Meet David A. Flores | Writer/Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with David A. Flores and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’m not sure if I’m pursuing anything. For me, being creative is a compulsion. I sometimes, oftentimes, wish I could just *poof* wash it away and be content with: clocking in and out of the day job, working for the weekend, etc. For better or worse, I’m in a constant cycle of: Thinking. Planning. Getting inspired.

How can I make something cool? Something badass. Something I want to see.

I’m not a “professional” creative, in that I haven’t made a dime off my creative works yet. If anything, being creative, willing projects into existence is a very expensive endeavor. Filmmaking IS a pay to play, even on a micro-budget indie scale. It’s taken me almost 12 years of working day jobs in LA to even BE in a spot to squirrel away money for creative projects.

Money makes the world go round, yes, but not when you’re a creative. Art is subjective. You can make something and it won’t be right for 9 people, but it sparks for the 10th person. Well, you made that thing for them. Your creative efforts are validated.

Back to compulsion. I’ve been telling stories since I was a kid. Some of my earliest memories was writing 2nd grade fan fiction on Batman, Star Wars, Ninja Turtles. I’ve been a filmmaker since 16, making high school short films that led into film school short films to me now, solidly in my mid-thirties, making short films that have a more “professional sheen” to them. Where I’m at least paying people. Not using my best friend’s girlfriend to star in my movie.

I often joke my creative career is the job I work and just don’t make any money off of. My money job pays for my means – bills, mortgage, food. My non-money job, my creative job — that fills my soul. Scratches that ever-present, always hungry compulsion.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m an LA-based creator with Arizona roots. I’ve created stories in various mediums: film, audio dramas, comic books. I tend to write genre (scifi, horror, fantasy) stories. I have an eye for diversity — David FLORES, so yes, Mexican-American roots up in here. I’m also a former mariachi musician, but that’s another story for another day…

I write heroes that aren’t ever truly heroic. The grey zone. Morally ambiguous. Those are the types of characters that I just get. They feel more like real people to me. I don’t think anyone is ever truly good or truly bad, but can be, and probably are, bits of both.

I’m proud of all of my works. Every completed project is a little miracle in itself, because making shit is HARD. Everyone wants to do it, thinks they CAN do it, but to actually pull it off — and if you can pull it off in a way that audiences care about and actually respond to? Chef’s kiss.

At the moment, that project is my film, LIKENESS. It’s a scifi thriller, about a young woman who works with an AI version of her mom to investigate the disappearance of her real mom. It stars indie queen Virginia Newcomb (A24’s THE DEATH OF DICK LONG, IFC’s THE BETA TEST) and Mary Rose Branick who, I’m biased sure, but is a true star in the making. Thankfully, audiences who have seen the film wholeheartedly agree and that makes my heart soar.

LIKENESS is currently going through the film festival circuit. As of now, we’ve been accepted to 10 festivals, including Oscar-qualifying LA Shorts and HollyShorts, as well as genre/indie favs like Chattanooga, Tacoma and Sidewalk Film Festivals.

I’ve talked to enough filmmakers to know that getting into ANY festival is an win. The fact that our film has this acceptance rate, has been seen and cherished by audiences and has had the opportunity to screen at some of the best movie theaters possible, it’s mind boggling and it’s humbling.

My next film is the dystopian horror, PIT STOP. In a world where otherworldly monsters roam, two women – a prisoner and a guard – survive the night, while being stranded and out of gas. It stars Mary Rose Branick (of LIKENESS) and horror indie queen Emily Sweet (V/H/S 99, CASTLE FREAK). We shot in September 2023 and the film is currently in post-production.

Prior to LIKENESS and PIT STOP, I made the audio drama, SHELL, which was my first endeavor as a writer/director. Also starring Emily Sweet, SHELL is about a pregnant runaway teen, a robot and a dog, living in a cabin in the woods and becoming an unlikely family. It’s available wherever you listen to podcasts. Search “AudioFlix,” then scroll to Episode 2 and give it a listen.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Arts District has and continues to be one of my favorite LA spots. If I’m bringing folks for a day trip, we’re definitely eating at Wurstküche and I’m gonna highly suggest company order the Rattlesnake/Rabbit sausage link. We’d get some beers across the way at Angel City Brewery, then cap off the night playing arcades at EightyTwo. We’d also definitely hit up the Little Tokyo Galleria, check out their grocery store and do some private room karaoke at Max Karaoke.

A week long trip gives us more breathing room, for sure. We’d check out some touristy things: Hollywood Blvd, TCL Chinese Theatre, Santa Monica Pier, Venice Boardwalk. But, the more local, off-the-beaten path we can get, the better.

For great seafood and even better beach locales, I’d head to Neptune’s Net in Malibu. For Korean BBQ, AYCE Gogi in Van Nuys. For great Mexican food with homemade tortillas, Tres Marias in Santa Clarita.

Griffith Observatory is a great, free thing to do. Easily a day trip in itself. Museum Row in Mid City is also another solid day trip. Vermont Street near Los Feliz is another must go-to. We could hit up Skylight Books, get disturbed at Wackos and if/when they ever open back up, see a movie at the Vista Theatre. If it’s around summer time, hitting up one of the ‘outside movie’ screenings would be great. Cinespia’s the big one, but personally, I dig Street Food Cinema more. Less crowded, way less expensive and less overall LA hipster vibes.

If you’re comic book fans, certainly Golden Apple Comics, but my personal fav is Pulp Fiction in Culver City. You’ll be hard-pressed to find better deals on current comics around.

If you’re coming around Halloween time, well, that changes EVERYTHING. Depending on your scare factor, we’d absolutely hit up the haunts that LA/SoCal can offer. My personal favorite is Delusion.

In short, a week in LA would go quick. There’s no way we could do it all.

I’ve told people this many times: if you’re bored in LA, you’re not trying very hard.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife, first and foremost. She doesn’t work in the industry, which is a God-send. She’s always been nothing but supportive of me and my creative pursuits.

It’s a tough sell, even to myself sometimes, to spend nights or weekends going to a coffee shop, taking time away from our family, to write a spec screenplay or film a short that…most likely isn’t going to make our family any money.

She’s never held that over me. I’m forever grateful to her.

Website: https://davidfloreswrites.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidfloreswrites/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dfloreswrites

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEy4y4fiznEGP_1-qVE6TYg

Image Credits
BTS images: Deryk Wehrley Toby Canto