Meet Daniel A. Palacios | Filmmaker, Writer & Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniel A. Palacios and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniel A., why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I think from a very young age, I was at least somewhat aware that I was put in this world to tell stories. I remember when I was very young, I excelled in creative writing assignments. I think, even being so small then, I had all of these worlds in my head, and I still, to this day, spend a lot of time in there digging through them all. It took a very long time for things to click together for me, but the moment I fell in love with writing was in my high school theatre class, where we were assigned to write and direct an original 10-minute play for our opening show. It was in the development of that stage play that I fully understood what I was doing.

My time in theatre was short-lived after that, as I felt a strong desire to branch out into filmmaking, and I have continued with it since then. I believe filmmaking is one of the greatest languages ever developed, with specific dialects and phrases one can use to communicate ideas and incite action. Back then, filmmaking seemed like the most accessible medium to talk from; we could pick up a camera and go, and in many ways, this still holds true. But what has really stuck with me, and has kept me so in love with all of this, is the way that movies bind us together, allowing us the space to be vulnerable with one another, and in the process of releasing that vulnerability, allows us to see one another.

I think, especially in this age of rapid information, it’s more important than ever for us to actually see one another. My drive in writing and directing my films has always been this pursuit of taking someone’s hand and saying, “You are not alone! I feel this too! I think this too! We’ll get through this together.” In the way that I allow myself to be vulnerable with the audiences, allowing them to see me, one of my favorite things is for people to come up and tell me how much they related to a character, or hated another, or felt so bad when this thing happened, because for me, that’s when I get to see them too. It reminds me that filmmaking and storytelling transcend borders and ideology. It speaks to the core of our existence.

I chose this path because it challenges me. It forces me to think about what I want to use my voice for, and it reminds me just how much this world is teeming with life. I chose this path because it’s the only thing that has ever made sense to me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Professionally, I’m incredibly fortunate to be where I am today because of a series of investments I made when I was younger and more stubborn. I felt that I was in a unique position, which allowed me to procure an inventory of high-level production equipment. I was insistent on developing this collection because I felt that if I had to wait for someone’s permission to do something, it would never happen. From there, Hardlight Entertainment LLC. took shape. Initially, it provided a space for me and my colleagues to publish our films on VOD services, but we have since begun offering rental and production services to other independent producers in Georgia.

Creatively, I’ve come a long way from where I started. We are currently in post-production for my debut feature film, “Love & Madness,” set to premiere in January 2026. We shot that film when I was only twenty-two, and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. It’s so drastically different from short films; it’s a much longer commitment, both to the project and the people you work with. Thankfully, I had such an amazing cast and crew, who all believed in the project and the vision we had for it. I learned so many valuable lessons, the most important of which is this: When you embark on these great journeys, there’s a great deal of fear that consumes you. It makes you want to run away, or worse, freeze. It wants to keep you comfortable so that you’ll never have to risk failing. This fear doesn’t go away, and it shouldn’t. That fear is how you know you’re on the right path. I learned how to take that fear and embrace it rather than let it consume me, and it’s made me a better filmmaker.

Since wrapping production of “Love & Madness,” I’ve graduated from Georgia State University and have delved deeper into writing than I thought possible. I’ve finished the first draft of another feature film titled “Push,” which follows a twenty-five-year-old crash out as he becomes aware of his dissatisfaction with life, embarking on a surreal night of binge drinking and soul searching as he rediscovers who he wants to be. Additionally, I’ve created a treatment for a feature project titled “American Elegy,” a loose adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre’s one-act play “No Exit.” The film follows three damned souls, an immigrant, a closeted republican, and a socialist, as they’re sent to hell. They’re all put in a single room with no escape, and they must unite together, or face eternity tormenting each other.

I’ve begun embarking on another great journey in life, a point at which I must choose a new path to walk down. Though that path is uncertain to me now, I know that no matter what, I want to see the world around me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The most exciting places for me are places that cultivate an atmosphere of creativity and art. My favorite places are the Plaza and the Tara Theater. I would take them to go see some new restoration of a European classic, or a special 35mm screening of a film they love. I would take them to Burles Bar on Tuesdays to listen to the jazz pop-up, performed by Creosote Clone. Or Red Light Cafe to listen to the Wednesday night Jazz Jam Session with the Gordon Vernick Quartet. We would go to used book stores like the Book Nook in Decatur, or A Cappella Books in Inman Park, and we could compare our finds. I would take them to Cafe Lucia Downtown or Carroll Street Cafe in Cabbagetown, and we would write for hours.

These areas, for me, lie in distinctly different parts of the city, yet each of them contains some essence of its heart. These spaces provide places to fully immerse yourself in a world of art and creativity.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I think first and foremost, I would not be where I am today without the support of my family. Thank you to my mother, who has shown me a love I could never comprehend, and to my father, the greatest man I will ever know, who makes all of this possible. Without them, I would never have gotten as far as I have, and I know, despite the distance still to go, I am supported by the two most amazing people in the world.

Outside of my family, there are truly too many people to thank for what I’ve been able to accomplish. Thank you to the amazing cast and crew I’ve been able to gather over the years, for not only helping me see the world around me, but for being truly amazing friends outside of the work.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.a.palacios

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-a-palacios-101155208

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@danielpala2002

Other: IMDb: Daniel A. Palacios
Hardlight Entertainment Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardlight.ent
Hardlight Entertainment Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hardlightentertainment

Image Credits
Chryssander Mandragora