Welcome to our Real Talk series, where we’re talking with artists, filmmakers, and educators we work with at Austin School of Film. We’re asking a cross-section of multimedia creators what inspires their work, how COVID-19 has affected their craft, and what we can hope to look forward to with them in the future.

This afternoon’s highlight is Laura Muñoz—a borderland artist, filmmaker, and designer based in El Paso, Texas. Laura is the lead educator behind our Symbolism in Cinema workshops exploring symbolic meaning and how this can intersect with art, storytelling, and cinema.

We caught up with Laura to talk about her involvement in the arts and film worlds and how her role has played a part in engaging people from all around the world.

Laura Muñoz (she/her)

Location: El Paso, Texas

Craft: Multimedia artist, designer, and filmmaker

Industry: Film/Video and Creative Media

THE INTERVIEW

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I am a self-taught visual artist and filmmaker. I am a writer, I am a poet and a thief.

I currently work at a non-profit as a Public Relations and Digital Media Specialist. I like having a separate professional career that pays for rent and fulfills my creativity and my hunger for learning.

When I was younger I was interested in working full time in the film industry as a set designer/producer but after gaining enough experience working on sets, I realized that I was not in for that kind of lifestyle. I just want my direct deposit straight to my bank account, paid vacations and health insurance, so I can focus my leisure time in writing from the commodity of my home and work on my passions, use all my film skills on my own projects and ideas instead of being part of a film crew following some else's vision which in the past I found unfulfilling.

You are originally from Mexico and moved to El Paso later in life then to Austin. Can you tell us about your journey and what ultimately brought you back to El Paso?

I was born in El Paso but I grew up in Cd. Juarez. I love being from the border. Both cities are so different but so interconnected culturally.

When living in Mexico, I never imagined living in the US. El Paso seemed to me the most boring city ever and I was not interested at all in moving here. But life brought me here over 15 years ago and I slowly started discovering how special El Paso is and Texas in general. I feel like there is something very magical about living in the desert, like every living creature here —you become resilient. The shortage of resources leads you to create your own opportunities. You will think there's nothing to see then things seem to appear in mysterious ways; stories, people and experiences. Texas is where I made my first films and where I became who I am now. Austin is my little Texan paradise.

How did you first get introduced to film?

I have been fascinated by film since I was 5 years old.

My parents got a VHS camera to document family reunions, every time they pulled the camera out of this huge plastic briefcase I wouldn't miss the opportunity to hold the camera (which was bigger than my head). I would beg my parents to let me play with it. I used to pretend I was a journalist at every family event and other times I would use it to point to the sky in search of UFO’s.

I attended my first semester in college in Queretaro, Mexico, where I was studying Media Communication. This is where I had my first exposure to the experimental films and I was immediately captivated. They were all so creative to express their ideas and that's when I knew I wanted to use the same tools to express myself.

What do you love about filmmaking?

I have a passion for communication, psychology, occultism and the mysteries of the mind. I love using films as a tool of exploration of all of these topics, whether it is by making an experimental film or actually telling a story.

As a multifaceted artist and filmmaker from art direction, directing, writing, and creating your own films and art —what inspires you to create?

Unconventional details of daily life, interpersonal interactions, impossible love stories, so many things.

What draws you to the use of symbolism in your writing and films?

I am just a girl asking your subconscious to come out and play ;)

I enjoy the process of building a language with symbolism. I find that it has a very strong connection to poetry in the sense that you are using words as images. With my films I try to use symbols as words.

When we first met you, we selected one of your short films to be showcased at a film screening in Austin (at Cheer Up Charlie’s) for Cinema Obscura. You went on to later win at Transform Film Festival with another short film, winning best experimental film. You also had quite a bit of support internationally for both films.

Can you talk to us about your process of submitting your work to festivals and exhibitions?

I am very bad at submitting for festivals, I focus only on the creation of my films and not the distribution. But my filmmaker friends have been very supportive in guiding me and encouraging me to expose my work. Most of the time people will reach out to me and ask me to exhibit my films in their events, but I am becoming more proactive now in looking for opportunities as well.

We’ve worked with you both as a professional, educator, and you’ve also taken some classes with us at Austin School of Film. Can you tell us about your experiences with us? Have they been beneficial to you as an artist and filmmaker in continuing your craft?

Austin School of Film has a very special place in my heart. Being part of their community has changed me and made me grow not only as an artist but as a person. I have met so many talented people that inspired me to continue creating, you learn from almost any interaction from events and classes to simple conversations in the hallways. I love the energy around because everyone is very authentic. Now with the pandemic and the classes going online. It has become even more interesting because now we are interacting in the classes with filmmakers all over the world.

In October we’re hosting two workshops with you! Symbolism in Cinema and Exploring Symbolism and Techniques. The second workshop will come with a curated box for each student. Can you tell us about it? What can students expect to experience from both workshops?

The second workshop involves a mystery box mailed to you for the hands-on learning workshop centered around building symbolism into your creations and techniques. We want to keep things a secret so if you come, you’ll know.

In both workshops, we invite you to challenge yourself and learn to build your own language using symbols as a tool.

If you’re new to concepts of symbolism, what’s something you’d share to future students that excites you about your October workshops?

I’ve designed two workshops with Austin School of Film for all levels of creators to explore the use of symbolism not only in filmmaking but also beyond. This is an awesome opportunity to connect with people all over the world and share & create together in a virtual space.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I am so excited to continue collaborating with the Austin School of Film. I can’t wait to both attend and create with you this October.

An Interview with Borderland Artist Laura Muñoz