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1. How would you describe your experience on “Tin Holiday”?

My experience on Tin Holiday was fantastic. It was the second film I had shot in London and I was excited to return to the city. I also directed, so being able to be on that side of the production was indeed eye opening. I was able to see how the production side works and was able to make decisions on the various locales we were able to shoot at, some of which are iconic, like Waterloo Bridge and Carnaby Street.

2. How did that project change your life?

The project changed my life in a very positive way. I was introduced to some new people, some of which have become life-long friends. Being able to connect with other artists and then seeing their growth since we shot Tin, has really impacted me in a positive way. And, not in comparing myself to them, but in being able to root for them and they for me and all of us just supporting each other in our own successes.

As a director, by being flexible to the unexpected. Shooting an indie feature is not easy and many times you have little in regard to financing, so you have to make it work regardless of how much is in the production account. People are counting on you. The pressure is really on to perform, in more ways than one, and to make every minute and dollar count. 

As an actor, how many times does one have an opportunity to shoot in one of the most exciting cities in the world? Being witness to all of that incredible history, living history, with all of that awe inspiring architecture and art, how can one not grow as an artist? I was able to really stretch as an actor and storyteller by giving into that pressure which then allowed me to deliver a more present performance.

3. What was it like getting to work alongside such an esteemed cast?

The cast we were able to assemble for Tin was in some ways a stroke of luck. I had actually met some of the cast members on Twitter, but we had never met in person. I had tweeted about the casting and that I would be traveling to London to shoot a film and a couple of my “Tweeps” responded and I pointed them to the casting director who auditioned them and the rest is history. Tristam Summers and Craig Stevenson are two of those actors. Both wonderfully talented and whom I hold in such high regard as actors and people. Rosanna Hoult came to us via a submission from her agent. She’s the sister of a big A-lister and I thought why does she want to do my little film? Well, I’m glad because we just wouldn’t have a film without her. She is simply amazing. Rosie was so easy to work with and full of humility and open as an actor. Her co-star, my friend Juan Monsalvez, had to up his actor game. Same as me. Ajay Nayyar who plays Nikhil in the film, also one of our producers, and Paul Chaal and Siddiqua Akhtar were people whom I completely respect as artists. 

4. What was the biggest thing you learned from this project?

The biggest thing I learned from this project is that you can’t take anything for granted. Everything that everyone did on this project was because they wanted to be there. This was an indie shoot and hence the money was not huge. The hours were long, the schedule was terrible because a couple of us were so jet-lagged and we never recuperated from the time change because when we landed we just hit the ground running. So, I took that to heart. I knew no one was getting rich off of this project, and the onus was on me to take that responsibility and make sure they had a film they would be proud of in the end, no matter how long it took us to get it to the finish line. 

5. Do you prefer voice over or on-screen acting?

I prefer acting in some ways because you are on a set or a location and you get to really take those sights in and let them add to your character’s life and ultimately your performance. Then again, voice over is really intriguing because you get to play characters like aliens and Irishmen, and just people that I would never be cast as because of the way I look. Being Latino is limiting in some ways for on-camera work, because you are cast based on how you look. I would never be cast as a British man in a period drama like Downton Abbey. I could be cast in a stage version of a Shakespeare play, but theater is little more forgiving in a way. But voice over, so long as I can change my voice, use an accent, or speak in a certain heightened way, I can work. I’ve done many video games where I played an Irishman, and a gangster, a zombie, or a teenager, all in one four hour session in a booth. The work is actually more physical, because you tend to physicalize a lot of the movement to support your voice and delivery.

6. You are nominated for a prestigious IMAGEN Award can you tell us about that?

Being nominated for an Imagen Award. It is very prestigious and it sounds cliche to say that it is an honor to just be nominated, but I’m gonna say it. It is an incredible honor. My fellow nominees are actors whom I have admired for decades, Antonio Banderas and Andy Garcia. Anthony Ramos is young, but he’s not playing. He’s the real deal and has the work and chops to back up this nomination as well. I am still in disbelief about it. I pinch myself from time to time and smile when I realize it is a real thing. I have no expectations of winning. My film is a small film that no one has heard of yet, though we’ve been doing really well in festivals all over the world. We won for Best Story in London this past spring and were up for a Jury Award in Nice and will be screening in Madrid this summer. I truly am just riding the wave and enjoying the ride. It is so much more than I expected from working on this little movie that almost never got finished. And, yet here we are. I’m just taking it all in and living in the present. Come what may.

7. Do you have any upcoming projects?

I have a few upcoming projects. I just produced two shorts, both of which could not be any more different from each other. One a dark comedy and the other a sweet family drama that I think will be a festival darling. I do have a feature film that I have been given the green light to write and direct. It is currently untitled, but it is a sequel of sorts to a webseries I directed a while back called Fixing Paco, which is also a two-time Imagen Award nominee. It stars Gloria Garayua and comedy legend Paul Rodriguez. The film will take some of the characters in the series and bring them to new experiences for an uplifting story on living organ donation. There is a really wonderful organization behind it and I am so proud of the work that they do and just so honored that they have chosen me and my company, Celtino Entertainment, to make it happen for them. My business partner, Stephanie Wiand, and I are just so excited to start working on it. 

I’m also producing a documentary series and feature on PMAD. It is the newish term for postpartum. It stands for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder. The doc features some truly gifted doctors and therapists who are changing the way we treat and diagnose women who might be susceptible to a PMAD. Stephanie and I are hoping to get those two PMAD projects under way in the next year. We are just in the fundraising phase and are actively looking for grants and financial support for the projects.

8. What are your social media handles?

My social media handles are:

Twitter: @JoeCamareno

Instagram: @JoeCamareno

And if you’re old school, I also have an official Facebook page at: JoeCamarenoOfficialPage

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