Meet George Tsereteli Ortiz

We had the good fortune of connecting with George Tsereteli Ortiz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi George, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Too many times throughout my life I was *this* close to giving up on my dreams. But if it wasn’t for my great work ethic, my dreams would just be that – dreams. When people ask me how to convert those dreams into reality, I give them one simple word – work, work, work. Do not ever stop working. In the words of my mentor Hritik Mehta – “Work until the day you die, and when you do, work until you come back to life!”

The very first film I made – “Golden Men”, when I was just starting my filmmaking career back in the early 2010s, was a complete disaster. Financially, Creatively, even Emotionally. Putting hours upon hours of work into a project, just for it to turn into the biggest failure of your life does not feel good. Trust me. I was ready to give up. Devastated that not a single film festival would accept my film, I decided to post it on social media. And guess what? Six months later, a then-famous web-series producer reached out to me out of nowhere. That is when I got offered what would then become my first successful project. A film titled “The chair” – you might have heard of it!

This, more than anything, goes to show you that if you ever are considering giving up…. Well, you might just want to reconsider!

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.
Back when I was starting my filmmaking career in the early 2010s, things were very different from what they are today. Netflix? Hulu? YouTube? Those were not on anyone’s radar, including mine. And I have a good one! Sure, as I’ve now come to find out, all of these services already existed, but no-one heard of them. Ask yourself how? Because they were new! Just like I was, in the filmmaking scene.

But that was not for long… I received my first critical success with the film “Chair”. And not long after, I managed to get first place prize at one of the largest film festivals in the Yucca Valley area – the Yucca Valley Film Festival. That was when my career really started to take off. When people ask me what is “the secret to success”, I usually laugh. There is none! If you want it bad enough – trust me, success will come. And it will not be alone.

This goes to show you that your creative journey is not always as simple as “Point A to point B”. You might very well have to take a few detours along the way, but the end result will always the same – Success!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Los Angeles is a beautiful place. Vibrant, artistic, busy when you want it to be, and let’s be honest, sometimes – clam when you don’t…

And yet, it is full of amazing little spots that, honestly, will blow your socks right off! I would start this magical trip down by the beach. Venice, Dockweiler, Bruce’s, Will Rogers, Playa Del Rey… so many to choose from, and yet so few. But I haven’t had more fun days (and nights!) than the latter – Playa Del Rey! Known for its broad, peaceful sandy beach featuring volleyball courts, and a paved bike path, trust me, you do not want to miss out!

As a filmmaker, I would be remised if we don’t visit the beautiful North Hollywood bridge, down by Lankershim Blvd and the 134 freeway! You might not have known about it, but look it up! So many amazing films were shot there, I could name 4 off the top of my mind!

And to round our little trip off, we simply must eat at the Morton’s steakhouse in Burbank. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a good apple pie!

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?
Absolutely! There are many people throughout my life, that contributed to my success. Starting with my uncle Josep, who from a very young age would always tell me “Run, run, run! run towards success!” Back then I would laugh at him, but look at me now… So I guess big shoutout to uncle Jo! Haha.

Much later in life, this was in my early 20s, I read a book that impacted me deeply – “Self Help”. It might sound silly, and generic, but you never know what you can find between the lines… Later in life I ended up making a film about my experience, but that’s a story for another day…

Website: https://www.loosetoothproductions.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@loosetoothproductions 

Image Credits
Brian M.