Conversations with Lisset Mendoza

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisset Mendoza.

Hi Lisset, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I didn’t grow up watching a lot of films, funny enough. TV was my whole life, and I loved it. I loved the stories, I loved how they moved people, and I loved that even through laughter, you could learn something.

I did, however grow up always having a camera in my hand and documenting everything, from skate adventures with my friends to family trips. Somewhere along the way, I realized this is what I love, cinematography, photography. What started as small photoshoots slowly grew into short films then to live camera production, then working as an AE for a documentary company, to producing feature films, and eventually working in video production for an international corporation that has allowed me to travel all over the world.

Over the last 15 years, one of the biggest lessons is simple, if you really want to do something, sometimes you just have to do it. There isn’t one right way into this industry.

Now I’m producing and directing my first feature film, Finding Jose, a Mexican-American road trip comedy-drama inspired by family, identity, grief, and all the complicated things we sometimes don’t talk about. After pitching the project and not getting very far, I turned to social media and started sharing the process. That community has grown to more than 20K people, helped us raise over $60,000, and connected us with brands, organizations, filmmakers, and people who simply saw themselves in the story and wanted to help.

I still feel like I’m figuring things out as I go, but I think that’s also how I got here. I kept making things, kept meeting people, kept learning, and when one path didn’t work, I tried another. I’ve learned that sometimes you can’t wait for someone to give you permission to make your film. You just have to find your people and start.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Road not smooth. I think one of my biggest struggles was believing I needed a certain amount of money, the right investors, the right connections, or someone in the industry to help me before I could really make something happen.

Finding Jose has completely changed that mindset. We don’t have traditional investors behind the film, so I’ve had to figure out how to raise the money ourselves. I’ve had to learn how to market the film. Because we need sponsors, I’m constantly reaching out to brands, organizations, and people who might connect with the story. And because I’m doing that every single day, we’ve slowly built a real audience around the film.

Something that started as a struggle has actually become one of our biggest strengths. I used to think I needed a platform, a big festival, or someone else to give the film an audience. Now I’m realizing we’re building our own platform and our own audience before we’ve even made the film.

There are still days when it’s exhausting. I’m balancing a full-time career while producing, fundraising, marketing, planning events, and preparing to shoot a feature. But every obstacle has forced me to become more resourceful and to stop waiting for the “right” opportunity.

If I don’t have the money, I figure out how to raise it. If I don’t have the connection, I reach out and make one. If I don’t have the audience, I build one. I think that has been one of the biggest lessons of this entire process.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a storyteller. I produce, direct, shoot, edit, and honestly wear a lot of hats depending on what the project needs. My background ranges from documentary and corporate video to short films, features, festivals, and community events, so I’ve learned to be just as comfortable behind a camera as I am producing, pitching, or figuring out how to get people excited about an idea.

With my own work, I’m really drawn to stories that have humor and heart. I love stories about family, culture, identity, and the things we sometimes have a hard time talking about. I think comedy can be such a powerful way into those conversations. You can make someone laugh and then, without them even realizing it, hit them with something that stays with them.

What I’m most proud of, though, is probably the communities I’ve helped build around filmmaking. Whether it’s creating film clubs and festivals, organizing events, or now building an audience around Finding Jose, I’ve realized I don’t just love making films, I love bringing people together because of them.

I think what sets me apart is that I’m not afraid to figure things out as I go. If I need to learn website building, I learn website building. If I need to fundraise, organize an event, find a sponsor, shoot something myself, or build an audience from scratch, I’ll do it. I don’t really see filmmaking as just making the film anymore. It’s creating a world and a community around the story and finding a way to get it in front of people.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to have an amazing team, family, partner, and community around me who have made this whole process so much easier. So many people have given their time, shared the project, made introductions, shown up to events, or simply believed in what we’re trying to make. Finding the right people who believe in the story has been just as important as figuring out how to make it.

That’s probably what I’m most proud of with Finding Jose. Before we’ve even gone into production, we’ve created a community of people who care about this story and want to see it exist. To me, that’s just as exciting as making the film itself.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Sorry if sometimes I just go on a rant and end up answering some of these questions in other sections, but one piece of advice I’d give is to stop thinking of networking as networking. Just meet people, be curious about what they do, support their work, and stay engaged on social media. Some of the best relationships I’ve built started with simple conversations.

You also have to put yourself in the room and genuinely show up for other people. Go to their screenings, film festivals, workshops, and events. And showing up doesn’t always have to be in person. Comment on their work, share their projects, congratulate them on their wins, and support what they’re creating. People remember the people who consistently show up for them.

When it comes to mentors, I don’t think you always have to formally ask someone to be your mentor either. Sometimes those relationships happen naturally by asking questions, staying connected, and learning from people you respect.

And don’t be afraid to send the message. Not everyone will respond, but you never know where one conversation can lead.

Pricing:

• Please check out our website findingjose.com/support to help support our film.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://findingjose.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lissettaniamendoza/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisset.mendoza/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisset-mendoza/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisset_tania_mendoza
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lisset_tania_mendoza
• Other: https://linktr.ee/lissetmendoza

Image Credits
Festival photos: @davidmgiannamore