Nathan Velasquez didn’t take a lot of selfies with celebrities, but he did take a few on his own during his trip to Cannes. Photos courtesy Nathan Velasquez.
Young local filmmaker talks about attending the prestigious festival
Among the glitz and glamour of the Cannes Film Festival, one would expect a 22-year-old to have his iPhone at the ready, prepared for imminent selfies with famous people. But not Nathan Velasquez.
“It felt weird asking for selfies with them when they were going about their business at the festival,” says the local budding videographer and filmmaker.
Velasquez, who produces videos through his own company, Foxtale Productions, as well as for 104.5-FM ESPN’s “Off the Bench,” attended Cannes in May. Held on the French Riviera each spring, its prestige brings international filmmakers vying for the highest prize, the Palme d’or.
Velasquez attended as part of “3 Days in Cannes,” the festival’s new program for young cinema devotees. He was among 1,500 film fans ages 18 to 28 selected from 6,500 applicants who submitted letters explaining their passion for film.
He got access to screenings, galas and parties. Because the galas require formal attire, the tuxedo he bought on sale at the Baton Rouge Dillard’s right before the trip came in handy.
In his application letter, Velasquez wrote, “Film gives me the air I need to breathe; it challenges me in all areas of life. It gives me hope for the future and fuels my interest in the past.”
Did you see many movie stars and famous directors at Cannes? I saw Benicio del Toro, Ron Howard, Gary Oldman, Steven Yeun.
We saw that you managed to take at least a couple of selfies with filmmakers—one with Ava DuVernay of Selma and A Wrinkle in Time. Tell us about that. I saw a bunch of celebrities leaving a party. They were in a crowd of people and signing autographs. I asked Ava DuVernay for a selfie with her. She was happy giving people autographs and taking pictures, so I felt comfortable asking her.
In addition to watching films and attending galas, did you gain insight into the inner workings of Cannes? I knew it was a big festival before, but I could only imagine what being there would be like. I talked to filmmakers who ended up getting massive prizes. I asked them how they got to where they are now. That type of inside advice. And a lot of people had told me the French were sniffy and rude, but they were very open and kind.
Do you hope to bring one of your own films to Cannes one day? Oh, yeah. Sundance, Toronto and Cannes—those are the top festivals. Getting into them will be difficult, but being able to experience Cannes makes it seem like a more achievable goal, as opposed to some mysterious possibility.
Because you didn’t have money for the trip, you launched a GoFundMe campaign. Were you surprised that you met your goal of $3,500? I am still surprised at how incredible people in the community were in helping me complete the GoFundMe. A few people at Cannes even recognized me from that campaign and congratulated me for it. But I can’t thank the people in Baton Rouge enough for supporting my GoFundMe campaign. Alongside the experience of actually going to Cannes, that was overwhelming, as well.
