Meet Jessica Garcia | Storyteller & Filmmaker

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

Hi Jessica, what makes you happy? Why?
Storytelling in all forms has always made me happy. As a child I loved to read, draw and paint. Later on as a teenager I fell in love with indie romance films. Now as an adult, my imagination continues to run wild. Whether I’m inspired by personal experiences or random encounters I witness in public, there’s always a story sprouting in my brain. And what makes these stories so special is being able to connect with other people about them.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Throughout life, it’s always taken one person to believe in me in order for me to believe in myself.

This is what happened when I entered college as a Biology major and quickly began to fail all of my classes. I received a notice from the university that if I didn’t improve my grades, I would be expelled from the school. Although I was hesitant, I had to make the decision to change my major to something I actually enjoyed, which was English. I remember trying to gather the courage to tell my parents and my mom, without a doubt, agreed that I should study something I loved. Soon after changing my major, I began to get A’s in all my classes and graduated proudly with my Bachelor’s in English.

This also happened when I began working at my first corporate job. I had entered the company as a staff writer who wrote articles for our editorial platform, but later down the line I had an idea for a scripted comedy video. Even though I had never written a script before, I pitched the idea to my boss Annie Leal and she immediately said yes. Similar to me, she had a gut feeling that this was something good. Soon after the video launched, it received hundreds of thousand views and comments and then turned into a video series that was pitched to big brands. To this day, Annie remains to be one of my biggest supporters and mentor in life.

Most recently, this happened again when I was starting to think of the idea for my short film Quinceañera. Even though I was scared to make my first short film, my best friend Steph pushed me to do it. She was there when I was brainstorming. She was there when I had to make late night revisions to the script. And she was there when the day of filming arrived.

Although the journey has not been easy, I’d like to think that everything has happened exactly as it was supposed to. When I was laid off from my job in 2024, I felt defeated and worried about what my finances would look like for the future. However, it was around the same time that I was laid off when things started to happen with my short film Quinceañera. Hence, I was able to give 100% of my focus and effort to this passion project that changed my life. This short film has introduced me to so many wonderful creatives. It has given me the confidence as a storyteller to believe that my stories and the stories of my community matter and deserve to be told. Most of all, it has shown me that this is the path I am meant to follow.

So if you’re a creative who has been thinking about a big project for a while and you keep thinking about it when you’re in bed, when you’re driving, when you’re in the shower…then it is meant for you. Don’t let it go and stick to it till the end. It will be worth it, I promise.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a creative who constantly likes to explore and feel inspired, I’d recommend going to a coffee shop and romanticizing your life as the poet/writer/filmmaker/artist that you are. Some of my favorite coffee shops are The History Coffee Shop in Koreatown, Yeems Coffee in Gardena and Hilltop in Inglewood.

I also love exploring different museums. Some of my favorites are The Broad in Downtown Los Angeles and The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach.

Lastly, as an introvert who often needs to recharge, I love exploring different parks to have myself a writer’s picnic. I take my journal to write, a novel to read and some watercolor books to paint while I soak in the sun and take in the breeze from the trees. Some of my favorite parks are Vista Hermosa Natural Park, Darby Park and the Korean Friendship Bell Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my parents. When I told them about my idea for the short film Quinceañera, they allowed me to organize a fundraiser event in the backyard of their home. When I got accepted into my first film festival, they showed up with unconditional support and excitement. My mom hugged me while I shook from the nerves of showing my short film to an audience for the first time and my dad cried as he told me how proud he was of me. They’ve always believed in me and my dreams, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Website: https://jesseg.squarespace.com/

Instagram: https://jesse.geee

Linkedin: jessegfilm

Youtube: jesse_geee

Other: TikTok: jesse.geee