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

Alright, Tomás thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In December of last year, I directed and produced my first full-length movie. After years of writing TV pilots, short films, and five feature film screenplays, and directing some of those short films which won awards at festivals, I decided to produce my first feature film. Realizing that it would be challenging to secure funding as a first-time director, I resolved to make it happen on my own. This was in 2023, and just as I finished writing the first draft of the script, Hollywood went on strike. First the Directors’ Guild, then the writers, and finally the actors went on strike. Productions decreased by at least 50% compared to 2022, and I saw this as a sign. I had just finished my script and was determined to produce it, regardless of the challenges.

I invested all my savings, sublet my apartment in Los Angeles, and took a job in South Carolina, putting all my earnings toward my film. A couple of months later, I found myself in Argentina, officially in pre-production.

There is something magical that happens when you decide to embark on a major project like this. You become a magnet, and people begin to feel your energy. The determination you have when you are risking it all (in my case, every dollar in my savings account) attracts other creatives, friends, and acquaintances who want to be part of what you are about to do.

I can proudly say that our movie “Lying In Wait” is in post production, looking beautiful and will start the festival run by August of this year.

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?

From a young age, I developed a passion for drawing and painting. I pursued fine arts studies in Buenos Aires, my hometown. Simultaneously, I explored music, playing bass guitar, guitar, and singing in bands during my teenage years. At fifteen, I discovered theater and found a new passion in acting, eventually turning it into my full-time career through commercials—a time before social media and streaming dominated the industry—allowing me to travel the world. In 2012, I moved to Los Angeles with a strong accent and dreams of working in Hollywood.

This brief overview encapsulates the various disciplines and interests I gravitated towards in my youth. Life has taught me the importance of focusing on one or two disciplines and mastering them, rather than spreading oneself too thin across multiple talents. Not everyone can be a Renaissance figure like Leonardo Da Vinci.

Today, I work as an actor, writer, and director. Painting remains a cherished hobby, indulged in a few times a year. I pick up my guitar occasionally, and I find solace in singing along in my car during LA’s frequent traffic jams.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I seek originality, always. I often say that good art is born from taking risks. My goal is to embody originality and risk in my work because these qualities have consistently resonated with me in every movie, song, book, play, or painting that has inspired me.

While it may sound cliché—every artist claims to be original—the reality is that we are living in an era where true originality in art is rare. The number of exceptional movies released each year can be counted on one hand. I challenge readers to examine the films competing for Oscars in 1995, including classics like Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Lion King, Legends of the Fall, among others. It’s staggering to compare this to the current landscape where Hollywood takes a decade to produce that amount of masterpieces.

We find ourselves in an age dominated by remakes and studios playing it safe, a trend that audiences worldwide are increasingly aware of.

In response, I have chosen to create my own films. While I am light years away from producing something as remarkable as The Shawshank Redemption, at least I am trying, and taking the risk.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

We all create opportunities. I understand that being “creative” often refers to the artistic realm, but creating opportunities spans across any industry and involves taking risks—the same risks that elevate a movie to greatness. Applying this philosophy to other fields, taking a bold risk could mean relocating to another country, changing careers, launching a small business, buying a food truck and mastering taco-making.

Anyone can take a risk to pursue their passion, and if they’re committed, their heart will guide them to success. Even if financial success isn’t immediate, the experience will yield invaluable lessons.

This mindset guided me when I decided to invest all my savings in my first film. I reasoned, “If I don’t turn a profit, I’ll gain invaluable knowledge.” As Quentin Tarantino once said, “Trying to make a film on your own with no money is the best film school you can get.” This principle applies equally to launching your first business, writing your first book, constructing a cabin in the woods by hand, or any other risky endeavor you can imagine.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tomasdecurgez
• Linkedin: Tomas Decurgez

Image Credits

German Romani
Fiorella Occhipinti
Gregg DeGuire