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

Hi Marcella, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk taking has definitely played a huge role in my life and career. I took a risk to move to LA on my own when I had no connections in the entertainment industry, no experience, no job, and a small savings in my bank account. I took that risk of moving away from all my friends and family at a young age to follow my dreams and pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Had I not taken that risk and never tried I would always have regretted my choice and never achieved my dreams. I ended up getting a great job in the publicity department for a major studio, but in my heart I always wanted to be a filmmaker. So after a few years working at the studio I took another risk and left the studio to work at a production company in development. Had I not taken that risk to change careers I would never have learned about film and TV production and gained the experience and confidence to eventually go out on my own to be an independent filmmaker. Making the decision to just focus on my career as a filmmaker was also yet another risk I took that has been so incredibly rewarding. I finally have the freedom to write and create my own projects and focus on subjects important to me and creating diverse roles in front of and behind the camera. Had I not taken any of those risks in my life I wouldn’t be where I am today.

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’m an independent filmmaker in Los Angeles focusing on writing and directing diverse stories from underrepresented groups. Being Latina, I really want to focus on creating roles for my community that aren’t stereotypical and depict us in ways that are generally not seen in film and TV. We are often not seen in strong, intelligent roles and I want to help change the narrative of how we are often negatively portrayed. It hasn’t been an easy road to get here and I’ve had to work in many aspects of the industry to get where I am today. I wanted to work at a studio to learn the studio world, and then work at a production company to gain experience in production. I took all the knowledge and all the connections I have made over the years and put that towards being an Indie filmmaker to concentrate on creating the content that I want to create. There were many times that I haven’t been financially stable and was a struggling artist and wanted to give up, but I know the industry needs voices like mine creating these kinds of roles and that drives me to keep pursing my dreams. I was so excited when a short film I wrote and directed about the true story of my family and the americanization process they went through for being Mexican American in Texas premiered last year on HBO Latino. The film is called My Name is Maria de Jesus and after the premiere I was asked by multiple universities across the country to come screen my short and speak to the Latinx students on campus ranging from Purdue University to The George Washington University in D.C. It was such an amazing opportunity to travel the country and a wonderful experience being able to talk to all the students and hear what it meant for them to see themselves represented on screen. I even spoke at universities in my native city of San Antonio and so many of my family were able to come out and support and attend my speeches. It was beyond incredible to see the impact of one short film in my community and I know this is just the beginning of what I can accomplish and changes I can help make in the industry.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have a few favorite spots around the city that I take friends or family to when they come to visit. I love taking people to Santa Monica pier. Not only do I love the beach, but I love the different stores and restaurants on Third Street Promenade as well. When I need to feel creative or inspired I love going to the Getty. My father is an architect and I was always inspired by architecture and art growing up and I find it such a peaceful place to go and be creative. I also love going to Griffith observatory. One of my favorite films is Rebel Without a Cause and I love going there to feel inspired by old Hollywood and the view of LA and The Hollywood sign is stunning. I always take visitors to The Hollywood Walk of Fame of course. When I was about 7 years old, my parents took my sister and I to visit LA for the first time and I was so excited to put my hands and feet in all the footprints. I have photos with everyone from Marilyn Monroe’s prints to Natalie Wood and it was such an inspirational moment that stayed with me my entire life. I live in the valley and love going to eat at Casa Vega. Not only is it an iconic restaurant the Mexican food is so delicious and has great margaritas!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give a shoutout to my family as I absolutely wouldn’t be here without them. My parents and my sister have always been so supportive of my dream of being a filmmaker. Even at a young age they would always encourage my creativity from writing stories to putting on plays. They never discouraged me or pushed me in another direction. They accepted I wanted to be an artist and did everything they could in their power to help me. They have been instrumental in every step of my career and I’m so grateful for their support. It’s not easy being a struggling artist or filmmaker and having that strong family support has been essential for me being able to pursue my dreams.

Website: www.marcellaochoa.com
Instagram: Marcella Ochoa
Facebook: Marcella Ochoa