100% you can be a successful filmmaker wherever you [Music] are the most important part of your storytelling is the nuance and there are stories that only you can tell they are not stories that are crafted in boardrooms and they are not stories that are created in After parties these are stories that sometimes always won't get Awards but they're the ones that are about people that you care about that mean the most you and issues that really Propel you I feel like ultimately you can kind of create your own destiny from wherever you're at it's really how much work you put in how much you want it what you have to do if you have to work harder twice three times as hard as somebody that's in LA or New York if that's what you have to do then that's what you have to do that's how you know you really really want it and there's people doing it you don't have to live in LA you don't have to live in New York to be a extremely successful filmmaker I believe that there is other places than La New York to do films and especially here in United South Florida um I've met a lot of very talented filmmakers and I know a lot of people that are trying to you know bring more movies in South Florida more movies in Miami Talent is is all over the place and I don't think you have to go to the industry I do I do frankly believe that if you are talented enough um the industry should come to you not the other way around um and as long as you're working uh with the right group of people on the right type of projects and you're really challenging yourself and delivering risky projects then the more eyes are going to turn and they're going to start noticing you without a doubt by all means yes um I mean you know I I wouldn't see myself leaving anywhere other than Florida and uh even though I've learned in life you know never say never uh this is where I want to stay this is where I want to work you know I I I love my community I love my local um colleagues you know I I I I think we've we can make some great films in Florida we're making great films in Florida and yeah I think that you know the place where you're at doesn't dictate if you're successful or not it's just a matter of just growing the community you know growing the the industry and trying to you know make the best that we can and and uh that's what we're doing I think you don't need to be in LA or New York you can be back home back in your country or anywhere you need to be to be telling those stories that are going to make you feel good with yourself and and that you know you're helping and you're doing something positive I think people are first and foremost filmmakers here are believing in themselves and believing in their talent and saying you know I'm not seeing anything coming out of Hollywood that I can't make or do better um and actually bring something fresh and new you know I I always say that we've been look we've been watching movies about New York for about 30 years since the late 60s and I'm kind of tired about hearing people how people live in New York and I'm ready to see uh different types of films and different types of stories I think LA and New York are kind of it's been done and it's time to move on and I think we can definitely as a film Community step into the spotlight I think a lot of that hinges on what we think success means um and the cool part of that is that we can decide what it means does it mean that we get to live here and write stories and tell stories and create stories about the people who are here does it mean that we live here but work in other places you know like we can we can decide what it means and I think it's possible my definition of success is just being given the time and the space to write stories that are meaningful to me about um about Miami and about the people of Miami I think it's a great time to be a filmmaker in Miami uh the community is is big and and it's it's growing but the intention behind it but behind everybody wanting to make a movie feels feels genuine so I think oh definitely you could you could you could make you could be successful in Miami you don't have to go to New York or or LA the world needs more voices so you know with different voices come different perspectives and different ways to different stories you know different communities so you know the world needs more of that and I think in the documentary space it's changing a lot and uh we're getting a lot more um diversity when your directors are different then your films are different and that sounds cliche but each of our lived experiences goes right into the film and I feel really grateful that I've been able to shed light on stories that maybe otherwise would not have been told so I really find it to be a superpower what I have found is that when you show up as someone with something to say the people who matter will respect you and want to work with you people want to see different things different stories different point of views and if you're a minority you probably have gone through certain things that maybe you know most people haven't in Spec specifically in the US in the United States and so I think right now is a good moment to be able to take a hold of that opportunity and tell your story don't be afraid you know put it on paper write that script make that movie and put it out to the world don't be don't be afraid to do it [Music]