Rising Stars: Meet Sheldon Candis of Echo Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheldon Candis.

Hi Sheldon , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
A kid from Baltimore. Grew up loving movies. Admired the Baltimore filmmakers Barry Levinson and John Waters. I was experiencing the moments of my childhood like scenes in a movie. As a kid, would do community theater, church theater and commercials as an actor. Got into USC School of Cinematic Arts once I found out that’s where some of my favorite filmmakers learned the craft of filmmaking. George Lucas, Ron Howard, and the late great John Singleton. Boyz n the Hood and every Spike Lee movie I saw as a teenager made the idea of movies more than just an aspiration – it became the lifelong goal.

There’s nothing more magical than watching a movie and being inspired to the deepest parts of our collective humanity.

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?
I’m a straight shooter and an open book. It’s been the “beautiful struggle.” I was a music video and commercial production assistant for more than a decade. But I kept writing. I kept believing what I had to say mattered. And I’m not specifically saying, “mattered to the world or others” – I mean mattered to me. That I would honor my commitment to myself of being a filmmaker. Of putting in the sweat equity to survive LA and hold onto my dream. So it’s just years and years of scraping by and then Sundance happens and you hope that’s the break, but it isn’t. You find out it’s actually harder to get movie #2 than movie #1. But you keep going. You direct commercials, tv shows, and documentaries. Anything to keep getting the fortunate opportunity to be a storyteller.

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?
Writer/Director

Upcoming film THEY FIGHT adapted from a documentary. The film stars Andre Holland, Wendell Pierce, Samira Wiley, Anthony B. Jenkins, and Toussaint Battiste. Comes out in the spring on Hulu. Coming of Age youth boxing drama.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I think social media amplification. Just getting the word out about the film and generating a grassroots fan following would be awesome.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cinephilesociety.com
• Instagram: sheldoncandis

Image Credits
Bill Gray