Meet the Finalist: David Blanch Martinez, "Imperio de Marina Villegas"

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

The right question for me would be, "Who inspired me?". And the answer is Steven Spielberg. What I felt, as a kid, after watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "E.T." was so intense that I knew I wanted to do that in my life.

What's is your all time favorite film? Why is it special to you?

It's hard to say one. For me, "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Dead Poets Society" are the ones I hold closest to my heart.

What I like about Lawrence is everything. I love history and some films, like this one, are like a window into that past. But most of all, I love how David Lean leads us into the Arab world and makes us feel the same passion that Mr. Lawrence must have felt. And of course, its beautiful soundtrack.

And about Dead Poets, what I love is how I felt the first time I saw it, when I was 15 years old. I'm a very sensitive kid who loves the arts, movies and literature, and back then (and still today) I wasn't "the typical kid" who only likes sports and fast cars. I felt very close to the guys in the movie.

What tips would you give aspiring filmmakers who are just starting their careers?

I would tell them to watch lots of movies. Especially films by Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Orson Wells, Ridley Scott, Scorsese, Coppola, Fincher or Spielberg, to say a few. But also movies from other cultures, and terrible movies as well.

Because watching all these films will help them find their own voice and style.

And most importantly, I would tell them: "Take a camera (or a cell phone) and go out and shoot some scenes".

Follow the artist on social media:

Instagram: @davidincci @indianastudio