Today we’d like to introduce you to Sil Azevedo.
Hi Sil, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have seen the world through a camera lens since my childhood. I got my first camera for Christmas when I was 7 — a Kodak Instamatic 133. It was love at first sight, I was hooked. Life made sense through the viewfinder.
I was the lab rat in High School, studied architecture and art, opened my studio in Dallas (Deep Ellum) and taught photography for many years. As so many photographers, I was always in love with cinema. The Magnolia (now Violet Crow uptown), the Angelika and Texas Theater feel like home. I finally made the leap a few years back into filmmaking. Throughout history, many photographers took this leap–from Robert Frank to Stanley Kubrik. My studio became a boutique production company that produces stills and motion.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
O my, definitely not smooth. The artist-entrepreneur path is filled with challenges, from creative to logistics and administrative. Balancing the artistic side with the practicalities of running a business is an ongoing challenge for a creative. With the years, I have learned to focus on what matters, be true to my instincts and keep doing the work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My heart is in documentary filmmaking. At the moment, I am producing a documentary about the peace movement titled “I Am for Peace,” scheduled to be released next Spring. This project has taken me as far as Cambodia and Japan. I have just finished filming the last segment in Rapid City, SD. It has been so inspiring to meet dedicated peacemakers along the way. Now, the magic of editing starts. I am excited to delve in and hopefully emerge with a film that will inspire as I have been inspired.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Getting that Kodak for Christmas. It changed everything. Although I did not realize it would turn into a career, it was destiny. To be honest, I still don’t see it as a profession. It is a passion, a way of living.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://iamforpeace.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmsstillsco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FilmsStillsCo
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sil-azevedo/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@IamforPeaceFilm
- Other: https://filmsstills.co
Image Credits
Sil’s portrait by André Azevedo
Film stills by Sil Azevedo
