We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tom Koch. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tom below.

Tom, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Olive has, without a doubt, been the most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on. It’s the film that I’ve lived with the longest; nearly two years now! Carrying it from the earliest days of writing and development through to the shoot, the production, and its premiere in Los Angeles. The process has been an incredible, unique experience, not only because I had full creative control over the story, but also because I had the chance to bring together a team of extraordinary collaborators. At its heart, Olive is a short film that deals with love and memory, starring Lesley Ann Warren. It truly allowed me to explore an important social theme in a way that felt personal, yet told through a cinematic landscape that feels different from what we usually see. That combination of crafting a story with meaning, surrounded by people who elevated it at every step, made the project profoundly special for me.

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?

My name is Tom Koch, and I’m an actor, writer, and director based in New York. I trained here; it’s where I began my career on stage and in film, but over time, I felt a strong pull to create my own stories. That led me to co-direct my first short film, Orange, which sparked a real passion for writing and directing.

Soon after, I founded my production company, Mes Films en Couleur, and wrote and directed my second film, Olive. The film went on to receive the Silver Screen Award at the Young Director Award in Cannes and recently premiered at HollyShorts in Los Angeles, also screening at festivals like Rhode Island and Sidewalk.

I try to focus on telling true human stories with a twist—films that explore challenging themes through unexpected lenses. I’m grateful that these projects have already connected with audiences internationally, and I’m currently developing my third film with the same goal: to create stories that stay with people long after the credits roll!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

As cliché as it may sound, the most rewarding part of being an artist for me is the people. Filmmaking is such a collaborative art form, and the greatest gift is being able to surround yourself with brilliant collaborators: department heads, designers, cinematographers, and actors. People who are far more skilled in their craft than I am in theirs. Bringing those voices together, watching everyone contribute their talent and passion toward a shared vision, is what makes the process so meaningful. At its core, filmmaking isn’t just about telling stories; it’s about building a creative family around those stories. On that note, a little shout-out to Marie-Louise Boisnier (Marie in Olive), Kate Pelini (EP), and Astrid Lark (Producer) who traveled to Hollyshorts for the premiere!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

What drives me is the search for a bridge between French and American cinema. I don’t know if it’s even possible to fully merge the two, but I’m fascinated by the idea of trying. I grew up between those cultures, so I carry both with me: the French sensibility for deeply human stories, and the American appetite for scale, energy, and boldness.

My mission is to find stories that feel intimate and personal, but that can also be told through a larger, more electric lens. It’s a huge challenge, of course; both French and American cinema are powerful traditions in their own right, but if I can bring even a small piece of each together in my work, I think that could create something unique and meaningful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mesfilmsencouleur.com/
• Instagram: @gotomkoch
• Other: https://tomkoch.org/

Image Credits

Image Credits:

Mes Films en Couleur, LLC