Beauty (2005)
17 Minutes / High Definition / Englis / Stereo

Director: Pepper Negron

Writer: Franc. Reyes

Editor/Re-recording Mixer: Carlos Berrios

Starring: Lauren Martin as Maritza Perez
Joseph Martin as Hector Perez
Megan Corry as The Model

Tagline: How far will a husband go to fulfill his modern warped sense of beauty, and with what consequences?

Synopsis: : A menage-a-trois gone wrong. Marizta Perez is an attractive, young woman who lives in an urban tower with her “up-and-coming” corporate American slave husband, Hector, a man extremely influenced by the unrealistic media-derived images of women who is determined to convince his submissive wife into a threesome -- with disastrous results. When Hector’s extra-marital dalliances find their way into the Perez household, and unable to measure up to sex icons like Jennifer Lopez or Pamela Anderson, troubles ensues as Martiza’s poor self image overtakes the situation in this very powerful drama written by Franc. Reyes (writer/director of the Universal feature film, “EMPIRE”).

Director Biography:
Pepper began his career in the entertainment industry in the music business, working as a personal manager for singer/songwriter/actress Corina, whose top ten Billboard hit “TEMPTATION” found them touring around the world. With eight years and many successes as a manager, Pepper enrolled and graduated from Pratt Institute and earned a degree in Graphic Illustration.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Pepper’s vision has expanded to the art of filmmaking, as a screenwriter and director. His first short film “MASTER & SERVANT” was featured at numerous festivals including The 6th Annual South Bronx Film & Video Festival, Fright Restaurant/Monday Night Shorts (NYC), The New Latino Filmmakers Showcase at The Anthology Film Archives 2004 and The Coney Island Film Festival 2004. During the production of his second short film project, “TWO GUNS AND A BAG OF SANDWICHES,” Pepper was given the opportunity to direct “BEAUTY,” which would be a part of a short story trilogy for HBO. Shot on High Def, “BEAUTY” was written by Franc Reyes (writer/director of Universal’s “EMPIRE”) “BEAUTY” was also showcase at numerous film festivals and in 2005 won the Grand Goldie Film Award for Directing and 2006 won the best actress award in Nosotros American Latino Film Festival.

Pepper’s first feature-length screenplay, “HIGH HATS,” written by Pepper & Corina Katt Ayala, is a gothic Vampire tale about four female Vampires and was a finalist at the 8th Annual “FADE IN” Screenwriting Awards in Beverly Hills, 2004.

“TORN SIGNPOST” a modern day Romeo & Juliet through the eyes of sociopaths, is their second feature screenplay and is in development to shoot next year 2007 . Other treatments for future feature screenplays include, “SHADES OF PURPLE” a dark haunting ghost story of schizophrenia, “A BLOCK FROM LAST MONDAY” and “ELIZABETH BATHORY” his story of 1600’s Blood Countess.

Pepper’s works also include the short screenplays, “VAMPYR, BLOOD ANGEL”, “THIS WAY FOR THE SORROWFUL”, “TIME AT LAST” and “GERSHEN”

“FEAR AND ALL OF ME” was Pepper’s stage directing debut. The show, written and performed by writing partner Corina Katt Ayala, ran in 2004 as a workshop production. In the summer 2005 it debuted Off-Broadway at The Producers Club.

Writer Biography: Franc started his career traveling the world as a dancer/choreographer. By the early 1990s after becoming an accomplished songwriter, Franc had written three Billboard Magazine top-forty songs for artists on the Columbia and Atlantic/Atco Record Labels. Soon after signing a music publishing deal with E.M.I Publishing.

In 1996 after reading and soaking in the books and works of the greats i.e.: Martin Scorsese, Sidney Lumet, Francis Ford Coppola, Franc raised the money, wrote, and directed his first short film, In The Deep South, a concept currently being developed for television. In 1998 Franc wrote the script for what would become his first feature film, Empire. Attracting the talents of John Leguizamo, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabella Rosselini, Denise Richards, Brazilian superstar Sonia Braga and hip hop legends Fat Joe and Treach. Music being a big part of Franc’s life, he co-wrote four songs for the films Motown Records soundtrack, including the title track “Welcome To My Empire” sung by Latin superstar La India. After convincing legendary music producer Emilio Estefan Jr. to produce two of his songs and singer Jon Secada to sing one of them, he was able to get Ruben Blades actor and music legend to score his film.

Shot independently in New York in 2000, Empire went on to become the highest grossing film out of the Sundance Film Festival in 2002. Leading to Franc signing a deal with Universal Pictures in 2003.

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