Gus Guardado is a high school video production teacher who always dreamed of making a film. He wrote a script loosely based on his own life and set in his hometown of Concord, a city about 30 miles away from San Francisco. It took a couple of years to put together enough money to shoot his indie rom-com, but he was determined to make it happen. Thanks to Guardado, Love, Concord is the first movie ever set in the East Bay suburb.
It’s a teen comedy in the vein of the classic eighties movies that John Hughes was famous for. And just like in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink – it’s an honest, authentic portrayal of teenagers. In the comedy, Gerry (Jorge Diaz) is in his junior year of high school. He’s a class clown willing to do anything for a laugh but totally clueless when it comes to the ladies. He plays basketball, old school video games, and asks everyone for advice on how to win over girls. His older brother Miguel (Miguel Angel Caballero) gives him terrible suggestions that never work. Finally, he decides to just be himself, and it works.
He charms Melinda (Angelina Leon), a cute and nerdy young woman who isn’t afraid to fire back her own sarcastic remarks when Gerry pokes fun at her. It’s a funny, cute, witty teen romance where the characters just happen to be Latino and refreshingly, none of them are gangbangers, drug dealers, or end up pregnant. It might just be the Latino Say Anything.
Love, Concord is available on iTunes and Amazon. It’s free for Amazon Prime members.