Meet Arcadi Palerm-Artis | Filmmaker, Writer / Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arcadi Palerm-Artis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arcadi, why did you pursue a creative career?
Creativity is not a professional choice, it’s something that was always there. Is not planned, there’s no strategy. Ir not a responde to a rational matter.
At he beginning you are just playing, it’s pure fun.
Later on, growing up you make professional choices, defining the outlets for that creativity, and making your living out of it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Oliver & the Pool is my directorial debut in a full-length narrative film. It was produced and financed in Mexico, where I am originally from. It took forever to make the film, but I guess it’s never easy when you are trying to be truth to yourself. We finished the first year of film festivals tour, and it was incredibly well received in the US. The film got it’s first awards at Santa Fe Film Festival: Best Director, and Best International Film. After that it’s been awarded in Houston World-Fest with Best Rising Star, Best Director, and Best Film. Beverly Hills Film Festival: Best Foreign Film. We got the Jury’s Special Award at Puerto Rico Film Festival. Breck Film Festival, at Breckenridge, Colorado, gave the award at Best Director.
Last month Lone Star Film Festival honored us with Best Foreign Lenguaje Film, and Best Narrative Feature Film. It was the first time we had the chance to show the film locally, so lots of friends came to the Isis Theater to watch the film. It was a fantastic night, cause also got the chance to meet a lot of Texan filmmakers.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Let’s start with little culture and outdoors joy at the Modern Art Museum and the Japanese garden at Fort Worth. Then we can have a nice stake at their hotel in the corner of the Stockyards, I don’t remember it’s name but it’s a classic. To finish the day we can have a cocktail at Sidesaddle.
I live in Oak Cliff, so we can walk to Bishop Arts, get a coffee at Wild Detectives and dig in the book selection, they have a good Spanish section and also a local published selection. Barbecue at Lockhart. Drinks at Nova, and a little walk in the Trinity Groves and check Dallas skyline from the bridge.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Film is a collective art form, in the process of making Oliver & the Pool I’ve had to communicate with several people, all skilled and talented in their own craft. In the pre production process, at the moment of inception, I worked with screenwriter Gibran Portela. At the beginning I had a simple abstract idea, that was it. Together we were able to find the structure and voice of each character. All the time the mission was to enjoy the process, create something we would love to watch. Surprising each other and making each other laugh was great motivation. At the other side of the process, the post production, I got the chance to work with Abraham Castillo as editor. He has a humanistic way to approach his editorial work. He always picks emotions over technical execution, with this I mean he would pick a take with an actor giving the best performance even if the take could be soft focus. We would dissect every scene, find it’s essence, forcing me to a clarity that translated into a more honest and powerful movie.
Both creative processes, working with Gibran and Abraham, empowered our friendships, and made us better professionals at the same time.

Website: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10534520/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Instagram: @oliverio_y_la_piscina

Facebook: oliverio y la piscina

Other: https://vimeo.com/657294678

Image Credits
Photo by Carlos Mares