Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Katina Medina Mora Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Guernslye Honoré
Being kind to people in the industry will make a difference- I was told in film school that I was too naive or too kind and that this industry is full of sharks and you have to be one. But this industry is about collaboration and you need Alies to do that. If you treat people with kindness they will help you.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Katina Medina Mora.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1980, Katina was raised in México City.
Katina studies at The London Film School a Master in Direction. Her first film, LuTo, shot in 15 days on a micro-budget (10,000 dollars in production) was selected for festivals in Mexico and US. It was on Netflix worldwide. Her follow-up, Sabrás que hacer conmigo, was awarded production fund from IMCINE. It was released in comercial theaters distributed by Cinepolis in 2016 in México. It was nominated for Las Diosas de Plata awards for Best Director, Best Actress and Best Movie. It was on Netflix worldwide. Her third feature film “Latido” with Marina de Tavira (oscar nominee for Roma from Alfonso Cuaron) was just selected for the prestigious Morelia Film Festival in México. As well as Mill Valley film festival. It was purchased by Amazon Latam. She is in development of two features that would be shot in the US as her first features in English.
On theatre she was awarded the Efiteatro Fund for the play ¨Blackbird¨ by David Harrower, this play was presented on Broadway in 2016. She bought the rights, translated it to spanish and had a great first run in 2019 in Mexico City. It won Best Play in the Metro Awards in Mexico and was nominated for Best Direction and Best Actors. It won best actress for Casandra Ciangerotti on the Press Theatre Prizes. It won also best play from Cartelera de teatro prizes. It had its second run in 2022. Before that she did two independent plays from Tennessee Williams and from a mexican Dramaturge in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Her international career on TV started when she got two episodes for Emily in Paris season 2 and then was asked back for other two for Season 3. She also directed de season finale for XO Kitty, shot in Seul Korea. She directed two episodes of Firefly Lane, all of these for Netflix as well as 5 episodes for Selena the series. Her latest work on tv was the season finale for the drama Swagger season 2 for Apple TV.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Grew up in México city in a loving family. None of them were in to art but from when I was in high school I had a fascination for theatre and cinema. I was clear I wanted to study that so I entered the theatre group in school and was fascinated by being backstage. Around the house we used to live every month a tv production would happen and I would just be there watching for ours. I was lucky enough my parents supported my desatino to go in to cinema years ago when it wasn’t a career that was very promising on being successful.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I auditioned for the theatre group on hight school to act in a musical and didn’t get in. But someone approached me and said we have spaces in production design. So I said yes. And I was fascinated by being on the back, making things happen even queen people don’t see you. And realized I wanted to be backstage and not in front.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Ive been full of being in the right place at the right time that has lead to great projects or work. Dont have a specific one in mind but my whole career is full of that apart from all the hard work too.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I’m not sure its funny but for me the biggest mistake has been comparing myself to others in the industry. We do it all the time. You feel as if people pass you and you feel stuck and not doing enough, you see other people thrive or get in to festivals, prices and you wonder what are you doing wrong, is your movie not as good? are you not that talented? And what I’ve learned is that every path is perfect, every carrier has its pace and success is a very broad word. You work hard and make things happen in your own time. You just have to be honest with yourself and with the work you do.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Renato Ornelas. He is a mexican producer and director that approached me in a very tough moment of my career. I ws a 1st AD (assistant director) for 12 years and was desperate to start directing. I had been trying rio fund my first movie for 5 years without making it happen. He came and said what if I give you 10,000 dollars, a camera and 15 days to make a movie. You dont do a script only an outline and you hace three months to do it. I said yes and that became my first indie feature film and what that gave me was my first credit as a director so from there I could fund my other movie that became the second one and I basically became a director. So I’ll be forever grateful to him for this.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Someone told me once that this is a career of resistance and not of speed. This career is a marathon not a 100 meters race. And I remind myself every day of this and I pass it as the best advice I recieved. You are only competing with yourself. You need a lot of patience and endurance. Some parts you’ll walk because you’re tired but you keep going. Sometimes you are in a sprint and you just go. And always have a passion project in sight, something you really want to do, that will keep you going.
Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?
More opportunities to young and novel women filmmakers. We have more space now but I feel it all falls to the ones that have already some experience. We are now almost 50% woman to men in school but in the industry we are only about 30% so what is happening to the other 20% they are falling because of lack of oportunity. Producers need to trust women the same they trust men.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I am working on a very exiting movie that is the adaptation of the last novel from Julio Rojas, successful case 63 podcast writer. It’s a story in a distopia that talks about control through the eyes of a young man. It’s a coming of age with adventure and a deep reflection on what society tells us what should we believe. This will be my first feature in English. I am also working on a script that is my project about mental health and suicide in men. This will be with Ricardo Chavira as the lead shot in Texas.
I would love to keep combining tv shows with movies and theatre. Hoping to do more plays here in New York.
We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?
Representation matters a lot. The day you see someone like you on tv is the day you start really dreaming. If young girls or boys can see someone that is like them and they feel they can make it happen for themselves that’s huge. Seeing stories that really resonate with you can change your whole sight of the world, it can change how you perceive yourself, it can help you heal parts of yourself. Movies and theatre are mirrors and a great oportunity to bring messages across cause it comes from a ludic space. We need more stories in first person, told in first person from first hand experience. Those are so truthful and will come accord with more power than any other. We need to see other points of view of life, from other cutlures, races, ethnic groups.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
Talent develops with time- I always thought you have it or you don’t but I’ve learned that it can be developed too. For writing or directing the more you do the more you develop it.
Being kind to people in the industry will make a difference- I was told in film school that I was too naive or too kind and that this industry is full of sharks and you have to be one. But this industry is about collaboration and you need Alies to do that. If you treat people with kindness they will help you.
Your path will be perfect for you- to not compare to other paths, yours is unique and is perfect.
Open collaboration is key- we are told the director is the absolute leader and everyone does what she or he says. But for me every single person on your team can enhance your ideas and make them better. You have to be open and give space for people to do it.
Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive?
Therapy, any kind of it. Going inwards make you understand more about emotions and so be a better director for actors. It’s all an exploration that starts with yourself. I workout a lot, takes anxiety away and brings me energized to set. Eating well while you shoot is key, you need all the energy for the creative. And always have down moments for a walk, laying down, meditate whatever helps to wind down and relax.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
This too shall pass, my grandmother used to say it all the time. It applies to the good and the bad, keeps you grounded when you’re good and hopeful when you’re bad.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
It would be related to sexual abuse, of children and women. It’s something I advocate for and I wish I could do something else to stop that suffering and lives that are broken because of it.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Honestly? My grandmother. I would die to have one more lunch with her
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
I have Instagram @katinamedinamora
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.
