Today we’d like to introduce you to Alice Estrada.
Hi Alice, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am Alice Estrada, a Nicaraguan American filmmaker and artist. I wasn’t always a filmmaker, I’ve always considered myself an artist first. I attended New World School of the Arts for high school, where I discovered many of my creative passions, including painting, photography, animation, and other forms of visual art.
A lot of my work has always been rooted in my family’s heritage and immigration story. I’ve been interested in preserving my family’s history and understanding where we come from, often using art as a way to document their experiences and keep those stories alive.
It wasn’t until college, when I attended Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, that I discovered my passion for filmmaking. I took a 16mm film class, where I learned to shoot on a Bolex, and since then, I’ve continued to incorporate 16mm film into much of my work. Filmmaking became another way for me to explore my family, my heritage, and the stories that I feel are important to preserve.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve always tended to make work about being a Miami native and exploring what it means to grow up in a city that is so culturally and ethnically diverse. Miami has always been a huge part of my identity and has naturally influenced the work that I make.
When I moved to Boston for college, I felt disconnected from the work I wanted to create. I was away from the environment, culture, and community that had always inspired me, and for a while, I felt like I couldn’t make the kind of work I wanted to make. It was definitely an artistic block, but I continued creating and tried to stay true to the stories and experiences I wanted to share, even when I felt disconnected from them.
Now that I’ve moved back to Miami, I feel much more connected to my work and to the stories I want to tell. Being back has helped me rediscover a lot of the inspiration I felt like I had lost, and that artistic block is finally gone. I feel excited to create again and to explore my relationship with Miami, my family, and my culture in new ways.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work lives at the intersection of filmmaking and visual art. I’m a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker working across documentary, animation, photography, painting, and mixed media. Much of my work is rooted in my identity as a Miami native and Nicaraguan American, and I’m particularly interested in family, immigration, memory, and cultural history.
My background in fine arts plays a huge role in how I make films. I often create my own props, sets, masks, sculptures, and other physical elements that become part of the world of my films. I love being able to build something with my hands and then bring it into a film through animation or live action. Animation gives me another way to visualize memories, emotions, and stories that cannot necessarily be captured through documentary footage alone. I’m interested in creating a space where documentary, animation, and handmade art can exist together.
In a way, I often feel like a one-person crew. I shoot and edit much of my own work, and because my films are so personal to me, I’ve become very comfortable being involved in every part of the process. I know that a one-person crew might seem unconventional, but I really enjoy working this way. It allows me to be incredibly close to my subjects and to make decisions instinctively while I’m filming. There’s an intimacy that comes from being the person behind the camera, conducting the interview, and later sitting with all of that footage while editing it. I feel like my work benefits from that closeness.
At the same time, I’m not really working alone. My family is a huge part of my creative process. They often help me make the films, whether that means participating in interviews, helping me create props, acting, or simply sharing their stories and memories with me. I think of them as collaborators as much as subjects. Their presence and willingness to share their lives with me are what make the work possible.
What I’m most proud of is that I’ve found a filmmaking practice that feels genuinely connected to who I am. I’m able to bring together my love of vérité documentary, intimate family storytelling, animation, and my fine arts background into one practice. I’m interested in preserving stories and memories that could otherwise be forgotten, while finding creative and visual ways to make those histories feel alive
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I think the biggest thing I’d like people to know is that I’m still figuring out what it means to be an artist and filmmaker, and I really enjoy that process. I don’t feel like I need to choose one medium or one way of telling stories. My practice is constantly changing, and I want to continue experimenting with film, animation, painting, and whatever other mediums allow me to tell a story in the most honest way.
I also hope to continue making work that is deeply connected to my family, my Nicaraguan heritage, and Miami. My family has given me so many stories, memories, and perspectives that I feel responsible for preserving, but I also want to expand beyond my family and highlight Miami itself. Miami is such a unique and beautiful city, and growing up there has shaped so much of who I am as an artist. I want to capture its people, neighborhoods, culture, energy, and the little details that make it feel like home to me. I think there is so much more to Miami than the way it is often portrayed, and I want my work to show the city from a more personal and intimate perspective.
Ultimately, I want to keep telling stories that feel honest to me, stories about my family, my culture, and the city that raised me. I hope my work can preserve histories and memories while also celebrating the beauty of where I come from and the people and places that have shaped me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aliceestrada.myportfolio.com/bio-1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsnotalicee/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-estrada-6606a521a/
