Eduardo Cantón is an indie filmmaker sharing human stories with his audience
Eduardo Cantón Torres is a Spanish filmmaker with roots in Mexico. He is now based in San Francisco. Cantón comes from a family of novelists who were exiled during the Spanish Civil War. He feels storytelling has always been part of his life. Cantón studied communications and advertising in New York, worked with global brands like BMW, and he was nominated for the Blades Awards in the UK for industrial design.
Over time, his true passion revealed itself to be filmmaking. Cantón tells human stories with emotional and visual intensity. He is currently completing his MFA in Directing at the Academy of Art University and he has been working independently while focusing on short-form narrative and documentary work.
INFLUX: What are you currently working on that you can share with us?
Cantón: I’m developing a short film that lives somewhere between psychological drama and sci-fi, exploring memory manipulation and what happens when someone begins to remember a truth they were never supposed to.
It builds on the emotional themes I’ve worked with in past projects, but pushes into more speculative territory. At the same time, I’m continuing to expand my work with real-life portraits.
INFLUX: What are your hopes for your current project?
Cantón: I hope the project reaches people emotionally, something that stays with them long after the credits roll. With Lady Henze, the impact felt very personal. People reached out to say they felt seen, and that’s the kind of response I strive for.
Of course, I’d love to take the film to festivals, but more than that, I want it to find a genuine audience, people who connect with it on a deep, lasting level.
INFLUX: What have been your greatest challenges as an indie filmmaker?
Cantón: Stamina. This work demands so much emotionally, mentally, logistically. You’re constantly honoring the story, protecting the vision, and juggling all the practical hurdles at once.
It’s especially tough when you’re telling unconventional stories or working with real people and their vulnerabilities, like in Lady Henze. There’s a responsibility to handle those stories with care, it’s not just about aesthetics, but truth. Balancing that with limited resources is always challenging, but it’s also what makes indie filmmaking so meaningful.
INFLUX: What has been your most significant accomplishment as a filmmaker?
Cantón: Creating Lady Henze was a defining moment. It’s a micro short about Britt Henze, an artist from San Francisco who paints under the name Lady Henze. She shares her story of addiction and how art became her lifeline, not just for expression, but for survival.
The film was nominated at a few international festivals, which is great, but what stayed with me most was the response. People saw themselves in her. They felt permission to speak about their own pain and creativity. For me, that’s the highest kind of accomplishment.
INFLUX: Tell us about some of your past projects and where we can watch them if they’re available?
Cantón: I’ve worked on other short pieces, both narrative and documentary, some of which are being curated through the Academy’s showcase.
I’m currently building a platform to house all my work, but for now, most of it is shared privately or screened through festivals and university programs. I always enjoy connecting with people one-on-one to share the work directly.
INFLUX: What goals to you have for yourself moving forward?
Cantón: I want to direct a feature very soon, that’s the short-term goal. But more than that, I want to keep telling stories that feel necessary. Whether it’s a raw doc like Lady Henze or a fictional narrative that explores personal or collective memory, I want to stay curious.
I’d also love to collaborate more, with artists, writers, composers, people who challenge my comfort zone and expand the dimensions of my work.
INFLUX: What advice would you give to your younger self just starting out?
Cantón: Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Don’t wait for the “right” budget or the “right” time. Some of your best work will come from constraint, from being raw and a little scared.
Trust your instincts, protect your vision, but stay open. The moment you think you’ve got it all figured out, you’ve stopped growing. And above all, tell stories that matter to you. That’s what will matter to others.
Want to learn more or follow the career of Eduardo Cantón? Take a look at his Instagram!
