Carlos Asse is an award-winning Mexican film director currently based in Los Angeles, California. He made the move to the United States at the end of 2015 to start his studies in film directing and screenwriting in 2016, and has lived there since.
Carlos, can you briefly walk us through your story?
I was born and raised in Mexico City in 1995 and moved to Los Angeles, CA in December 2015 to start my studies in screenwriting and directing. My commitment, devotion and work ethic started being shaped at a young age during the 13 years I practiced gymnastics in Mexico, achieving the 2nd place in the 2006 Nationals. Gymnastics was the only thing that could drain all my energy and my parents loved it. Another very important chapter of my life is the non-profit I volunteered at for over 6 years. Its mission was to educate kids between 5 and 15 years of age through the promotion of values, the arts, culture, history and the environment. There I discovered how much I enjoyed working with kids and people in general.
High school was another fundamental phase prior to my artistic career. I was lucky to have amazing teachers that inspired me to learn about film history, literature and storytelling in general. After high school I got invited to a one-year leadership program around the world which gave me the opportunity to meet people from varied cultures and unique backgrounds and reminded me of the importance storytelling plays in one’s identity and how universal it is.
When and how did you discover you wanted to be a filmmaker?
What was your first interaction with professional filmmaking? There have been several things that helped me discover this passion and ultimately inspired me to pursue it. My family has always been very supportive. My dad loves the arts and always encouraged me to get involved with it. I also acted for theatre when I was younger and that obviously impacted me in a positive way. In high school, I got really immersed in the arts, film and literature. There, I discovered my true passion: storytelling. So, I asked myself: what discipline involves most of the things I like doing? Filmmaking was the answer after months of doubt and fear.
The first time I was on a professional set was maybe at the age of 17. I called a friend that worked at a production company in Mexico and asked him to let me volunteer as a PA for their next project. He called me an hour later telling me I had to be on set the next morning at 5 am. It was an honest introduction to this crazy but beautiful industry.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a filmmaker concentrated in directing. I love narrative filmmaking, but I’ve also created some experimental films, music videos and recently I directed a campaign that aired on TV and was projected at an NBA game.
I’ve written and directed award winning short films; I have written my first feature film and I’m revising a pilot script I wrote and workshopped in New York in the summer of 2018 after being selected as a Notable Writer for the 2018 New York Television Festival. These projects have opened doors for me and have gotten me in touch with some managers and agents that would like to establish a working relationship.
My most recent short film titled ‘Contracorriente’ (Against The Stream, in English) portrays the confrontation of two brothers on how each of them thinks it’s the best way to keep their ill mom safe, and touches on how hard it is to let go of things we feel the most attached to. It is an ode to motherhood.
People are always inspired by how great it is to pursue your passion. How has the journey been for you?
As everything else in life, it’s had ups and downs. It hasn’t been smooth, but always fighting for it. Ever since I decided to study filmmaking, I encountered many obstacles. The first one was that I wanted to come to LA, but education here costs much more than it does in Mexico City. I applied to grants and scholarships in Mexico and finally was able to come to California. I think obstacles are a very important in our process of being humans and artists.
All these hurdles have taught me so much about commitment, responsibility, perseverance, and to some extent, about sacrifice, which directly affect my work ethic and what I do now as a filmmaker.
What has been your biggest achievement to this day?
Well, objectively my biggest achievements are having a project air on national TV, winning awards for best short film and best director in multiple festivals, etc.
But I tend to tell myself my biggest achievement is that I am still doing what I love regardless of the multiple obstacles and hard times I’ve faced. I am directing better and bigger projects, opening a clearer path to my future, and that’s all I could really ask for. Feeling fulfilled with the projects I do and the people I meet along the way is the biggest reward anyone in this industry can have, in my opinion.
How would you describe your style? What kind of project do you like making?
My work is always shaped by storytelling and blends surrealism into honest and thought provoking elements of daily life. I am interested in exploring overlooked stories, stories that study or comment on the human condition. I like evoking raw emotions in the viewer and exploring daily issues we face in our everyday lives through intricate and intense characters and plots.
Do you have any advice you’d like to share to younger people and aspiring filmmakers?
My only piece of advice would be to start doing what they want to do the earliest possible. Grab a camera and start shooting a film. And to really never quit. The harder you push the better it gets. It is really a game of passion and perseverance, and just know that most of the people you look up to also went through difficulties and obstacles to get where they are today.
Who are your most common collaborators and what have you created with them?
I have been very lucky to always collaborate with extremely talented and kind people. Yarden Lior is someone I collaborate a lot with. We’ve worked together in a number of projects ever since we met each other on our second week of film school. We’ve grown together as people and filmmakers. Paul Theodoroff shot my short film Dark at Sea. Carlo Mendoza was the DP of Contracorriente, my most successful short film to this day. He is now short listed for an Academy nomination for his film The Chef.
Matiz Creative is an agency I was lucky to collaborate with on the project I volunteered to direct a few months back in Arizona. The same project that aired on TV. It is a PSA about a non-profit that heals trauma and nurtures leaders through the arts.
So, what’s next? What projects are you working on as of now?
The new short film I am working on right now follows a teenager boy that goes adrift in open ocean in his attempt to save his mother. I am also collaborating with a co-writer to lock my feature film script and shoot a proof of concept sometime in 2020 to get funding for the feature length film. I have a relationship with a few production houses in Los Angeles, New York and Detroit and will hopefully be working with them in 2020.
Any shout outs? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My family and my friends in Mexico that keep supporting me although I pursue something very different than them. My grandmother, to whom my short film Contracorriente is dedicated to. The collaborators and people I’ve met along the way that respect me and my points of view as an artist. All the people that support me know I am and will always be very grateful to them.
Where can we find your work? How can the people reading this can get in touch or follow your journey and keep track of what you do?
I share my projects on my website: www.carlosasse.com I am on Instagram as @carlos.asse. People can always drop a line if they want to get in touch or talk about collaboration opportunities.