Max graduated from BFIS in 2017. He works as a film director, and producer and has held all kinds of roles on film and TV sets across Europe. He shared his memories of what started his passion for the moving image, right here at BFIS, with Alumni Relations Director Kyra Kellawan, in a recent conversation.
Max: BFIS means so much to me, it’s where I met some of my best friends, discovered my passion for film, my love for music, my admiration for American Football, and so much more. BFIS for many of us was that school you want to go to each day, where the teachers are your friends, and staying late is something you do out of comfort. I definitely feel it shaped how I approach many challenges in life, taught me how to analyze creative material, and how to critically assess it too. That’s proven to be so useful in my career, and I keep thinking back to the good old days when I learned everything I apply daily today
Max developed his interest in filming during his early years in High School
BFIS helped me get into my top choice university, and from there on it’s been quite the adventure. I finished my BA degree in Practical Filmmaking, specializing in Directing, Writing and Producing, and got my first job in the film and TV industry as a Production Trainee on the Netflix show “HACHE”. Those were some really intense months, we worked through the pandemic and were the first show to return from it. After that, I was able to sneak into the directing department and started as a trainee, making my way up to Assistant Directing.
My dream was always to direct, whether that was film or TV, so it’s been really important to be able to balance work and making my own projects. BFIS was fundamental in teaching me a hard-working mentality, as I created and directed film projects with my best friend, Pol Miró, mostly every day between classes and after school. Despite it not being the same kind of tight schedules, I feel that if I hadn’t gone to BFIS I would’ve never been able to push myself as hard as I have. Thanks to this I’ve been able to find the time to direct my own projects, screen my short films worldwide, win two of the UK’s biggest film competitions, and even work with high-class talent such as George Clooney and Javier Bardem.
Max in one of his theater performances in Theater class at BFIS
I am currently distributing my latest short film into festival circuits, while also working as an Assistant Director, which is a figure that has many tiers to it; but now I’m at the one where I’m responsible for background artists and script breakdowns.
In my mind, this would’ve never been possible without Roberto Baldizon, the Tech teacher who made us make a bunch of short films for his class and made me fall in love with filmmaking. My friend Pol and I were so captured by what we could do with a camera that was at the time soooo basic, that we couldn’t stop thinking about it. And the best part was that Mr. Baldizon offered to give up his free time and teach us film after school, learning how to use professional equipment, camera techniques, and more. I am so grateful to him, that I often e-mail him to thank him for it.
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