Creating a new category from zero, without budget or backing

My role

At 20, in the early stages of my career, I identified that no festival was specifically dedicated to recognising university students' filmmaking as a launchpad into the industry — anywhere in the world.

Context

Building an international festival from zero — without prior track record, budget or institutional backing — meant creating a category that did not exist, securing venues and sponsors and earning credibility across countries.

What I did

I led both direction and artistic direction across six editions, built alliances with technology companies and prestigious international festivals, secured university and municipal partnerships, and grew a physical and digital community around the brand — reaching, at the time, the maximum audience Facebook then allowed for a single page.

What this demonstrates

That a new cultural category can be created from zero — without backing or budget — by identifying an unaddressed gap, giving it artistic direction and growing a community around it.