Daily Inspiration: Meet Gabriel Kalim Mucci

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel Kalim Mucci.

Hi Gabriel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Since I was a kid, I’ve dreamed about making films. Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen were huge influences and directly contributed for my decision to become a filmmaker and tell fantastic stories.

So I went to film school in Brazil and over there, my passion for films increased exponentially. I learned about other films and directors and all about the technical aspect of the craft. Later I also studied cinematography here in the US.

Then it was time to put everything into practice. I’ve opened a production company with a few friends and we started to work. And I’ve never stopped and started working as a film director, cinematographer and a writer.

I’ve wrote and directed a couple of short films in Brazil, besides working shooting commercials and music videos. One of the shorts I did called LUNATIQUE made a pretty solid run in film festivals and online and definitely helped my career.

But something always told me that I should come to Los Angeles to actually make things happen.

Brazil was a mess over the last few years. It had a terrible government and also the pandemic came to turn everything upside down, as it did all over the world of course. This helped me and my wife to finally decide to change our lives and move to LA.

I’ve been developing a few projects that I hope will happen in the near future, most of them are on the horror and science fiction realms. I also have a manager that is helping me with the whole process and how to navigate in Hollywood.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Things not always goes as you’ve planned, but that’s life. You need to adapt and keep following your dreams and instincts and do your best to achieve your goals. I’ve always knew that working with films was not going to be easy, specially doing genre films in Brazil.

Also, there’s a lot of talented people all over the world dreaming on doing their own projects. It’s a fierce market and you have to fight to get what you want.

But I have a very objective perspective about it and I believe that with a lot of dedication and hard work, you can achieve everything.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When I realized that I wanted to make films, it became clear to me that the types of stories that I wanted to tell were the fantastical ones. And since I was also a cinematographer, I’ve always been a very visual and aesthetic person.

Then I decided to make a sci-fi short film. A genre that’s not common in Brazil at all.

With the help of a lot of people, I was able to produce my film LUNATIQUE, which is a post-apocalyptic tale about a sole survivor in a completely inhospitable environment.

The film took almost four years to be completed due to all the VFX work that was needed. I’ve learned so much in the process that was almost like doing an MFA film course.

Some people doubted that I was going to finish the film. But I’ve never gave up and after it was completed, it was a blast. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone that helped in this process.

LUNATIQUE was screened all over the world, winning a few awards along the way, allowing me to travel and meet a lot of people, including producers and managers that reached out to me.

The film opened a lot of doors, including the opportunity to work on a short film for a Microsoft video game called Wasteland 3.

I’ve also made a proof concept short film about an alien invasion called THE MOONS, which is participating in film festivals at the moment.

And the LUNATIQUE saga is not over. Right now, I’m developing a feature film adaptation with a friend, among other film projects and TV shows.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Dedication and perseverance. I believe that you can never stop to work and study.

We are always learning new things, whether it be theoretical, practical or life experiences.

We have to be open to new ideas and hear what the people you’re working with has to say.

Cinema sometimes seems like a solitary art form when you’re writing your screenplays and developing your ideas, but when it comes the time to actually film what you have envisioned, you’ll need to rely on talented people that share the same objectives and ideals than you. And for me, that’s the best part of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gkmucci.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/gkmucci
• Other: www.vimeo.com/gkmucci