5 Filmmakers Discuss Their Road to the Film Festival

At the end of last week in 2025 Sandans film The festival hosted, Indiewire “Future Formation-Film Manufacturers from the Next Generation” at Adobe House. The conversation included film makers supported by Adobe Movie and TV, an initiative for helping creators and directors who were represented in finding professional opportunities through a variety of different programs, including Latinx House, Gold House and Ignite.

In a conversation directed by Chris Ovalt from Indiewire, “Selena y Los Dinos“Director Isabelle Castro,” Hold Lee closed “, co -director/film photographer/co -editor Aurora Prachman, editor of” libraries “Maria Gabriella Torres, editor” Sweet Talkin ‘Guy “Mario Verro, and director of the director Mail Mah through them Sundance and the like Be an independent film artist in 2025. The conversation, which you see at the top of this page, was an explicit look at the long challenges and hours that it takes to achieve one dream in seeking to achieve a profession as an independent documentary director.

“It is difficult to make a lot of money as a way out when you are emerging, it is an expensive hobby more than something you pay to do,” said Brashman. “And when you are paid, especially in the documentary, do not get their salaries much. Thus, I wore a lot of hats.”

As a cinematic photographer, Brachman, in the very short Additon (“Hold Me Close”, helped filming a playing feature at this year’s festival, and in previous years it was part of the teams producing films that played Sundance.

“It is really difficult to say,” no, I will put this work aside to save time, so that I can perpetuate my creative profession because my goal is to be a way out. “It is believed that you deserve it, there is a scarcity mentality that you must try to abandon, It is extremely difficult to deviate in time to flow in your project … often the last cup that is filled is your own. “

For Brachman, the IGNITE colleague, and non -profit support provides some space to make room for its own projects, but the interest is often financial.

“We are all at this stage they are colored people, and I think that in different environments, we take us seriously more or less, and sometimes I think that these institutional stamps are more important to us because without them, it is very difficult to. Brachmann said:” You must To be taken seriously. “It is funny because I am also working on an advantage. I have been working on it for five years so far, and when I was in other settings while I was showing the movie, people’s eyes were formed. And I noticed when I was here [at Sundance with a film, and part of the Sundance Ignite x Adobe fellowship]It is like, I show the movie and everyone like “Woooow”. These settings are important. They change the way it is seen. ”

Castro is evidence of the perseverance required by obtaining an advantage to Sandans. Before youMega“It was first shown in Sandans 2022, she had three shorts rejected by the festival. But in the end she got one of the Sandans grants of the Sandans institutes that are evolved with” Mega “grants, giving the project the moment necessary to start” Snow Ball “. After five years of The hard work on “Mega”, a documentary film on the director of the young Latina Doris Monuz was met with the embarrassment and the Disney/FX distribution deal after the appearance of the level.

“When you start getting more and more clarity, especially such as colored film makers, you get more and more distinctive symbol, and you are asked to create more simplified versions of the imagination Self -expression, exploration and other possible failure. ”You are placed in this system [where] It seems as if they were flowing gold in front of you, saying, “Follow me”, and you have to trust yourself. “

Castro, which she shown on this show, “Selena E Los Denus”, a documentary film on “Tijano Queen of Tijano”, Celina Quintanilla, jokingly that after “Mega” and promised herself that she would not take disturbance to make a famous document. When the Queenlla family and her music approached her, she stopped.

“I have had long conversations with them, saying:” Will you trust me, comrades? Do you, comrades, give me this to the way I want, which will allow the archive to breathe. It may seem different from the documentary Selina Quintanilla that you want to do. Castro said: “I only took the job because they said yes to that,” said Castro. “To be a star in North, it’s extremely difficult to continue to do day after day.”

It is a different way to a first boredom as an editor, but with the same difficulty. Live in Denver, “Sweet Talkin ‘Guy” was on Mario Vero to create his own chances to storm the film industry.

“I started with a camera hundred dollars,” Vieru said. “I started taking wedding parties, Quinceaereas, and I went to Denver University for my university energy and became a video man – if I was in a brotherhood or a women’s club, you will run me with a camera.”

With a lot of continuous and fixed emails, Fierro managed to make it on the road as a video in the world of music, first for the singer/rapper Todrick Hall and dance designer in Lady Gaga Richie Jackson, and in the end she spends two pipes in Cardi B. The road was , With a stairs to AFI Grad, Fierro’s final dream is to become an editor working in cinema and television.

“When I started moving her to New York five times a month for Kardi, it was great and everything, but I was thirty years old and I was like,” Well, will I be 60 years old with a follow -up camera like celebrities? Vieru said.

Stay away from good money, to build a profession as a full -time editor, a leap of faith and a little financial shock, was attributed to Adobe Latinx House with a help. Latinx House Alum, Maria Gabriella Torres, who edited the documentary featureLibrary trustees“The first offer in Sandans 2025, agreed.

“I think for people like us, and this is the next generation, and anxiety is how will I get the next opportunity?” Torres said. “Because I am lucky because I had a chance, and I think it is a conversation that we must all do, and how we give each other opportunities, and these are opportunities, as what the Latin house did for us, and what is Adobe we have really done to us – to give us voices and give us platforms to put our names there And help us get another job.

MAH is the middle of Journey on the way to take out her passion for the world, where she came to Sandans 2025 with her text “This method to the house”-the daughter of the father about a strange Canadian teenager, and her wonderful emotional father (Ken Jeong attached). On the next solar eclipse. For MAH, whose career began on the studio side of movies and television, the project in developing the project makes something you want to see on the screen.

“The way I put the tone is that it is”Little Miss sunshine“Meets”Bird lady,“But with Asian characters,” said Mah, who was based on the film on her trips on the road with her father. “I always wanted a movie like this. I could watch” Little Miss Sunshine “again and again, and I just wanted to see my experience, story, and stories, correctly active.”

With the production of actor Stephan James’ Bay Mills Studios, MAH in Sundance looking for a final financing piece to get green light, but what you get from being in the festival is a different type of fuel.

Mah said: “The thing that I love to come to Sandans, the presence in society and watch movies is that I always fill in a lot of inspiration and I hope that we can really do something to make a change by making these films.” “These stories are very difficult [to make]But through that hardship and through those obstacles that we must dig deep in ourselves to create something that can move others. “