Life & Work with Astrid Sims of Atlanta, GA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Astrid Sims.

Hi Astrid, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. Growing up in New Orleans, surrounded by art, music, culture, and so much vibrant energy. I was constantly creating. I took acting classes, music classes, art classes, anything that allowed me to explore my creative interests. Through all of that, I started to understand how I wanted to tell my story.

Eventually, I realized film was the medium that let me say everything I needed to say. With visuals, music, dialogue, and lighting all working together, film pulls you in and creates an experience. For high school I attended an arts conservatory for Media Arts and I immediately fell in love with the art of making a film. As a person that explored so many realms of art, film felt like the only medium that allowed me to tell a story to the fullest extent.

As a current senior at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, I have had the privilege of working on film on a higher scale. Working on various student films in various different roles has helped me develop my skills, immensely. This eventually led me to writing and directing for a docu-series called chefATL, completely created by students. The show has now premiered on Network television and streaming, leading to multiple TV credits before even graduating film school.

More exciting news, I just finished production of my senior caption project, Whistle. Whistle is a coming-of-age/horror short film I wrote and directed about a 14-year-old girl named Aaliyah who becomes the target of a supernatural presence in the woods. It’s a story about intuition, spirituality, and what it means to be dismissed or unheard, while also highlighting the warm feeling of nostalgia, sibling-hood, and friendship.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course there have been challenges along the way. Battling intense imposter syndrome, feeling like I am not good enough, and even feeling unseen in an industry that hasn’t really valued voices of filmmakers that look like myself. But I do believe that my identity is my superpower. I am able to tell stories that the little girl in me longed to see growing up. I can create an experience that allows other young black and brown people to see themselves. My superpower is giving us a voice.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a filmmaker and multi-disciplinary artist who specializes in atmospheric, character-driven storytelling. My work touches on themes of childhood, spirituality, girlhood, memory, and more. Like any other kid, I spent a ton of time watching movies. I would imagine a world where I was the main character going on adventures like the kids I saw on screen. The only thing was that very rarely, I saw kids that looked like myself as the main characters. Now that I have the privilege of making films, I have made it my mission to make sure we see ourselves on screen in many different ways, telling many different stories.

I am most proud of having work to back me up as a creator. When I speak of myself and what I do, I have something to show for it. This is because of the unwavering support I have from my family, friends, and community. They have taught me what I know, and given me the space to create and exhibit my work as I continue to grow as an artist.

What sets me apart is how I use all of the years of studying different mediums to inform the way I create today. I refuse to stick to one thing. I strive to be well rounded and expose myself to many different ways to telling a story, sometimes bringing them all together. I take pride in my visual art skills and what they’ve done for me. I’ve had opportunities to collaborate with fellow visual artists to create large scale murals. They usually depict black life, and give voices to the community, all while further beautifying the space that they are displayed. I also hold my canvas paintings very close. I tend to create based on my childhood, bringing up memories and dissecting the experiences that have shaped who I am today. It is my own form of healing myself.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I believe that listening is one of the most important parts of my blossoming career and “success.” You must listen to your audience and your community. What do they need? How can you as an artist bring life to the spaces that have nurtured you. You must also listen to yourself. Notice when something feels absolutely right for you, whether that be an idea, an opportunity, a space, etc. Listen to when your gut tells you no. That may be the most important thing to listen to.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://astridsims.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astridsims.art/ https://www.instagram.com/whistle_shortfilm/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/astrid-sims-785a21261/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aaaaastriddd

Image Credits
Alexa Carmona
Jeremy Tauriac
Jenna Rose Weisenbach
Melrose Garcia
Jordan Yates
Robby Klein (Getty Images)