Meet Up-and-Coming Film Director Alex Ferrufino

Alex Ferrufino

Spotlight on Film Alum Alex Ferrufino

Alex M. Ferrufino was the shy, tough kid growing up. Gang violence and systemic incarceration in his own community inspired Alex to turn his troubling experiences into storytelling.

After witnessing the killing of his friend at the age of sixteen, art was one of the only creative outlets Alex felt he had. He kept his drawings and love of comic books secret, which were considered “nerdy” among his peers. It wasn’t until after Alex graduated from high school, that Alex’s art gained the attention of a local director. The director asked Alex to help storyboard for a commercial shoot. Alex loved the process of creating a story through visual art and realized that he wanted to pursue filmmaking as a career. Before attending The Los Angeles Film School, Alex PA’d on various productions around Los Angeles. Each PA job he got led to another and soon Alex had enough experience under his belt to find bigger jobs while attending film school.

Creating a Network as a Film School Student

Alex met his filmmaking and writing partner, David Mansanalez, while in film class at LAFS. They bonded over their shared experiences with neighborhood gang violence and wrote/directed their first short film together, Slipping Into Darkness. The film follows a young Mexican American named Juanito, who is struggling to provide for his family and not follow in his incarcerated father’s footsteps. His life changes dramatically when a friend is released from prison, stirring up old bad habits. They created this film to empower the Latino community and to break the cycle of generational incarceration.

Slipping Into Darkness was a breakout project for both Alex and David. HBO LatinX picked the short film as one of the winners of its short film competitions in 2019.

Alex Ferrufino Stays Busy in Hollywood

During our Zoom interview with Alex for the 2021 Spotlight Awards, he shared how busy the filming industry had been lately. Lucky for us, he was in between productions and had a few days of downtime for our interview. Most recently, Alex wrapped shooting of the new Legends of the Hidden Temple reboot for the CW. He continues to work on personal projects with his partner David Mansanalez. They both hope to share their unique experiences and shed light on the stories that exist within the Latinx community.

Welcoming Alex Ferrufino to The Spotlight Academy

Want to follow along Alex Ferrufino’s journey? Watch the Spotlight Awards on Thursday, September 2, 2021, to see Alex get inducted into The Los Angeles Film School Spotlight Academy!