Rising Stars: Meet Christian Yosef

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Yosef

Hi Christian, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Film as always been an integral part of my life since I was a kid growing up in Ethiopia. My uncle sparked my interest in films after introducing me to movies like The Matrix, Robocop, and The Fly, films I cherish still. The passion grew deeper after moving to America at 7 years old. Being in a country I was unfamiliar with and a language I wasn’t fluent in, I used American films as a way to understand my new home. So, it comes to no surprise that I would concentrate on Cinema Studies when attending undergrad. It was there that I learned how to truly understand a film, in addition to discovering the films that would shape the way I would look at life. I also majored in International Studies, as I knew I had to see the world before making a film about it. 

After undergrad, I enrolled at University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, concentrating on an MFA in Film Production. Since being enrolled at SCA, I have not only learned the art of filmmaking from teachers and classmates but also discovered my artistic voice. Currently, in my third and last year, I am focusing on my thesis short film titled Trife. This film serves as culmination of all the things I learned at film school and the movies that have had huge influences on me. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Making films at this stage of my career is definitely challenging. We young and emerging filmmakers have to find ways to raise money to make our films work under strict limitations, tight resources, etc. I’m currently dealing with these struggles as I get ready to shoot my thesis film. 

However, the thing that is keeping me going is the people that believe in not only the story, but me. That goes for the crew, teachers, mentors, family, and friends. As long as I have people believing in me, then I can achieve anything. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I focus a lot on filmmaking. My passion in film is writing, directing, and producing. I focus a lot on stories centering around America’s race and class structure. 

I am proud of the accomplishments I have made by being who I am. I always aspire to be truthful, honest, sincere, and helpful. Those values have been something I’ve cared about since at a young age. By being who I am, and not compromising any of my morals, I not only have achieved some of my dream goals but made friends along the way that cherish those same values. 

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am a highly skilled drawer, as I often sketched during my free time as a kid. I stopped drawing years ago as life got in the way. I miss drawing, though, as I talk about it, as I remember how therapeutic and peaceful it was. I should definitely get back to it. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dukemackk/