Eduardo Montes-Bradley


Eduardo Montes-Bradley is a documentary filmmaker born in Córdoba, whose work focuses on biographical, cultural, and historical subjects. He is co-founder of Heritage Film Project and resides in Charlottesville. In addition to his work in film, he is the author of Cortázar sin barba, a literary biography of Julio Cortázar published by Random House Mondadori. His most recent works include The Piccirilli Factor, a film about the Italian-American sculptors, and Black Fiddlers. He is also known for directing Evita (2008), Rita Dove: An American Poet, Harto the Borges, and Daniel Chester French: American Sculptor made possible with the support of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Among Montes-Bradley’s other documentary works is his biographical film on civil rights leader Julian Bond.

Early life

According to USA-Painter, Eduardo Montes-Bradley’s background has played a crucial role in shaping his approach to filmmaking. Raised in Buenos Aires, his mother was of Eastern European descent, the daughter of Jewish immigrants who arrived in Argentina during the interwar period. His father, Nelson, was of mixed heritage, descended from Italian, Galician, and New England families who had settled in Buenos Aires in the first half of the 19th century. Nelson was one of the founders of Discos Qualiton, where he worked in 1974 while attending public school. Montes-Bradley’s theatrical debut in documentary film was his biographical film on Osvaldo Soriano.

Career

In a 1996 appearance on CNN, hosted by Ismael Cala, Montes-Bradley described his work creating documentary films about underrepresented stories as a continuation of the work his father and his partners at Discos Qualiton were doing by publishing underrepresented works of otherwise well-known European composers and less-known vernacular composers such as Carlos Guastavino and Alberto Ginastera.
In 1986, Montes-Bradley founded The Entertainment Herald, a bilingual magazine based in Los Angeles catering to the film industry. Between 1988 and 1991, he produced and directed two films distributed by TriStar Pictures. In 1995, he produced and directed El Secuestro, his last fiction feature film.
In 1998, with the support of the ministries of culture in Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil, Montes-Bradley founded Contrakultura Films, which produced over 20 feature documentary films on Latin American writers, artists, and cultural traditions. In 2008, he established Heritage Film Project with producer Soledad Liendo. Heritage Film Project has since produced several films with the support of the Documentary Film Fund and others.

Non-fiction

Fiction

El Sekuestro, 1997. Writer-Director. Parody of the misadventures of a revolutionary cell in South America. Starring Sandra Ballesteros, and Rodolfo Rani.Double Obsession, 1992. Writer-Director.TriStar Columbia. Thriller. Starring Margaux Hemingway, Scott Valentine, Jamie Horton, Maryam D'Abo and Frederic Forrest. Edited by John Venzon.SmoothTalker, 1990. Writer-Director. TriStar ColumbiaThriller. Starring Peter Crombie, Stuart Whitman, Sidney Lassick, Paul Raci and Burt Ward. Editor Sandra Adair.

Experimental

Frogments, 2000. Based on 8 mm images captured by Julio Cortázar in India and Africa with voice over by Allen Ginsberg.Freedom, 1986. Based on 8 mm images captured by Montes-Bradley in and around Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami with focus in city homelessness.

Music videos

Journalism

Montes-Bradley contributed to El País, Babelia, Les cinemas de la Amerique Latine by Association Rencontres Cinémas d'Amérique Latine de Toulouse France; La Jornada, Mexico; the monthly review Latinoamérica e Tutto il Sud dell Mondo, Italy; and in Argentina to the literary magazine Esperando a Godot; the art-magazine Revista Lote, Venado Tuerto, Suplemento Radar published by Página/12, El Amante de cine, "Diario Perfil," "Revista Ñ" Clarin, Critica de Argentina; and La Nación. Montes-Bradley was a frequent collaborator with the literary blog "Nación Apache."

Photography

Montes-Bradley was recognized by the National Council on Public History with the "Outstanding Public History Project Award" as part of the exhibit "The Mere Distinction of Colour" produced by James Madison's Montpelier. His photo-work appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, La Nacion,The Independent, Deutsche Welle, Diario Clarin other newspapers and magazines as well as "Escenas de la memoria. La Casa Argentina en la voz de sus antiguos residentes", and "Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center 20th Anniversary". His work is partially preserved at the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, the University of Virginia.

Awards and honors

Alice: At Home With Alice Parker Mystic Film Festival, 2021, Grand Jury Prize; Virginia Film Festival Official Selection, 2020.* "Los cuentos del timonel" Best Documentary by the Argentine Film Critics Association.A Soldier's Dream Best Documentary, 9th Historical and Military Film Festival, Warsaw; Best Biography; Oniros Film Awards, 2019; Best Feature Documentary, Port Orchard Film Festival, 2019; Official Selection, Western European Film Festival, 2019; Courage Film Festival, Berlin, 2019; San Francisco Veteran's Film Festival, 2018, Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival, 2018, Great Western Catskills International Film Festival, 2018. The Other Madisons: Official Selection, Mystic Film Festival,2021; Martha's Vineyard Film Festival; Atlanta Black Pride Film Festival, 2021; Official Selection DC Black Film Festival, 2021; Official Selection Roxbury International Film Festival, 2021. Honorable Mention; Black Truth Film Festival, 2022.White: A Season in the Life of John Borden Evans: 4th International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra, Best Documentary; Richmond International Film Festival, Best Documentary; Virginia Film Festival, Official Selection. Best Documentary, Richmond International Film Festival.; Best Documentary Film 6th International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra Awards, 2017Monroe Hill: Jefferson Trust Award Julian Bond: Reflections from the Frontlines of the Civil Rights Movement: 4th Annual Baltimore International Black Film Festival, Best Documentary FilmHarto The Borges: 12e Rencontres Cinémas d'Amerique Latine, Official Selection, Toulouse, 2000.

Appearances in other media