Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonio Contreras.

Hi Antonio , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

Antonio Contreras Aviance, a visionary of film direction and production, traces his roots to the vibrant
streets of cosmopolitan Mexico City. His formative years were steeped in the artistic ambiance of La
Esmeralda School of Arts, where luminaries such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera once roamed.
Immersed in this creative milieu, Contreras imbibed firsthand accounts from these legends and developed
a profound love for Mexican cinema, along with an enduring admiration for the larger-than-life Mexican
diva, Maria Felix.
In the early 90s, Contreras embarked on a transformative journey to San Francisco, where he swiftly
ingratiated himself into the city’s effervescent club culture and fashion scene. His artistic talents found
expression in elaborate watercolor paintings, coveted by personalities within the culture and fashion
world.
A chance encounter with Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar left an indelible mark on Contreras.
Almodovar’s autograph, tattooed onto Contreras’s back, ignited a passion for filmmaking, prompting him
to merge his twin loves of fashion and cinema.
In 2013, an online magazine unearthed Contreras’s extensive collection of Jean Paul Gaultier and
Moschino garments, birthing the short film “Antonio’s Closet.” Its debut at the Miami International Fashion
Film Festival earned Contreras the prestigious Founders Award, propelling him into the limelight of the
nascent fashion film genre.
Under the mentorship of Fred Sweet, founder of the La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival,
Contreras explored diverse themes, from Mexican surrealism to high fashion, inclusivity, and diversity, in
his pioneering short films.
In 2015, Contreras’s talent was lauded with the International Fashion Film Award for Best Actor for “Ay
Jose.” The subsequent year, his collaboration with theater powerhouse Rhodessa Jones earned plaudits
for Best Actress in “All About J.”
Diane Pernet, an icon in the fashion realm, extended an invitation for Contreras to premiere two films at
the Pompidou Center in Paris as part of her festival ASVOFF.
(A Shaded View On Fashion Film Festival) Additionally, Contreras’s permanent art collections and fashion
films dazzled audiences at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Cape Town, South Africa.
Amidst the tumult of 2020, Contreras’s documentary “L’Hommage ” chronicled a fundraiser gala in NYC
for LGBTQ+ youth at risk, hosted by the late fashion editor Andre Leon Talley and Sandra Bernhard.
Hindered by the global pandemic, Contreras ingeniously employed stop motion with his watercolors to
complete the film, earning him the International Fashion Film Award for Best Documentary 2020.
His collaboration with Tanel Bedrossiantz, French couturierJean Paul Gaultier’s muse and long time
collaborator, birthed the acclaimed “Exuberance,” a tribute to Tanel, the First Gender Fluid Model in
modern fashion. Gaultier’s collaboration, adorned with a cover for a premier magazine, clinched Best
Documentary and Best Sound Design accolades, captivating the fashion world. The film was also
featured on WWD and Vogue Italia.
In 2021, Contreras embarked on a collaboration with supermodel, artist, and activist Pat Cleveland,
resulting in the lauded documentary “The Girl From 7th Avenue.” Narrated by Cleveland, the film
celebrates her storied journey from the New York subway to the pinnacles of fashion, where she served
as muse to luminaries like Dali, Richard Bernstein, Antonio Lopez, Yves Saint Laurent,Franco Moschino,
and Thierry Mugler.
The film’s acclaim led to San Francisco’s Mayor declaring April 14th as Pat Cleveland’s Day, a testament
to her enduring influence and Contreras’s cinematic prowess. As Contreras continues to collaborate with
fashion luminaries, his legacy as a trailblazer in fashion cinema grows ever more profound.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Left Mexico in the early 90s escaping persecution for being gay, then coming to the USA obstacles as an immigrant and learning a new language and a new culture.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I’m
A filmmaker, direct and produce films specifically fashion films, a very new genre.
Telling stories about fashion and people who somehow have been forgotten but their contribution to fashion and culture has been remarkable.
I have won best fashion documentary for 4 consecutive years at the International Film Awards, my latest film “ The Girl From 7th Avenue”, Pat Cleveland and the Runway Revolution was a big hit, I showed all over the world and I was able to develop a great working relationship with the living legend Pat Cleveland.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?

Film is changing a lot, with cellphones and social media every one is a potential filmmaker and social media is an amazing platform,
I’m just waiting to see what’s the new thing in the next couple of months to take a step.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @antonioeldeseo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antoniocontr?mibextid=LQQJ4d