Nelson Carvajal

Nelson Carvajal, the oldest son of Maria Hernandez and Nelson G. Carvajal, was born in the city of Chicago, Illinois and grew up in the Logan Square neighborhood. From the time he was eight years old, Nelson immersed himself in movies; whether it was reading Roger Ebert in the weekly Chicago Sun-Times or staying up late watching old VHS tapes of "Goodfellas" and "Dog Day Afternoon," it was apparent that this young individual was in love with the cinema. While attending Chicago's Lane Tech College Prep High School, Nelson's concentration was in Theater Tech Studies, an area that coincided with movies and gave Nelson the opportunity to direct one-act plays. In 2002 Nelson, only a junior in high school, achieved early admission into the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. By high school graduation, however, Nelson wasn't realistically equipped to survive financially in New York (he was the first in his immediate family to go to college). As a result, Nelson enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. There on campus, Nelson became a film critic in the Arts & Entertainment section of the university's newspaper "The Pointer." In May of 2007, Nelson graduated from UWSP with a B.A. in Communication & Media Studies, along with a minor in Writing. Nelson has since established himself as a considerable force in the independent film movement, embracing digital, experimental filmmaking--while helping to grow the new media movie format that has since emerged. He is an impassioned supporter of the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach to producing content. His underground digital short films have been featured in the Fractured Lens Video Festival, the Bucktown Arts Festival, the Avant-Garde Remixed, the Cinema Culture's Seen and Heard Music Video Showcase, the Gadabout DIY Film Festival, the South Loop Film Festival, the Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival, the UFO 0110 International Digital Film Festival, the Chicago International Movies and Music Festival (CIMM Fest), the Indie Boots Film Festival, the Oregon Independent Film Festival and the London Underground Film Festival. Added, Nelson's video essays on cinema are published in the Press Play Video Blog at indieWIRE and in the Keyframe section of Fandor.