Meet Jordy Antonio | Filmmaker/Artist

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

Hi Jordy, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I decided to pursue an artistic lifestyle because I had a story to share. Film was the only outlet where I felt I could truly express myself freely. The process of putting my stories on a screen and seeing it from a different perspective fueled a passion for this specific art form.
I realized at an early age that I enjoy conceptualizing stories about current topics within my environment. I want others to see my vision and creativity on a larger spectrum that manifests the big and small concepts of life through my eyes. Given that I tend to be quite the extrovert in regards to social issues, I wanted to publicly address opinions and thoughts that not everyone is comfortable speaking up on.
An important factor about my vision is that the messages that will be sent to all of you will be represented from the least common or expected point of view.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
A little over a year ago, I realized that I had a natural tendency to grab a camera and record experiences in my everyday life. I edited various projects for school assignments even when they had nothing to do with film, I always submitted a film or video when the assignment was to write an essay. It’s as if it was always in my face but I never fathomed the fact that it was a natural attraction for me. I started making things for myself, and like a lot of filmmakers, making music videos was what got my muscles working when it came to editing and cinematography. I have always loved writing. Writing was always in my life one way or another, whether it was for school or for my personal use but I always took the creative route. After recognizing a few issues that I had encountered in my personal life and during the biggest transition of my life I felt like I wasn’t doing enough for the world and I thought that sharing my stories would be beneficial because they would be heard by people in similar situations and hopefully take action like I did. I created ‘Make it Happen Organization’ with the purpose to raise awareness to social and mental health issues through the art of film. I wanted people to be aware of even the smallest decisions and that it is never too late to shape the life the way you’ve alway wanted. Like art, our lives are constantly evolving, therefore telling the stories that people may resonate with became my purpose in life, even when people might not be going through it to the same extent. I want people of all ages and communities to find themselves in any of my characters and create the world that they want because the choice is on us and change is within us.
I am very excited about ‘The Painting’ , a film currently in post-production that follows a young Alyssa, who despite her parent’s conventional beliefs sets out to pursue what truly makes her happy; Art. Along the way she befriends an unexpected homeless person and experiences life in a way that she would’ve never imagined. This is one of the stories that I have been wanting to tell for over a year, and very excited to see how it all turns out.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
New York City is the best city in the world. I have been to a number of countries and whenever I return home I always say to myself that there is no place like home. The city is a melting pot of everyone and everything you have ever come across in life. To start, I would recommend the West Village. The key to doing NYC well is to walk as far as you can and as much as you can. Grab a white slice of pizza at Artichoke Pizza and walk it off at the Highline. I think New York in the Fall is the best time of year but the Highline is really great all year. I would also recommend taking one whole day and just walking around Central Park. Grab a blanket and sit under a tree with a book- preferably one you just bought at the Strand pop-up on fifth and 57th right before you enter the park. Bethesda Terrace is another great option especially if you go early in the morning where you feel like you are the only person in the city awake, it’s so quiet. Washington Heights and Astoria are great neighborhoods to stop and try all different kinds of foods that you have probably never even heard of. The food stands are abundant and the people are bound to give you a true NYC experience. The beauty and problem of New York City is you will never be able to do it all. Even living here my whole life, I still have a list of places to try. That feeling of never having enough time is something I have learned to cherish and helps push me everyday not just in my work life but every aspect of my life here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I do not have any specific person or organization to give a shout to but I would love to acknowledge and applaud the effort of every aspiring filmmaker in my community because making a film isn’t the easiest process. I would ask them to take pride in what they have done, embrace it and realize that they made something to share with the world. That should be the rewarding feeling after the long periods of the whole production process. They told a story that they care for and the reality is that no-one else would have been able to tell that story the way they did. Filmmaking is about caring and loving the craft.

Website: https://makeithappenorganization.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordy.antonionyc/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/makeithappenorganization/

Image Credits
Graham Burdick, Ronald Sit & Jordy Antonio