Wheeling Out a New Film with Local Links

Movies have been a passion for Alex Trudeau Viriato since he was a kid watching favorites like Back to the Future, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Sandlot.

 “It wasn't until I was 16 that I was truly inspired by a film," Viriato said. "My parents finally let me watch Braveheart and I couldn't explain to anyone how much I wanted to be a part of this ‘untouchable business.’ ” 

He started editing in high school — taking hit movies and editing their trailers or creating family videos made his passion for movies grow.

Viriato credits his family’s love of movies for his career goals, that and a piece of advice from his father.

“My dad always said if I reached for the stars I might hit the top of the trees, but if I reached for the top of the trees I'd never get off the ground. This quote definitely has a level of cheesiness but it always stuck,” Viriato said.

“After I received my bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State (University), I realized that if I didn't try to get into the film business at that point in my life then I was never going to be able to do it.  So fail or succeed, I was going to try,” Viriato said.

His determination and hard work are paying off with big names like Paul Walker and Martin Sheen appearing on his resume.

“I have filmed Paul Walker and his race team, been a production assistant on Unstoppable, directed a commercial for Bravo's Top Chef Ilan Hall and a short called The Mile. I was the editor on a comedy web series, “First Edition,” and recently just shot a film festival promo with Martin Sheen,” Viriato said.

“Telling Martin Sheen ‘action’ has definitely been a highlight.”

But in Viriato's current project he is director, editor and producer.

Thousands have viewed the trailer of his documentary about fixed gear cycling in California, which started as a project for The Los Angeles Film School.

Fixation, which includes appearances by Olympic gold medalist Jamie Staff and Los Angeles race organizer Sean Martin, received more than 21,000 hits in its first eight days online.

Since the film debuted at his film school graduation, and helped earn him the title of valedictorian, Viriato and his team have submitted the film to festivals in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

The trailer has sparked international interest, with a distribution company in Japan hoping to sell the film and make it available on demand in Japan.

And while Viriato’s passion for movies came from his childhood, his passion for fixed gear cycling came from his job at  shortly after he graduated from .

Viriato, who managed the shop, said he began riding with employees. Before he left to pursue film school in L.A. he purchased his first single-speed bicycle.

So what is Fixation about? “This film was my answer to everyone who ever asked me ‘Why do you have a single speed if it's not a BMX or a cruiser?' This was not my exploitation of the underground world of fixed gear. It was my explanation to everyone what I feel the sport is about,” Viriato said.

The film's score gives the documentary a cinematic feel and highlights the intensity of the sport.

Viriato said this film is different from other documentaries about cycling because it's not cyclists making a movie about cycling.

“[Fixation] is a well made film that I think looks beautiful, shot by people who make movies,” Viriato said. “We filmed a variety of cyclists who have different reasons for riding, different motives and explanations. It's not just about going fast and burning red lights; there are athletes, bike polo players and commuters who believe it is so much more.”