Meet Maritza Cruz | Director, Writer & Production Designer

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

Hi Maritza, why did you pursue a creative career?
I think I’ve always had a propensity for the arts even when I was still a child. I still have my kindergarten yearbook where our teacher made us write about what we wanted to be when we grew up. There were tons of “firefighters, doctors, cops, and teachers.” I wrote that I wanted to be a “singer/actress like Selena,” still too young to realize J-Lo was only an actress in a movie playing Mexican American Tejano star Selena Quintanilla. Even though I didn’t quite understand I knew that when I saw Selena Quintanilla on screen I felt like I could reach for the stars. The film left an indelible mark on my heart, and I somehow always knew I’d pursue some kind of artistic career, a far cry from my sports fanatic family. I traded little league games for choir practice and dress rehearsals. Eventually, I found my way to storytelling and writing like lots of creative, angsty preteens of the Tumblr era. But somewhere between high school and undergrad, I started to feel that pressure that looms over a lot of young artists’ heads — the pressure to find a “respectable” 9 to 5 job, to have financial security, to pursue more realistic interests — and I did just that. I got a journalism degree because creative writing was too intimidating for me. I thought I was no good. I thought I didn’t have the guts or the talent to succeed in an artistic field. My journalism career started taking me places, and it was exciting and fulfilling for a time. Then, I ended up back in my hometown seriously questioning what I was doing with my life. That’s when I decided to just go for it and apply for graduate film school at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, not thinking I had a chance but giving myself the opportunity to hope again, to be the little girl from kindergarten with the outrageous dreams. Now, I’m in my final year at film school and pursuing a career in filmmaking as a director, writer, and production designer, and sometimes I can’t even believe where I am today. It can be daunting to pursue an artistic career. It’s a gamble, but it’s one I am so glad I’ve taken.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My main focus as a director and writer has always been on exploring familial relationships through magical realism, fantasy, and science fiction. I grew up on big fantasy and science fiction franchises like Lord of the Ring, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. However, I never really saw my community reflected on screen in these popular genres. Latine and indigenous culture has always been rich with magic, superstition, and lore. This lore is what I’m most interested in exploring as a filmmaker. I’d love for my community to see themselves reflected on screen in all their magical, complex, and powerful glory. I know there is a real demand for new, exciting, and original stories out there. Despite making up more than 19 percent of the population, Latines continue to be underrepresented and misrepresented on screen. The numbers are even more alarming when it comes to representation behind the camera and indigenous Latine representation in general.

As a production designer, I’m always looking for stories with unique challenges and interesting set pieces. I recently worked on two horror films last summer and a USC Stark Producing Program short magical realism film that are in post-production. I’m currently working on a USC MFA advanced project called Split, a time-traveling family drama about sacrifice, and love.

We’re still crowdfunding for production in February. You can donate at seedandspark.com/fund/split-2#story

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?
Depending on the time of the month, I think one of my favorite flea markets is Rose Bowl Flea in Pasadena. It’s an absolute treasure trove. You can find pretty much anything there, and they have a great selection of vintage, pre-loved furniture, decor, and clothes. It’s only open on the second Sunday of every month, but the drive is definitely worth it. Just make sure to go early because it does get very busy.

I’m a huge plant lover, so I would also take them to Mickey Hargitay’s in Hollywood. They have so many plants to choose from, big and small. It’s like a jungle there and the quality of the plants is so great for the price. It’s fun to just browse when you’re in the area, even if you can’t commit to a plant full-time.

For food, I recommend Dan Sung Sa in Koreatown for late-night drinks and food or Bacari Silver Lake if you love tapas. If you’re looking for a fancier, splurge-worthy meal you can’t go wrong with Elephante in Santa Monica. The view and vodka sauce pasta are to die for.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The number of people I have to thank for where I am today is astronomical but as cheesy as it sounds the people I have to thank the most are my parents. They’ve always supported me in all my artistic endeavors. They were there from the beginning, always in the audience at school plays, choir concerts, film screenings, and after-school recreation karaoke shows. I think they believed in me even before I believed in myself. I wouldn’t be able to attend film school without their love and support.

I also really want to shoutout the George Lucas Family Foundation for sponsoring me at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts because I never would have been able to attend without their generous and amazing scholarship. I am so honored to have been chosen for the prestigious award and am grateful for George Lucas and his family’s continuous support to advance the careers and voices of diverse filmmakers. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to thank them enough, but I hope I can bring them pride in their decision one day.

Website: maritza-cruz.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/maritzalcruz/

Other: Donate to Split at seedandspark.com/fund/split-2#story

Image Credits
Movie Poster: Adeline Wang | Production Design Stills: Eternidad (2022) directed by Gabriel Medina, Mother Monster (2022) directed by Rachael Dahl