Meet the Finalist: Jack Beckett Cohen, "Bodywork"

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I started just making spoof movies with friends in backyards growing up. I never thought it would lead to anything, but we all loved playing characters and telling stories, so that's what we did. Then I started watching more movies and seeing the wide variety of stories and feelings and worlds that you could explore and it excited me. I wanted to tell fantastical stories and weird tales and goofy sketches and then I also wanted to explore some of my own experiences in life and traumas and put my story and voice out into the world.

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

Sound of Metal (sharing stories about people and communities not often seen or heard); Alien (unmatched atmosphere and design); Mulholland Drive (Lynch's ability to translate dreams and nightmares to the screen in their most authentic form); The Doom Generation (Gregg Araki. Period.)

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

Make bad movies! We learn the most from our failures and it's best to just make what you want but know that you'll get better each and every time. So don't wait or fear failure. Embrace it. Make a bad movie. And then go and make a better one. And never stop. No one needs to see these early ones, but you'll look back and be thankful for what they were and what they taught you about yourself, your craft, and your voice.

Follow the artist on social media:

Instagram: @tallglass__ofwater