Shot in newburgh

Have you ever watched a movie or tv show and recognized the setting because you had been there? Maybe a car insurance commercial with the Statue of Liberty in the background? Or Carrie Bradshaw running up the steps of the New York Public Library?

The 2015 film Mi America, set in the fictional town of Braxon, New York, was filmed entirely in Newburgh. Released in October of last year, this crime drama directed by Robert Fontaine Jr. premiered at the Downing Film Center in Newburgh this month. The film follows investigator Rolando Ramirez, played by the film’s director, as he uncovers the complicated elements surrounding the murder of 5 migrant workers who were beaten, shot and buried near a warehouse.

We saw the film at the Downing Film Center on Front Street in Newburgh.  The not-for-profit theater opened in 2006 and offers independent, foreign, and classic cinema, as well as mainstream movies.

Mi America is filled with lots of recognizable scenes: the pickup recruiting doomed workers on Grand Street, a character’s contemplative drive through the muraled bridge underpass on South Street, and of course the bar and kitchen scenes shot at the Wherehouse.  

Besides leaving viewers with a unique portrayal of the city, the film ended with sobering statistics about the rising rate of hate crimes against Latinos in the U.S. An important and timely subject, especially in the diverse City that helped create this project.

Mi America: www.miamericamovie.net

Downing Film Center: www.downingfilmcenter.com