Julian Acosta's artistic journey began in Bakersfield, California, where he was born and raised. His creative spark was fueled by a complex tapestry of influences: his upbringing as one of the only Latino kids in a rough, Black neighborhood and later in a more affluent, White neighborhood; his devotion to and subsequent departure from the Mormon Church; his struggle with his fading Latino heritage; his contrasting family relationships; and his deep love for rowdy, raucous music. These diverse elements intertwined to shape his artistic vision and drive his passion to create. As the first college graduate in his family, his education at Brigham Young University launched him into filmmaking, where he developed a distinctive poetic realist style.
His work spans commercials for major brands and music videos for renowned artists, including John Legend, The Beach Boys, Paramore, and MIA. His talent earned him notable recognition, including an Emmy-winning commercial for Fox Sports and a Webby-nominated piece for Delta Airlines.
He gained further acclaim directing "Aberdeen," a multimedia livestream performance by Matt Sheehy about a struggling musician who discovers a portal where all of his dreams could come true in the woods of Washington state. The project, which began as a stage performance at the Public Theater in New York, is now being adapted into a narrative feature film. His short film "What Bitch?" found success at multiple film festivals before being picked up by HBO, telling the story of a young woman's attempt to gain her mother's approval through an unexpected confrontation in a thrift store in Bakersfield, California.
He's recently directed episodes of "Coolie," a period drama following a young Chinese woman's journey through love and revolution in colonial Cuba, starring Louise Wong, Mauricio Henao, and Joseph Chang. His upcoming projects demonstrate his continued growth as a filmmaker. He's attached to direct "Up River," a Black List script about young friends in South Central LA who journey along the LA river to return a stolen ring.
Julian is in pre-production of "Alaska" with writer and actor Justin Chatwin ("Shameless," "War of the Worlds"). The half-hour dramedy follows Thomas, a privileged med student who escapes from court-ordered rehab to stop his toxic love from getting married in Alaska, only to be stranded in the desert. Julian will direct the pilot in spring 2025 with Danny McBride’s Rough House Pictures producing.
IG: @julianacosta
Website: julianacosta.tv
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