Eric Coomes

My name is Eric Coomes and I’m a writer/director from San Antonio, Texas. All my life I’ve idolized great New York filmmakers like Sidney Lumet and Martin Scorcese, and California filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. I would love to tell those stories but it’d be inauthentic for me to try – because that’s not where I’m from and that’s not the world I know. It is important to me to show the world the singularity of where I’m from and have a great story take place within this one-of-a-kind setting.

I got started writing in standup and sketch comedy, which eventually led to longer form storytelling. I’m grateful for starting out writing comedy, it’s been integral to making my work more diverse and providing comedic relief to otherwise serious subject matter. I also started producing music at a young age, which was a big help once I made the transition to filmmaking. As any filmmaker knows, it’s extremely expensive to license out music to include in your film so if you can produce your music in-house you’re able to cut a major cost. The pairing of music with moving images is one of my favorite aspects of filmmaking. It’s incredible how much of a tonal shift can happen depending on the scoring.

When I found an artistic medium that made me feel fulfilled, my life took an immensely positive turn. I felt gratified, optimistic, and heard. I had a better relationship with myself, as well as those around me. I’d like to find a way to bring that sentiment to more people within my community with my film projects. It’s important to me to have a diverse cast and crew for this production, not only because inclusion is lacking in the entertainment industry but also because it’s a realistic depiction of the City of San Antonio. I feel very lucky to have grown up in a place with such a rich culture and a diverse community. The impression that the sights, sounds, and the people of San Antonio have instilled in me are something I want to bring to my work because they’re unique to my experience and that’s how great art is made.