Jorge Camarotti
REELWORLD'S
2021 TRAILBLAZER
RECIPIENT
Photographer and Director
TRAILBLAZER
AWARDS
REELWORLD
2022 TRAILBLAZER
RECIPIENTS
Trailblazer
Awards
Jorge Camarotti
Photographer and Director
Born in a working-class family in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 2003, Jorge moved to Montreal, where he pursued a career as a professional photographer and then as filmmaker.
His most recent project Ousmane had its world premiere at TIFF 2021 followed by an international premiere at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand festival in 2022. Ousmane has also been nominated for Best Live Action Film at the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards. Recently Ousmane won the "Best Drama" award at the prestigious Aspen Shortsfest, qualifying it for a pre-selection for the Oscars®.
Besides working as a mentor for aspiring BIPOC filmmakers, Jorge is now working on his first feature film, Edith.
Meet the Trailblazer
Motivation
Giving a voice to the aggrieved and less fortunate has been a tenet of my work as a filmmaker, through my choice of topics related to social justice, human rights and immigration. My approach is immersive and focused on the individuals in our society who struggle, but not under through the lens of judgment or victimization. My goal is only to show how these people live, through their eyes, their words.
Work
Today, social justice and immigration are one the main themes that drive work.
Success
I don’t believe in luck. I believe in hard work and perseverance. I didn’t have a strategy towards success either. I always to focus on the work. My main quest is to be the most truthful I can be. For the me, success is the result of the people seeing this truth through my work.
Well…I could mention many things, but I find a way to put it behind me. In a way I use all that could be negative and fuel to make me better. I say that when I fall, I bounce forward.
Experience
Impact
My interest in telling the stories of the most vulnerable started almost 20 years ago when I was first saw a photographic exhibition called “Exodus”, by Sebastiao Salgado. At the time, I didn’t fully comprehend the injustices involving immigration that were happening all over the world. His work opened my eyes; that day I completely lost my innocence towards this sad reality. I was never the same after that. Never had I imagined that one day I'd be an immigrant myself.
Collaboration
I try to build my team with like-minded, hardworking people, who can see the stories through my eyes. On set they become my family, and I need to feel that warmth to accomplish the best work possible. Once I find the right match, I hope to keep them for the long term.
Challenges
I think of myself of a positive delusional, so even during the hardest times, I never felt like giving up. The fire inside wouldn’t let me quit.
Advice
Work on finding your true voice. Don’t chase fame or recognition, just focus on the work.