Marco Padilla

Films have always stood by me throughout my childhood and me and my friends always created fun skits that gave me that sense of escapism from reality. I loved that sense of adventure with some of my favorite films being Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark” or Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” and “Lord of the Rings”, they have always given me that spark of

inspiration to how stunning a film can be, which is what I strive to achieve one day. Studying here in Academy of Art University has taught me many fundamentals towards what it means to be a director, which has since made me a critical thinker to how I direct and be firm with the vision I want to create. I am a Senior at AAU and is expecting to finish my degree in Bachelors of Fine Arts, Motion, Picture, and Television, with focus on Directing this May. My notable works include directing a PSA for the San Francisco Fire Department, Public Information Office, short films, and a music video. I was awarded the Best Director for my work on “Confession” for the Shot in a Day category at the 2023 AAU NXT Up Fest.