Watch the video version of this podcast here on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OyRBa9lcUk

Our two new books... STORY QUESTIONS is currently 10% off! - https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9
and 17 Steps To Writing A Great Main Character - https://payhip.com/b/kCZGd

0:00 - Story Of A Real Life Puppeteer
9:41 - 7 Lessons Learned From Making A 17 Million View Video
20:47 - How A Short Viral Video Became A Full Length Documentary
36:03 - The Best Movies Are The Ones You Make From The Heart
48:54 - 3 Questions Every Character Must Answer For Every Scene
1:02:09 - Number One Tip For Directing Actors
1:10:42 - If You Submit To 100 Film Festivals... What Can You Expect?

Paola Baldion is an award-winning actress, director, and producer of Colombian and European heritage. Born in Paris and raised in Italy and Colombia, Paola is a multilingual Latina artist fluent in Spanish, English, Italian, and French. She began performing at age four in her parents' marionette theater and later trained under renowned masters Edgardo Román and Paco Barrero in Bogotá, followed by HB Studios in New York and Stephanie Feury Studio in Los Angeles. She holds a BFA in Theater and Film Studies from Concordia University in Montreal.

Paola made her feature film debut in the lead role of Marina in Retratos en un Mar de Mentiras (Portraits in a Sea of Lies), which premiered at the Berlin and Guadalajara film festivals. Her performance earned her the Colombian Academy Award for Best Actress, along with Best Actress honors at the Guadalajara and Amiens International Film Festivals.

As co-founder of Dos Almas Films, she has directed impactful short films and documentaries, including For Alma and I Am Migration-a documentary where she and partner Jamie Toll travel across the U.S., offering free DNA tests to explore ancestry and identity.

Her latest fiction film, Abrazo, tells the emotional story of a pregnant Central American woman crossing the U.S. border. The film has received 29 festival awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Writer, and Best Actress. Through her body of work, Paola continues to champion stories about identity, migration, and social justice-bringing visibility to underrepresented voices in both dramatic and comedic roles.

WATCH 'I AM MIGRATION'
https://www.facebook.com/iammigration/videos/611347859214872

WATCH 'ABRAZO' - NEW SHORT FILM BY PAOLA
• ABRAZO - World Premiere (Official Film)

CONNECT WITH PAOLA BALDION
https://www.paolabaldion.com
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3672989
https://www.instagram.com/paolabaldion