Few artists have the work ethic, stamina, and passion that Mon Castro has. This Mexico City-born producer has found her footing in LA, and international audiences have seen her projects through major festival success. It has been a journey of passion and commitment to the craft.
Cinema as a medium for Mon’s story starts from her family’s interest in films. Growing up in a house that frequently incorporated movie nights, Mon was introduced to the media at an early age. “The TV in my house was on pretty much all the time,” she recalls. “I had a pretty good knowledge of media and pop culture from childhood.” Yet, it wasn’t until her teenage years, when she created a Día De Los Muertos-themed theatre play for high school, that Mon realized her true calling—producing.
Through her growing love for logistics, creativity, and writing, Mon found the perfect path to storytelling. Starting her career at 18 took Mon several years of experience where she could work more than 100 film sets in two different countries.
Her journey reached a milestone with the debut of El Físico en el Espacio Exterior (The Physicist in Outer Space), a sci-fi comedy blends absurdity and camp with a heartfelt exploration of identity. The film had several screenings in the United States, Mexico, Canada, France, and Denmark. It won Best Independent Filmmaker and Special Jury Award at Top Shorts and earned critical recognition for its homage to B-movies—films Mon grew up loving. “I grew up watching older science fiction and horror films, a lot of those being B-movies,” she shares. The Physicist in Outer Space isn’t a parody; it’s a love letter to the genre, embracing its charm and resourcefulness while making a social commentary on belonging and individuality.
Mon’s work is a reflection of her journey. “I never really felt like I had somewhere I could fit in,” she admits, referencing her struggles growing up. Juan Carlos, the protagonist of The Physicist in Outer Space, is a character who shares this alienation and takes it to the extreme, believing that an alien robot will take him to space and give him the sense of belonging he craves. For Mon, this journey is personal, and it was important to her that the film not only honored B-movie tropes but also offered something meaningful to those who feel like outsiders in their own lives.
The filmmaker’s unique perspective isn’t limited to genre filmmaking alone. Mon is very much a diversity and inclusion warrior. One of her goals is to make the asexual community more visible while also incorporating feminism. “I think about the need to tell stories that are not so often told all the time,” she adds. This drive to bring underrepresented voices to the forefront is evident in her films, like Boca Punk (Punk Talk), which touches on themes of belonging, self-expression, and community, particularly for young women.
Mon’s filmography includes other projects like Cuando Volvimos A La Tierra (When We Returned to Earth), which was a finalist in the McDonald’s Spotlight Dorado competition, an initiative that supports Latinx and Hispanic filmmakers, and Bajo La Tierra (Underground), winner of the LOLA Award at Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival. Mon has produced several movies that have been displayed at various international festivals and have been appreciated due to their realistic plots and effective social themes. They have helped put Mon in the limelight as one of the most promising young producers in the business.
But for Mon, the recognition is not the end of the story. “The most valuable thing that I gained is that I found a family here in Los Angeles,” she states following earning her MFA in Producing at the American Film Institute Conservatory. This made it easy for her to create a network of highly talented colleagues with whom she works within her expanding list of projects. She has several feature films in development and two short films in post-production and is working on creating her own genre-focused film company.
Now that she is conquering more and more in the movie industry and exploring new directions in her creative search, Mon Castro is a vivid example of how one should embrace change. Her work is rebellious, and it provides a platform for the underrepresented. Despite the adversities, Mon is establishing herself a career and motivating young talents to chase their dreams in filmmaking.
Published by Charlie N.