My Name is Pedro

education. Infectious in his optimism, Santana becomes one of the most influential public school teachers and then administrators in the New York public school system after turning his troubled Bronx middle school, MS 391, around.  He is unapologetic in his commitment to create change for kids, no matter the odds.  When a glowing front page New York Times article catapults him into the spotlight, he is recruited and then accepts a promotion to use his famed ‘out of the box’ and transformative practices to save a corrupt and divided suburban school district. But the political challenges there may simply be too great, even for the infallible Santana. In order to continue his life’s mission that ‘every kid can learn’, (he himself was labeled ‘special ed’ as a child), he realizes that he must venture beyond not only the restrictive ‘four walls’ of the public education system, but also his own neighborhood, city and even his own country. This is a profound story of how one person actualizes learning and positive change in children, adults, environments and communities through an ‘impact’ ripple effect strategy that he has effortlessly perfected. ‘My Name Is Pedro’ is an essential and timely reminder of the importance of great educators that exist within the infrastructure of our country’s public education system.
NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE
97 MINUTES
​Lillian LaSalle: 
First time director, Lillian LaSalle is the recipient of the 2016 Peabody “Futures of Media” Award for Producing the web-series, Halal In The Family, starring Aasif Mandvi, which garnered wide spread media attention for taking on Islamophobia through the use of comedy and parody. The web series received over 580 Million Media impressions. Halal in the Family is currently being developed as an animated series. This series will mark America’s first portrayal of a Muslim family on television. Currently, LaSalle is in negotiations with 20th Television to Executive Produce Today’s Special, the television version of the Sweet 180 feature film, which she produced.
LaSalle is the Producer of several feature films including, Loggerheads, which premiered in competition at The Sundance Film Festival and Sweet Land, which won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature for writer/director, Ali Selim. LaSalle’s other notable feature Producing credits include: Today’s Special, Just Like the Son, Find Love, Heavy Petting, and Mentor, as well as Southern Belles and American Cannibal: The Road to Reality.
Also as a producer, LaSalle is currently in development on a self contained Sy-Fy featured, entitled, I CAN CHANGE, from writer, Amy Starbin, (Kelly and Cal) . In development is feature film, Madcap: The Half-Life of Syd Barrett, about the life of the legendary front man for Pink Floyd, based on the optioned book by the same name and a television series, with Sundance Channel’s hit series “Hap and Leonard” co-creator, Nick Damici, based on a series of Russian Detective novels, optioned by Sweet 180 and written by Stuart Kaminsky.  Also in development is LaSalle’s follow up feature documentary, THREE BROTHERS, a personal exploration into the her own family, and specifically severe mental illness.
LaSalle is the President of the highly lauded, Sweet 180, a New York based management and production company which she has fiercely grown over the last seventeen years.
A Brooklyn native and the daughter of Egyptian immigrants, LaSalle is an honors graduate of the High School of Performing Arts in theatre and an honors graduate of the music conservatory program at The State University of New York at Purchase, where she was the first female student admitted into the classical guitar department.
My Name is Pedro, will mark LaSalle’s directorial debut.

ADDITIONAL CREDITS:
Executive Producer: Michael Fowler
Producers: Lillian LaSalle, Jonathan Clasberry
Editors: Mary Manhardt, Mark Demolar
Animators: Antony Barkworth-Knight
Other Credits: co-producers: Mark Demolar, Monica Cohen
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