Today we’d like to introduce you to David Santiago Duran-Maycott.
Hi David Santiago, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
La Casa Norte began as an independent cultural collective based in Tijuana, Mexico, created to support and showcase emerging artists working outside traditional industry structures. What started as small, self-produced events grew into an itinerant platform for independent film, art, and music across multiple cities and countries.
Los Video Nasties is one of our flagship projects: a short film competition and touring program focused on bold, transgressive, and underground cinema from Latin America and beyond. The project was created to give visibility to voices and aesthetics often excluded from mainstream festivals, while building cultural bridges with U.S. audiences through screenings, tours, and cross-border collaborations.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. As an independent, self-funded collective working outside traditional institutions, one of our main challenges has been sustainability—balancing creative freedom with limited resources. Building trust with venues, filmmakers, and audiences across different countries also required time and consistency, especially as a cross-border project operating between Latin America and the U.S.
Logistical challenges such as touring, rights clearance, promotion without major backing, and reaching audiences beyond niche circles were constant obstacles. However, these challenges shaped our identity and forced us to build our own networks, strategies, and community-driven model, which ultimately became one of our strongest assets.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
La Casa Norte is an independent cultural collective and distribution platform focused on bold, emerging cinema and art from Latin America and beyond. We curate, produce, and tour independent film programs that operate outside traditional festival and commercial circuits.
We are best known for Los Video Nasties, a short film competition and touring program that highlights transgressive and unconventional voices while creating direct connections between filmmakers and audiences across borders.
We are most proud of building a self sustaining, community driven network without a fixed venue, allowing films to travel, reach new audiences, and generate real visibility for artists often excluded from mainstream platforms. What sets us apart is a DIY ethos paired with a professional approach to distribution, prioritizing cultural exchange, accessibility, and long term relationships.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
One thing that might surprise people is that La Casa Norte operates without a fixed venue or formal infrastructure. Most of what we do is built through temporary alliances, trust, and word of mouth. Behind the scenes, every project is assembled from scratch, adapting to each city, audience, and context rather than following a preset formula.
This flexibility is intentional and allows us to stay independent, responsive, and closely connected to the communities we work with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/la_casa_norte?igsh=Z2d4bnk4ODB4bHpl
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la_casa_norte?igsh=Z2d4bnk4ODB4bHpl
Image Credits
Andrea Morales (from Vision 8 Lab, also part of La Casa Norte)
