Meet Jorge G. Camarena | Film Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jorge G. Camarena and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jorge, how do you think about risk?
Risk has always been a fundamental part of my career. I constantly search for ways to get out of my comfort zone in order to keep learning and grow. The fear involved when taking risks is something that pushes me to stay sharp and focused. I recently left my commercial and music video director career in Mexico in order to get a Directing MFA at the American Film Institute. It was a tough decision, but I felt it was a risk worth taking due to the fact that I wanted to transition into narrative filmmaking. It has been a great experience so far and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Risk taking has also played major role in each film, music video or project that I’ve made because opportunities to enhance the concepts usually arise from these circumstances. Allowing me to see alternatives that I wouldn’t consider otherwise.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
So you do you remember this book called Bart Simpsons guide to life? Well in it he had a sketch of his dream bedroom, and it always caught my attention that he had a machine that could capture dreams, record them in a small tv next to his bed. I think that is exactly what film has the power to do: capture our dreams. I think it is a machine that can not only travel through time and space but also into the most obscure corners of the human psyche providing us with a glimpse of our own existence. I found a way to capture my dreams, my inner world in conjecture with my external world: an opportunity to explore my personal universe and use it to create tangible stories. It is my main goal to tell stories of the people and places that represent my own context, the imagery and magical aspects of my culture will always be a part of who I am and what I create. I’m drawn into stories that deal with people not belonging anywhere and the struggle to be a part of this universe and find our place in it. Stories that are hidden in plain sight and that a lot of people choose to ignore.   The beauty of broken things and how they compose us. Both the darkness and the magical aspects that make us human and the fantastical elements of the universe that are there, but only if we look very closely.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would first take them to the Baked Potato to listen to live jazz music. During the day I would probably take them for a stroll Downton on broadway. There is something about all the closed theaters on that street that has an interesting vibe to me and something that we usually dont pay a lot of attention to. DTLA always feel like a different world to me if you compare it to the rest of the LA area.

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?
I’ve recently finished shooting my Thesis film for the AFI Conservatory, which was a huge team effort that has taught me a lot about filmmaking. It was also an ambitious project that everyone in my team embraced. So first I want to do a shout out to my team which consists of producer Roxanne Griffith, Production Designer Esme Jackson, Cinematographer Kadri Koop, Writer Victor Gabriel and editor Mia Zhang. I had the amazing experience of meeting Mariana Marroquin who is the Program Manager at the Trans Wellness Center in L.A. The work and passion that she injects towards helping the trans community has deeply touched me. Mariana is a warrior that injects every ounce of her heart, soul and being towards helping people and making the world a better place. I also had the opportunity to be mentored by Kase Peña, an extremely talented filmmaker that not only taught me about filmmaking and story but also about life, humanity and friendship.

Website: www.jorgegcamarena.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jorgegcamarena/

Image Credits
Gerardo Guerra Lucia Zavarcikova Kadri Koop