Meet Preston Thomas | Filmmaker & Martial Artist/Grappler

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

Hi Preston, why did you pursue a creative career?
Being a filmmaker allows me to be everything I ever wanted to be at once. Specifically, it allows me to be a visual artist, writer, actor, historian, journalist, and martial artist… all rolled into this one peculiar craft that we call filmmaking.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Film Jitsu, a feature-length documentary about the crossover between the worlds of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, stunt fighting, and action cinema, embodies what I do, which is DIY filmmaking. For that documentary, I did almost every job; besides directing it, I was the cameraman, sound recordist, producer, PA, and editor. (Now I am selling T-shirts, which I designed, in order to promote the film.) Even on projects where I have employed a sizable crew—such as my first feature, Matriarch—I often wear multiple hats and cut my own movies.

It was certainly not easy to get to where I am today as a filmmaker. Not long after I moved to Los Angeles, I found myself struggling to find stable employment, and my bank account was running low. Jiu-jitsu was the only thing that kept me sane. While I was nearly broke, tragedy struck back home in New Orleans, and I had to fly back for a family funeral. It was very a trying time, but I decided to push forward; not long afterwards, I landed a stable day job as a legal assistant, which allowed me to keep working toward—and eventually realize—my dream of making feature films.

Repeatedly, I have had to gamble on myself in order to make this dream a reality. For instance, I moved to Los Angeles right after college, with a modest amount of savings, in order to intern at a film production company. When I was 26, I spent $25,000 of my own money to bring Matriarch, my first feature, to life. After that, I made Film Jitsu as a one-man crew and had the confidence to know that I could pull it off. Fate has conspired to help me, as one martial arts legend after another agreed to be interviewed for Film Jitsu, and I learned that I have an aptitude for documentary storytelling as well as traditional narrative filmmaking.

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?
My go-to spot is Larchmont Boulevard, so I would start there; it has so many great options for coffee, food, and sweet treats coupled with a relaxed vibe. (I have to give a shoutout to Bricks and Scones, where I have spent many Sunday afternoons.) Then I would take my friend to Koreatown, DTLA, and Little Tokyo to see the historical landmarks and enjoy the fine eating and cultural institutions that all of those neighborhoods have to offer. Finally, we would want some hearty outdoor activities to balance the gustatory adventures. Perhaps a dip into the Pacific Ocean and a hike in the San Gabriel Mountains. (Point Dume and Mount Lowe are among my favorite scenic destinations.)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my mom, Margery Thomas, who is my biggest fan, has relentlessly supported all of my creative projects, and has flown out from New Orleans multiple times to cheer me on at Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments. My first feature film, Matriarch (2021, starring Olivia Day), is inspired by our story. As that film depicts, she overcame a lot of hardships as a teenage girl and then as a young woman to raise me largely on her own, while doing everything in her power to set me up for success in life. At the same time, she nurtured my love of cinema by taking me to either the local Blockbuster or a movie theater every weekend.

Website: https://www.aprestonthomas.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.preston.thomas

Other: https://vimeo.com/aprestonthomas

https://www.filmjitsudoc.com

Image Credits
Grace Moon, Ponthus Pyronneau