We were lucky to catch up with Andrea Figueroa Chavez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andrea, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Nothing fulfils me more than working in a project with the mission of helping others and opening doors. Recently I worked with Cynthia Prida in creating “Matria” for cinema. It is an invitation to all female creators in the entertainment industry of Mexican origin: Mexican, Mexican American and Chicanas in Los Angeles County to make their artistic work visible and build a first registry of women artists in Los Angeles. The event took place on June 22th at the Mexican consulate, Eight filmmakers showcased their shorts, including Fabiola stevenson, Paola Ramones, Andrea Gonzales and myself.We are currently seeking the next step to keep expanding this initiative for women to be seen, heard and felt.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Mexican Production Designer born in Morelos, Mexico. I’ve been living in LA since 2019 and my need to create worlds where stories get developed has been blooming in the most truthful way I’ve ever experienced.As Frida Kahlo once said, “I paint flowers so they will not die.” So I believe cinema does that with emotions. I graduated from New York Film Academy in August 2022 in BFA Filmmaking and I am part of the Gold Rising Program from the Academy, I graduated in 2022 in the Production Designer’s Track.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Having resilience in daily doses makes you grow so much as a creative. The entertainment industry experienced a halt during the WGA and SAG strikes and because I wanted to support it all the way through, I had to find other mediums to work creatively and continue my work in this country. And that’s how “Matria” was born. After attending an event at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, Andrea noticed that they weren’t any part of the Consulate dedicated to the entertainment industry. Being in the city where movies happen, Andrea saw fit to create a space for all Mexican (Mexican, Mexican-American and Chicanas) female creators in the entertainment industry. The event, produced alongside Cynthia Prida, took place on June 22th 2023 where eighth filmmakers, Andrea being one of them, showcased their shorts. Andrea presented one of her latest projects, Lillo, which got selected in Shorts Mexico 2023. Other panellists were Fabiola Stevenson, Paola Ramones and Andrea Gonzalez.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Besides helping creatively to make projects and stories come to physical life, I would say, creating opportunities and room for making our art part of social movements such as inclusion. Art goes beyond an entertainment standpoint. When a project has a why and meaning, my art simply expands to fulfill every aspect of the project. During these hard times, all I can think when making my art is how would this contribute to myself and those who are in need of feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://andygoesbeyond.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/andreafigueroachavez_?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-figueroa-chavez-629512196/

Image Credits
Blaine Harrington IV / Mexican Consulate of Los Angeles / Albert L.