We were lucky to catch up with Alexandra Gomez, Federico Mallet recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandra Gomez, Federico Mallet, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Our first short film Suficiente is really meaningful because it started as a poem one of our members Regina Romero shared during one of our Writers Group (we host one every two weeks for people to workshop and develop creative ideas).
Another member who was present said she would love to turn it into a film. They then partnered up to pitch the project to us and we were enamored by their passion and vision, and so we decided to produce it.

The production process was as indie as it gets, we all chipped in and used available resources. The theme of the film aligns directly with our mission of amplifying our understanding of how diverse the Latin American experience in the U.S can be. Through the director’s vision we were able to turn filming mishaps into creative opportunities.

The goal was always to just put this our there for people who would connect with it, but it was really exciting to be a part of the Georgia Latino International Festival and to win second place at the U.S-Mexico Bicentennial Kaleidoscope 2023 (it screened in Washington, LA, and Mexico). We were able to get our investment back and that really bumped our confidence in what we’re doing.

Ultimately this project shaped how we want to operate, passion projects, with passionate people who are kind, and maximizing resources to create art that people can connect to.

Alexandra Gomez, Federico Mallet, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Quemoción is an evolving multimedia production company founded in 2020 that aims to foster and produce content that expands our understanding of what it means to be part of the Latin American community in the U.S, while featuring the wide array of voices and sensitivities that exist within it.

We founded this company as a way to amplify people’s perspectives about what the Latin American experience is, and to generate important conversations within that community.
For example, one of our social media segments “Cafecito” invites people to dive into topics such as representation, being a second generation immigrant, being mixed race, machismo, etc.

As founders we both have experienced the harshness of an industry that doesn’t put people first. We also wanted to build a supportive space for artists where kindness comes first. The entertainment industry is very transactional and treats people as commodities, we wanted to challenge that and build an environment where people can thrive through motivation and positive reinforcement (that is what we offer at our Writers Group, which functions as a sort of furnace for projects in development).

We produce theatre pieces, films, and social media content focused on shedding light on perspectives you may not normally get to see in mainstream media, and we make sure it is easily accessible to all audiences.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

That aiming to be over productive is not worth it. When we started, there were so many things we wanted to do (that is still true), so we filled our cup to the brim, by applying to every opportunity, saying yes to any initiative, but we quickly learned that’s not sustainable, especially when the reality of being an artist and making ends meet in a city like NY rarely allows you to place all of your focus on a single project.

We had what we call a “candy shop” mentality, where you might want to fill your cart with delicious treats but ultimately it is not going to be good for you. You will not be able to give each project the attention it deserves if you over stimulate yourself and fill your cart. You have to learn how to discern: Does this opportunity really align with our mission? Are we passionate enough about this project to keep working on it throughout the course of a year?…

We were constantly feeling bad about missing deadlines and not being able to keep up with the original structure we had set up for ourselves, but we decided to take one step back and be a lot more intentional about the way we approach producing while prioritizing people’s well being.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Having people connect to the work.

Getting an email of someone who saw “Suficiente” and felt accompanied through the constant discovery of her own identity,

Having people from multiple nationalities wanting to learn more about Mexican culture by attending our Day of the Dead annual cabaret.

Audiences saying they’ve never found Hamlet more relatable than seeing it as telenovela on stage (completely in Spanish).

But above all, creating community. Having support systems is absolutely key in order to thrive in a city like New York that so often isolates us. Having people emotionally (and sometimes financially) invest in you because they share your passion for moving people is so re-assuring.

Once you experience working on environments where everybody is kind, respectful, and a hard worker it’s hard to let go. So we’re constantly aiming to create these spaces while always keeping the door open for new talents and casting a wider net so that our perspective can continue to grow and evolve.

Contact Info:

• Website: Currently renovation
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quemocion/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qemocion/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmS33d7VKuizDghHY_hVp7g
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@quemocion

Image Credits

Chisel Photography
Pelayo Álvarez
Weaux (design for Weaux is me poster)
Lucille Lortel (design for Pastorela poster)