Meet Catherine Garcia | Filmmaker & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catherine Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
My father died when I was 4 years old. My baby brother was born a week later. It was hard to understand at that age everything that was happening. I needed an escape as I grew up and began to understand all of these things. Movies became my escape. My mom and I watched so many movies. I always found it fascinating how something that wasn’t real could feel so real to me. I loved that I could escape into the reality of the world of whatever movie I was watching and forget what was going on in mine. Even just for a few hours. As I got older I began to discover photography. I began to learn the photos had the same effect that movies did. Except, the photos were real. They captured real-life moments. We could keep a moment forever encapsulated in one photo. I began wanting to create worlds for other people to escape in, this was my drive for becoming a filmmaker. I wanted to capture those special moments for other people. The ones they could have and hold onto forever, this made me want to be a photographer.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets me apart, as well as what sets every artist apart, is my experiences. I have gone through so much in my life and I can pull from that to use in my art. I am most proud, so far, of my last short film I created. It is not yet available to the public since I am submitting it to festivals. It was not easy to get to where I am today. I have had to overcome a lot from a very young age. Life did not stop on account of my hardships so I couldn’t stop either. Moving forward and doing everything I could to accomplish my goals and continue to accomplish them was the only option. I only got through it because of my support system and mentors. I’ve learned to roll with the punches. Take everything that has happened in my life and let it fuel my motivation for a better future. I want people to know that I am an outcome of hard work and passion. I pushed and did everything I could with what life gave me. I want people to know that if I can do it they can too. My brand is based on passion, support, and love. I bring that into every project I work on.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m honestly pretty new to the Denver area. So far I’ve really enjoyed just exploring the city. I would probably recommend the Art Museum or walking around downtown. I’ve also enjoyed experiencing so many restaurants! I would highly recommend Torchy’s, their tacos and queso are the best! I’m honestly more of an introverted person, so I enjoy staying in a lot of the time. However, I do enjoy going out and seeing a movie in the theater! I think one of the most intersting things is driving around and seeing so many Mid-Century modern homes or original homes that have just been renovated. It’s like a blast from the past!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My number one shoutout goes to my mom. She always supported me in everything I wanted to do. She never questioned my ability, she offered support and she believed in me. She is such a strong woman and I would never have gotten to where I am today without her. She did everything she could to make sure that I had all the tools to make my life what I wanted. To make sure that I felt safe in my environment to be who I wanted. I can’t thank her enough for being both parents and giving me the love and support of both.

I would also like to recognize my professors and mentors. Jeff Gustafson taught me so much of what I know when it comes to filmmaking. Forrest Zerbe taught me everything I know about photography. Evan Curtis was honest and prepared me for the real world after college. All of these mentors gave me endless opportunities to practice and learn, weren’t afraid to give constructive criticism, helped me find my creative self, and believed in me even when I sometimes didn’t believe in myself. Everyone learns from someone and I’m so lucky and grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from them.

I’d also like to recognize my brothers Luke and Daniel. Who also help out with no complaints, act in my films when needed, and constantly make me so proud to be their big sister. I strive to be the best I can be and succeed in everything I do to show them they can do whatever they set their minds to.

Website: www.catcgarcia.com

Instagram: @catgphotog

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-garcia-90716a209

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc92-dwhuzA9WEJpCJKqpKw/videos The channel name is Catherine Garcia

Image Credits
The first picture of me in the street at night is by Dakota Schlager (IG: @dakotaschlager) The photo of me in the white body suit was done by Ashley Marie (IG: @ashleytruly). The photo of me in my gown is done by Aaron Lewis. All of the other photos were done by myself and the film stills were from films I shot and edited.