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

Hi Marin, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always been passionate about films and storytelling. I love writing and filmmaking because I think it’s such a powerful medium to express ideas, connect with people, educate, inspire, and genuinely change the world for the better. Humans are social creatures, we learn from what we see and consume, so I feel like artists have a responsibility to use their platforms and their voices in the most caring and helpful way. As terrifying as that is, it’s also incredibly exhilarating and gratifying. I love it! There’s a lot of beauty in life and beauty in people, and I’m grateful filmmaking gives me an outlet to share that.

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’m a filmmaker and activist, currently working in Denver as a freelance writer/director/editor, but I aspire to one day write for kid’s TV shows (Elmo is the love of my life.)

I fell in love with film in high school, started college by studying screenwriting/directing at the Colorado Film School, then I transferred to the University of Colorado, Denver where I just graduated with a BFA in Film/TV. I have experience writing and directing award-winning webseries, short films, and music videos. I previously served as a board member for the non-profit organization Women in Film and Media Colorado, and at UCD, I was part of the College of Arts and Media’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force. My work has appeared at festivals across the country including SeriesFest, ClexaCon, Denver Pop Culture Con, and Aurora Pride.

In 2018, I co-founded Sad Girl Productions with my dear friend Dannah Elizabeth, which is a film production company that creates diverse, inclusive women-led films. Our goal is to bring empowerment and inspiration to those seldom seen as leads in mainstream media, by highlighting women, women of color, LGBT women, and other minorities and marginalized groups; both on screen and behind the scenes.

As a lesbian of color, I’m passionate about women, LGBT, and POC representation in film, especially in regards to making said representation accessible to younger audiences. I know what it’s like to grow up not seeing myself on screen, so a lot of my writing is about normalizing these identities in a way that’s light-hearted, relatable, fun, and kid friendly. (I created/wrote/directed three seasons of a gay comedy webseries called “I Put the Bi in Bitter” that does just that!)

I’m also adopted from China and spent six years of my childhood living in Beijing, and I love how writing gives me the ability to share my experiences and educate others about different cultures and people.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m no tour guide, but if I had a friend come to Colorado, I’d definitely show them the mountains first. There are so many beautiful hiking trails up in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. I’d also take them to downtown Denver (16th Street Mall is a classic, and Tea Cloud has the BEST boba!), or Boulder (Pearl Street is very fun, and Lollicup also has good boba. I’m into boba.) For food, obviously we’d have to go to Chipotle. Or Domo. Or City O’ City. If it’s still open, Lakeside Amusement Park is sketchy as hell but it’s so fun and worth risking your sanity, and Tennyson street is nearby which has the cutest little bookshop Bookbar and the best pizza from Atomic Cowboy. Oh! And the Mayan Theatre in Denver (or any Landmark Theatres) is too cool and plays the best indie arthouse films. Denver Art Museum is fun. And the Denver Zoo. And the Botanic Gardens. There’s a lot of stuff to do here. I love Colorado.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m dedicating my shoutout to my family – my mom, dad, and sisters Remy, Xiao, and Nini, who have been constant supporters and role models through my entire life and career. They’re my biggest fans and harshest critics, they keep me down to earth but also pick me up when I dig myself too far. I know ‘family’ has lots of meanings to lots of people, (they don’t always have to be immediate, and found families and friends are equally as important!), but I got pretty darn lucky with mine.

Website: https://www.marinlepore.com/

Other website: https://www.sadgirlproductions.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadgirlprods/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marin.lepore/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sadgirlproductions

Image Credits
Sad Girl Productions

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.