We recently connected with Xavier Medina and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Xavier , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on is Sunnyland, our first narrative feature film. In 2019 we applied for a grant from Oolite Arts for an opportunity to be the first Cinematic Arts Resident from this organization and after winning we had the chance to make our first full length movie. A personal project that was written, directed and shot by myself with an amazing group of talented friends and first time actors. We started shooting in January 2020 and as we all know in March 2020 Covid 19 arrived and we had to stop shooting. After long months of uncertainty and feeling like we were never going to finish the film, we decided to reorganize what we had left and adapt our shooting schedule and way of working to the new “normal”. It was super exciting to go back to set and feel a bit normal again. Between cast and crew we had created a circle of friends and seeing everyone again made us feel hopeful for the future.

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 background and context?

I started my storytelling journey by defying my mom’s rule of “no one touches the video camera” and recording things around the house when she wasn’t looking. Playing turned into passion and I knew then I wanted to make a living while holding a camera in my hands. I went on to college and got a degree in Audiovisual Communications. Once I finished my Undergrad I was awarded a fellowship and had the opportunity to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Film from The Savannah College of Art and Design. Years later I met my life partner, María Amelia Cotarelo, and together we started “Érase una vez…”, which was created as a way to unite our creative minds under a single manifesto or narrative focus. Together we create narrative films (short and long form), music videos and documentaries about subjects that move our hearts or stories that we feel need to be told.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative?

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is having the luxury of making a living while being unequivocally and irreducibly myself. We have the freedom of imagining something and making it come to life and that is uniquely possible for artists. We get to transform dreams into tangible and consumable magic and that is a special and rewarding way to live. We get to reproduce our feelings, ideas, desires, hopes and fears and beam them outward into the world. And in that way we get to connect with similar beings who can empathize and relate to and with our reality and inner world. Filmmaking is like an emotional lighthouse… or a message in a bottle; it’s a way to be with others regardless of where they are or who they are.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Going to school and pursuing a Master of Arts in Film, which is intrinsically a collaborative art, exposes you to the idea that finding a solid group of co-workers that will collaborate in the process of developing each other’s careers is the modus operandi. You learn to find a sense of security in the idea that responsibilities are shared, and that things are achieved or completed only when help arrives. Although this seems straightforward and is logical (and sometimes the most efficient, if you’re ever so lucky), this approach usually only works with big budget projects. For the rest of us mortals the process becomes a war of attrition, and success is only found by paving your own path, taking responsibility and a mindset of radical accountability. Mark Duplass famously said on his 2015 SXSW talk, “the cavalry is not coming…” and he was right. It’s your duty as an artist to come up with a story, get your gear and go out shooting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://xavimedina.portfoliobox.net
• Instagram: erase.una.vez.collective
• Facebook: Érase una vez, Inc.
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xavi-medina-1b34b164/
• Other: https://eraseunavez.pb.online https://vimeo.com/xavimedina

Image Credits
Cristian Miranda / Jessy Suarez / Dan Barker / María Amelia Cotarelo

Suggest a Story: CanvasRebel is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.