Meet Shanthal Caba Mojica | Filmmaker and Sound Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shanthal Caba Mojica and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shanthal, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks is intrinsic to creativity in my opinion. Curiosity is one of the main driving forces in my work and I think to truly experiment you have to surrender to the notion that your idea might fail. You have to try it in order to know if it’s going to work the way you want it or not, but it’s important to find out for yourself and to set your own standards. Fear (of rejection, being judged, etc) can really prevent you from allowing yourself to change directions or welcome other crafts into your practice. As primarily a filmmaker I used to limit my work to the screen, but allowing myself to experiment with different conceptual approaches opened me up to incorporating other crafts like sound art, sculpture and performance into my practice.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I made my first film when I was about 15 years old with the help of friends; a BA and an MFA later, having worked at industry jobs, making films and collaborating with my friends is still what I want to be doing with my life. Right now I’m focusing on the balancing act of doing gigs that support me financially while trying to make time for personal projects and collaborations. It definitely hasn’t been easy. My creative work is deeply personal and intimate, and as a highly sensitive person it’s always felt very risky to put myself and my work out there, but the connections I’ve made with other people have consistently proved to me how important sharing work is for personal growth.

I moved to NYC from the Dominican Republic when I was 18 to expand my knowledge of culture and media, and worked primarily as assistant editor on a wide range of projects ranging from branded content, to narrative fiction and documentaries before deciding to move to California to focus on my personal filmmaking practice and complete an MFA. Going to school to study any creative activity is definitely a huge gamble in this economy, there’s really no guarantee of any kind of stability and while I don’t really recommend it, given the chance I would do it all over again.

I’m very proud of the friendships I’ve made and the collaborations that have developed organically to where it feels effortless. I’m also extremely proud of my resilience to keep moving forward when making work that feels authentic to me despite rejection, my own insecurities and lack of resources.

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.
I would most definitely take them to eat King Taco (#10 to be specific), Korean BBQ, and pupusas from down the street from my place. For sightseeing I recommend catching the sunset at Point Dume State Beach. I also love going to Leaving Records’ Listen to Music Outside in the Daylight Under a Tree, a recurring open to the public event open to all ages and showcasing all genres.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family and friends who continuously support me in my personal expression.

Website: https://shanthalcabamojica.com/

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

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

Image Credits
Em Yue, Alicia Maye