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

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

I am Co-founder of KoCarr Films along with Filip Kolarov and we have been making passion projects for the past 5 years.

Leaving Darkness Film:
I’ve been working on this project for the past 7 years. the process started with generating interest towards the long form of this project by first producing a teaser trailer that got some attention, and attracted an investor. After doing it’s rounds in the film festival circuit our short film amassed a number of awards including: Best ensemble, best make-up and Best supporting actor. I also managed to win three Best Actress awards.
Right now we are in the process of securing funding for a limited series based on the premise of this story, and hoping to get support from Film Victoria and Screen Australia.

Music Ep Upcoming:
I’m currently working along side Sam Panetta, founder of Melodic Music, who has helped me release my first single, ‘In So Deep’. Along with the single Kocarr films have helped produce the music video. Im about to release my 2nd single ‘Blinded’. Both these singles have gotten some radio time. In October I will also release my 3rd single ‘These things’ and hope to have 2 other songs ready by the beginning of 2024 and preform my EP.

No Love Film:
Another project that we have been working on for the past 2 years is a boxing short film and we are shooting it in September. Just like Leaving Darkness this is a short form project to showcase our skills as film makers in order to generate attention and funding.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I graduated in 2012 from Swimburne University, Theatre Arts course. I left my course without knowing what direction I wanted to go in, and decided to follow my interests in acting and music. Even though I studied extensively in circus, and relating performing arts I was always attracted to preforming in front of the camera. At the end of 2012 I enrolled to study with Peter Kalos at the Melbourne Actors Lab. From there I started to understand the process of creating characters and applying these skills into my work. I met my partner of 10 years while doing a play that we worked on and shortly after we created Kocarr films. I found that even with the skills that I learnt I still found it very hard to find roles for a women of colour. Being Chilean- Australian I didn’t fit in many of the roles they were advertising, so my partner and I decided to make our own content and promote our work that way.

Even though my focus for the past 8 years has been about acting and creating stories I still had this need and desire to pursue a singing career. I got contacted by Sam Panetta founder of Melodic Music who and has been in the industry for the past 25 years, since then he has helped me produce 3 songs and on my way to making my first EP. Ever since I can remember I always loved to sing but my parents couldn’t afford to get me singing lesson so I would listen to some of the greatest singers and copy their vocals to find my voice.

Helping to run a film production company while working my day job in promotional work and having an online store reselling clothes has proved to be quite challenging. This has conditioned me to have a proactive approach to any hurdles or challengers that we as a production company encounter. Making short films can be stressful but all the obstacles that we have encountered has made us work more efficiently for the next project we do. Filmmaking is problem solving and working together with our clients to make a products that they envision is how we define our services. While making our project we have come along some amazing film makers and actors who form part of our team, and we are dedicated to creating good work.

I’m most proud of being able to do what I love doing, even if its hard. I have experienced a lot in my life and I could have gone the other way and given it all up, but my family and friends gave me the strength to keep going, and I am proud of that the most.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My parents immigrated from Chile and started a new life in Melbourne. I am one of three girls we grew up in Melbourne West in Hoppers Crossing. We didn’t have family Australia everyone lived in Chile so sometimes it was hard for my parents to find support when they needed it. Personal circumstance led to my dad becoming an alcoholic and my mother having to raise us girls most of the time. My dad passed away when I was 17 which was really hard for my mum, and which changed my life from being a teenager to someone who had to work weekends to help pay bills. During this time of losing my dad and my mum was in a deep depression i found the only way that i could cope was through music and singing would release my stress and anxiety.

I thought by finishing high school that I could face whatever the world would throw at me, but when I turned 19 I lost my boyfriend of 5 years to suicide. This changed the course of my life and i was never the same after Simon passed, I wanted to give up because I didn’t know how to deal with the pain but my mum was the one who saved me and reminded me of why I was here. I took a trip to Chile that year to visit my family, but also to reflect on my life and the direction I wanted to head in.

These experiences have made me stronger and have given me a reason to pursue my craft in singing and acting, but also to enjoy life and never taken anything for granted.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being a creative allows me to express who I am and making projects with my partner and my team is the ultimate experience. I love being part of a team and I have 3 teams I’m in: KoCarr films, Melodic Music, and my family. Right now all these are linked and when one succeeds they all succeed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.leavingdarknessfilm.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcarreno89/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087396761225
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0f3J0muCvs

Image Credits
Credits for imagers go to Filip Kolarov Co-founder of KoCarr Films.