Meet Britney Bautista: Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Britney Bautista and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Britney, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks is one of the greatest favors a filmmaker can do for themselves. Going outside of my comfort zone and being more personal with my art is something that I struggled with. I didn’t want to open too much of myself to my audience in fear of judgement and backlash. In the beginning of my artistic career, I wrote screenplays that were nonsensical, comedic, and not in touch with the real world. While this was perfectly okay, I wrote screenplays with absurd narratives because they did not have any connection to my real life, or me as an artist. I strayed away from writing films that explored my culture, my family, my mental health, my identity, and my overall experience as an Asian woman because I did not think it would be accepted or admired in the film world.

I took my first risk when I made my first documentary: Your Name is Britney. Not only did I put myself in front of the camera for this film, but I included my own voice in the film, in which I discussed how pieces of my identity are constantly shaped and molded by others; I searched for ways to change myself in order to receive validation from people, preventing myself from being who I truly am. This documentary, which was a huge difference from my previous narrative films, surprisingly touched the lives of many who viewed it, and also gave my friends and family a better understanding of me, or the “me” that I have been hiding from others. Following this documentary came another documentary that focuses on the loss of cultural identity in Asian American women, a narrative film about my mental health and struggle with self esteem, a documentary about the detriments of street harassment on women, and an upcoming film about the interesting role of mental health in Asian American communities. As a filmmaker, it’s important to take risks and become vulnerable with your audience- once you do, you really will set yourself on a path to success and discover the personal stories you really want to tell.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I believe I have a very unique and fresh artistic perspective. I see the world through a different lens; I try to see beauty in everything I experience or witness, and I attempt to tell the stories of the people that have impacted/influenced me in my life. I take every moment of my life as an opportunity to learn, grow, and fuel my art. Through my films, I want to start uncomfortable conversations, and bring important social or political issues to light. I want to question people’s ideas and perspectives of life and allow them to see the world in a different way. By bring awareness to issues that aren’t normally discussed, I hope to emotionally impact viewers and spark social change.

One thing I struggled with along my artistic journey was my confidence. I always feared about not telling stories that were important enough, or making films that weren’t original or unique enough. I relied so heavily on inspiration from other films, that my films were never really my own, but they were recreations of others. I feared that I would never find my own artistic style. However, I realized that I am still very young, and I don’t need to have the answers to everything at the moment. Therefore, I learned finding your artistic style will be a never ending journey, and every day I am becoming closer and closer to developing my own, unique style. As an artist, we constantly dread what others are going to think of our art, but once we break that cycle, we allow ourselves to push past the limits of what society deems as “likable” or “artistic.” Once I broke this cycle, not only did my confidence increase, but I was able to find more of my artistic style, which is to tell unconventional stories centered around identity and feminism through the use of cinematography.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As someone who has lived in Brooklyn for two years now, I can say it is definitely my favorite borough of New York City. This may sound very basic, but absolutely love Williamsburg; there is such an artsy/hippie atmosphere and there are a lot picture-worthy restaurants, shops, and cafes in the area. It has the perfect mix of old-school and modern, without the congested and flashy environment of Manhattan. One of my favorite tattoo shops is Live By The Sword, one of he coolest stores is ALAND which sells the cutest Korean clothing and accessories, and one of my favorite cafes is Copper Mug Coffee, which has the best lavender latte.

As a connoisseur of secondhand clothing, my favorite thrift store is Urban Jungle on Knickerbocker Avenue, which has a huge variety of mens and women’s tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes, and accessories. stepping into Urban Jungle is like stepping into Disney World. The Sole Broker on Grand Street is a great consignment store for a sneaker head on a budget. The owners are so laid-back and welcoming, and their selection of shoes from Air Jordans to Yeezy Boosts are amazing for their price. Finally, Mother of Junk on Driggs Ave is such a fun place to go with friends just to peruse the aisles and explore all the wacky, weird, and vintage items the store has to offer. You will usually walk out of there with a few vintage post cards, some colorful geometric vases, or a creepy miniature clown figurine. I will forever adore Brooklyn for its quirkiness and artistic nature. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank the Ghetto Film School, for guiding me through my journey of becoming a visual artist. The Ghetto Film School is a non-profit organization that educates, develops and celebrates the next generation of great storytellers. In this 30-month intensive film program, I was able to truly hone my craft, learning the basics of filmmaking, from screenwriting, to directing, to cinematography. Without this program, I would not have found my passion for film, and for that I am truly grateful. Every teacher at Ghetto Film School really cares about their students and wants them to succeed. The whole program is filled with creatives that are genuine, supportive, and have such a high artistic spirit to them. One thing we all shared was a passion and desire to tell great stories, no matter what race, religion, or gender we were, which was truly amazing.

Website: http://britneybautista.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @britney.bautista

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britney-bautista-b992b515b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/britney.bautista/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdcpYHt8vEqr9oKrCMf4FTQ