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

Tequoia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

I don’t really have any steps that I utilize, but I can share with you my inspiration for my first passion project. I remember sitting on my couch and absorbed in the news like millions of others around the country, devastated. Children were being ripped from their mother’s arms and locked in cages with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and a tin foil sheet for covering. How could I process what I was watching? After all, I have family who has passed through that same border. I have children the same age as those separated from their mothers. I could not sit and watch as families were being torn apart and do nothing. But what could I do? I held no power nor had money. The only thing I knew to do was write. I picked up my computer and wrote a script, a story about a mother and her children. I wrote about dreams of safety and hope for a better life. I put the fears and desires of these women into a screenplay and crafted a vehicle that I prayed would inspire change. I didn’t know where to take my script or to promote it, but the Universe knew exactly what and who I needed. I created a crowdfunding campaign and received so few donations that I had to return the donors their money. I grew discouraged by the lack of support and thought that my dream would sit on the shelf indefinitely, but one day I was introduced to a woman who fell in love with the script and offered to fund half of the budget and location for the film. The process was effortless. It was as if the Universe cleared a path for me. Sometimes I wondered if I was ready to take on a movie of my own. I had no direction or mentorship, I used books and resources to figure it out along the way, but I made it. I pieced every detail together and pulled off a minor miracle, but a miracle just the same.

Tequoia, 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?

My name is Tequoia Urbina. I’m a native Atlantan and lifelong storyteller (filmmaker). My mother saw that I had a love for poetry and storytelling. She decided to place me in a performing arts magnet school in the 6th grade. I can honestly say that I have been in film for over half of my life. From middle school through college, I have held a video camera in my hand and used it to create worlds and tell stories that have impacted more people than I will ever know. It is my passion and the life path that makes sense to me. Someone once told me that to be successful in this industry; you can’t have a plan B. I have held to that belief and have no fallback plan. Filmmaking is it for me. I have found success in this industry, but the main thing is to define success for myself. I can’t measure my accomplishments by others. I have to determine what a successful career looks like to me. I recently had my latest script optioned. It’s now in the development stage. Once again, I will have the ability to tell a powerful story and provide job opportunities to many people. I also consult with scriptwriters and independent filmmakers who are stuck and need advice on how to move their projects further. I love helping others achieve their dreams. I know the feeling of seeing an idea become a reality, and I want to help others share that experience.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Life has chapters. Those moments that change your trajectory and shape your character. Even though I have been in film over half of my life, I didn’t walk that career path until my 30s. I ended my abusive marriage in 2013. It was the most difficult decision that I ever had to make. When I walked away, I had no means of providing for my three children. My husband, at the time, told me that I wouldn’t succeed without him. I had no job but tons of mounting student loan debt. I tried everything to find a job. It shocked me that I couldn’t find employment even with a master’s degree and over 400 job applications. He believed that I would run back to him for financial security, but there was no way that I would do that. I struggled and sacrificed but made a vow to myself and my children that our station in life would change one day, and we’d be better for it. Today, I look back at that day, and I am grateful. It hasn’t been easy, but I have become stronger and more resilient. I have proven that I can provide for my family and live my dream.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

My short-term goals have shifted over the past year and then again over the past month. That is fine because my long-term goal has remained the same since I began in this industry long ago. All I have ever wanted and will continue to do is create stories that touch people. In living out my dream, I have provided jobs for talented artists in my community and opportunities for women and people of color that are often underrepresented.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tequoiaurbina.com
• Instagram: @TQthewriter.81
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tequoia.urbina/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tequoia-urbina-55562141/
• Twitter: @TQthewriter
• Other: https://deadline.com/2022/08/the-deacon-arvet-agency-tequoia-urbina-1235094297/