Life & Work with Harim Sanchez of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Harim Sanchez.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always wanted to work in film and TV. It started when I was a little kid: I was grounded, and because of that, I was banned from playing video games or watching TV, but I found a loophole in my parents’ (very fair) punishment – my DVD collection. I rewatched all my favorite movies, watched ALL the bonus features, and listened to all the DVD commentaries (bring those back BTW).

In college, I studied theatre because there wasn’t a film and TV major at my university. I thought I was going to be a BIG playwright/theatre director in Los Angeles – which is a joke on its own. I wrote a few short plays after graduation and directed a few stage productions, but I felt like that transition into film and TV was impossible. That all changed when I met my wife. We met while working on a play where we discovered that we both wanted to write for film and TV. We fell in love and pushed each other to pursue the careers we wanted. We worked on each other’s projects, and I learned everything I know about writing for the silver screen from them.

Eventually, I got my first few industry gigs. I was a writer’s PA, and after that, I was an executive assistant to a well-known showrunner who suggested I apply to Film Independent’s Project Involve. Initially, I thought, “Yeah, right. Some institution is gonna accept my weird ass.” But I applied anyway, completely expecting them to toss my application in the bin. I got in and was a writing fellow for Film Independent’s Project Involve 2024 cohort, where I wrote my award-winning short film, MOSH, directed by the amazing Portlynn Tagavi. After Project Involve, I submitted my adult-animated pilot, R.I.P. INC., to a few screenwriting contests. R.I.P. INC. was a finalist for the ’25 Nashville Film Fest and for the ’25 Katra Film Series. It was also a Second-Rounder at the ’25 Austin Film Festival.

This year I’ll be returning to the Nashville Film Fest as a screenwriting finalist for my new script: a feature-length sex-comedy called GUEST RELATIONS. I’m also developing a few other projects, a few with my wife, one with another Project Involve alum, and I’m working with a group of talented animators for a short-form animated show. I’m also in post for a featurette I’ve directed, and I’m prepping to direct a short film early next year.

Quite frankly, I’m tired.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road hasn’t been “smooth”. It’s constantly changing. Sometimes the road is freshly paved with many drink stands on the side. Other times there’s no road at all, and you’re wandering the desert hoping you’ll eventually find some semblance of road. At first, the main struggle was not knowing how to transition from theatre to film and TV. Eventually, I made a connection that got me my first job – I had to do A LOT of unpaid/cheap PA gigging here and there to find a lead.

The biggest obstacle recently was looking for the next gig. I’ve gone back to having a day job and learned to be comfortable with that. I was battling depression during the recent dry spell in the industry (strikes, fires, COVID, oh my!). It was a very difficult transition for me. I went from making a decent amount of money in an industry I loved, then life spanked my ass back to slinging food at people for minimum wage. That was the most recent dark night of the soul for me, but it motivated me to work harder: to work on my samples and write in my free time whenever I’m not working. I thought of it as writing myself out of the hole, and that’s what got me out of that awful abyss of feeling like a failure – getting medicated also helped.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a screenwriter who typically writes high-concept stories with a humanistic core to them. I’m all about emotional honesty in a funky package. Comedies are second nature to me, but I started off writing dramas.

What I’m most proud of right now is my dramatic short film, MOSH. It’s inspired by a difficult moment in time for my family, and seeing their positive reactions was reassuring. They’ve always been supportive of me being a writer, so I felt like writing MOSH was my chance to show them that I’m really trying to do this. It was a way for me to take all their love and support and reflect it to them to make something personal and beautiful.

I think what sets me apart from others is that I have a very comedy-inclined ear. I’m always thinking of joke opportunities, bits, things that can compound to maximize the amount of laughs. I also take big swings. I love high-concepts. Writing anything that doesn’t have a special “twist” or “zest” is difficult. I get bored. I turn into a kid at Home Depot. I always think, “If I’m going to fail, can I at least be memorable?”

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
PITY THE READER by Vonnegut & McConnell. (Valuable writing tips even if you’re not a long-form writer).

I could name a bunch of books/podcasts that inspire me, but that’s subjective. That’s my taste.

If you’re a writer, I suggest you find what you’re into and dive DEEP into that. Read as much as you can that’s in that world (comics, manga, books, other scripts). Find a niche YouTube channel about those things or similar topics. Listen to music that makes you think in that direction. Just drown yourself in inspiration. You’ll come out of the water with something valuable.

Other than that, I try to take care of the mammal stuff. Eat well. Move the body. Take the chemicals that you’re lacking, etc. Meditate for 20 min. Socialize if you haven’t in a while, or else you’ll turn weird.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @low_rim