Thomas Macias joins the AAFF Team!
We’re pleased to welcome Thomas Macias to the AAFF team as the Communications and Marketing Manager! Thomas was born in Hawaii and grew up in Rochester, NY. After getting accepted into the Rochester Institute of Technology's film program, he graduated with a major in Dramatic Storytelling in 2013. Afterward, he moved to Michigan and has lived here ever since. His favorite part of the last two years was getting married right before lockdown started. “It's been the weirdest, longest honeymoon ever, and I’ve loved every minute."
What are you excited to do in your new position?
I get to be a part of a small team working towards something greater than all of us. It really inspires me to do great work and live up to this potential! I'm also looking forward to working in tandem with so many great filmmakers to bring their art to Ann Arbor.
What films are you watching in quarantine?
So many! Minari and Judas and the Black Messiah are highlights, but I also saw A Knight's Tale and Mighty Ducks for the first time too.
Choose a film title for the story of your life.
Moving Forward. My family moved a fair amount while we grew in size - from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Kingston and (a few homes in) Rochester, New York, and now I'm here in Michigan. There's nowhere to go but up!
What does your work from home setup look like?
We've got these panels that we've tried to use in our office space to create a bit more separation. Just out of frame is a habit tracker to make sure I hold myself accountable during quarantine!
What's your WFH soundtrack currently composed of?
I've been listening to a lot of podcasts while walking this year - Call of the Void, This Day in Esoteric Political History, Code Switch - but I tend to need less 'thinky' media while I'm working. Lately, it's been a lot of modern folk artists - The Sweetwater Warblers, Brad Phillips, Joy Oladokun, and Carolina Chocolate Drops come to mind. I'm also a big musical theatre guy, and we just watched Animal Wisdom by Heather Christian so that cast album has been playing a lot around here!
What about your WFH uniform?
Pretty much anything I feel comfortable in. I have a zip-up sweater with a collar and some button ups standing by in case I need them for video calls!
Who would play you in a film about your life?
I had a pencil mustache for a film role once, and people told me I looked like Josh Gad.
If you could hang out with any filmmaker who would it be and what would you do?
Lulu Wang (The Farewell) and Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water) are two I'd love to spend time with. Both are talented storytellers with different viewpoints from different generations. I'd love to sit at an open-air bar and just talk about art for hours with them!
