Me, After You

When identity, love, and loneliness collide in a foreign land, one unforgettable search for true self begins.

Project type: Fiction Feature
Project status: Development
Producer/Writer/Director: Ruben Navarro
Producer: Jose Carmona
Assistant Director: Pablo Riesgo
Director of Cinematography: Mark Alonso
Composer: Arturo Cardelus

Email: ruben.nav82@gmail.com
Website: ruben-navarro.com
 
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Logline

A thirty-year-old Spanish writer in Los Angeles embarks on a journey of self-discovery in the midst of his first love story with a man and his last with a woman, all while facing the added isolating reality of being a foreigner.

Synopsis

Me, After You follows Spanish writer Daniel on his journey of self-discovery and acceptance. After moving to Los Angeles, Daniel unexpectedly falls for Andrea, an Italian man with a laid-back personality. Despite Andrea’s relationship with his long-time girlfriend in Italy, the two share an intense romance. When Andrea returns home, Daniel is left heartbroken and full of anxiety. Eight months later, he meets María, a free-spirited Argentinean woman. Feeling stuck with her boyfriend and society’s expectations, she travels to Los Angeles in search of adventure. Daniel and María develop a meaningful connection that quickly turns into an intense love affair. In the process, they learn to embrace their true selves, heal their hearts, and confront their fears. This is a story for anyone who has experienced what it feels like to be different and in an unfamiliar place—where everything around you reminds you that you don’t belong. Daniel’s sexual identity crisis parallels his struggles as an immigrant. Only when he begins to feel at home in his new environment can he fully accept himself—and vice versa.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Rubén Navarro — Producer/Writer/Director
Rubén Navarro is a Spanish-American filmmaker based in Los Angeles with over a decade of experience in directing and editing. A 2018 Film Independent Project Involve Fellow, his work focuses on emotionally rich stories that explore identity, love, and belonging. His award-winning short films have screened at over 100 international festivals, including Oscar-qualifying events such as Palm Springs ShortFest, Outfest Los Angeles, Edmonton International Film Festival, Out On Film Atlanta, and BFI Flare. As an editor, his credits include Apple TV+’s Lady in the Lake directed by Alma Har’el and starring Natalie Portman, and Sam & Kate, starring Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek. He also edited Wannabe, the first-ever Ecuadorian short film selected for the Tribeca Film Festival (2025). Additional credits include Apple TV’s Acapulco, the Spanish feature Marco Polo, and East of La Brea (SXSW), executive produced by Paul Feig. Rubén is currently in pre-production for his debut feature, Me, After You, a personal film about immigration, sexuality, and self-discovery in Los Angeles.

José Carmona — Producer
José Carmona is a Spanish producer with over 20 years of experience. He holds degrees in Business Administration and Production (ECAM), and a MEGA Master from the EU’s MEDIA Programme. His career began with the Goya-nominated documentary Howard Hawks, San Sebastián 1972. In 2011, he founded Lanube Películas, producing eight features selected at top festivals such as San Sebastián, Berlinale, London, Busan, and Miami. Highlights include Elisa & Marcela by Isabel Coixet (Berlinale 2019), Under the Same Roof (#1 at the Spanish box office), and Some Time Later (San Sebastián Official Selection, Out of Competition).

Marko Alonso — Director of Cinematography
Marko is a Spanish cinematographer based in Los Angeles. He has three features under his belt, Marco Polo (2021), starring Raising Spanish actor Omar Banana, Penpals (2022) and Witchy Ways (2023) directed by Jane Clark; and over 15 shorts, with Tiro Dominical (2019) being one of the most recognized ones for having entered the Saint Louis International Film Festival, won the Fort Lauderdale Int’l Film Festival in the comedy section and being showcased on the Youtube platform Omeleto. He has also shot many episode for Travelscope, a travel show that has aired on PBS for 13 seasons and has won 6 national Emmys. Through this show Marko won a Telly award for cinematography for an episode he shot in Vietnam/Cambodia.

Arturo Cardelus — Composer
Arturo is a Spanish-American composer known for his emotionally rich scores across film, animation, and concert music. Born in Madrid and based in Los Angeles, he is a two-time Goya Award nominee—Spain’s equivalent of the Academy Awards—for Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles and Dragonkeeper. His work has also been recognized at Annecy and the Málaga Film Festival. Cardelús gained international attention with the viral short In a Heartbeat (2017), whose score won Best Original Score – Animated Short at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. His credits include Chiamatemi Francesco, Yo Galgo, and orchestration for The Paperboy. His song “Song for the Untitled” was nominated for Best Original Song – Documentary. Trained at Berklee, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Franz Liszt Academy, Cardelús also composes for the concert stage. His 2013 piece Con Aire de Tango was commissioned by members of the Berlin Philharmonic, and his music has been performed at venues like Madrid’s National Auditorium and Boston’s Jordan Hall. In 2016, he was elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).

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Contact

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