Today we’d like to introduce you to Kari Angelica Peña
Kari Angelica, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
One thing that I had always been certain about growing up was that I’ll end up doing something creatively fulfilling with my life. I’ve ventured through tons of art forms in my youth (drawing, painting, dance, you name it!) but one thing that stuck with me was filmmaking. I started in my video production class back in high school with only one interest for the class- hanging out with my friends. I honestly had never touched a video camera in my life, nor did I even think to. But once I was assigned a video to make for that class, I was hooked. I fell in love with every aspect of it. So much that I decided to dedicate the next four years of my life to get a degree in film at Utah Valley University.
I got the chance to make a bunch of short films there and learn what it means to be a writer/director. It took a lot of time for me to become comfortable with even sharing my work, as it can be a very vulnerable thing. What helped were my peers around me who eventually became really amazing friends of mine. When they say film school is for “networking”, they aren’t wrong. Luckily, the people I got to network with are beautiful, talented, and genuine people who I believe will stick around for life.
Many of these friends helped me on my senior capstone film, “An Unsweet Fix”. It’s the first short I had ever done with a budget. We raised about $3000 through crowdfunding. I would have never in my life believed that we could reach that milestone, but we did! Through this film, I learned so much and was able to screen the film at a local Megaplex Theater with the rest of my graduating class. I’m excited to be able to share this film online in the near future.
The film coming soon after this is one that I’m especially proud of and excited for when it’s time to share it with the world. “Like a Promethean Curse” is a five minute short about a twenty something year old loser guy trying to rebound after a breakup. I got to work on this film with my best friends and it’s made with so much love. It won best film at UVU’s 2024 Digital Media Showcase, even in it’s previous unfinished state! With it now complete, we hope to submit to many film festivals across the country and perhaps even do a little secret screening before the end of the year… Keep your eyes peeled!
So far at twenty-three years old, I’m keeping up with my goal of feeling fulfilled creatively and hope to keep it that way. I plan on continuing to make films and hopefully break into the indie world one day by staying true to my childhood self who would want me to keep creating.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wish! I’ve struggled a lot with imposter syndrome. In film school, you tend to compare your work to your classmate’s work pretty much all the time. This would lead to way too much heartache for me, at least. I tried not to think about it too much and kept my focus on my own growth as a filmmaker, while cheering on my peers along the way.
In a perfect world, I could have that mentality all the time. Though I can’t say that the pressure didn’t get to me. During the production of my capstone film, I was so focused on making it the most perfect short film that I think I stressed out too much on things I really didn’t need to. It taught me to do what feels right! If you force it, it probably wasn’t right for the film to begin with. You really need to trust your gut as a director, and that’s something I’ve gotten better with over the years.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a writer/director AKA a filmmaker! I currently specialize in narrative short films, but I hope to turn that into narrative feature films one day. I’m very proud of the meaningful relationships I’ve created in the industry thus far and the films I’ve gotten to create from them! My biggest wish is for people to feel seen through my films. I’m driven by my love of people, their stories, and finding the deeper meaning in them (even in the most mundane).
What’s next?
I’m in the beginnings of writing my first feature film. I have no clue how long this will take and it can feel extremely daunting at times, but I have faith in myself to make something meaningful. In the meantime, I’d like to have some fun writing and directing some more shorts to further improve my skills as a filmmaker and hopefully to prepare me for “the big feature.” For now though, it’s safe to say to expect some more projects from me… because I have a lot to give!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kariangelicapena.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kariangelicapena/
