Making the shift from fashion to film

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Fashion photographer turned filmmaker Alexander Villafañe made a name for himself in the fashion industry. Now he hopes to make his mark in the world of film. 

A lifelong New York resident, Mr. Villafañe has been living in Riverdale for the past two years with his wife Diana Villafañe and his one-year-old daughter, Sophia. 

During his 13 years as a fashion photographer, Mr. Villafañe’s clientele included Ralph Lauren, John Varvatos, Saks Fifth Avenue and Aeropostale, among others. But, despite his success, he decided to follow his true passion, creating films. 

“I tell ya, I feel like I made a lot of mistakes in my life,” said Mr. Villafañe. “The biggest one being that I didn’t do what I really wanted to do — which is filmmaking.” 

Once he made the commitment to pursue his true calling, he started making short films on his own using his digital camera. That led to his decision to enter his first film contest, the Louis Vuitton Journey Awards in 2012.

His film “Zero,” about an African American Muslim who lost his wife during 9/11 and his encounter with a woman who also lost someone during the attack, won him a spot as a finalist in the global competition. 

Most recently, Mr. Villafañe’s short film, “All the Days,”  was featured in last month’s Manhattan Film Festival (MFF). The film is about a soldier who returns from Iraq and seeks the help of a female counterpart in order to reunite with his estranged father. It revolves around the three lives affected by the veteran’s return. 

Mr. Villafañe started writing the film four years ago and was inspired by his own military family to shed light on the struggles of returning veterans.. 

“My grandfather emigrated from Puerto Rico and ended up getting drafted during WWII,” said Mr. Villafañe. “Then my father enlisted when he was 17 years old, so did his cousins, my uncles and my cousins now. One of my cousins returned from Afghanistan about a year ago. One of my other cousins was on a submarine at the end of the Cold War doing secret missions off the coast of the Soviet Union.”

Fashion, photographer, filmmaker, Alexander Villafañe, Manhattan Film Festival, All the Days, Zero, Louis Vuitton Journey Awards, Iraq, 9/11, movies, Shanell Garcia
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