Gustavo Martín Benites Gálvez’s New Film, Breathe, Shines a Spotlight on Immigrant Artists

Lorena Mora-Mowry, podcast host of the Latina Today podcast series, interviews Gustavo Martín Benites Gálvez, an award-winning Peruvian-American writer, director, and producer based in Chicago, who has been working in the film industry for over a decade. In this podcast, Gustavo, who was born in Lima, Peru, and then moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in the early 90s, talks with Lorena Mora-Mowry about his childhood and how he learned to write, act, do camera work, and edit all by himself when resources were limited. Gustavo is based in Chicago, Illinois. He talks about his work as a cinematographer, as well as filmmaking, directing, writing, and producing, and his experience participating in festivals with your offbeat documentary, Fupa, and American Warrior. Gustavo discusses his short film, Breathe, which he directed with producers Maja Memišević and Tasmin Hindeyeh, both accomplished filmmakers. He’s currently fundraising to complete Breathe; the film has the backing of Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program, allowing tax-deductible contributions. Breathe’s script was a Top 8 finalist in Scriptapalooza and a quarter-finalist at Final Draft’s Big Break. It’s a story based on Gustavo’s own experiences living and working in Chicago, facing the pressure of choosing between financial stability and pursuing his dreams. It’s the story of immigrant artists in our community, who sometimes must sacrifice their dreams to survive. Resilience is key to pushing on despite limitations.  Gustavo encourages young Latinos pursuing filmmaking to pursue their passion. To support the culmination of Breathe and to gain further insights into Benites Galvez’s professional endeavors, please visit the following link: https://www.filmindependent.org/sponsored-projects/breathe/