Photographer and filmmaker Julie Pacino’s use of NFTs is one example of how filmmaking and web3 have overlapped since digital collectibles became popular.
Thanks to the grassroots success of her two NFT series, I Live Here Now and Inn Keeper, Pacino received funding to produce and distribute the film, the development of which has sparked a conversation about how movies are made and the role Web3 can play in the process.
While filmmaking runs in Pacino’s family (her father is Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino), she’s carving out her own path and inviting other filmmakers to join her.
Pacino grew up watching her father's film career and her films are often inspired by the work of cinema legends, drawing inspiration from the films of directors such as Gaspar Noe and Darren Aronofsky, whose works such as (Into the Void) and (Requiem for a Dream) have had a major impact on her filmmaking and storytelling approach.
However, her unique film language makes her stand out in the film industry. She has a unique feel for her work and brings personality and personal style to every project.
Here are some things to know about filmmaker Julie Pacino.
From short film director to feature film director
Julie Pacino’s filmmaking journey is an impressive one, as she has steadily progressed from directing shorts to ambitious feature-length projects. Julie has been immersed in the world of film from a very young age, gaining valuable experience on film sets and honing her craft.
An award-winning filmmaker, Julie carved out a niche for herself in the industry before the rise of NFTs, with her short films receiving critical acclaim, with her 2020 effort (Nowhere to Go) winning the Toronto Film Channel Award for Best Short Film Directing.
Julie’s love of filmmaking is reflected in her unique cinematic language, which is derived from the various genres and directors she has been exposed to, her films are often inspired by the work of film legends such as Stanley Kubrick, Ari Aster, Gaspar Noe, Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese, these eclectic influences have helped her develop her own unique style that sets her apart from other filmmakers.
As an independent filmmaker, Julie has the freedom to experiment with a variety of genres and themes, including horror films, her first film project was a horror film she made when she was 9 years old, demonstrating her early interest in the genre and her willingness to push creative boundaries, since then she has continued to explore different themes and genres, always striving to innovate and challenge traditional storytelling methods.
Julie’s approach to filmmaking is also influenced by her belief in the value of film school. While she acknowledges that film school can provide a solid foundation in the technical aspects of filmmaking, she also believes that practical experience is invaluable. She recommends film school to those who want to learn the basics and gain access to equipment and like-minded people, but she emphasizes that there is much more that can be learned making a film than in any classroom.
Her first film project NFT collection was unexpected
Before becoming an NFT artist, Pacino was already deeply involved in the art world. She was a photographer and filmmaker, and her short films have premiered at prestigious venues such as the Montreal Independent Film Festival and the Venice Film Awards.
So she took her camera on a girls’ trip to the Madonna Inn, a California hotel a few hours outside of Los Angeles, and was so inspired by her surroundings that she started taking photos. The photos she took on that trip later became her first NFT series (I currently live here).
“I Live Here Now is an exploration into creating characters through stills to inspire a feature film,” explains the project’s description.
Pacino added that it was the “beauty and emotion that the essence of the inn evoked” and a desire to better understand “the story of these characters’ existence” that ultimately led her to undertake a photo shoot in the hopes that the images would help fill in the gaps in the story.
The series was shot with two film cameras, one shooting 35mm film and the other 120 film, the difference between the films being the size of the film, which affects the detail of the images.
I Live Here Now proposes unique use cases for NFTs and movies
Pacino’s first collection of collectibles sold out within 30 minutes of release, and included 100 1/1 NFTs drawn from photos of that Madonna hotel vacation, but the collectibles not only inspired random characters and their stories, they laid the foundation for the premise of a psychological thriller feature film, the NFT collectibles are now the first to inspire the storyline of a feature-length film, which will be Pacino’s directorial debut.
After the success of her first collection, Pacino released a follow-up collection to partially finance the film Julie Pacino often looks back on her experience in film school and would recommend film schools for the valuable skills and knowledge they provide.
Inn Keeper is a collection of 3,356 NFT items, including behind-the-scenes photos of rehearsals (I’m Living Here Now), and one of the practical features of the NFT is the ability to contribute to and provide feedback on the film’s creative process, including a one-on-one conversation with Pacino.
As Pacino quickly pushes the film industry to embrace web3 technology, her NFT project TIMEPieces also invited her to join its NFT series "Building a Better Future Together: Genesis Drop". Pacino contributed a picture of the two women hugging each other with neon spotlights as the background, depicting "how an artist cares for her muse."
Independent filmmaker Pacino will release her film as an NFT
Pacino’s feature film’s unique financing path isn’t the only way web3 is intertwined with film development. After enlisting film distribution company Utopia to produce and distribute the film, Pacino signed a deal with Moonpay in 2023 to distribute the film as an NFT.
“I’m deeply inspired by the convergence of film, photography, and NFTs, and the opportunities it provides independent filmmakers to access funding and community,” Pacino explained to Deadline. “The NFT space has changed my life, connecting me to an incredible community and enabling me to grow my work. I hope this project will pave the way for the democratization of film financing and open more doors for queer and female filmmakers to create and share art.”
Pacino is still writing her story as a filmmaker and NFT artist, but this year will include some notable chapters, with her first feature film wrapping production in February 2024 and expected to premiere in the near future.
But even before its release, it’s hard to deny that it has successfully pushed the boundaries of web3 and filmmaking.
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