1. How did your background in radio and teaching influence your approach to filmmaking?

 

Working in a field like radio exposed me to a narrative world created only through sound. Sometimes, cinema neglects sound design creatively to focus exclusively on the image, and with SINCOPAT I aimed to make sound the undisputed protagonist.

2. With over 300 awards worldwide, what drives you to continually push boundaries and innovate in your work?

Precisely that, always striving to go beyond with risky narratives that surprise the audience. Like everyone in filmmaking, I'm first a spectator and then a creator. So, I always think: what kind of film would I like to see? How can I generate interest in an audience? If you balance what you enjoy doing with what the audience seeks, you have a hit.

3. Could you share your inspiration behind the concept of Narval in your film "Sincopat"?

The name Narval emerged while speaking with Bea Casas, the art director of the short film. She was looking for a natural element resembling a fine needle for injection. From there, we came up with the animal Narval, a kind of sea unicorn. This way, we combined the essence of science fiction: animal and unicorn, a blend of science and fiction.

4. The film "Sincopat" explores themes of madness and technological obsession. What drew you to explore these themes?

Personally, I love the horror genre, especially psychological horror. I began by thinking: what would be the worst thing that could happen to me? What do I fear the most? I discarded death, loneliness, and those archetypal concepts. Finally, I concluded: for me, the worst thing a person could suffer is living in constant hell without the possibility of liberation. So, based on the concept of the musical loop, I combined psychological horror (literally) with a not-so-distant science fiction.

5. As a filmmaker known for daring and innovative narratives, how do you balance pushing creative boundaries while still engaging audiences?

As I mentioned earlier, the perfect balance between creator and audience is to generate interest with a personal story. It's always very challenging to reach a wide audience with a crazy or non-narrative idea, but if you make the viewer an active part of the project, you've won them over. As an audience, I like to be surprised, to feel that the director or writer of the work I'm watching has gone beyond and avoided falling into copying things already done. As creators, we should have this goal.

6. How do you believe your experience in advertising and working with brands has impacted your filmmaking style?

There's a fundamental principle in advertising: reaching an audience with the least amount of runtime possible. For me, editing is a priority when thinking about ideas. Good editing keeps the viewer's interest constant, just like in advertising. And personally, I love fast editing, jump cuts, and changes in rhythm.

7. "Sincopat" has been praised for its dark humor and originality. What draws you to explore themes of humor within darker narratives?

I've been experimenting with different types of comedy for a long time: dark comedy, absurdity, satire, and meta-comedy. In SINCOPAT, comedy itself isn't directly palpable, but rather the satire of a technologically aesthetic world.

Humor allows you to talk about dense, deep, and difficult topics, using comedy as a channel and catalyst. Personally, dark humor offers an absolute freedom to focus on characters, phrases, or situations that are extreme or non-normative. Offending as a way of making visible what is right and wrong.

8. Can you discuss the challenges and rewards of creating a film that delves into the psychological effects of technology, as seen in "Sincopat"?

The major challenge of SINCOPAT was the concept: a short film that, due to its sound form, had to be exhaustive for the viewer but without crossing the line. Finding the balance between generating anguish and having people leave the room was the most difficult to conceive.

We did different preliminary tests, and we knew that editing would be decisive. That said, I was the editor of the short film: in other words, the first victim of the sonic nightmare.

9. With your extensive experience in teaching and conducting courses, how do you see the role of education intersecting with filmmaking?

In the field of education, I always try to explain to my students that originality and ideas come before any technical means.

Right now, it's very accessible to shoot with great cameras or have digital effects available to everyone, but creativity is a decisive and very personal factor that needs to be worked on consistently. But the audience appreciates seeing different projects.

The role of the educator in cinema is key to building a solid, creative, and above all, varied industry in terms of themes and genres.

10. As a filmmaker who has served on numerous film festival juries, what do you believe makes a standout film in today's industry?

As a programmer and juror, what I value most in a project is its originality, the risk the creator took in telling a story. Whether it's a short film about their grandmother's life, the strong point will always be the creative vision of the director. If you present me with a personal story in an interesting way, you've already won a lot.

11. What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers who are looking to create bold and innovative work like yours?

My advice to new creators is: take risks, think out of the box, rack your brains thinking about how to surprise, think about what you would like to see as an audience. If you act at the same time as creator and spectator, you'll have a lot to gain.