Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired the award-winning indie drama film Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo), the feature debut of writer-director Joel Alfonso Vargas, following his acclaimed short ‘May It Go Beautifully For You, Rico.’
In the Bronx, NY-set film starring starring Juan Collado, Destiny Checo, Yohanna Florentino, and Nathaly Navarro, 19-year-old Dominican American Rico’s summer is a mix of chasing girls, hustling homemade “nutcracker” cocktails, getting high, and stay moving. But when Destiny, his pregnant teenage girlfriend crashes at his place with his family, it’s only a matter of time before his carefree days come spiraling down.
Mad Bills to Pay world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2025 where it picked up the NEXT Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast and Berlin International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Perspectives Award for Best First Feature. It was part of 2025’s edition of New Directors/New Films and opened the 25th New York Latino Film Festival.
Oscilloscope Laboratories will partner with Unapologetic Projects for a release in select theaters next year.
Director Joel Alfonso Vargas said, “The ride for Mad Bills to Pay has been wild ever since we touched down at Sundance and Berlin earlier this year and the love has been unreal. Now we get to keep the momentum going through a collaboration with Oscilloscope and we couldn’t be more excited to get the film in front of even more audiences via the big screen. Oscilloscope’s roots in New York’s music and film scenes run deep and that quirky green logo has been the opening act for so many of our favorite indie classics of the past decade and a half or so. To partner up with them on a Bronx-set story, born in the birthplace of Hip-Hop and centered on Latinx New Yorkers just feels meant to be.
We know Dan Berger and the Oscilloscope team will champion the film with the same care they’ve shown countless indie gems. It’s a true New York affair, what more is there to say? Huge thanks as well to Cinetic Media for brokering the deal and to Unapologetic Projects for supporting our release efforts. And of course, mad love and respect to Adam Yauch, Oscilloscope’s co-founder, filmmaker and Beastie Boy forever. We’ll keep a nutcracker cold in your honor.”
Aaron Katz, VP of Acquisitions at Oscilloscope Laboratories added, “Mad Bills to Pay captures New York summers in a bottle – the hustle, the grind, the vitality, the punch, the liquor. Joel crafted a gorgeous, humanity-filled film from the perspective of a native son. It was one of the biggest standouts for us at Sundance and we are thrilled to be partnering with this excellent team.”
Unapologetic Projects said, “Chris Quintos Cathcart and Tyler Boehm of Unapologetic Projects shared: “We fell in love with Mad Bills to Pay at Sundance, where Joel’s direction stood out for both its formal inventiveness and its powerfully humane approach to its characters. We’re proud to help bring this movie to theatrical audiences and particularly excited to bring more Dominican representation to the screen.”
The film was produced by Paolo Maria Pedullà. Lexi Kroll serves as associate producer. The film is a production of Killer Films, Perpetuum Film, Watermark Media, and Spark Features. Executive Producers are Christine Vachon, Gabriel Mayers, Julie Waters, Evan Dyal, Robina Riccitiello, Josh Peters, and Liam Francis Quigley.
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