Isabel Castro is a four-time Emmy-nominated, Mexican-American filmmaker who combines a practice in journalism and art to tell stories about immigration, civil rights, and identity. She splits her time between Mexico City and Los Angeles. Castro directed, produced, and filmed the Emmy-nominated, award-winning documentary short “USA v Scott,” the Emmy-nominated “Darlin,” and the Emmy-nominated Netflix docu-series “Pandemic.” Her debut project, “Crossing Over,” won a 2015 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary. Castro has worked on dozens of stories as a producer, cinematographer, and multimedia journalist for The New York Times, as an Edward R. Murrow-award winning producer at “The Marshall Project,” on two seasons of the Emmy-award winning series “VICE” on HBO, and as an Emmy-nominated producer covering civil rights and policy at “VICE News Tonight” on HBO. “Mija” is her feature film debut.

“Mija” is screening at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which is running online from January 20-30. More information can be found on the fest’s website.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

IC: “Mija” is about Doris Muñoz, a young music manager who supports her undocumented and deported family by discovering young music talent. When she gets news that forces her to reconsider her career, she discovers Jacks Haupt – another daughter of immigrants for whom “making it” isn’t just a dream: it’s a necessity.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

IC: I spent years covering immigration for media outlets, including The New York Times and The Marshall Project. While I’m proud of that work, I also found myself frustrated by the limitations of those formats. I was longing to convey the incredibly complex dynamics of immigrant families and all the emotions they navigate, including guilt, resentment, and anger. So I turned to filmmaking.

I was particularly interested in telling this kind of story from the perspective of young protagonists. As a teenager, I felt like there was a shortage of stories about what it meant to come of age as an immigrant or as the child of immigrants in the United States. I wanted to tell the kind of story I craved myself, as a Mexican immigrant, when I was figuring out my identity, family, and community.

W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?

IC: I hope that “Mija” shows the nuanced and complicated experience of being an immigrant and the child of an immigrant in the United States. I also hope that the film inspires young creatives to take risks, and for the industry to support them.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

IC: Filming in the pandemic required me to have a much smaller crew than I had originally anticipated; I ended up filming alone with Doris and Jacks for most of the film to ensure our safety. At some points in the filming process, I was getting COVID tested up to four times a week.

Luckily, I had spent the last five years learning how to work as a one woman-band. I quit my job at a major news organization because I was disappointed in the lack of female cinematographers that they employed, and disgruntled by the amount of men winning cinematography awards. After quitting, I enrolled in a cinematography intensive course, and over the last few years I’ve worked really hard to find a visual voice. I had not anticipated working mostly alone, but I think that my professional goal of learning how to shoot prepared me for it.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

IC: We funded the film through a mixture of non-recoupable grants and equity financing. Seed finance can be some of the most difficult to raise, but thanks to the Concordia Studio Fellowship we were able to shoot a funding reel and create development materials which set us up to pitch the film for production finance.

Impact Partners and Cinereach were our lead supporters and the first equity we raised, then we participated in the Sundance Catalyst Program, which was also invaluable in the fundraising process. Along the way, we were supported by numerous granting organizations who were incredible; in addition to financial support, they provided emotional support as we navigated the process of making our first feature.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

IC: I wanted to become a filmmaker because it afforded me the great gift of being able to meet new people, places, and stories that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

IC: The best advice I’ve ever received is to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

The worst advice I’ve ever received is to “not be difficult.”

W&H: What advice do you have for other women directors?

IC: Encouragingly, the topic of representation is now a part of public consciousness and is inspiring minorities, throughout different industries, to fight for power and visibility. However, there are thousands of years’ worth of white patriarchy ingrained in the edifice of capitalism, making it hard for minorities to succeed.

The problem, as I’ve seen from my own experiences, is that racism and sexism can be subtle – making it all the more nefarious. Gatekeepers are often subconsciously influenced by what “success” has looked like – generations of men with closer proximity to wealth and power. Many male, mostly white, colleagues have succeeded much more quickly and easily.

My advice for young filmmakers, especially BIPOC directors, is to not ask for permission to create work.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

IC: My favorite woman-directed film is “Clueless” by Amy Heckerling. In fact, it’s just my favorite movie ever. Seemingly just a film about teenagers looking to find love, popularity, and good grades, the film touches on much deeper topics like immigration policy, gender, class, and sexuality. It was a seminal movie for me as I was coming-of-age.

W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you keeping creative, and if so, how?

IC: As I imagine is true for most everyone, the pandemic has been extremely difficult for the creative process. What it has taught me is to slow down, have patience, and accept failure and loss as a necessary part of growth.

W&H: The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What actions do you think need to be taken to make it more inclusive?

IC: I think it comes down to money and representation. I’ve seen studios and organizations try to address this problem by hiring diverse employees, but failing to promote them to positions of true power. Power is reflected in everything we make – in front of the camera and behind it. People of color need to get paid equally and have freedom to make the decisions.