Meet Carlos Avila

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carlos Avila. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carlos below.

Carlos, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

While I was born in Lima, Peru, I came to Los Angeles when I was three years old. My parents divorced and my Mexican mother returned from Lima to Los Angeles to live with her mother. My brother, sisters and I were consequently raised by two resourceful women – my Mexican mother and grandmother. They had lots of grit and lots of love. Even though my mother and grandmother didn’t have extensive formal education, they knew how to kick ass and get things done. I’ve therefore had that ‘can do’ immigrant mentality ingrained in my DNA since childhood. From my personal experience and from my observations, I have seen that the various immigrant communities in the United States have boundless vision and a profound sense of possibility. They have a deep wellspring of resilience. I’m proud to be among them.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I work on two tracks: (1) as a director for studio and network film and television; and (2) as an independent filmmaker. I immerse myself in both of these modes of work with an equal level of commitment and passion. I’ve directed for network television shows and in these instances, I bring all my skills and talents into a preexisting narrative world where I collaborate in order to fulfill the creative ambitions of the showrunners of a given series. I am constantly vigilant to find opportunities that elevate the storytelling. I fully embrace the responsibility of collaborating with these creative partners to tell a larger story.

On film and television projects where I am the initiator, I wear so many different hats as producer, writer and director. Most recently, my wife, Elaine Montalvo, and I produced a short film that I wrote and directed called, ‘The Kill Floor.’ I’m very proud of that film as it was critically-acclaimed and award-winning. Another project that I am particularly proud of is called ‘Foto-Novelas.’ This was a magical realist anthology series. I wrote, produced and directed most of the episodes in that series. I also have a feature film called, ‘Last Band Standing’ that I wrote and will direct. The story is a 1960s San Antonio, Texas music story that I am excited about bringing to the screen. Hopefully, we’ll be able to shoot it in 2025.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

There is a great deal of trial and error in the work that I do. As a professional person you are constantly learning about how to best manage situations and personalities. The three qualities that I think are essential for success and longevity in film and television are perseverance, resourcefulness and trustworthiness.

You learn early on as you navigate the industry that you are going to be hearing the word, ‘no’ a lot. The entertainment business is very competitive. Many people are attempting to be a writer or director. Rejection will certainly come your way. Rejection is part of the terrain that we must journey through. But the stories of artists that have persevered despite rejection are also equally abundant. You learn to keep going and create the circumstances that will make it harder for ‘them’ to say ‘no’ to you the next time. Rinse and repeat.

Resourcefulness is important in that you must ‘find a way.’ You have to be scrappy and defiant and carve a path for yourself. Assess what you have available to yourself, utilize the resources that are applicable and keep moving forward.

Finally, trustworthiness is really important. Be an honorable person. Treat people with respect and be true to your word. If you do that then people will want to keep working with you. People will speak well of you. You’ll also sleep better at night.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

I have been fortunate to have met people in my work life that have taught me a great deal about the career that I am pursuing and also about myself. When I was at the UCLA Graduate Film School, I met veteran film editor Richard Marks and his wife, sound editor Barbara Marks, and they taught me about the craft of sound and film editing. Additionally, Richard and Barbara set a tremendous example of how to be a professional person. Being around them made you want to emulate them.

I also feel lucky to be a part of a community of Latino filmmakers here in Los Angeles and also in Texas. These are friends that I learn from and that I frequently compare notes with. I am fortunate to have such an extensive network of other artists that I can lean into from time to time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carlosaviladirector.com
• Instagram: carlos avila_pix
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-avila-b41b8b1/
• Other: Bluesky:
  @echoparkvato.bsky.social

Image Credits

All photos are property of Echo Park Films, Inc.