We were lucky to catch up with Sofia Garza-Barba recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sofia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In all the years of my career telling stories, creating worlds, and capturing magic on the screen, I can say today that nothing has taught me and fulfilled me more than creating PECCADILLO. An LGBTQIA+ film I wrote and directed, that touches on themes of acceptance and loving one another no matter how different we are.

This film is an actual letter of love and acceptance that I should have shot years ago… when my dearest and closest friends were going through tough times embracing themselves and being who they truly were. Peccadillo is a film for those who fought for their dreams and fantasies despite going against their upbringing. For all the fellow allies who kept secrets safe, and who always shared a shoulder.

This has been the most important project to date, not only because it changed me and the way I tell stories, but it’s also creating an impact on the people that have had the opportunity to watch it. This project has taught me how stories can go beyond the mind, and can actually cause an impact to society. Opening people’s eyes, help people connect and relate, as well as educate in a creative and positive way.

I grew up in a household where religion was the nucleus of everything. Our home looked like a church where Jesus and the saints were always looking at us 24/7. Judging out actions and making us second guess our choices. The friends that I grew up with had a similar upbringing, including some of my best friends who were scared to come out. I have always been a big supporter of outcasts, as I am an outcast myself, who’s constantly questioning my purpose and who I am. Because of it, I decided to tell this story. Gathering cast and crew from the LGBTQA+ community in my hometown, to crate this fantastic piece that goes beyond just a short, has been the most fulfilling experience in my career. More than 85% of the people in front and behind the camera were from the community, and/or female. I feel that as a fighter for this community, it is my job to tell stories that can relate to everyone, and make art that can connect us with feelings that are universal.

Filmmaking has the power to motivate people to change, love one another, and connect to stories from around the world. This project in particular, taught me how true that is.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Sofia Garza-Barba. I’m a Latinx genre-bending writer/director with an imaginative POV working between Los Angeles & Mexico. Thanks to Latin TV, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Black & White Mexican cinema and MTV, I grew up mesmerized by the magical worlds I saw on the screen, which lead me to where I am now. Directing music videos, commercials and films is what I was born to do. To this date, I wake up every day to work in what I love. I’ll be writing a script, directing a commercial, or shooting a personal project.

I love stop motion animation, mixed media art, food, color, monsters, dark humor & magical realism. My work is highly art driven, hand crafted, planned and harmonized from the idea to the screen. I love mixing genres and cultures to find a balance between the two. You’ll find fantasy in every story I get to tell. Some of my work has art and activism, which I like to describe as ARTivism. Activism with an artsy perspective.

What makes me unique? Growing up both in Mexico and the USA has made me see the world with a different lens. I can be quite colorful with a lot of dark humor, but at the same time grounded in reality, and the blending of cultures. Connecting with people and stories from around the world comes naturally to me, which makes it easy for my friends or clients to click with me and my brain.

I’ve worked with Grammy award winning bands like Kinky, Natalia Lafourcade & Aleks Syntek, and clients like Sony Music, Nickelodeon, Universal, Coca-Cola and Carl’s Jr.

Some of my work been shortlisted, awarded or screened at festivals like SITGES, GIFF, CINEQUEST, LAShorts, Festival de Cannes (Short Film Corner), LaFemme, Tribeca (Nespresso Talents), One Screen, Cleveland International Film Festival, Shiny Awards and San Diego Film Festival.

I’m a mentee of Ryan Murphy’s Half Initiative program, a graduate fellow director of the CDDP (Commercial Director’s Diversity Program), a SANFIC-Morbido Lab participant, and a fellow director of Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today by HBO.

Today, I am working on moving towards TV series and feature films, where I keep experimenting with genre-bending styles of storytelling, and characters that every human can somehow relate.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

As a female director in this competitive male industry, it is important to make space for females and other underrepresented communities in entertainment. If you are a producer, hire more women and underrepresented communities in your productions. Give people a chance. For this industry to keep growing and changing, we need to lift each other up and grow together. If you do not work in the industry, but enjoy watching series, films and other sources of entertainment, support female filmmakers! Do your research, and give females and other underrepresented communities a chance. You are also changing the way people view and relate to stories. This is a wonderful way to support artists from underrepresented communities.

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

My main goal and mission is to create film work that makes people feel alive, and connect with one another. I want to erase that line that separates people from different parts of the world, to come together and embrace feelings that are universal and that makes us connect to one another.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sofiagarzabarba.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofilala/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sofilala

Image Credits
Mayra Lopez, Guailo Satva, Juansa Avalos, Alan Zuñiga