Giorgio Miraflor received a gift card for KitSplit equipment rentals for production of his short film.

Check out our one-sentence pitch competition for a chance to win up to $10,000 in funding and other prizes for your short film.

Below, we asked Giorgio some questions about his independent filmmaking career and why he chose to become a writer/director.

Why do you write, direct, or produce?

I started off as an actor, but after being on so many sets and seeing the process I got hooked onto the idea of writing and directing myself.

Being in the indie filmmaking scene for the past three years also opened my eyes to the fact that by producing my own shorts, I can put typically underrepresented faces on screen. So my main goals as a filmmaker became to try and normalize diversity in cast, crew, and stories being told and to put the Filipino-American perspective and face on the map.

Who are some of your favorite auteurs, and which of them inspire you the most? How?

Oh wow, I could run the gamut with this one!

Acting wise I’ve always looked up to people like Joaquin Phoenix, Shia Labeouf, and Tom Hardy. Their process and style has always caught my eye, and I basically stole random techniques from them.

Filmmaking wise I am currently in love with A24’s holy trinity of Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, and Trey Edwards Shults. Such unique voices those three; and they each just simply know how to tell throat gripping stories.

And a constant film inspiration that always finds its way into my mind when I write and direct is Spike Jonze’s Her. It’s an endless well of inspiration, that film.

What’s your toughest challenge when raising funding for a film project?

Everything. Pahahaha.

I’ve learned to just save my own money and have it ready for when I film.

For my last short film, “uTransfer,” I did a GoFundMe that raised about a quarter of the budget, but honestly, I hated doing it just because I felt like an incessant annoyance. So I am so thankful for platforms like The Film Fund that give indie filmmakers the opportunity to get a budget for their shorts!

What are you working on right now?

Currently I am working on a short film called “Me + Lee.”

This one is dedicated to my family, Filipino-Americans, and my obsession with two-hander films! I’m actually at the airport right now getting ready to fly to Brooklyn for it. We are a little less than three weeks out from shooting, and I couldn’t be more ready and excited.

What do you like about The Film Fund?

Much like question number 3, EVERYTHING.

You seldom find outlets that unapologetically is just out there to support indie filmmakers that can’t get these grandiose budgets. The indie voices tend to get shut out especially when they don’t have the biggest Hollywood resume, so The Film Fund is one of a kind in the best way possible.

What’s your advice for filmmakers who are just starting their careers?

Tell your stories!

It doesn’t take magic or thousands of dollars to tell a good story. Grab your iPhone and buy a cheap rode mic and get it done.

Also a big mistake I made early on was that I fantasized too perfect of scenarios when it came to acting, shoot days, editing, and the film festival reception. So don’t get your head too clouded with those kinds of things, just put in the work one day at a time, take the licks, as there’s no such thing as a perfect day on set, and just get it DONE.”

If you’d like the opportunity to tell your story, check out our funding opportunities for the chance to win up to $10,000 and other prizes in funding for your film.