"Have a good story, you know. I think it all comes down to the story and characters, three-dimensional characters. You don’t want to bore the audience. It is very easy to bore the audience. So just make sure you make a film that engages us, and don’t be afraid to tell a story that nobody’s told before."
Welcome back to Nothing Shines Like Dirt Episode 35. Elise and Lesley sit down with Director/Producer/Writer Geoffrey Guerrero. They discuss the Katra Film Series that he founded, researching film festivals and his advice; “Make a feature before your 30.”
Born and Bred in NYC, Geoffrey Guerrero is an award-winning writer, director and producer. He was selected as a finalist for the 2006 National Film Your Issue Competition for his provocative short “Here to Stay,” where then Senator Obama served as an honorary jury member. In 2007 he guest directed a short film called “Rewind” and won Best Short Film “On The Edge” Award at the 2007 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival. His original short film “The New McCarthyism,” which he wrote, directed, and produced in was an Official Selection at the 2007 Long Island Latino International Film Festival. In 2008, his short film “Baile (Dance)” won the Best Short Film “Fruit of the Vine” award at the Vine Shorts Film Festival in Santa Monica, CA and screened at the 2009 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival and 2009 Babelgum Online International Film Festival. Guerrero’s film “J-1” premiered at the 2013 Coney Island Film Festival and went on to screen at the 2014 Socially Relevant Film Festival, Palm Beach International Film Festival and made its European Premiere at the Let’s All Be Free Film Festival in London, Academy-Award Qualifying 18th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival.Guerrero’s most recent film “Prerequisite” premiered at the 2017 Lighthouse International Film Festival and screened at the 2017 SOHO International Film Festival and was recently picked up for the Ocktober Film Festival and New York No Limits Film Series. In June 2012, Guerrero launched the Katra Film Series – a widely hailed international festival showcasing quality short-form content and feature films by emerging and award-winning Filmmakers. In partnership with Everyone Matters and Rhino Films the Grand Prize Winner is awarded a one-on-one meeting with acclaimed Producer Stephen Nemeth from the Academy-Award Nominated The Sessions and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.