STARTING FROM SCRATCH | Interview with Documentary Filmmaker Justin Ferrer
We have all faced the stereotype at least once in our lives. It’s no secret that a great amount of Filipino parents push their children to pursue careers in the medical field. Beyond this, Filipinos are known to be in the medical field because of giving in to their parents wishes. However, that’s not the case for everyone. Justin Ferrer is a 21 year old Filipino American creative from Riverside, California, well on his way towards leaving a major impact on the world, in a nontraditional way: as a filmmaker. First up, his first documentary, “Do What I Want.”
Photo courtesy of Justin Ferrer
Shot by EJ Palomar
Justin’s journey started in a community that was anything but asian. In fact, growing up, he struggled even considering himself Filipino due to the lack of diversity that surrounded him. It wasn’t until he started college that he discovered more of his roots and decided to dive deeper into his culture.
In second grade, Justin’s passion for karate was born. He carried this with him for a while, even going so far as to compete on the US national team. Justin traveled to Argentina, Brazil and all over the world to represent America on the global stage against the best of the best from other countries.
As time went on, his gi (traditional karate uniform) slowly found a home in his closet. Justin grew out of his love for karate and into a new passion, film. This all came about by chance, as one day he was listening to music and Lorde’s song “Supercut” came on. He immediately gravitated towards the beat, sound and overall vibe that it gave and was instantly inspired. In a short amount of time, Justin felt his passion awaken and quickly took action to get the ball rolling.
Photo courtesy of Justin Ferrer
Shot by Christopher Sangco
“I formed a whole music video inside my head. I downloaded Premiere Pro and tried to replicate it. I didn’t know how to edit at all but I just needed to get it out of my head, so I downloaded random Youtube clips that kind of fit the idea. I downloaded a bunch of them to my computer and I literally just pieced it together. I spent $300.00 just to get it out of my mind. I edited and edited and it actually came out pretty naturally to me. I was shocked that it came out naturally because I had no editing skills and no camera skills. I actually had never touched a camera in my life before,” recalls Justin.
Seeing the results of his first passion project motivated him to keep going. Justin dove deeper into the world of creativity and discovered his own style. However, as the honeymoon phase of his creative journey came to an end, he faced a lot of criticism from those around him for going down the path that he was on. Justin oftentimes was questioned by others who wondered why he didn’t pursue a traditional path in the likes of STEM or engineering. Some even went so far as to call him “white-washed”. For a period of time, Justin was bothered by it all and spiraled into a phase of self doubt, almost considering switching his major to nursing just to please everyone.
Image courtesy of Justin Ferrer
Shot by EJ Palomar
Despite everything, Justin decided to not give into the noise. He started to pursue his passion in full force. Before he knew it, he was networking with other local asian creatives. Justin found himself in the radar of 6x Emmy nominated editor, Ben Bulatao, who took him under his wing and mentored him.
Justin’s latest project is set to make waves not just among Filipinos, but the entire Asian American community. His documentary “Do What I Want” is a film featuring talented artists in the early stages of their fruitful careers.
Image courtesy of Justin Ferrer
“Making money doing things creatively was just a side hustle for many asians. Why just a side hustle though? Why can’t it be our full time careers? Unfortunately even Asians themselves endorse the stereotypes that the medical field is the only way to make it in life. I wanted to eliminate the fear of choosing what you want to do and going against the grain. You can do what you want and be just as successful if not more, in life. I wanted to create the documentary to highlight a community of like-minded individuals who made it past the barrier of what we were told we couldn't be. It kind of felt like forming the Asian American avengers of the local creative world,” Justin mentioned.
Image courtesy of Justin Ferrer
Shot by Christopher Sangco
Each of the artists in the documentary are determined to leave their mark, just like Justin. In pursuing their passions, each of them have challenged stereotypes, powered through societal pressure and overcame parental criticism, while remaining determined to make their dreams a reality. While the film highlights the glitz and glamor of each of their work, it also shares the struggles that the artists face in their daily lives.
In addition to this, there are a number of up and coming Filipino artists that we can look forward to seeing in the film:
Jamie Boy, a Filipino music artist
Kathleen Dizon, a Filipino choreographer
Sara Takenaka, a Japanese/Filipino fashion stylist
Alt+D, a Filipino visual jockey
Loko Moko, a Chinese/Filipino music producer
MNLA, an upcoming Filipino American music group
Nueve Lio, a Filipino music artist
Image courtesy of Justin Ferrer
Shot by Aaron Velarde
The documentary is set to have two releases. One in person in Orange County, with an estimate of around 205 people to be in attendance. The second release will take place on Youtube, as the documentary is launched on the DO WHAT I WANT youtube channel on March 23, 2023.
Image courtesy of Justin Ferrer
Shot by Aaron Velarde
When asked what advice he would give to others who want to stray away from usual jobs and follow in his creative footsteps, Justin said, “Don’t be afraid of failure. You can fear failure, that’s fine. Everyone fears failure, but don’t be afraid to encounter it. What makes a difference for an individual is how they bring themselves up in coming back from it. You can either stay on that route and remain a failure or you can learn from how you failed and work back up from it.”
Written By Nico Belasco
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