Photo courtesy of Mon Castro
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own
Ask Mon Castro about her love of horror movies, and her eyes light up. “I basically grew up glued to the screen,” she says. The Mexican filmmaker credits the movie Saw with sparking her passion for filmmaking – and yes, it’s still her favorite film to this day. But while Mon loves a good scare, there’s something deeper driving her work as a producer: the desire to tell stories that move people.And moving people she is. Her latest supernatural drama “Bajo La Tierra” (Under the Earth) has been bringing audiences to tears at film festivals across the country. Set in 1845, it follows a young pottery maker named Alma who’s dealing with grief in all the wrong ways – mostly by burying herself in work. Things get weird when her house starts being mysteriously consumed by dirt. It’s the kind of story that sounds spooky on paper but hits you right in the feels when you watch it.
“When audience members tell me the movie made them cry, that’s everything to me,” Mon says. “That emotional impact – that’s why I do this.” The film has been crushing it on the festival circuit, screening everywhere from AFI Fest to Mexico’s prestigious Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia. It’s even picked up nominations from BAFTA and the Imagen Awards, plus a special LOLA Award celebrating Latinx talent.
But wait, there’s more. Mon’s other recent project, “Im Finstern,” puts a heartwarming spin on vampire stories (yes, you read that right). Instead of your typical bloodsucking tale, it’s about a lonely vampire hanging out in her crumbling old house when an unexpected visitor shows up. The film nabbed the Owen Roizman Award from the American Society of Cinematographers and is headed to Poland’s EnergaCAMERIMAGE festival.
Here’s the thing about Mon: she might love horror, but she runs her film sets like they’re family reunions. “I always approach everything with kindness and optimism,” she says. “And I mean, why not? We’re making movies! It should be fun!” This isn’t just talk – Mon’s made it her mission to create welcoming spaces in an industry that hasn’t always been so inclusive.
She knows firsthand how lonely it can be when you’re the only woman or LGBTQIA+ person in the room. “Early in my career, I was often the only person who looked like me in most rooms,” she recalls. “So now that I’m running things, I want to make sure everyone feels welcome and supported.”
Mon’s journey started back in 2016 in Mexico City, where she did everything from production assistant work on film sets to running around backstage at concerts. She eventually made her way to Los Angeles for film school at the American Film Institute – no small feat considering they only accept 1% of applicants.
These days, she’s not just making her own films but helping lift up other voices too. She evaluates applications for AFI DWW+, a workshop supporting female and underrepresented directors. Her work’s getting noticed too – she’s been featured in LA Weekly and Hollywood Life and made Filmmakers Connect’s 30 under 30 list.
What’s next? Mon’s got her hands full with two short films in post-production and two features lined up for 2025. But no matter how busy she gets, she’s sticking to her unique formula: taking dark stories and finding the light in them.
“Sure, I love the spooky stuff,” she says, “but at the end of the day, I want my stories to lift people up.” Given her track record so far, it looks like we’ll be seeing plenty more uplifting scares from Mon Castro in the years ahead.