Mad Bills to Pay

(or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)

In a tight-knit Dominican American community in The Bronx, Rico hustles through the summer selling bootleg “nutcracker” cocktails and chasing girls without a care. But when his girlfriend Destiny starts crashing at his family’s apartment, their messy, complicated young love turns the cramped space into a powder keg. It’s only a matter of time before the party ends and reality hits. Writer-director Joel Alfonso Vargas turns his hometown into the heartbeat of his debut feature, teaming up with street-cast talent to deliver a raw, slice-of-life portrait full of humor, grit, and the chaotic charm of growing up fast in a city that waits for no one.

In-Person

AFS Cinema THEATER #2

May 17

Credits

Director(s):

Joel Alfonso Vargas

Biography(s):

Joel Alfonso Vargas was born and raised in The Bronx, New York. A recent graduate of the National Film and Television School, he is also a former Fulbright Scholar and holds an MA in documentary filmmaking from the University of the Arts, London. His work aims to collaborate with diasporic communities of color, centering on themes of social, racial, and economic justice. Mad Bills to Pay is his first feature film.