We had the good fortune of connecting with Edwin Torres and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Edwin, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am from The Bronx, NY. I believe that my background and upbringing had a tremendous impact on who I am today.
Growing up in The Bronx, my parents would always be concerned with my safety, and also wanted to make sure I was spending time in a stable and safe environment. My parents would sign me up for extra curricular activities, such as ballet, tap dancing, and acting. Acting I stuck with the most, and met a lot of people there that I still keep in touch with today. When I was not at school, or doing these activities, I would be at home, watching television, or playing video games. I often tell people that most of my upbringing was in front of a screen. My television was my window into the rest of the world. I would always be fascinated with almost anything that appeared on a screen. I would soon catch the interest of binging involved in film and television. I felt like it was the only medium where nothing was off limits. You could make a film or tv show about anything, and that always kept me engaged in that medium. I spent most of my school days daydreaming about different scenes in my head, and how certain scenarios would play out. My high school has a partnership with the Roundabout Theater company, so they would take us to see various plays and musicals. When I was finishing high school, I knew I had to choose something that I was genuinely interested in. I was aware that New York City is a place where many people travel to begin their careers So I decided to enroll in the School of Visual Arts to focus on Film/Video Media studies. From school, I began to build a network of friends, and acquaintances, many of those I am still in touch, and work with today. I believe my background, combined with my upbringing, allowed me to seek out a community of people who share the same interests as I. Growing up in The Bronx, I saw that there was a need of that community, specifically for the arts. So sometime after college, I began to seek out fellow filmmakers in The Bronx. I stumbled upon a Instagram page centered on a documentary about the literacy crisis in The Bronx. I was able to reach out to the person behind the page to meet with them. I ended up working on the documentary as an associate producer, and during that process, we decided to start a 48 Hour Film Challenge together, in order to further expand our networks, as well as unite a community of filmmakers in The Bronx. Bronx Film 48 would not be an entity today without my upbringing, and background in The Bronx.

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.
I believe my biggest contribution to the NYC art landscape is the co-founding creation of Bronx Film 48. What sets us apart from other film entities, is that our goal is to have more creation of films specifically within the borough of the Bronx. For past generations to this day, The Bronx has has had a reputation of not being a place of culture. It has a reputation of being a dirty, and dangerous place. Bronx Film 48 is also meant to show that the Bronx can contribute to the medium of film, as well as celebrate the art form, just as much as every other borough. Our flagship program, “The Bronx 48 Hour Film Challenge” is a call to action for all filmmakers looking to put their creative skills to the test, as well as to explore The Bronx for film locations to use for their films. It is always exciting to see the the filmmakers at the kick-off event, eagerly waiting to receive the required elements for the challenge. The biggest reward, is seeing the audiences reactions to the films that were made during the challenge, as well as seeing the filmmakers receive their awards. The biggest obstacles would usually be funding for the projects of Bronx Film 48. A lot of the time, the money would be required to pay out of pocket. We are still working to make Bronx Film 48 a financially sustainable entity. I’ve learned a lot doing work with Bronx Film 48. I learned that things may not workout as originally planned, no matter how proactive, or meticulous the planning process has been. I also learned that collaborations are key in creating memorable programming. Working with other people can provide more insight, and perspective when it comes to forming ideas. I am still mastering balancing many aspects of my life, but Bronx Film 48 has proved to be worth investing much time in. I would like the world to recognize that the Bronx is as suitable of a place to make, and celebrate film as any other place. Bronx Film 48 is just one, of the many examples of what the Bronx has to offer.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In the Bronx, I would take a friend to visit the essentials first, most notably the Botanical Garden, where you can see a plethora of exotic plants. The Bronx Zoo is arguable the biggest and best zoo in NYC. If they are into baseball, I would take them to watch a game at Yankee Stadium. There are too many good food options here to list in this answer, that needs to be seen to be decided. The one food item I would recommend trying in the Bronx, is a chopped cheese sandwich, any deli in the Bronx should be able to do this justice. The Bronx museum is a great place to see art in the borough, especially because it is absolutely free. There is also a gaming space in the south Bronx called “Bx Start” which is a branch of the organization Dreamyard. It is a place where teens can participate in after school programs, and people can play video games with other people. They have PS4’s, Nintendo Switch’s, and PC’s. I would definitely invite them to hang out at that place.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
For my success, I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my immediate family. My mother, father, sister, and brother. I also would like to thank my extended family for their moral support as well. My family has been with me every step of the way, and still supports me to this day, and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. I would like to also give credit to the original co-founders of Bronx Film 48, as well as the newer members of the team. Bronx Film 48 would not be the organization it is today without their dedication, time, and effort given to make Bronx Film 48 stand out as a film entity in The Bronx. I would also like to thank all of the partners of Bronx Film 48 who also lended their support for our events. I would like to also dedicate this shoutout to all of the teachers I had throughout school that saw my potential. I would also like to shoutout the book, “Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life” written by Gary John Bishop. That book was definitely a big motivator for me, when I wasn’t too sure about the path I was on.

Website: www.bronxfilm48.com

Instagram: @bronxfilm48

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bxfilm48/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BronxFilm48/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYU0a0dPw7OuhP7Iiem75xA

Other: https://vimeo.com/bronxfilm48 – Vimeo page with films from past challenges https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/the-bronx-48-hour-film-challenge – Where people can send their donations to support us.

Image Credits
Photos by Erika Kapin, and Zilan Fan. Includes other miscellaneous photographers.

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