Visnjic) after he ends up in a jail cell unit for gay and transgendered inmates.

In an exclusive interview, Stewart discussed the film, what it’s like to be a first-time director, and how she deals with having a famous daughter.

How did you get started in this project?

JS: Well, I was working on a television pilot and a young man named Jarred Kurt came to me and said, “Hey I have an idea for a movie I want to write, and it’s about K-11.” I did some research and found out K-11 was real, and I read about 10 or 15 pages that he had written and I thought, “Wow, this is crazy. It’s amazing. Let’s do it.”

How was the process directing for the first time?

JS: It was awesome. It was really fun; I liked it a lot. You know I have been holding book for directors for 35 years, and just because you watch other people do something for so long doesn’t really mean you know how to do it. Let’s just say my learning curve was to the moon and back. I learned how important casting is. Casting is 99 percent of your movie — if you change one cast member, you have a different film. Pretty crazy.

Some people might say this movie is controversial…

JS: I was trying to target an adult audience. It’s not a controversy, it’s a fish-out-of-water story. It takes place in a jail that most people don’t even know exists. It’s an interesting environment. Never did I try to make political statements. All we ever wanted to do was tell a unique story that had never been told before.

One Twitter follower, @KS_Freckles sent in a question and wanted to know what the biggest challenge was shooting the movie?

JS: To get it done in time. I only had so many hours per day to shoot because they would throw us out at a certain time because they felt the facility was haunted so we had to be out by dark. I had to make my days — I had no choice. If I didn’t then we would lose scenes, and I didn’t want to do that.

Another twitter follower, @LoveLikeWhiskey, asked if you have any advice for young female writers/directors/filmmakers?

JS: Don’t give up thats my advice. It’s really hard to make an independent film in todays world, especially to get financing. Just don’t give up, keep going, you can do it.

@LouiseSarah46 asked if you could see Kristen Stewart as a director in the future and what advice would you give her

JS: Absolutely. Again, don’t give up. You can do it. If you have the idea and you have the imagination, you can do it. For Kristen, I think she is brilliant and she probably will be a writer/director/producer in the future.

A lot of Kristen’s fans have embraced you and are now your fans. How does that feel?

JS: I think it’s awesome. I am so proud of my daughter. I think in today’s world, she just knocked it out of the park. I am thrilled that she is her own person. She is smart and funny — she is Kristen. She is a unique commodity in this world, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. I would back her up in any situation.

Do you have any plans to work together?

JS: I am not writing anything specifically for her. I would love to work with her. As a writer/director, it’s fun to work with anyone who is extremely talented, who brings more to the character than you could even imagine yourself, and I think Kristen is one of those actresses.

Back to K-11, how was it working with your son Cameron?

JS: It was fun. I have been telling him what to do ever since he was born. That was easy. We had a good time together on that film. I have a really good relationship with both of my children. We have a lot of fun together. I listened to everything he had to say, and he listened to everything I had to say and it worked. We had a good time together.

Why should people go see this movie?

JS: Because it’s different. It’s fun. It’s unique. It’s an amazing character study.

Source Cable TV

Thanks to @Monica1236 for the interview.

Via @KstewAngel

Kate del Castillo's mentions K-11 interview with Latina

Kate del Castillo is one accomplished mujer. From a successful crossover career to a producer and now -- the face of her very own perfume, Flor Violeta by Avon. (Pssst... find out how to enter to win a bottle at the end!) We caught up with the successful actress to talk her most difficult roles, her personal style and whether it's really getting better for Latinos in Hollywood.

How did you and Avon come up with the name "Flor Violeta?"

I wanted to give a nod to the fact that I am Mexican, I do speak Spanish and it’s a part of me, but also give the perfume a name that Americans understand and can pronounce and that is feminine. When people read it they know exactly what we’re talking about and get an idea of what it smells like.

What does it smell like?

It’s floral, it’s violet, it’s fruity, it’s fresh. I love it. I love the freshness that has this fruity blend. It really reminds you of a dreamy landscape. The best part is that it stays on you for so long and just lifts your mood, gives you this joyfulness.

Why did you decide to partner with Avon for a fragrance?

There’s something about perfume. Whatever you wear, whatever your style, there’s one thing that people associate with you, that thing that you remember someone for. And that’s scent.

Besides fragrance, what are your must-have beauty products?

I use different things. Stuff for my hair – I always use serum. For my face, I always have with me some kind of powder. I don’t use foundation a lot, if really at all. I love lipgloss but I hate the ones that are too shiny. I don’t like super-shiny gloss. And I’m big on mascara. I use it probably every day.

What’s your number one beauty tip?

Eat right; eat healthy. I think that’s the main thing for everything. For your hair, for your skin, even your mind – it makes you better!

How would you describe your style?

Casual, comfortable, but still with character – not boring.

Your favorite fashion moment – a dress? A red carpet event?

I loved what I wore to the La Misma Luna premiere in LA. I loved everything about that look, my makeup, my hair… everything.

Who would you consider your style icon? Why?

 

I love Nicole Kidman, not only is she beautiful, she’s just elegant and classy. I just think she dresses perfectly. I love Cate Blanchett. I think she has this peaceful presence about her, whatever she wears. She’s just strong and confident, but in a zen-like way.  

 

Who’s career would you love to emulate? Why?

 

I love Naomi Watts, Tilda Swinton, Tilda and I worked together long time ago,  but I loved her movie Orlando. It made me want to be an actress. Well, I was already acting but it just increased that passion. It inspired me to keep going. I keep watching it over and over again. Naomi Watts has the best career ever. She’s played amazing characters, but yet she seems to have this relatively normal life. She has the full package – career and family.

 

You’ve been in everything from telenovelas to big budget films. What’s been your favorite role thus far?

 

I feel like I’m cheating on one if I say the other. I love it all. I think playing a transsexual in K-11 was my most challenging role.  I tried to do all the research I could, minding the time that they give you, to get ready and prepare. So I read and watched all the movies and got closer to transgender people who could teach me. I learned a lot. I was very ignorant about the whole transgendered world, and it was interesting to play all these different sides: to feel, react, play masculine, play feminine.

What roles are you drawn to?

 

I love controversy. Strong roles, strong women. I love physicality, I love action, really interesting roles. I did a movie with Kevin Kline called Trade and it dealt with human trafficking so of course, if you can create some kind of awareness from a movie, it’s even better.

 

What’s been your experience with being Latina in Hollywood – do you think it’s getting better? Do you still feel stereotyped at all?

 

I’m going to be honest, I do feel stereotyped. I think its changing yes, but its changing very slowly. All the scripts that I read, for pilot seasons, there’s always a role for Latino, which is great. We’ve come so far. But it’s still… not quite there.  Before we were gardeners and prostitutes, now we’re cops. Hopefully it’ll change for everyone’s sake.

 

What would be your advice for Latinas who want to do what you have done – work as an actress?

 

There’s a lot of competition here and everywhere. Everyone is very talented and they prepare. So if you really want to be an actor, you have to be prepared. Fame shouldn’t be your motivation.

 

What’s next on your radar – upcoming projects?

 

I’m developing bunch of stuff,  for the US. Right now I have a webseries, second one that I produce, on Univison, Arranque de Pasión and I’m starting a movie in a month or so.

Source

K-11 featured + an interview with Jules Stewart in Home Media Magazine

First-time director Jules Stewart’s film, K-11, lets viewers inside the walls of a gritty section of Los Angeles County’s Men’s Central Jail reserved for those who identify as gay and transgender. It’s ground zero for corruption, rampant drug use, rape and all sorts of mayhem.

Whereas some filmmakers may have seized this heavy subject matter as an opportunity to make a statement about the criminal justice system, Stewart said she just wanted to present “pure and simple entertainment,” a fictionalized account of a real place — called K6G — that “nobody knows anything about.”

“I set out to tell a story that had never been told before,” she said. “There’s no political commentary; there’s no message; there’s no nothing. It’s just a story. To me, films are just stories come to life. All I was trying to do was tell an interesting story that would take people into another world for a short period of time. That’s it.”

The film opens with an extremely stoned record producer, Raymond Saxx Jr. (Goran Visnjic), being processed through the jail. After being tossed in a holding cell with a waifish, childlike inmate named Butterfly (Portia Doubleday), he is sent into the general population of K-11, where he is confronted with all sorts of chaos and devises a plan to stay alive long enough to get the heck out.

Breaking Glass Pictures unleashes K-11 on Blu-ray Disc ($29.99) and DVD ($24.99) April 23, with commentary by Stewart and producer Tom Wright, deleted scenes, cast interviews, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a music video and a photo gallery.

Writer-director Stewart happens to be the mother of Kristen Stewart of the “Twilight” franchise, who originally was set to take on the role of Butterfly but reportedly had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. Kristen’s voice, however, does make a cameo in one scene.

Kristen’s older brother, Cameron Stewart, who works as a grip in the film industry, makes his acting debut in K-11 as the inmate Sledgehammer.

“As a writer, you steal characteristics from people that you know,” Stewart said. “I kind of wrote the character around him because he’s tall and thin, and he’s a little bit fierce. He’s definitely not a Neo-Nazi. I stole some of his lines that he says in real life. … Based on that, he agreed to play the character because he really didn’t have to act. He just had to be himself.”

K-11 stars Kate del Castillo as Mousey, the transsexual mistress who rules the prison; Jason Mewes as Ben Shapiro, the inmate who’s in cahoots with the head officer to provide drugs to the prisoners; D.B. Sweeny as the crooked, drug-addicted Sgt. Johnson; and Tommy “Tiny” Lister as Detroit, a violent child molester.

“For me, I just visualized the characters,” Stewart said. “We invented them. We had a good idea of what each character was about. So then it became a matter of finding someone who fit the bill. It’s kind of like imagining those great pair of shoes and now you have to go find them. It was quite difficult.

“For me, casting is 99 9/10% of the movie,” she added. “Without the right cast you have the wrong film.”

Stewart said she was looking to cast actors who weren’t afraid of this edgy material and who physically fit the bill. The first actor secured for K-11 was del Castillo, after a six-month process.

“I looked her up and saw a photo of her ... for [TV series] ‘La reina del sur,’” Stewart said. “I thought, ‘Oh, my God, that’s her. That’s the girl.’ We went to meet her, and she was absolutely charming and wonderful. I was hooked.”

Then there were those who demanded a part in the film.

“Tiny Lister came to me proclaiming that he was, in fact, Detroit. I had no choice and I had to cast him, so I did. I thought it was amazing,” Stewart said.

For long-time friend Mewes, Stewart saw the opportunity for him to stretch himself outside of the goofy, stoner kind of characters such as Jay of the “Jay and Silent Bob” movies.

“He’s a serious actor, and I gave him the chance to prove it,” she said. “And I think he did. … Everybody really brought their A-game.”

It took Stewart six years to get K-11 financed. A script supervisor for about 30 years, she had no intention of directing the film. That all changed when the project’s financers agreed to sign on, only with Stewart at the helm.

“Because of the material and my experience, they didn’t want to just hand it over to somebody that wasn’t connected,” she said. “I hope they made the right choice.

“My learning curve was from here to the moon and back. … I’ve sat next to a lot of directors, but until you’ve actually had to do the job, there’s no way you could understand the depths of what is expected of you.”

Now that she’s tested out her filmmaking abilities, Stewart is already in the process of writing her next project, which she intends to direct — The Locked House, three short stories in one film, “all about killers.”

“I’m intrigued by the dark side, so I don’t think I’d ever throw my hat in the ring to direct a romantic comedy,” said Stewart, who counts the “Alien” trilogy and Underworld as some of her favorites. “It’s just not the kind of thing that I think I could bring a lot to the table for.”

Or read it at the source: Home Media Magazine

Source  via @K11OfficialFilm & @KstewAngel with thanks.

Video: Kate del Castillo interview with KTLA on the Toyota Pro Celebrity Race

Kate Del Castillo and Jackson Rathbone were here to talk about racing at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and recreated their own mini race with anchors Mark Kriski and Frank Buckley with remote controlled cars.

Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach  Friday-Sunday, April 19-21 and the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is on Saturday, April 20 at 11:40 a.m.

Tickets for Grand Prix weekend online at the Grand Prix of Long Beach website or by calling (888) 827-7333.

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Thank you to @Yovanacaro for the YT, via @KatedCastilloFC