“My first dream was to write a book to become an author. But once I figured out that this would be a lot of pages and words, my enthusiasm waned a little. However, I did enjoy writing and engaging in creative writing. Once I started studying screenwriting more seriously, I saw the form, and what it what it could do, I realized that this could become a job.

When making a movie, the screenplay is an integral part of the process. It's not just a blueprint. It's a piece of art that's being interpreted. Also, I think that's when I found my voice. It fit that medium so clearly to me. So, it connected a lot of dots.”

“I remember sitting alongside my director, writing on sticky notes to them if something felt off. I remember I rewrote whole scenes mid-rehearsal. I had the stage manager run downstairs across the street, print out new pages, come back, and she would give the cast new pages.”

Few writers capture the layered realities of Latinidad, migration, and belonging with the grace, precision, and moral clarity of Héctor Tobar. The author of six acclaimed books translated into fifteen languages, Tobar’s work traverses the Americas—both geographically and spiritually—bridging journalism and literature in a voice that is both intimate and global.

Matt Sedillo is a prolific Chicano poet whose third poetry book is coming out this September, entitled “Mexican Style,” published by Flowersong Press. This new book opens the reader to a whole new expanse of history and art, setting the stage for a revolution of the mind and hopefully leading those feeling marginalized to a profound sense of belonging.