By: Adelante
Los Angeles, CA – Mean Goals, a first-of-its-kind sports comedy about an adorkable gay Latino who dreams of winning the Gay World Cup, will premiere on Friday, May 30, 2025 at at 9 pm the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) hosted by the Regal Theater at LA Live. The film stars Abraham Rodriguez (Power Rangers, Saved by the Bell) in the lead role of Tenoch, who sets out to win soccer gold one last time before his father Rey loses his fight against Alzheimer’s. Despite his best attempts at joining the reigning world champions, the team of mean-spirited LGBTQ players foil Tenoch’s plans, forcing him to build a rival team to beat them at their own game.
“Soccer, romance, locker room banter, and mean gays–this film has it all,” said Abraham Rodriguez. “Mean Goals is unlike any sports comedy film out there as it combines comedy, action, and queer Latino leads all in one. It’s been a privilege to work with so many talented LGBTQ+ and POC actors and filmmakers. We know you’re going to love Mean Goals just as much as we did filming it.”
When Mean Goals’ protagonist Tenoch learns the LGBTQ soccer team is filled with mean-spirited gay players, he devises a plan to beat them at their own game. He remains steadfast in his goal of winning soccer gold one last time before Rey loses his memory. In a true underdog spirit, Tenoch persuades his former high school teammates of mostly-straight men to come together to beat the West Hollywood Tricks and win the Gay Soccer World Cup.
“Audiences have waited too long for a queer sports comedy like ours,” said Ahuatl Amaro, writer and director of Mean Goals. “It’s been well over two decades since The Broken Hearts Club and Bend it Like Beckham hit the big screen and introduced the world to queer sports comedies. We’re excited to share our film with audiences worldwide and can’t wait to get back on set to film the feature.”
The heart-warming queer satire has been lauded as “hilarious,” “spot on,” “powerful,” and “sweet” by film festivals and critics throughout the country. The film features Jack Murrillo (Say a Little Prayer, Action Royale) portraying the role of Tenoch’s love-interest Robbie, Dave Silva (Law & Order:LA, Shameless) as Tenoch’s ailing father Rey, and Paloma Esparza Rabinov (Physical, American Gigolo, The Lincoln Lawyer) as Tenoch’s sporty lesbian cousin Melina. The film’s mean soccer gays are played by Brandon Papo (The Thurndermans Return, Interior Chinatown), Indar Smith (That 90s Show, 13 Reasons Why), Mark Saldaña and Jack Walz.
“Soccer is the world’s most popular sport yet sparingly do we see queer, Latinx and Indigenous athletes at the center of an epic sports story. Mean Goals is here to change that,” said Mean Goals producer Barbara Lettieri. “Mean Goals is an ode to our LGBTQ+ siblings, friends, and family that have always been heroes in our hearts but are rarely depicted as epic superstars on the big screen.”
Mean Goals is produced by Fanfan Zhou and Barbara Lettieri, co-produced by Brian Bonilla, Dr. Guillermo Douglass-Jaimes, David Douglass-Jaimes, and executive produced by Ahuatl Amaro with associated producers Jacob Ortuño, Abraham Rodriguez, Bamby Salcedo, the Trans Latin@ Coalition and Wesley Health Centers. The film’s cinematographer is Aakash Raj (Four Samosas, Paper Flowers), editor is Joe Murphy, production designer is Lakshmi Nymisha Gummadi, music composer is Sean Segal (My Spy The Eternal City, Sebastian Maniscalco: Is it Me?), and casting director is Aika Greenidge, CSA. A project of Film Independent, the film was shot in Southern California with support from the Trans Latin@ Coalition, Wesley Health Centers, AussieBum, New Zealand Laundry Company, and the City of Bell Gardens.
“Agua Dulce Productions is paving the road for authentic, compelling, and entertaining comedy films that center the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Latinxs. Our partnership with Agua Dulce Productions is vital to increasing the visibility and accurate depiction of trans and queer Latinxs in Hollywood and sports. At a time when legislation is being introduced all across the country to strip transgender people of basic rights, we need to invest in resources that educate people about the importance of ending discrimination against transgender people. Mean Goals shows audiences in a comedic and heartfelt way that fairness and good sportsmanship are still values we can all agree on,” said Bamby Salcedo, president and CEO of the Trans Latin@ Coalition.
Agua Dulce Productions’ previous film Physical Therapy (about a gay doctor of physical therapy) won the community filmmaker award at the LA Shorts Festival and Warehouse (about four LGBTQ warehouse workers) earned an audience favorite award at the Cinema Diverse film festival in Palm Springs. The independent production company is currently developing a dramedy titled Sucio about a Latino bad boy and defending mixed martial arts (MMA) world champion who contracts HIV.