Mexican Filmmaker Lucia Villaescusa Talks About Her Screen Career

Lucia Villaescusa grew up far away from Hollywood, in the northern city of Monterrey, Mexico. No one in her family was in entertainment. But she remembers how much she loved imagining stories and acting them out. Several productions had a huge impact on her as a young girl. All the Disney movies about Princesses, watching Les Mis in Chicago, and finally Harry Potter.

“That was the moment I knew I wanted to become an actress. Years went by and for various reasons, I wasn’t able to pursue it, until after completing my degree in Architecture from ITESM MTY, I was accepted into The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and moved to Los Angeles”, says Lucia.

indieactivity: Why did you get into filmmaking and screenwriting?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): Other than acting, I’ve always had such a vivid imagination and come up with so many stories. I knew I wanted to create my own content, not because I was unhappy with the roles I was getting, but rather because I was so excited to share my own.

Lucia Villaescusa starring, writing and producing movies

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I started writing them down, and while I was on set as an actress, I was trying to learn as much as I could about everything filmmaking entitles. The roles of the director, producer, DP, grip, sound… and so on. I went to as many workshops and panels as I could, screenings with Q&A, read books, and I also enrolled in a few courses at UCLA Extension’s Business of Entertainment.

I get all kinds of request from filmmakers, but the most prominent question I often get is ‘How does an indie filmmaker distribute his/her film’?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): I’m still learning and will begin my first feature film soon… So I can’t speak from that experience. What I have noticed is how many doors film festivals have opened! From the people who are way more experienced who might be interested in collaborating or just guiding you, also to other programmers looking for content for their festivals, and recently got contacted by a representative inquiring about my films.

So, if you already have a finished product, those mentions and awards can definitely help… But I would go back to even BEFORE you start and have that talk beforehand. Think of the marketing and distribution of your film. Who’s your target audience? Is it for theatrical release or maybe not. There are smaller studios and many SVODs and other platforms looking for original content that it’d be smart to try and contact them first. If you never ask you’ll never know.

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At what period in the filmmaking process, does an indie filmmaker need to start planning for distribution?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): At the development stage, I think! It is a business after all. For someone to license/distribute your film, they need to know it’ll make profits, and you need to know exactly what product you’re offering and to whom! Thinking of your niche, or the audience, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re taking away the artistic value of your film. Especially in indie films, where budgets might be sooo limited that relying on a “name star” isn’t always an option, being specific can help.

How can filmmakers finance their projects?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): Other than self-financing, crowd-funding has been great in getting people involved and looking at incentives or tax/country advantages. Pre-sales for worldwide distribution rights is one of the main ways films are financed, but you do need a “star name” attached.

This is a placeholder text, for the interview question?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): Under the Sky (2020), Silent Ways (2019), and Bend (2019).

Talk to us about your concept on collaboration?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): I think filmmaking is definitely a collaborative process and you’d be making a mistake by assuming you know everything or you know best. Let other people surprise you. Although it’s definitely important to have a clear vision, you can also allow others to not only do their job, but also bring in their unique perspective- might be something you hadn’t thought of before! Or might not work. But as long as we surround ourselves with people with respect and admiration, we can have that creative play where magic can happen.

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How do you find the process of filmmaking as an indie filmmaker?
LV: I love filmmaking. It can definitely be stressful, but it’s so exciting to think of where it all might go.

What are your future goals?
LV: I’m learning screenwriting at the moment and finishing up a few scripts. I’m hoping to sell one of them in the next few months and co-produce another.  My life has greatly been affected and influenced by all the movies I’ve watched, and I hope I can do that for other people too. I hope I can create work and share stories that not only entertain but challenge, inform, give solace, and mostly, give hope. I’d love to keep growing as both an actor and filmmaker

Tell us about what you think indie filmmaker need in today’s world of filmmaking?
LV: I think indie filmmakers need mentorship. There are so many things to do and it can be overwhelming if you don’t have someone who believes in you, to guide you.

Briefly write about your career?
LV: I share most of the updates on my social media channels – see below.

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