Meet Kate Lugtu: 1st Assistant Director in the Film Industry

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

Hi Kate, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Growing up in Manila, Philippines, my family comes from a strong business background. I was always the odd one out and they thought I was crazy to pursue a career in the arts. When I had the opportunity to go to film school I jumped at the chance. It changed my life. I was drawn to producing and directing because I was fascinated by the collision of art and process. When I finished school, even though my family thought I was crazy, I packed my bags, hopped on a plane to America and here I am!

I remember reading “Illusions’ by Richard Bach. My favorite quote is, “if perfection is stagnation, then heaven is a swamp”. I don’t look at risk as a bad thing. Experience has taught me that, when I get that tight feeling in my gut and begin second guessing myself, this is an opportunity to learn and grow.

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.
When I first started out in the film industry, I was way too focused on my career and my work suffered. Now I have learned to appreciate my personal life and the absolute brilliance of a mental time out. I actively practice meditation, and my passion is surfing. There’s nothing more freeing than going after the biggest wave in the set and having it totally wipe you out. A little chaos is great to free the mind. The bigger the wave, the better, right?

The most important factor of success is being kind to everyone and staying grounded. Also, I think it’s very important to get out of your head and to experience situations from someone else’s point of view. It makes collaboration a blast!

Don’t give up. I don’t think there’s ever a reason to “give up”. If you don’t like where your boat is going, put an oar in the water. It’s important to keep focused on the goal, but life is unpredictable, flexibility is the key. Adapt and always do your best in everything you do.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The beach! Malibu has always been my spot to surf. There’s nothing like Los Angeles. There are so many things to see and do like hike, hangout at the beach for bonfires, watch some local theater group, go to all the theme parks in SoCal, eat Mexican food at Olvera St. and share a massive glass of margarita.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shout out to Film Director Paige Compton. The person who has helped me grow as a human being, that helped my career take off, supported be through the roughest times and provided me with so much love and safety.

Website: katelugtu.com

Instagram: @katelugtu

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenlugtu/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katelugtu

Image Credits
Bianca Catbagan