Meet Tamara Bunker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Bunker.

Hi Tamara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Mexico City, my mother is English and my dad was Mexican. After I received my undergrad in theatre in Mexico, I moved to London to study acting and special effects makeup. I decided to focus on acting and I moved to Los Angeles to get a Masters in Acting. It’s here where I wanted to expand as an artist and became interested in filmmaking, so after grad school, I stayed to pursue my professional career that grew from acting to filmmaking. I wrote, directed and produced a few short films and I fell in love with the idea of creating the big picture.

One of the shorts I wrote and produced, “Treintañera”, did well in the festival circuit – it got into about 20 film festivals and won a few awards. It is a comedy about a Mexican-American woman who isn’t willing to follow social norms of marriage. With all the positive feedback, I decided to turn the short into a full-length feature – which is what I am doing now.

In 2018, I got the opportunity to work in production on big films and TV shows. My first job was “Bird Box” (Netflix). It was an eye-opening experience. I got to see production in a large scale. Since then, I’ve been working in production and as an assistant in LA. I’ve worked on shows like “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+), “The Lost City” (Paramount), and “The Unforgivable” (Netflix).

As a filmmaker, working in production is a film school in itself. It takes the theory of film production and turns it into the practical. I get to see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit, how the departments move as a unit to complete the work of the day. As an actor, it’s great to have an understanding of the day’s work and all that it involves, and understanding the big picture is very important as a filmmaker because film is a very collaborative process. It takes all the departments to make a movie or television show.

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?
I don’t think anyone’s path is smooth, that’s what makes it interesting. I believe you have to work hard to get what you want. I’ve been lucky enough to meet some amazing filmmakers along the way who have brought me on to their projects and have taught me so much – especially amazing women in film! It is great to see production companies like Hello Sunshine be such a creative force in film/TV and breaking barriers for women in the industry.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am proud and lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to study, travel, and learn from amazing filmmakers and women in film such as Nan Morales, Sandra Bullock, Mimi Leder, and as I had mentioned before, all the talented women from Hello Sunshine, to name just a few.

I’m a passionate about the stories I want to tell. Stories with strong female characters. Being from Mexico, Latinx stories inspire me. I feel very fortunate that I have a mixed heritage! My grandparents were from Spain, England, Montenegro and Mexico. My mother was born in Zambia. Because of this, I’ve been exposed to many cultures and traditions. I love to learn about the world, what makes us different and unique. I have a love for travel. Travel allows me to experience other cultures first-hand. It allows me to get a better understanding of different ways of life and thinking, broadening my horizons, gives me more of an understanding of the world. Family and travel have influenced me as a storyteller. It’s allowed me to be more inclusive. It helps me tell other people’s stories, as cheesy as that may sound. I can only hope my stories are interesting enough to move people.

I feel it’s important to follow my gut when choosing the stories I want to tell and the projects I choose to work on. I want to be associated with stories that are consistent with what I believe in and work with like-minded people. Diversity is important to me. I enjoy working with people who create diversity through film. My film “Treintañera” was my introduction to the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase. I’ve been on the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase screening committee for the last six years. It is a platform that showcases and promotes the work of diverse (thought, race, gender, age, religion, physical ability and sexual orientation) filmmakers.

I don’t really know what sets me apart from other people. I just do what I do and work hard. Film is a team sport, it takes a lot of people to create something.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
My family, my friends and the people around me. I also want to make the world a little bit better in any way I can and make a difference. Fighting for equal opportunities for everyone. I chose film as my way of communicating this. I would love for my work and stories to resonate with others and make a change.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamarajbunker/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamarajbunker