We are excited to introduce our latest blog series, “Creating Your Own Opportunities,” which spotlights students who are making a name for themselves with innovative projects in their respective art forms! We are excited to highlight Film & Television student Julian Maya.
Film & Television senior Julian Maya has spent years learning how to tell stories through filmmaking. Now, as he prepares to graduate from Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), Julian has created an opportunity for other young filmmakers to share their experiences through his new Rooted Film Festival.
Taking place at The Frida Cinema on Oct. 18, Orange County's only nonprofit art house theater, the film festival will feature a screening of short films submitted by high school students from across Southern California, followed by an awards ceremony recognizing three films with top festival honors.
The idea for Rooted began with Julian’s own family. Growing up, he heard stories around the dinner table and at family gatherings and began thinking about how powerful those stories could be when brought to life through film.
“Then it hit me: if my family had all these stories, other people must have stories that deserve to be told too. That’s how the Rooted Film Festival was born, and it’s where the name comes from: our stories come from our roots,” he said.
Rather than make another film himself, Julian said he wanted to create a platform where other students could share their stories. He developed the prompt, “Always Remembering Where It Began” and started building the festival.
Julian reached out to 155 schools with dedicated film programs throughout Southern California, inviting students to submit their work. The response ultimately exceeded his expectations, with 682 short film submissions received from student filmmakers across the region.
Building the festival required Julian to take on nearly every aspect of the project himself. He developed the festival’s mission, designed its logo, built the website, managed social media, learned the FilmFreeway submission and judging process, and reached out to potential sponsors and supporters.
Julian also wanted Rooted to foster connections between emerging filmmakers and professionals already working in the industry. Through the festival’s Community Voices Series, he gathered 16 quotes from film industry leaders about what their roots mean to them, giving student filmmakers words of encouragement from professionals pursuing the same creative field.
“I wanted our student filmmakers to feel seen, supported, and inspired. More importantly, I wanted them to experience the collaborative spirit that makes the film community so special,” he said.
Additionally, Julian brought on three judges with extensive experience in the film industry to help select the honorees for the festival’s award ceremony, including Rick Mastros, an Emmy Award-winning executive producer; Anthony Small, a filmmaker, writer and musician; and Anthony Gudino, a camera and electrical department veteran with more than 22 years of industry experience.
Julian said he hopes the festival will give young filmmakers an opportunity to meet others who share their passion and make connections that could continue well beyond the event.
While this year’s festival was produced entirely by Julian, he already has plans for its future. He hopes to turn Rooted into an annual event, expanding the submission pool beyond Southern California and eventually including middle school filmmakers.
“I definitely want to pursue a career as a filmmaker and keep creating opportunities for others to share their stories, especially the ones passed down around dinner tables like mine,” he said.
The Rooted Film Festival will take place at The Frida Cinema on Sunday, October 18 at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public with an RSVP.