Who is Diego Vicentini? The Venezuelan Filmmaker behind SIMÓN
This is a brief excerpt from SIMÓN: The Weight of Guilt in the Fight for Venezuela.
The Story of Diego Vicentini
Who is Diego Vicentini? An incredibly inspiring and promising filmmaker to watch out for in the future. More than a filmmaker, he’s a philosopher at heart, a characteristic that makes him stand out because he doesn’t just like making good movies or writing good stories, he wants to tell stories that make you think.
Diego was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and moved to Miami in 2009 when he was fifteen years old. He completed high school and pursued studies in finance and philosophy at Boston College. However, Diego’s fascination with the combination of philosophy and film emerged early on during high school.
During this time, he stumbled upon a random DVD titled Match Point by Woody Allen. As he started watching, he realized it was a reinterpretation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the work of Diego’s favorite author.
This is when Diego realized film can be philosophy while incorporating elements like music, psychology, color, aesthetics, symbolism, metaphors, and more. For Diego, the seventh art is the most comprehensive of all artistic forms. Since that moment, he never turned away from the fusion of cinema and profound ideas.
Following his pursuit of finance and philosophy in college, Diego’s trajectory took a turn during the summer of his freshman year. He participated in a one-month filmmaking program at the New York Film Academy, learning about writing, editing, and directing. Consequently, he ends up getting a Master’s degree from the same institution years later.
While studying philosophy, Diego developed an appreciation for the art of film, inspired by works such as Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan and Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Throughout college, he maintained a double major in finance and philosophy, while also taking film classes. However, by his third year, Diego realized that finance did not resonate with him; it simply didn’t fulfill him. Diego wanted to do the thing even if he wasn’t paid for it.
So, after he finished college, he said, “Alright, cool. Let’s go study filmmaking.”
Before starting graduate school, he interned with a media company in Miami. Despite never having any social media presence, the company urged Diego to download Instagram to understand the format. But he didn’t want to start posting pictures of himself, he thought it was weird. Instead, he started @indiegocinema, a page for experimentation, creating video mini-projects to gain practical experience, improve, and receive quick feedback. This allowed for a quicker feedback loop compared to spending years on a movie before hearing reactions.
This Instagram page marked the beginning of the enigmatic “indiegocinema,” which eventually became Diego’s identity across social media and his media company’s name. Through these videos, often blending deep philosophy with a humorous conclusion, Diego not only honed his skills but also discovered a profound realization about happiness and the purpose of his life — to live a life of creation.
In 2016, Diego graduated from college and had the balls to follow his filmmaking interests. He didn’t do it on the side, told himself he would come back to it, or whatever other bullshit people delude themselves with. Diego studied finance and could have gotten a job at a consulting firm or investment banking or whatever other job finance people do. He decided to give all of that up to follow his filmmaking interest.
“What a risk he took,” you might say! But the greatest risk of all is doing what you don’t want. This is what Diego wanted so this made the most sense, and I’m glad he followed his obsessions. Otherwise, SIMÓN would have never come to life.
After he finished university, he couldn’t do anything else than start his Master’s in Filmmaking in Los Angeles at the New York Film Academy, which he finished in September of 2018.
To graduate, Diego had to take on a difficult challenge — creating a short film as part of his graduate thesis. His professor warned the students about the arduous nature of the thesis, advising them to choose a story or topic they intensely cared about. The rationale was clear: only with genuine commitment could they navigate the uncertainties, the moments of feeling lost and confused, the exhaustion, and the overwhelming desire to give up that go with every stage of the process, from writing and filming to editing, post-production, and distribution.
Diego chose to tell a story about a Venezuelan freedom fighter seeking asylum in the United States. Sounds familiar? Well, that’s because the movie SIMÓN movie started as a 26-minute short film.
To everyone’s surprise, including Diego’s, the short film received an unexpectedly high level of attention. Diego found himself on an independent worldwide tour, screening his short film in various countries. The trailer went viral, leading him to present Simón in around 8 countries, including Mexico, Panama, multiple cities in the US, London, and Madrid, where theaters were consistently sold out.
This overwhelming response became the driving force behind Diego’s decision to create the feature-length version of Simón.
And Diego went for it!
In 2019, he took the initiative and started a GoFundMe campaign. Alongside Marcel Rasquin, a well-known and respected Venezuelan filmmaker whom he had met at a volleyball game in Los Angeles, they successfully raised $35,756. Marcel, taking on the role of a producer, was drawn to Diego’s vision.
After Diego circled the globe showcasing the short film, he reached out to Marcel for feedback on his idea. Marcel, having been in a similar situation years ago when he made Hermano, a film about two brothers aspiring to become soccer professionals in a baseball-centric country, recognized the potential. Just as Marcel had received support when he approached a producer, he felt compelled to do the same for Diego.
This is just the beginning — it’s about to get even better.
After Diego shared a post about the film on social media, Jorge Antonio Gonzalez and Gabriel Sanz, two Venezuelan film producers from a company called Black Hole Enterprises, came forward to invest in and contribute to the project.
Seeking financing is often the most challenging aspect filmmakers face, leading many projects to stall due to the high costs involved. But SIMÓN had a low budget. When that’s the case, you have to be resourceful. Being in Miami, where Diego’s family had resided for many years, he knew that the Venezuelan community would offer substantial support. For instance, they needed a nightclub, and the first one they approached was owned by a Venezuelan who provided it for free. Similarly, a restaurant was needed for two days and it was offered without charge. Some locations were secured with the support of the Venezuelan community, who, upon learning about the film’s theme, eagerly wanted to contribute. This immensely helped in reducing costs.
Being resourceful is the most crucial aspect of being a filmmaker. Through Diego’s story, we can see the importance of the need to do things yourself, learn whatever is necessary, and be resourceful. It doesn’t mean doing everything on your own but rather being unafraid to tackle any task and learn from others who may be more skilled. Diego’s proficiency extends beyond his filmmaking and directing role — he designed the final movie poster himself, wrote the script, edited the movie, helped with distribution, and more.
Diego’s resourcefulness is what makes me certain he will be massively successful in the filmmaking industry. He isn’t afraid and is humble enough to learn anything he needs to get stuff done.
But that wasn’t everything Diego did in 2019. There’s more.
APT 17
In 2019, he made two short films, both incredibly great. The first one is called APT 17, and it’s crazy good.
This is a film that prompts introspection, placing viewers in the shoes of the characters. From the moment the film begins, you automatically start asking yourself, “Would I do that?” or “Would I have done this?”
APT 17 starts with a drunk girl who gets forced into a guy’s apartment. However, appearances can be deceiving, and the storyline holds surprises for everyone involved.
A thrilling, humorous, and thought-provoking piece, it serves as a captivating thought exercise. Despite accumulating over 300,000 views on YouTube to date, APT 17 deserves at least 2 million views.
ÆMBER
Diego kept the ball (or camera) rolling and made ÆMBER, one of my all-time favorite short films. This piece is nothing short of a masterpiece, blending exquisite dialogue, captivating lighting, suspenseful storytelling, compelling acting, and profound philosophy.
The short film feels intimate, warm, and personal. When combined when its cinematic excellence and impeccably chosen fonts, the result is nothing short of an extraordinary cinematic experience.
You know when little kids watch a movie they love and watch it repeatedly; well, that’s me with ÆMBER. I’ve watched this film at least twenty times. Each viewing is a joy, thanks to the color palette, emotional resonance, and overall cinematic experience providing endless satisfaction. The music, coupled with the initial awkwardness, creates a unique and pleasing ambiance. It’s undoubtedly one of the most underrated of Diego’s works.
A particularly memorable moment in ÆMBER occurs when the girl in the film asks about Venezuela. It resonated deeply with me, echoing my own responses to the complexities of the situation. It wasn’t just a mirror; it felt like a transcript of my usual words, delivered word for word.
Diego: I left 10 years ago, and I haven’t been back. Things have only gotten worse there. I mean, people are dying on the streets. There’s no food, there’s no electricity, there’s no gas, there’s no medicine in the hospitals, and it’s a mess. I always worry because I left, but now it feels like the home country that I feel I belong to doesn’t exist anymore, and I don’t know if we’re ever gonna get it back.
Keana: (Awkwardly looks at him and looks away, unsure of how to respond. Diego quickly jumps in and switches the topic of discussion.)
Watching ÆMBER is when I realized that Diego is what I call a future self, someone who is ahead in their creative journey, and I could see myself making similar projects.
The depiction of shared interests in the film hits close to home, as I find myself working on a project that aims to create a new way how people meet.
Keana: Two people can have things in common, but it doesn’t mean they’re gonna have chemistry. I mean, you could say that you love nocturnal animals, too.
Diego: (interrupts and asks) Do you like nocturnal animals? Because I love…
Keana: I absolutely love nocturnal animals.
Both: (talk over each other about their fascination for nocturnal animals).
Diego: So we both like nocturnal animals.
Keana: Yeah, well, if we have one thing in common, that doesn’t say much.
Diego: Inconsequential, really.
With Diego’s permission, I might even use this for my project’s promo video. It encapsulates this feeling and we aim it to do in a way that hasn’t been done before. Curious? Sign up for early access here.
In this specific scene, I love the audio design, particularly when both characters talk over each other, which adds a layer of authenticity and drama to the narrative.
The lighting in ÆMBER is truly exceptional — a remarkable accomplishment. My sincere appreciation goes to Horacio Martinez, the mastermind behind the lighting in this film. Horacio is the same person who also handled the lighting for SIMÓN, another masterpiece simply from a lighting perspective.
Every project is an apprentice to the next one, and you become more capable after their completion. You can see how Diego started putting the pieces together of a bigger puzzle without trying or even knowing. This happened by working with Horacio Martinez, who would end up greatly contributing to SIMÓN, and by making the short film Simón where Diego met Christian McGaffney, the main actor for the feature film.
Still in 2019
In the same year, he also made funny videos with Christian McGaffney and his wife, María Gabriela de Faría, both Venezuelan actors in the US. The videos are hilarious and well-made, and of course, they engage you in philosophical discussion.
Check out Vegan Beef and check out Raticas Ecológicas.
Moreover, in 2019, he started writing SIMÓN, a process that took more than eighteen scripts.
COVIVID
Then 2020 happened! We all know what happened: COVID! Great. It was a greater time for writing and finishing SIMÓN’s script. This is the time when Diego also made another short film called COVIVID.
If you weren’t sure of Diego’s talent, this is another validation.
COVIVID is a comedy horror that tells the story of a 20-something son eagerly awaiting his family for quarantine in their home in Miami. However, due to canceled flights, he finds himself alone, wrestling with the challenge of boredom, realizing that “the only thing scarier than the virus is boredom.”
The film is incredibly engaging, laced with suspense that keeps you glued to the screen.
I highly recommend watching COVIVID, and subsequently, viewing the behind-the-scenes video where Diego shares insights into the making of the film. It’s fascinating to see how Diego involved his family, including his mom, dad, sister, and her boyfriend, in the filmmaking process.
My favorite part is when Diego ingeniously creates sounds and convinces his parents to participate in an awkward shot in the bathroom, I won’t tell you more about that.
And, the music!!!
The music in COVIVID, crafted by Freddy Sheinfeld, adds another layer of brilliance. Freddy, who later goes on to create the soundtrack for SIMÓN, is renowned for his work on popular shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Yu-Gi-Oh! series.
Watch COVIVID
Filming, Post-Production, and World Premiere
But Diego can do more than short films. In late 2020 and early 2021, he directed a music video for Holy War, a rock band. The resulting video is visceral, intense, and, of course, highly engaging.
Around mid-2021, Diego finished the filming of his first feature film, SIMÓN, within approximately 30 days and across 23 different locations. Each day brought a new setting, ranging from the beach to apartments and clubs.
Between 2021 and 2022, Diego immersed himself in the post-production and editing process of SIMÓN.
Finally, in April 2023, the film came to fruition, receiving numerous awards in multiple film festivals.
These are Diego’s words when SIMÓN Premiered:
My First World Premiere.
It has now been a couple of days since the world premiere of my first movie @simonthefilm and I still find it difficult to describe, but I’ll try.
Most of the cast and crew were there. Reuniting with everyone two years later after shooting was special enough on its own. We really became a family in making this movie.
I sat farthest in the back of the theater. It was the most remarkable experience I have had as a filmmaker to sit there and hear and see the reactions the audience had to different parts of the movie. When they laughed. When they cried. When they cheered. When they flinched. When they cried again. I couldn’t believe it. SIMÓN was finally not ours, but theirs.
The movie ended and an applause started. And it continued. And it did not stop. For almost 2 minutes the audience applauded and for about roughly the same time I openly wept. It’s difficult to process the relationship between working on a project for 4 years and then this singular moment when it all becomes real.
(Swipe for that moment)And then we went outside the theater and received an outpour of emotions. So many hugs and tears and beautiful words from everyone. A man who had been wrongfully imprisoned and tortured for years in Venezuela thanked us for making the movie and said we had captured how he felt. His trauma, his guilt, his conviction. At this point I think I dissociated and didn’t understand what reality was anymore.
I started writing this movie to honor and remember those we have lost in the fight for the freedom of our country while grappling with the guilt of not being there myself to fight alongside them. During postproduction, watching the movie over and over again, it transformed into a form of therapy — I began to see how many of the sentiments, thoughts, and emotions that I didn’t even know were in me were imbued into the film. It’s helped me bring to light, process, integrate and release a lot of what constitutes a complicated relationship with my home country, Venezuela.
Our first screening just about gave me a little hope that the movie might do for others what it did to me.
Thank you to everyone who helped me make it.
Phew, just incredible!
Make Something Authentic = Make Something Great
In every single one of Diego’s creations, two recurring principles always emerge.
First, caring about what you’re doing is the only way to make something great.
Secondly, how do you make something great? By being authentic to your true self. If you like it, if you think it’s great, others will think the same.
Diego is an example of making things you genuinely care about, and if you do, other people will. Instead of trying to figure out what people want through market research or other nonsense. Do what you love!
To put it simply, being true to your authentic self and giving a fuck about what you’re doing is the only way to make something great.
He’s not afraid to share his voice and tell the stories he genuinely cares about. No wonder his favorite artist is Jimi Hendrix, one of the most authentic artists of all time, not just as a guitarist but also in his way of being — how he dressed, talked, and captured his essence through his music.
In SIMÓN’s case, Diego felt he was moving farther away from Miami to Boston and then Los Angeles. The more time passed since he arrived from Venezuela in 2009, the closer he felt the urge to reconnect with his Venezuelan roots.
That’s why he decided to tell the story of Simón with the short film in grad school and why when he was only 25 years old, he started working on a full-length film, which became SIMÓN. He didn’t wait to get experience. He didn’t wait for inspiration to strike. He didn’t wait until the time was right. He didn’t lie to himself with all the lies people lie themselves with.
“Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.”
― Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
“Leave the country ASAP”
Diego is not only authentic to his true self, he understands what it means to be courageous. As Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
Choosing to make SIMÓN is a bold move, especially considering the potential consequences. Making a film showcasing the harsh reality of Venezuela is bound to displease the government. For Diego and everyone else involved, this meant potentially bidding farewell to their country. While he didn’t have close family residing in Venezuela, returning could be ruled out.
When Diego approached actors for the movie, many declined due to the fear of government consequences or retaliation. Some contributors, including those who helped with the movie or donated, chose to remain anonymous, not wanting their names in the credits.
The ultimate test came when SIMÓN was nominated for the Venezuelan Film Festival. Diego along with the producer Jorge Antonio Gonzalez, had the guts to attend the festival in Venezuela, entering through the Colombian border while carrying the movie with them. Despite the surreal experience, the movie was showcased at the festival.
Diego’s decision to go to Venezuela wasn’t theoretically risky. There’s some bogus law called the “Ley del Odio” (Law of Hate), which could result in a 10 to 20-year prison sentence, Diego sought reassurance and was initially told not to worry. However, upon leaving, he received an urgent message to depart quickly. Fortunately, he was just ten minutes from the border, but those ten minutes were undoubtedly filled with adrenaline.
Despite the trouble and risks, SIMÓN achieved significant success, becoming the highest-grossing film in Venezuela since 2018, with over 100,000 people watching the movie.
Surprisingly, the government did not choose to censor or disallow SIMÓN; instead, it opted to ignore it, seemingly recognizing the Streisand Effect. Obtaining the permits was challenging due to seemingly irrelevant paperwork requests like asking for a Miami filming permit. But the team persisted and the movie eventually gained approval.
To date, SIMÓN was nominated for the Goya Awards and would have most likely been nominated to the Academy Awards (if it weren’t for some irregularities and/or government interference in the selection process).
SIMÓN stands as a test for Diego and the entire team to keep fighting and get the movie to more people. It’s incredibly hard for an independent film to get distribution among theaters, especially if you don’t have a traditional distribution channel. In the usual filmmaking process, filmmakers secure a distributor and hope for the best. However, for SIMÓN, the team had to take a proactive approach, personally calling theaters and convincing them to show the movie.
Remarkably, the film achieved its success through grassroots efforts, relying on word of mouth rather than conventional advertising. The fact that it has reached theaters worldwide, even in suburbs like Chicago where I was able to watch it, is a superb achievement.
Diego Vicentini’s debut as a feature film director signals the beginning of an inspiring and impressive filmmaking career.
We know Diego is a prolific creator, and I’m excited about what he’ll doing next.
I will be sure to support him on any future movies, and I would even love to work with him on any future projects.
Diego, if you’re reading this:
Avísame cuando estés filmando la próxima película, pana, porque me encantaría aprender y ayudar con lo que necesites: guion, filmación, producción, postproducción, conseguir actores, resolver cualquier vaina, todo. Mi amigo y yo hemos hecho varios cortometrajes; echale un ojo a algunos de los cortos que hemos realizado.
Y cuando quieras, te lanzas para Chicago y hacemos unos cortos calidad por estos lados.
As of today, Diego is already making plans for a second movie. You can support his new project by checking it out here.
If there is one thing to learn from Diego, learn the following:
Trust to create from your truest emotions and convictions.
Success may remain uncertain, but you will be certain people will connect with your work.
If people connect with it, chances are, it will be successful.
I undoubtedly connected with Diego’s work, otherwise I wouldn’t have written what you’re reading. For any future project, I aim to connect with people to the point where a random kid writes a mini book about my work.
As you move forward with your life, ask yourself: What do you feel? What emotions drive you? What stories do you want to share? What do you genuinely care about?
Timeline of Diego Vicentini
- 1994 — Born in Caracas, Venezuela
- 2009 — Moves to Miami, United States
- 2012–2016 — Enrolls in Boston College studying Finance and Philosophy
- June 2013 — Participates in a summer program at the New York Film Academy
- 2016 — Graduates from Boston College
- 2016–2018 — Pursues a Master’s Degree in Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy
- 2018 — Creates the short film Simón
- 2019 — Makes ÆMBER, APT 17, and other videos
- 2019 — Initiates the scriptwriting process for SIMÓN
- 2020 — Makes COVIVID
- 2021 — Directs a music video for Holy Wars
- 2021 — Filming of SIMÓN
- 2021–2023 — Engages in the post-production of SIMÓN
- April 2023 — Releases SIMÓN
- November 2023 — Nominated for Goya Awards
- 2024 — Diego celebrates his 30th birthday
If you are interested in reading more about SIMÓN, continue reading SIMÓN: The Weight of Guilt in the Fight for Venezuela to find out how the director made the film, the cinematography, and more about the future of Venezuela.