Broward Premiere / USA / 2025 / English / 92 min / Comedy, Drama, Coming of Age.
Director: Michael Walker; Writer: Michael Walker, Susan Gomes; Producers Alfred Sapse, Michael Goodin.
Key Cast: Anna Mirodin, Hannah Kepple, Alexandro Byrd.
Contact: mike@pangofilms.com
Set in suburban NY in 1984. Julie Gornick hosts a charismatic, larger than life Spanish exchange student. As he starts hooking up with the girls in her class, Julie falls in love with him. Or what she thinks is love.
SPECIAL GUESTS: Alexandro Byrd, Michael Walker, Susan Gomes
Director Statement
The Legend of Juan Jose Mundo is loosely based on a true story, though it lives firmly as a high school comedy and coming-of-age film. I co-wrote the script with my wife, Susan Gomes, drawing from her experiences and those of her friends in the early 1980s, when a charismatic Spanish exchange student briefly became the center of their teenage world. Many moments in the film from classroom mishaps to heartfelt advice come directly from real memories, some of which have aged better than others.
Although the story is rooted in Susan’s perspective, the film was a deeply collaborative effort. Working closely with Susan, cinematographer Kristy Tully, and production designer Annie Simeone, we aimed to honor those memories with authenticity and respect. The film treats teenage emotions seriously, capturing the ache of adolescence and the small emotional revolutions that shape who we become.
Stylistically inspired by John Hughes, we wanted the film to feel cinematic, funny, and emotionally honest, while embracing the look, sound, and spirit of the 1980s from period lighting and production design to era specific dialogue and music. Ultimately, Juan Jose Mundo is about the myths we create around desire, what happens when those myths collapse, and what we discover about ourselves in the process and it’s really funny.
Director Bio:
Michael Walker is an independent filmmaker based in New York City. Walker is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and the Stella Adler Conservatory for Acting in Los Angeles. His work spans both film and television, with a focus on coming-of-age stories and offbeat comedies that explore the complexities of everyday life. He has directed several award-winning films, including Price Check, starring Parker Posey and Chasing Sleep, starring Jeff Daniels. His most recent feature, Paint, starring Olivia Luccardi and Josh Caras, won Best Film at the 2022 Dances With Films festival.