These Young Filmmakers Are the Future of Hollywood
It’s no secret that Latino representation is sorely lacking in Hollywood. While we’ve made great strides over the years, there are still many barriers of entry for young Latino filmmakers who want to bring Latino stories to the big screen. Well, here at mitú we’re all about breaking barriers, and that’s why we’ve partnered with Walmart to give eight Latino filmmakers a chance to tell their stories to you, the mitú audience. This is the mitú x Walmart Filmmaker Mentorship Program!
Thanks to the Walmart Together Somos Más initiative, our eight mentees will be given full access to the mitúStudios as they write, prep, direct, and edit their own one-minute short films! Our mitú producers will act as their creative mentors as they go through all the steps of the filmmaking process from beginning to end. And the best part? You can check out all the behind-the-scenes action on our social platforms as the mentees go through our program over the next few weeks.
But before you follow along our mentee’s filmmaking journeys, get to know a little more about them here.
Stephanie
South Gate, CA
Growing up, Stephanie would create stories and act them out with her toys. She was a storyteller, a daydreamer and someone who loved to escape reality and dive into other universes. As Stephanie grew older, she realized films had the exact same effect on her. These films would show her a new perspective and amplify lessons she felt she needed to be taught. They would make her laugh during hard times and overwhelm her with emotions and thoughts. Her love for these films helped fuel an even greater passion for storytelling, and they eventually ignited Stephanie’s dream of filmmaking. She knows she can create visual narratives and help shed light on the stories that need to be told!
Fernando
Worcester, MA
A Salvadoran-American filmmaker who has been creating community focused short documentaries for three years, Fernando’s passion for filmmaking came from having been filmed on VHS by his dad growing up. Home videos truly preserved and captured his childhood and he wanted in some way to do the same thing for others through filmmaking. Having a deep appreciation for preserving nostalgia, Fernando’s storytelling is told through creating visuals and portraying raw emotions.
Miranda
El Centro, CA
The entertainment industry’s lack of Latinos motivated Miranda to work in the industry and create the change she wished to see on both the small and big screens. She’s previously worked for some of the biggest names in film and television as below the line crew and now can’t wait for the opportunity to tell her own stories!
Mariah
Grand Rapids, MI
With over 30 awards for her art, Mariah’s films have premiered at festivals all around the country. While she has created films since she was a child, it was a pivotal mentorship experience that she had with an organization that aims to equip under-served youth with storytelling skills that catapulted her desire to be a filmmaker. She learned that through film, she could use her personal experiences to contextualize themes of social justice, equity, and connection, and tell the stories that she rarely gets to see.
Check in next week to meet the rest of our mitú x Walmart Filmmaker Mentorship Program mentees, and watch their journey from script to screen over the next few weeks on @wearemitu!
