Today we’d like to introduce you to Yashira Ponce.
Hi Yashira, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was very close to my grandma who passed away when I was 16. In the grief that followed, I found a huge sense of comfort in watching movies. That’s when I realized I wanted to be a film director and create the uplifting type of work that uplifted me during a difficult time. Getting into a filmmaking path was difficult though because I was born and raised in Honduras and at that time there was very little film industry there.
I started a bachelor’s in Communication and Publicity in Honduras. After a couple of years, I came to the U.S as an exchange film student and studied at Santa Fe University of Art and Design where eventually I was able to get a scholarship and transfer as an international student. Now I’m a second-year film and TV graduate student at Loyola Marymount University and I’m doing an internship in Film and TV Development at White Horse Pictures.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I left Honduras at 19 to pursue my dreams in having a film/tv career. Immigrating to the U.S by myself was a long process full of ups and downs. The longing and nostalgia for my home has been the most difficult because as Latinos we are super close to our families. However, I have been incredibly privileged to always have their support and very glad to have my husband’s support as well whom I met on my very first day in college in the U.S.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I write and direct independent short films and work in TV/Film Development. I absolutely love film directing. I think that being in a creative leadership position brings out my best qualities. I love collaborating with others and mostly uplifting people. As a Latina immigrant who grew up in a family with a majority of women, I care a lot about telling stories about social issues that feature women and diverse casts that represent the real world.
The core themes I love to explore are feminism, consent, mental health, diversity, and family. My last short film follows a first-time Latina mom who becomes suspicious her OB-GYN performed an unethical procedure on her during delivery. This turns out to be a rarely talked about procedure in the U.S called “The Husband Stitch” that isn’t widespread but still threatens women’s bodily autonomy. The film I did before that was inspired by the restrictive Texas abortion law that was passed in 2021.
No matter the subject I’m tackling I always want my stories to have uplifting endings. Real life is difficult enough and I want audiences to leave feeling energized not weighed down.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
The film industry is notoriously difficult for “breaking in.” In my experience, it has made a lot of sense to align myself with institutions that can create those creative and networking opportunities like a top ten film school and an Emmy award-winning production company. I think if you’re in film school, internships and side gigs are the way to actually work in the industry.
I also think it makes a lot of sense to network where you see yourself living for a long time because I’ve networked in Santa Fe and in Boston, but you need to build your network where you’ll make the best use of it and for most film people that’s Los Angeles.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yashiraponce.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yashiraponce/
