Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heather Mingo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Heather, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

As a person who hasn’t had any formal training in this industry, I’ve always been grateful for the people who’ve taken the time and energy to help me get where I am. Because of that, I do as much as I can to help others on their way up. I love meeting curious minds and connecting them with other makers and projects that keep feeding their spark.

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’m a multi-pronged filmmaker who loves all aspects of the process. I began as an actor then moved into writing, producing, ADing, and eventually directing. I feel so fortunate to have all of these experiences to rely on when I approach a project. I won’t necessarily wear all of those hats in a given project, but each of those roles definitely helps inform the others.

I did have the opportunity to flex many of those muscles on my short film, Family Values, which just premiered at the Chinese Theatre. I created it as a proof of concept for my sci-fi drama feature script, Moira, which finaled at Austin Film Festival in 2021. I’m aiming to direct that feature as soon as possible!

I also recently formed a production company called HEK Yeah! with Elvira Ibragimova and Katy Wicker–keep your eyes peeled for our first short, Sh*t on Your Lip, heading to festivals this spring. We each come to filmmaking from varied and complementary backgrounds and approach our work with a real flair for scrappy professionalism.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I began my career focused on acting, but found myself being put up for roles I wasn’t super excited about. That motivated me to start writing for myself, and when I wasn’t satisfied with the way that was being approached, I started producing. I’ve learned a lot by trial and error along the way and have been fortunate to know many talented people a few tiers above me to help steady me as I take uncharted steps.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Show appreciation. Thank yous go a long way. I never go into a situation with the assumption that I know everything. I strive to foster environments where people feel comfortable asking questions and empowered to grow. I do my best to lead with kindness and express how valuable my collaborators and their ideas are.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heathermingodoes.com
• Instagram: @mingo_mingere
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermingo000/
• Other: www.hekyeah.com

Image Credits
Tandem Photo, Lacy Kirkland, Gloria Gruber