Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Director Leslie Alejandro of Alejandro Films Is Helping To Change Our World (Authority Magazine)
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
…What I want to provide in my work is a mirror for those to see themselves in. The good and the bad. I’m creating a space for representation and reality. I want to include mine and my sister’s Filipinx community and my husband’s Mexican community as much as possible — in front of and behind the camera. Both our communities have been hit hard in recent years, and we plan to allow our audiences to understand who we are and where we come from.
Asa part of our series about “Filmmakers Making A Social Impact” I had the pleasure of interviewing Leslie Alejandro.
Director, producer, filmmaker, and photographer, Leslie Alejandro has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry. Her career as a professional musician started at the age of 15 and continued over the course of two decades. She then shifted her focus to publication as a partner/executive director at a celebrity and fashion digital magazine for seven years. Here she wore many hats — creative/art director, editor, and photo producer. After several years of experience on many sets, Leslie eventually found her passion for being behind the camera. From this, she decided to pursue photography full-time. Her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, Variety Magazine, GQ, Men’s Health, Teen Vogue, Women’s Health, The Wrap, Nylon Magazine, etc.
Leslie’s existing obsession with film and television and her ability to story-tell through imagery, composition, and stills then led her to discover her passion in filmmaking. Her directing credits include the documentary short about surrogacy She’s Having My Baby, the short film Smile, starring Kevin Alejandro and DB Woodside, and Adult Night, in which she co-directed with Kevin Alejandro, starring Kevin Alejandro and Lesley-Ann Brandt.
Leslie has been an integral member of the Human Rights Campaign for more than a decade and actively campaigns and advocates for the inclusion, integration, and visibility of women and people of color “above and below the line” in the entertainment industry. She believes by exposing a variety of culture’s stories and experiences to the world, compassion and connection can be found.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit. Can you share your “backstory” that brought you to this career?
Thank you for having me. I started in the entertainment industry as a professional musician from the time I was 15. It was all I ever wanted to do. I sang with various bands and singing groups, played at weddings and corporate functions, opened up for the Commodores at the Long Beach Sports Arena at the age of 16 with my girl band, signed with an independent label at 22, signed with Dreamworks Music with my band at the age of 28. Then I got married and started a family, and touring felt a bit out of reach for me. So I had to switch gears.
I found my way into editorial work as a makeup artist, then an editor, to a creative director for over 7 years. Being on hundreds of sets during this time helped me ultimately find my passion in photography at the age of 40. It had always been my favorite form of art, but I was too intimidated to learn manual photography and also, as a Filipina-American, I had no role models who looked like me to show me it was even possible to be one.
Soon after, filmmaking fell on my lap. I knew I had more options to tell stories through different avenues. Visual imagery was my forte. I knew I wanted to be able to express myself through motion. So I took classes from the Director’s program at UCLA and started to create my own films. That’s how I ended up here. And I have no regrets about my journey. I just feel so lucky to be in this space.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
My husband, Kevin Alejandro, myself and my sister, Dani de Jesus, started a production company called Alejandro Films. We have several projects in development including a limited docuseries about a look into the Filipino American history and culture by examining Filipino gangs in the 80s and 90s, a limited series about dealing with trauma in the aftermath of 9/11, an animated series about a queer community of dogs and cats, a web series about a couple who somehow keeps getting caught in sticky situations, and more. I’m also working on 2 features I’ve been writing in hopes to direct one of them as my feature directorial debut.
Which people in history inspire you the most? Why?
Etta James had always been a huge influence in my life from her music to her singing voice, but also because she existed in a world where the color of her skin and her gender didn’t make it easy for her to take up space. But she fought tooth and nail to claim that space, and also pushed all boundaries to make that space larger than anyone at the time allowed.
Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, how are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting social impact causes you are working on right now?
Filmmaking cannot solve the world’s problems. We’re not performing life-saving surgeries or curing cancer. We’re here to inform, inspire, and entertain. What I want to provide in my work is a mirror for those to see themselves in. The good and the bad. I’m creating a space for representation and reality. I want to include mine and my sister’s Filipinx community and my husband’s Mexican community as much as possible — in front of and behind the camera. Both our communities have been hit hard in recent years, and we plan to allow our audiences to understand who we are and where we come from. I want my audience to feel that elements of my work motivate hard topics and conversations to be had no matter how uncomfortable they may be. I want our communities to see themselves in my work, our work, and feel inspired to tell their own stories too. Nothing feels better than being seen and supported.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and take action for this cause? What was that final trigger?
I spent most of my life complicit to my gender and culture in order to fit in. In fact, it’s ingrained in my Filipino culture that fitting in is a must. But no matter how much we think we fit in, society always reminds us that we don’t.
Then I had my son, and I didn’t want him to struggle through this life with the mentality of feeling less than. I knew I had work to do to ensure he would walk confident in this world, and on the other side of the coin, no one would treat him less than with the utmost respect.
The best way to teach him all of these factors is to show him. So here I am today. Showing him that anything is possible. Championing for everyone who looks like him. Looks like us.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I always say I’m not the best teacher, but I love being a mentor. I’ve mentored several people in my life including 2 or my dearest friends, both who are full and part Filipino-American. They’re both incredibly talented photographers and killing it in this industry. One of them said this phrase to me that I live by and even ended up tattooing on my arm: IRON SHARPENS IRON. I want everyone around me to have strength and success in every aspect in life. It only makes me stronger to make sure they achieve their dreams.
Are there three things that individuals, society or the government can do to support you in this effort?
There are 3 things that individuals, society, and the government can do to help us achieve representation in cinema.
Keep supporting our work. Follow us on all social media platforms, sign up for our newsletters, share, repost, watch, and give us feedback so we can be better than the last project we put out there.
Financial support. Independent filmmaking is not easy. Grants, fundraising, sponsorships are necessary for us to exist.
Advocate. For those who cannot advocate for themselves. It’s my number 1 rule in life.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
I honestly don’t have a list of this because I have no regrets. I accept my failures and mess-ups because they were the only way I was able to learn from my mistakes. Everyone’s process and journey is different. Sure, of course, I welcome all and any advice, but ultimately, learning from situations that affected me negatively is the only way I’ll know what works and doesn’t work for me.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
We live in a time where narcissistic tendencies exist somewhere within us all. And in most cases, as a creative or artist, being selfish is a must in order to express your perspective and point of view. And while there is a fine line between not caring what people think and doing your work for you, I have to advise that thinking about others in the big picture and body of your work will only make your work better and more meaningful. Self-indulgence in one’s work is not helpful, compassion is.
We are very blessed that many other Social Impact Heroes read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would like to collaborate with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)
Ava DuVernay would be a dream. She’s been the biggest influence and motivating factor in my life for almost 10 years now. Her work in championing for women and the POC and Black community in the industry is appreciated and inspiring. She was the first mainstream artist I’d seen that looks closer to what I look like than anyone else who came before her in the limelight and media. She inspired me to know that I belong in this space.
I also have a Social Impact Hero in my life that I feel so blessed to be my family and part of my production company. That is my sister, Dani de Jesus. Since I can remember, she fought for women’s rights and the rights of marginalized communities. Everything she had ever done in her life was to influence and help kids and people around her in a positive way. She’s been my social impact role model since we were young teenagers. I know she knows how much I love her. So this is mostly a shout-out to honor her.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
This has been my life long mantra, or at least for the past 10 years during my transition out of the music industry to where I am today:
1. Step out of your comfort zone.
You cannot move forward living in the space you’ve always been. Change requires discomfort, but if you take the risk, the end results will be so rewarding.
2. Do the work.
You can only get what you put into it. You cannot only rely on chance. Do everything you can to allow yourself to have the tools to accomplish what you want. It’s not easy, but you will always have more than you started with.
3. Trust the process.
Once you’ve gotten uncomfortable and did the work you needed to, then let it go. Don’t fester in the negative space of the unknown. Keep going. Trust something will come out of it. Maybe not your first try or even your 100th, but persistence will get you to your goals. You just have to trust that it will.
How can our readers follow you online?
I have several avenues that everyone can check out:
Personal Photography/Director’s Website: www.lesliealejandro.com
Alejandro Films Website:
Personal Instagram/Twitter: @lesliealejandro
Alejandro Films Website:
Alejandro Films Instagram/Twitter:
@alejandrofilms_
Alejandro Films Facebook:
@alejandrofilmsprod
This was great, thank you so much for sharing your story and doing this with us. We wish you continued success!
I’m honored to be here. Thank you.
Source: Authority Magazine