Anthony Alvarez (00:00)
these films are both a megaphone for like specific issues, whether it be mental health or what it's like being a trans woman in Iran or being or migration in Mexico. Like that's the topics that the films cover. ⁓ So it's a megaphone for issues. But at the same time, it's a mirror as well, because we get to see ourselves in these people that we may not speak their language. We may not be where they're from, but we're able to get a sense of.

their experience and be like, I've also felt that. I've also felt that loneliness. I've also felt that sadness. I've also felt that fear. ⁓ And so the other lens is just our way of bringing the filmmakers together, those films together, and the community that we've been building here ⁓ to really see through different perspectives and hopefully walk away having more of a shared sense of humanity with each other.

Led Black (01:24)
What up everyone, it's Led Black and my brother Octavio Blanco again, another episode of Uptown Voices. Before I go any further, I gotta like really ask y'all to make sure you subscribe. know, cost you nine, helps us out, so make sure you do that. But yo, what up everybody? I would like to introduce my good friend, Anthony Alvarez, who's the co-founder of Project Feel, along with Daniela Caldero. Anthony, how you doing brother? What's going on, man?

Anthony Alvarez (01:48)
I'm doing great today. And Leed, Octavio, thank you guys for having me. Feeling great, feeling excited. Our city is going through an exciting moment right now. So I just feel like that energy and trying to channel it into all the work that we're doing.

Led Black (01:55)
Mm-hmm. I feel you.

That's a beautiful thing, Octavio, so you know, I met Anthony, him, Project Feel produced Futuro, which was the digital conference for NYLFF this year, right? It's a big thing to do, you know, and they knocked it all off flawlessly. It was a beautiful event. It was a perfect way of kicking off the NYLFF, the New York Latino Film Festival this year. And it set the tone, you know, for the excellence that came through.

Thank you for what you did Anthony. How hard was that do? How rewarding was that project? Tell us about how you even met Calyxto and how did that whole thing happen?

Anthony Alvarez (02:35)
Absolutely. mean, the off rip, like it was an amazing experience and like I have nothing but gratitude for it and I'll get into why, but it started off as like kind of like Internet connection. So we had we had interviewed Anthony Rojas, who's a super talented filmmaker. also did the graphics and all the designs for for an awesome guy. And we had interviewed him for our interview series. And

we had reached out to him because we saw that he was working with New York Latino Film Festival and that's like such a big pillar of the Latina creative community here. from him, I was able to get Calypso's Instagram and I saw what he was doing. he visited like different schools and I'm like, this man is just all over the place and like, you know, putting into the community. So I reached out to him and it was just like, we hopped on a call. I think the first thing that stood out to me that, about him, but it ended up kind of really...

representing the entire NYLFF team was this sort of curiosity of who's doing things now, like who's coming up, who's hungry for it, and a willingness to create like a platform for those people. And so like at some point he asked like, would you guys be down to co-produce Futuro alongside us? And that to me was like, it was kind of like a perfect match because

we have been producing films alongside events like since we started seven years ago. Like the first thing we ever did was an event. And so we're always wondering how we can have art and creativity, not just be something that we watch passively, but like be able to be an invitation into a space. And like when we're all there together, what conversations can we have? Like what can we do once we're like brought together by that? And Futura really was like a perfect like example of that and a platform for that. So when he reached out about it,

And we looked up what it was. was like, yeah, this seems like a perfect match and also like an honor for us to be able to do it with NYLFF after like on their 25th year anniversary. ⁓ Because I even we're like we have a short film program that we're doing And I remember thinking like this is our first one we've ever done. And this is NYLFF 25 years later. In a way, it's kind of like when like a little Pokemon sees like what a evolved Pokemon looks like. And I'm like, this is what it what it takes.

Led Black (04:21)
Right, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (04:39)
to your question about how was it like, it was a dream because the team, like including yourself, Led like everyone on the team is like awesome people, like determined, like committed to creating an incredible experience for the filmmakers and the audience. And then on top of that, like just great vibes, like there was a lot of laughter on those team meetings, man. And it was like, the hardest part was that my two of my teammates got married in France, the two weeks leading up to it. like,

Led Black (04:45)
Thank you, brother.

Thank you.

Anthony Alvarez (05:06)
There were team meetings we had there. It's like 2 a.m. and I'm like trying to stay up in Paris because I'm like, I need to be on this call because like Furturos next week. That was probably the hardest part. But besides that, the working with everyone, like working with you guys, it was truly a dream. like I would, Danny and I would walk out of meetings like that's like the type of timing we need to continue to push ourselves to be on because you guys are just like committed to the work.

Led Black (05:07)
⁓

Right.

Yeah, man. And so what, I'm sorry, I just want to ask real quick. So what does Project Feel do? You guys been on seven years. That's amazing. What do you guys do? You go to, yeah.

Octavio Blanco (05:28)
⁓

Yeah.

Yeah, I was gonna, I

Anthony Alvarez (05:35)
Yeah.

Octavio Blanco (05:37)
was gonna ask like, what's your mission? What's your raison d'etre?

Anthony Alvarez (05:41)
I love that French there. So Project Feel is a multimedia production company. When we started, we were just honestly a collective of artists, of friends that none of us went to school. I was in medical school originally and I left knowing that I wanted to go into filmmaking, but I was like, I'm not going back to school for that. I have no idea who else is doing this. And so it really started as a collective. They were like, hey, no one else is going to give us any opportunities. So let's just work with each other. It was like poets, dancers, visual artists, musicians.

But it was really like a little bit after the pandemic that we were like, hey, we really see a sense of urgency and importance in creating community spaces for artists because we felt like there are so many awesome creative communities, but like there was an opportunity to connect them all. And so we decided, OK, what do we want to really lock in on? that's like creating films because that allows us to work with all sorts of artists. Like we've done poetry films, we've done work with musicians, we've done work with visual artists.

So there's the film's production and then there's the event production, which is like where the futuro came in, where it's like, you know, how do we take, if we have a film that's about, know, if we're talking about mental health, how do we create like an event series around that, that we can have these conversations with people, like have panel discussions about these things. And so that world in terms of creating work and creating these spaces, that's kind of like what we're always trying to like, you know, balance with each other. And on top of that, like as a

multimedia production company, create music videos, content like podcast content, all sorts of things for the clients. think at the end of the day, simply put, like we want to create work and host spaces that bring people together with creativity. And so we're always figuring out like new ways to do that and like new ways to be creative with it.

Led Black (07:19)
That's really dope. so talk to us about this event you got on going on November 6th, the other lens. That sounds really interesting. What's that about?

Anthony Alvarez (07:25)
Yeah, bro. Well, the other lens is it's a short film program. It's our first year ever doing this because we've done multimedia events of all sorts, like since we started like, let's bring musicians together. Let's bring visual artists together. But ⁓ last year, we really like focus a lot more on our film production. And like we were able to release a short film directed by and Led by the two teammates that recently got married. And that like.

did well in festivals and it got us flown over to Vegas for the American film market where we got to learn a lot of the behind the scenes in terms of like selling a film, getting funding for it by, you know, pre-sales and stuff, stuff that we had no idea existed until we had that opportunity. So as we had that experience and then this year, because we're always trying to balance like the work that we're creating and

the platform that we can be for other artists. We knew that we wanted to reinvest in the community this year after like spending a lot of time working on our own projects. And so the other lens was born out of a sense of feeling like.

As we continue to grow, we want to make sure that we're bringing our community up. And then as we see everything that's going on in our country, like with this administration, there was a real lack of empathy that we felt that we were seeing in our world, especially for our own people, especially in New York City and seeing things like ice raids and people responding to it in a celebratory way. There was just a real sense of we're becoming really disconnected as country.

and as people. And so we are big believers in filmmaking as in storytelling as an opportunity to be able to see through the other lens and like understand people and be able to find a shared sense of humanity with it. And so we're like, OK, let's let's host this short film program. Let's take submissions from all over the as long as the films are one, of course, like high quality films, like people pushing themselves in their craft and their team, but also that have a perspective that.

Led Black (08:58)
I like that.

Anthony Alvarez (09:15)
The way we viewed it is like these films are both a megaphone for like specific issues, whether it be mental health or what it's like being a trans woman in Iran or being or migration in Mexico. Like that's the topics that the films cover. So it's a megaphone for issues. But at the same time, it's a mirror as well, because we get to see ourselves in these people that we may not speak their language. We may not be where they're from, but we're able to get a sense of.

their experience and be like, I've also felt that. I've also felt that loneliness. I've also felt that sadness. I've also felt that fear. And so the other lens is just our way of bringing the filmmakers together, those films together, and the community that we've been building here to really see through different perspectives and hopefully walk away having more of a shared sense of humanity with each other.

Led Black (09:58)
That's amazing. Wow. I'm blown. I'm blown.

Anthony Alvarez (09:59)
Thank you, man.

I'll tell you what, was inspired by NYLFF When I saw what you guys have been doing and like when I saw some of the films, I was like, yeah, this is like, it's, we're all doing the work in our own spaces to be able to uplift what it is that we want to see more of in the world. And this is essentially just our version of that.

Led Black (10:17)
I'm kind of blown away by your eloquence and how deep you are. This is amazing, brother. Thank you so much, Yeah, I'm sorry. Go ahead.

Octavio Blanco (10:18)
I think.

Anthony Alvarez (10:21)
Bro, thank you for having me, bro.

Octavio Blanco (10:22)
Yeah,

no, I think what you're saying is so important. Ever since the pandemic, I think that a lot of people have felt that we don't know each other as a community. don't sort of...

Anthony Alvarez (10:34)
Mmm.

Octavio Blanco (10:36)
inhabit the same spaces. We sort of have become digitalized in a way. remember one of the beautiful things about the pandemic I remember was that musicians and DJs would host these parties on, you know, on...

on these digital platforms. And that was really cool. But I feel like now, years on after the pandemic, I feel like we still haven't recovered that sort of like communal sense of being. And I wonder, it sounds like this is in response to that. so when you talk about the empathy and you talk about the other lens,

Anthony Alvarez (11:03)
Mm.

Octavio Blanco (11:15)
Are you also trying to avoid the echo chamber that we all sometimes sort of find ourselves inhabiting? And how do you do that? How do you think about that?

Anthony Alvarez (11:26)
That I really appreciate that question because I think about that echo chamber a lot like I think about social media You brought up like what people were doing during the pandemic And I it made me think about you remember like when at 7 p.m. I think it was everyday like healthcare. We would all like go crazy Bro, I remember like getting emotional like hearing that and seeing that. Yeah. I'm I was like, yo

Led Black (11:40)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I love that, he's gonna love that.

Octavio Blanco (11:43)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, me too, me too, me too. Yeah, I just

Led Black (11:46)
Living for that, I live for that. I used live for that.

Octavio Blanco (11:50)
got Chills in my back.

Led Black (11:51)
Yeah,

yeah, yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (11:52)
No, exactly.

As we were taught, that to me represented kind of like us like really coming together in a way that I hadn't seen before. And, you know, you bring up the how like we're disconnected. And I think about how many people live in apartment buildings.

⁓ but don't know their neighbor and don't speak to each other. It's except, you know, it's funny cause you had a previous guest that I was listening and he was like, Washington Heights is like the last real neighborhood in Manhattan. was like, that is so real because you go anywhere like downtown. It's like those, it's just transplants and there's like an, live here, you live there. Yeah. But like that communal, like community feeding feeling really is not, it's like more few and far in between. but I bring that up because I think our digital space is really.

Led Black (12:15)
Yeah, yeah.

Right, it's a different vibe.

Anthony Alvarez (12:33)
are just meant to become echo chambers and like algorithmically, like, you know, we are either seeing the things that we like or showing us the exact opposite that is meant to infuriate us. And like that's what it is that we're seeing. And I think that that doesn't really help us. think that, you know, it's funny because I remember when I was in therapist, I remember in therapy, I remember my therapist would say like, you live in the gray. Like there's a sense of like, you know, you're able to kind of see all these different perspectives.

Led Black (12:37)
Right.

Octavio Blanco (12:45)
Yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (13:00)
which I think he said it like that's not a good thing, but I was like, no, I appreciate it because I feel like we can't really just draw these lines and say, if you're not on this side with me, like, I don't want anything to do with you. think if there's anything that I believe in, it's that the issues that we see that are bigger than us require us to work together. I think that's why I like, you know, talk everything we're seeing with Mamdani right now.

It's like crossing over cultural boundaries, it's like creating bridges amongst people rather than separating them. And I think that that is what we need more of. And so in regards to the other lens, Octavio, to get to your question, that being able to show films that I promise you your algorithm is not showing you, but they're incredible films and they're coming from all over. That was important to us and just always bring people into a physical space with each other. Because at the end of the day, the platforms that we use are

are being driven by people that aren't necessarily looking out for our best interests. They're trying to create shareholder value. And that's like all respect to them. And that's their business. That's their focus. But that's why I really appreciate platforms like this, because it's basically people coming together and saying, like, we are going to, as people, highlight what it is that we value and show people what it is that we think they should know about. And I think that whether we're doing it on these platforms or whether we're doing it in person, that we need more of that in the world.

Led Black (14:19)
Right.

I agree. I've always said you got to bridge the virtual and the visceral, right? You know, it's like, right? Yes, yeah, you really do. And I like the way you think. And so, so what can people expect? Where is the events? November 6th. How many films we talk about, brother?

Anthony Alvarez (14:24)
Mmm, that's a bar,

Yeah, so it'll be November 6th, 6 to 9 PM at DC TV. So it's in Chinatown on like right off of Canal Street. The DC TV is a really dope like documentary center. Like they have a theater there, but they also have like a whole floor where they do like mentorship programs to teach the youth of New York City, like media production, specifically documentary. So they do some amazing work over there. And it's cool because that building used to be a firehouse. So it's like,

Led Black (14:46)
nice.

That's amazing.

Anthony Alvarez (14:57)
you walk inside and you see how it's being converted. And so it's just like a creative use of that building. But it'll be there at 6 to 9 PM. It'll be five short films ranging from five minutes to around 17 minutes. And so we'll we cut, have people come in. We also try to be really intentional with these events. Like we know not everyone is like a natural extrovert and we know that not everyone comes knowing other people. So we really try to think about how to curate and design moments in the event where you will

Led Black (14:58)
⁓

Anthony Alvarez (15:24)
be invited to connect with other people and have a genuine interaction and have an opportunity to be a part of an art piece. We always have an art piece at our events where people can contribute, whether it be drawing on it or somehow designing it in their own way. And so we're gonna have that at this event too. So we'll have that, have people talk, and then we'll have the films, and then we'll have a panel conversations with some of the filmmakers that are gonna be able to come because they're ranging from all over the place. So we have one that's based in New York, one that's flying in from Chicago.

and flying in from LA. And then we have an after party after which we'll just honestly it's more for the like I'm just excited to take some shots after a marathon because we've been working on this for a while yeah.

Led Black (15:59)
Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's awesome,

man. I thought you were gonna something.

Octavio Blanco (16:04)
Well, look, listen,

yeah, I was gonna say I love DCTV. I've been to DCTV a bunch of times. It's a really cool space. I wanna do DCTV Uptown. Led I've told you this already. I'm gonna tell you again. I think we should find a way to buy that old synagogue that's just like broken down. It cost $6 million. We gotta raise, just $6 million. That's cheap. That's a light $6 million.

Anthony Alvarez (16:08)
Mmm. Hell yeah.

I love it.

Led Black (16:25)
It's just six million.

Anthony Alvarez (16:27)
There's a light six million. Well, for a building in Manhattan, that is cheap.

Led Black (16:28)
Like six million.

Octavio Blanco (16:32)
for a building for this synagogue and we convert that into the Uptown Collective Digital Media Center and it'll be just like DCTV. We'll have it Uptown. We'll give classes. We'll create content. We'll do all kinds of stuff. Hey, any listeners out there who want to help us to make that happen? Let talk to me. Anyway, I do love DCTV and I do think that I do think that like ⁓ we need something like that in our Uptown community because

Led Black (16:51)
Hahaha.

Anthony Alvarez (16:54)
I love that.

Octavio Blanco (17:02)
our community uses digital media a lot, actually maybe just what I would like to actually say is actually it consumes digital media a lot, and I really want ⁓ more of us to create digital media and other kind of media and learn what goes into it, know, behind the scenes. So yeah, that's what I think we should do.

Anthony Alvarez (17:23)
I just want you to know, I hope I'm gonna help you manifesting that, because I love that idea. And I feel like too, it's funny, we talk a lot about, or I feel like in these industries, we talk a lot about what representation means. And I feel like sometimes people think it's just who we see in front of a camera and the voices we hear. But I think just as important as that is who are running the spaces that are cultivating.

know, talent and creatives and providing education and access to resources and the idea of like you guys uptown collective having their own space where they're able to invest resources and education into like the youth and being able to teach people how to use these tools and to tell more stories. Like that to me is just like more actually more of an important version of representation than anything else, because it's really empowering the community with people from the community like.

with everything that we have at our disposal. I really hope, however it is, whoever's listening, if you know someone who's willing to fund it, just six million for these fellows, because it would be great work.

Led Black (18:17)
Yeah, for real. Yeah.

Octavio Blanco (18:19)
It's just six million. Come on.

Led Black (18:22)
Six million.

Yeah, I agree, I agree. And let ask you a question. like, you're seven years in with Project Feel Did you begin as what you are now, this multifaceted thing, or did you start, and what's the evolution been like?

Anthony Alvarez (18:36)
That's a great question. When we started, mean, I'll say this. When we started, I had a sense of the sort of like how wide I wanted our net to be. I knew I wanted us to build out of New York because I feel like New York is like this nexus of the world on it in terms of like how many people come here and the cultures that come here and the way that art flows through here and commerce. So that was always a goal to like make sure that we're always rooted in New York. But I think that

Led Black (18:55)
Bye.

Anthony Alvarez (19:02)
Like I think about what are society's biggest issues. Like I think about, you know, war. think about global warming and I'm like, these are issues that require us to work together, like across the globe. Like there needs to be a coordinated response. So I just wanted to make art that would be able to go beyond our city and our borders and be able to just connect all these places and be able to act as a bridge between people of different parts of the world. And so I knew that I wanted it to get to that point.

But to answer your question, I didn't know what exactly we were going to do. It's always kind of been like, have, we have like that, that North star, but what the journey looks like as we're like moving through the world to get there, what that looks like it's, it's like always been a discovery. And I think to, you know, like I've had to like kind of, find peace with like how I feel like I'm discovering this journey, because there are those like entrepreneurs that they're like, I, I, have every single step.

like planned out. And I remember thinking like, feel like I'm kind of messing up because I don't always fully know. I'm kind of moving more on faith and guidance from things outside of me. Like for example, I...

didn't know at the beginning of the year that we were gonna work with the New York Latino Film Festival. Like that really kind of manifested out of my control. Like we were ready for the opportunity, but it's not like we're the ones who put all the pieces there. ⁓ But then when that happened, man, and like in that room and like talking to those people, like talking to the guests that we had on and to the community that pulled up and then meeting like the people that were on the team, as well as the other filmmakers who were represented in the festival, like I felt inspired.

Led Black (20:18)
Right.

Right, right, right.

Anthony Alvarez (20:37)
reminded of like why doing this work matters in the first place and I couldn't plan that like that had to happen out of my control so to answer your question I told you I'm a yapper I told you I'm a yapper but to answer your question when it first started I just knew like yo what can we do right now that supports artists and so it was like events

Octavio Blanco (20:47)
Yeah

Led Black (20:47)
Nah, you're

Anthony Alvarez (20:55)
and being able to make the art a little bit more interactive than just like a gallery show, but like having live artists there, having performers there, having like dancers move through an art gallery, all the whatever it is that we can come up with. But it was like I said, it was after the pandemic that I feel like we started crystallizing more of like our our focus in terms of like, OK, we want to become better filmmakers. And so we want to make films. But a big part of that is like we become better by

bringing in people that are better than us around us. Like by working with people that have, you know, going outside of our immediate bubble, like we get lifted up in a way. You like...

What did they like your a combination of the five people you spend the most amount of time with? So I wanted Project Feel to continue to spend time with people that are doing really exciting things and have like elevated and let ways that we're still learning to do like New York Latino Film Festival. And so that focus has really started in the past few years. But yeah, I say this so that if anyone is building something, you know, I personally feel like it's OK to not have every single step planned out right away. Like a big part of.

Led Black (21:35)
Right.

I agree. I agree.

Anthony Alvarez (21:57)
The most validating parts of this journey for me have come from finding myself in a moment, being like, don't know how, I can't explain exactly how got here, but like, thank God that I'm here and like allow this to be fuel for the tank to keep on going. Cause I think that that is just as important as like trying to plan every everything in a world that we can't control, you know?

Led Black (22:15)
Yeah, I agree 100%. I was thinking about that. I remember like when I was first starting, you know, my personal entrepreneurship journey, right? And I saw a quote and the quote was like, it was like about Facebook executive song, but there was a quote behind the guy and it said like, done is better than perfect. And I was like, yeah, that's real. You know what I mean? Like, because sometimes we do want to have perfection. You chase perfection and you never produce. You know what mean? So I think, and I think you, and I do agree with that. You find your way.

Anthony Alvarez (22:30)
Mmm.

Absolutely.

Led Black (22:41)
You know, you find your way. So where is Project Feel going? What's next?

Anthony Alvarez (22:46)
Well, next after this, like because we've been we've been doing like on averaging now an event every like two weeks, we have like a panel, we have like a panel tomorrow that we're doing with a filmmaker named Sec, who off he made a feature film on a $500 budget and he got selected for Tribeca. And last week we did or two weeks ago, we did a panel at the Lee Strasburg Theater and Film Institute by Union Square.

Led Black (22:53)
Wow.

Anthony Alvarez (23:10)
with writer, director, producers who like the whole panel was about collaboration. And so.

We've been doing those leading up to the other lens next week. But after that, like, you know, we've been on and then we had Futuro like just last month. So being able to focus on the events, that's been incredible. But what's immediately next? Like, honestly, I just want us to also, you know, continue to produce work like we add the team. We come up with ideas all the time. So like, for example, tomorrow I'm spending a huge chunk of the day doing grant writing and, you know, looking for funding for these ideas because we have these films. We have these ideas.

Led Black (23:23)
Right.

Anthony Alvarez (23:42)
and you know being able to get the means to produce it because anytime we do something it's never just like okay let's do this for us but it's like how do we bring people in on this like we have internship like interns now that are looking to learn more and I want to create those spaces where it's like you're gonna get something out of this we know so many talented crew members that we've been connecting with through all these events and it's like okay like how do we get the means so that we can all do something really excited together and have the resources to get it done not that we need much like I said I feel like

people, you you brought up the perfection thing that I feel like a lot of time. This is definitely a thing with filmmakers for sure. But like the chase of perfection is kind of like it's kind of like a trap in a way because you're never going to get there. So like if you if you're looking that like, I'll release this one is perfect. Like you'll never release it then. Like the goal is done is better than perfect. I really resonate with that because I I see so many people sort of like hold hold themselves back because they

Led Black (24:20)
Mmm, right.

Anthony Alvarez (24:34)
need to reach this thing that it's like, bro, just the act of creating and releasing it, like once you create it, just let it out there. Like it's not you're not in control of that anymore. So, yeah. So what's immediately immediately next? We have like three films that we want to produce next in the next few months. My goal is to be in the New York Latino Film Festival, like having one of them be picked up for next next year. Yeah.

Led Black (24:53)
That's dope. That's dope.

Anthony Alvarez (24:54)
I don't, from that I just want it to be purely off of the merit of the film too, like, cause yeah, like I have love for all you guys as a team, but I want to earn, I want us to earn our way there cause it's really like high caliber films that you guys have there. ⁓ But working on that and then honestly continuing, like I would love exactly what you described Octavio, like in terms of like having a space that you can invest in the community.

Led Black (24:58)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I agree.

Anthony Alvarez (25:17)
I would love to, whether we have it or are just a part of a space like that, like we are really big on being able to invest in all the up and coming artists and making sure like that as we grow, we're always extending a hand and lifting people up. So whether it's our own space or whether we're working with, you know, future Uptown Collective, like center, whatever it is, like we just, yeah, whatever it is, we just want to be able to make sure that we're always doing the work and like investing into the community.

Octavio Blanco (25:34)
Yeah, DC TV, you know, yeah.

Can I ask you a little bit, a little nitty gritty kind of business question? Are you guys a ⁓ 501c3 nonprofit or are you guys something different? Because you mentioned grant writing and I know that grants are not necessarily, don't have to be given to nonprofits. You can go a different way, but like I just wanna know a little bit about the business structure

Anthony Alvarez (26:49)
Yeah.

absolutely. But I mean, so we're in LLC, technically. But I really actually appreciate this question. I don't think anyone's ever asked me. And like, I think maybe one person in seven years has asked me about this. So I really appreciate you asking. But I bring it up because when when I had left medical school, I was like really lost for a period of time. And I remember I was working at a doggy daycare and I remember walking around the block, literally just picking up dog. I can curse on this thing or no? Or should I?

Led Black (27:32)
Yeah, can do

Octavio Blanco (27:33)
Yeah,

Led Black (27:33)
it. Yeah,

Octavio Blanco (27:33)
yeah.

Led Black (27:33)
you're good. You're good. worry.

Anthony Alvarez (27:33)
Okay. Like literally,

like I was just picking up dog shit, like the great dogs are gonna be wrong, but I was like, I'm not where I want to be. Like I didn't leave med school for this. and I found a book on the floor called the path appears. I forget the author, but it was, I was like, this is, let me at least take this book. Let me read it. And so I literally found that on I found two books in that moment. There were two books stacked. One was called creative confidence, which changed the way that I view creativity. And the other one was called the path appears and the path appears was about how, like what.

Led Black (27:44)
Wow.

You found it on the floor while you...

Octavio Blanco (27:59)
Wow.

Anthony Alvarez (28:01)
people's purpose in life, they find it in different ways. And so it started like high level. That's like whether, you know, some people created like, kind of like a secured, what's it called? Like neighborhood patrols. Other people created like 501 C3 nonprofits. Other people created businesses. Other people like started tour groups. It was all sorts of stuff. Like examples of finding your path. And I remember in it, it talked about like the difference between businesses and.

501 c3s and nonprofits and something that I feel like stood out to me was that at times 501 c3s are like can be limited in terms of like how they use their funds like for example the example it gave was like if Netflix or Amazon Amazon wasn't profitable I don't even know to how many years but they were able and I'm also not like necessarily a huge fan of Amazon but they were able to like tell shareholders okay we're not gonna make money for a long time

But the goal is not to make money immediately. The goal is to build an ecosystem that at some point is gonna be able to have a bigger return on the investment. The thing with a lot of nonprofits is that if you start telling the people giving money, like, hey, this money's not going towards this. We're using it to build something for this. That, it ends up kind of limiting the impact of it. mean, so much of money spent by nonprofits is just like marketing in a way, to raise awareness of the issue, not necessarily for research or into.

programs and stuff. so for me, the reason why we chose an LLC is like, I just wanted to be able for us to decide collectively, like how we use our resources as a team, as long as we're holding ourselves to be a business. think the big, I will say this, I do want us to transition to being a B Corp. I don't know if you're like familiar with that, but I do. It's essentially like another classification of a business, but it on top of like, you know, shareholder value or building value for the owners.

You're also saying like in your like foundational principles that you are going to make sure that you are investing into the into the greater good of something somehow. And you get to define that. But Octavio, you've heard you've heard about it before.

Octavio Blanco (30:00)
Yeah, it's social consciousness. It's a business that ⁓ is ⁓ focused on doing something, being a business, but also with a conscience. Let's put it that way. That the goal of the business is dual. It's not just to make money, but it's also to improve society in some way.

Anthony Alvarez (30:03)
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah,

because I mean, I believe that, you it requires resources for us to do a lot of things. For example, like if to have that space, like you'll need some capital to buy that synagogue. Right. And so if you were like, we're looking to raise six million dollars. If you have like if you're a nonprofit or other organ, like you're the people on your board are like, hey, we already have three million. We should be using this three million for something right now.

And it prevents you from getting to that point where you could do more. Like I just wanted us to be able to have like a, you know, a sense of, of sovereignty in terms of how we're using our resources. But it really comes with introspection at all times, like really asking ourselves the hard questions. Like, are we doing this because we like it's for us or it's for like us as a team or for the collective we, which is why I like doing.

Events is so important for me because it keeps us out of just our heads and like allows us to interact with people and get feedback from people And be you even like this conversation like it helps me see where we resonate or where we don't resonate and like allowing to take that into the goal because if if Everything we do is always with the intention of inviting people to be a part of what we're doing And if it doesn't feel like that, we're doing something wrong. So

Octavio Blanco (31:30)
Well, it's a I know it's a very thoughtful question and you're very right that like as a 501c3 nonprofit, when you do get money in, usually that money is hooked into something that the funders want you to do, not necessarily something that you want to do. So it can be limited, limiting in that way. So no, I appreciate, I appreciate the answer.

Led Black (31:30)
Mm-mm.

Anthony Alvarez (31:30)
Yeah, I don't know if that answered

your question. ⁓

Yeah.

Two questions actually, you like Uptown Collective technically the 501C3 or is it a... Okay, cool. Yeah. Okay, cool. Okay. I I bring it up because I don't necessarily think one is better than the other. I think it's just about like what that organization is, but I think that the...

Led Black (31:55)
No, it's a regular, yeah, it's S-chord, yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (32:06)
the ecosystem about how all of these organizations exist and work with each other. That to me is super important. Like not every organization is meant to be a B Corp or an LLC or a 501c3, but I think what's more important is that like find out what's right for you. And then how do we work with each other? Like we've worked with multiple 501c3s, whether it be like on campaigns or whether it be like on storytelling and branding. And I love working with them. I also know that they have a structure that I don't love all the time and I'm kind of happy that we don't have that.

Led Black (32:34)
Right.

Anthony Alvarez (32:35)
But I do love working with them because other people that are like, they really care about the work that they're doing. And it's like really affirming to us. And it's like, yeah, these are the types of people that we want to work with.

Octavio Blanco (32:45)
And don't forget that you can have, you actually can have the best of both worlds. You can have a corporate side and you can have a 501c3 side and those two will be sort of separate, but the money that goes to your 501c3 will be allocated to whatever the funders want and the money that you earn through your LLC can be allocated to whatever you wanna do. So you can have both. Sorry, go ahead.

Led Black (32:45)
But we not.

Anthony Alvarez (33:07)
Absolutely

Led Black (33:12)
No, I was gonna say Anthony, so you talked about, you do a lot of events, man. That's a tough cadence almost, how do keep up? Because again, to do it in a lot, there's a lot of ideation, a lot of execution. How do you keep up with that pace? It's a lot.

Anthony Alvarez (33:24)
Bro, it is a lot. I'll say that you're right about that. But I'll say it's it's a lot, but we've intentionally have decided like we kicked it up this year because, like I said, of a sense of urgency and a sense of like really believing in what we were doing. the people that we work with make it so much like I don't just say that just to say it and like, you know, just say nice things just to say it like it was really motivating working.

on futuro this year and being a part of those team meetings. like the, the event that we're doing tomorrow, and we've done a couple of events with them, they're like an organization called Filmmaker Friday that was co-founded by Parker Foster, who's a super talented director. And working with him, like he's so committed to creating spaces for filmmakers because it's really a lonely journey for a lot of people. And it could feel really isolating, especially like if gigs are not coming in. And so,

working with people like him that care about creating these spaces, like that kind of makes it easier for us to just keep going because it's bigger than us at the end of the day. But I will say that it like after next Thursday, like I'm definitely going to have the whole team just sort of take it easy for a bit because it's been like a little nonstop with everything. But yeah, it's the belief in that this is for something bigger than us. So at times I mean sacrificing some sleep, rest, regular routines like

momentarily, I'm okay with that sacrifice. like I think about, I always think about like what my parents had to go through when they came here. And like everything my, like my ancestors had to go through. And I remind myself like, it's, you know, it's bigger than me at the end of the day. Like I, it's okay if I sleep a few hours less than I would have liked today because you know, I'm building something bigger than me and that matters more.

Led Black (34:48)
Thanks.

Yeah, I couldn't agree more with that sentiment, man. Go ahead, Octavio.

Octavio Blanco (35:08)
yeah, my question was also along the lines of Anthony Alvarez. I want to know a little bit more about you. you know, where are you from? Where's your family? it sounds like you made a big pivot in your life from medical school into this, and that must've been just a hugely difficult decision. like, I want to know, I want to know, I want to know a little bit about your like origin story.

Anthony Alvarez (35:27)
Yeah, that was rough.

Yeah, absolutely. mean, I'm I'm from Queens, so I almost feel like a little imposter on this podcast because I'm not from uptown. But but I did go to school in Harlem. I went to City College, but I'm from Queens. My parents are both from Colombia. They came here separately and they met here. And so I was raised in Queens and kind of like really was just.

I didn't know I wanted to become a filmmaker until I was already in college. I kind of stumbled my way into med school because I didn't know what else I wanted to do. I went to... also found, Led, you went to Bronx Science, right? I went to Brooklyn Tech. ⁓ And I remember being there, I was good at science. I remember my mom being like, just apply for this med program. And I did, and I got in. like, I guess I'll do this because everyone says being a doctor is a good idea.

Led Black (36:04)
What's the Bronx size? Yep. Okay. Yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (36:17)
But I remember like being in it. remember there was a, there was a convert, one of my professors, her name was Professor Barrick. We learned about, she took us on a tour around parts of Harlem specifically to see like, to learn about food access or inaccessibility in certain parts of Harlem and learning about how the patients that you will see if you're serving this neighborhood, how a lot of their issues stem from.

the lack of food, of accessibility to healthy food in certain areas. And that I remember, she taught us about the difference between upstream problems and downstream problems, meaning like, you know, seeing the people that are already sick.

and treating their symptoms, which is a downstream problem, but like the upstream problem is like, what is the root of people getting sick in the first place? And I just remember that really like sticking with me. And it was a little bit after that that I felt like, you know, I just kept asking myself, how do we address these upstream problems? And I felt like art was a really powerful way of doing that. That like, you can make a film like Mad Bills to Pay, for example, that film that

Led Black (37:16)
Love that film.

Anthony Alvarez (37:17)
incredible film. You were talking about it like so highly and then I saw it on opening night. I'm like, yes, I understand. And the people behind the cast and crew, amazing people. I bring that I bring that up because that that film is a story like a very Dominican story in the Bronx. Right. That film now I keep every day. I see another festival that is playing at Tokyo like all over the world, all over the world. That to me is a such a powerful example of how like you can make it.

Led Black (37:21)
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, all over the world, Rome, London, yep.

Anthony Alvarez (37:42)
a piece of art with intention and with craft and that it could go everywhere and you could have a wide like a high level conversation with people from all around because this piece of art sort of like ignited that. And I was like that that to me, I believe in our being able to do that, whether it be music, whether it be, ⁓ you know, creating events, but also filmmaking and filmmaking. just felt like I want to be a part of having these or creating these conversations of upstream problems.

Led Black (37:52)
Yep.

Anthony Alvarez (38:09)
And I want to do that as a filmmaker, as a storyteller, because I was like the only thing as a kid that I ever really resonated with. But as a passive viewer, like my older brother, who's 10 years older, he would put me on to all sorts of movies. My best memories as a kid were going to the movie theaters with my parents. That to me was joy. That to me was pure joy. And so when I left med school, like, don't...

Led Black (38:28)
Yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (38:34)
That's the only thing that's ever called my name in any way. I just didn't realize it before. Yeah, I left and then I pursued and then I like wandered for a bit and I just like God really put certain people in my life that really guided me and really showed me like, you know.

I don't have to do this alone. There are other people I can do this with. even now, having this conversation with you two and what you're building and how you guys are platform for stories and people that you feel like we want to uplift these people. It's affirmations to me, like, none of us are alone on this. We're all working together on this. so how I find myself here continues to surprise me at times. But yeah, it's been a long journey of having faith in something bigger than me and trusting in that.

and enjoy the process while I'm here.

Led Black (39:16)
That's a beautiful story, you know, and it makes me think about, you know, how, like you were saying, like, we really, like, when I was a kid, you know, I would go, was, back in the days, Washington Heights had a bunch of theaters. They're no longer here, but we had a bunch of theaters. So down one of the first, between St. Nick and Audubon, this could be the Estral Theater. The Estral Theater was amazing because it was the Latino theater.

Right? So basically that's why you saw the Cantifla movies or it didn't have to, it just didn't have to be Latino, but it could also be movies that appeal to Latinos. So my mother took me to see Scarface as a kid, which I don't know why, but she did. Yeah. Yeah. You know I mean? I don't know why she did, but, it was the thing that me and my mom would do.

Anthony Alvarez (39:40)
Hmm.

That must have been a that's a core memory right there for you.

Led Black (39:58)
You know, we would disappear in the theater every week and we would go see a movie at the theater, you know, and then we also had a theater that was like the regular, it was the Dominican theater for like more Americanized Dominicans, the RKO, you know what mean? But it's interesting that we still overindex in the consumption of entertainment, films, you know, we go to the theaters.

Anthony Alvarez (40:10)
Mmm.

Led Black (40:19)
except we don't, we're not represented on the, you know, in front of the camera and behind the camera, you know what mean? So that's a very interesting thing that like, we mean so much to the dollars and cents of that industry, but then we're not represented, you know, in it, you know? And like Calyxto, like you, you know, I like the fact that you're trying to do something to change that, you know? Go ahead.

Anthony Alvarez (40:33)
Absolute.

Bro, Octavio, you're gonna say something? I just have like a...

Led Black (40:39)
No, ahead,

yeah go ahead Anthony, was telling you, go ahead.

Octavio Blanco (40:42)
I was just gonna say before you go, I, cause I think you might be able to respond to this as well. I was just gonna say that, ⁓ you know, ⁓ I love the fact that you brought up sort of the gatekeepers, ⁓ the people that curate the people that sort of like,

give a green light to what's a good idea. And I think that like we've seen more of us, more, I'm gonna say us because the three of us are Latino here. We see more Latino representation like in front of the camera. We're starting to see more Latino representation, I guess, behind the camera. I mean, I've seen more of that. I think that we're still needing that to be, you know, to continue. ⁓ But, but,

Anthony Alvarez (41:19)
Absolutely.

Octavio Blanco (41:21)
But one of the things that I think we're still missing is that curatorial, the gatekeeping element of who gets to do these things. So anyways, go ahead.

Anthony Alvarez (41:33)
No, I mean,

couldn't agree with you more, honestly. ⁓ Like, think it was last spring where like a report came out from McKinsey and it talked about like, was like...

Latinas and in Hollywood and representation and if I remember correctly, it's like something we're like around 20 % of the population but our Representation in front of and behind the camera whether it be leading roles or like above the line. It's like 7 % Yeah, or 7 % max if usually below that and so There's clearly something off about that. But the craziest that was they were they did like calculations and they were like if you were to even it out

Led Black (41:47)
Yeah.

It's It's abysmal. It's abysmal. Yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (42:09)
where the representation at least matched the proportion in the country, it would bring in like 12 to $18 billion a year for Hollywood. So it's not even just about like, is this right or is this fair? But it's like, this is a missed opportunity for everyone altogether. And so that, to your point, Octavio, like the gatekeeping and the curators, that is really something that I think is absolutely important. It's like why I have so much love for what...

NYLFF was doing because they're saying like, hey, like, let's put these filmmakers on. Like even for us, they were like, we'll let you guys co-produce this, even though like, you know, this is our first time working together like this. You know, I would love it. You brought up the, know, you can have a business and a nonprofit portion. I would love to just be able to have the resources to fund, you know, create incubator funds for like young artists and filmmakers and being able to provide grants ourselves. And so I think that more and more we're seeing that we can create these sorts of

platforms and incubators for ourselves with each other. And I think it's just about us just, you not letting up on that. But I think as something I will say that I feel like our community does do a good job at like, like always extending hands out to each other. ⁓ And like, you know, and if we're not doing a good job, I feel like we're getting better at it. And I feel like that that is going to be a big game changer as we go into the future in terms of, you know,

who, like you said, who gets the green light a good idea and who gets to decide what that is. But like I'm a diehard optimist. Like it's easy. It just makes my life easier. Like to believe like we can do better and we will continue to do better because it's already hard enough as it is. But I'm excited. Like I said, this even the fact that the three of us are having this conversation, that's an example to me of like, yes, we're moving in the right direction. Like we're doing the right things. And I'm excited.

Led Black (43:44)
Right.

That's dope. And speaking of moving in the right direction, that super important vote, got a, I say we have to bring forth a Mamdani tsunami, right? We need to be, we need to get a real mandate, you know, and wipe away all the things that no longer serve us, you know? So what are your thoughts on the election,

Anthony Alvarez (43:54)
Absolutely.

I mean, I'm right there with you. Like I remember when I first heard of Mamdani, I remember it was like two years ago, I think. was like before, it was like a while ago before like there was like a huge awareness of him because he had a panel with other mayoral candidates.

or Democratic mayoral candidates on at BRIC in Brooklyn. And it was specifically like about how we can make New York City a better city for artists. And I had no idea who he was. And I remember hearing his responses and thinking like, this guy is like actually it's so easy to get like to lose hope in like politicians nowadays. But I'm like, there's definitely a different feeling and a different tone with this guy. And I feel like seeing how he's really galvanized people.

and brought all sorts of demographics, age groups, like professions, all of it together. Like that to me is like really once it feels like a once in a generation type of movement. And I feel like anything that gets people to care about what's going on is good. And I think like the worst thing we could do is be like, you know what? I got my own shit to worry about. So like I'm not concerned with politics. Like we need to be concerned with each other because

you know, our problems are bigger than us. So they require us to come together. And I think that he is really pushing for an actual change that that uplifts, you know, the regular New Yorker, like not just the transplant, not just the rich, but like the moms. Like I think about how much of the free universal child care, like how much that would mean to struggling families in New York City. And that to me is like I'm completely on board.

with him. think the one thing though is that I hope that we as people, we don't like just elect them and we're like, all right, we did our work. Like, no, like there's still work to be done. And exactly. And I think that's another great thing too, because I see so many organizers and creators now that like, I feel like they're making it a point to let people know, like these are all the organizations you should be tapping into. This is all the work that you could be doing so that we don't think that it's just like voting someone in and our problems are solved. Like that's just the

Led Black (45:45)
Right. We gotta stay on it, yup.

Exactly. I

agree.

Anthony Alvarez (46:06)
beginning

of everything. so, but yeah, I'm really, really excited. Like I have a lot of hope for this city.

Octavio Blanco (46:11)
Yeah, I saw an interview with Mamdani that he did on Sunday. And I think it was with the ABC News Channel 7. And he says, you you may not be interested in politics as an individual, but

Politics is really interested in you. So you might want to be a part of it in some way, or form. You don't want to just let the politicians like do what they want with who you are and what you're about. You need to have a voice. And so one of the things that I really hope that we all can learn from and maybe he'll put it out there for organizations is just the fact that he's been able to

Anthony Alvarez (46:28)
Mmm.

Mmm.

Octavio Blanco (46:52)
gain this grassroots movement and momentum. I think that's what's so incredible. And the fact that he's done that, I hope does translate into that like,

We're not just gonna vote him in and then say, okay, wash our hands because we've done our job because no, we're part of the movement. We're part of what's going on. So yeah, I hope that we can all learn from that so that we can keep growing. as we said in the outset of this program, it seems to me that many people seem to be disconnected, but one of the big successes that Mamdani has shown is that he's been able

to unify people ⁓ and to get people to come out of their homes and knock on doors and go out and do their thing. So yeah, really have a hope that people will be involved and stay involved.

Anthony Alvarez (47:34)
Hmm.

the same.

If, if I, no, no, no, go, go ahead. What, what I was going to say, I agree with all of that. And I think that's something that he's doing that really, I think is like a, a part of the success that I think we can learn from is I feel like there's a sense of joy that is coming. Like when you see those rallies, like you had Uptown Collective, there was a video, like you guys were at Forest Hills. Yeah. Okay.

Led Black (48:05)
Yeah.

Yeah, I was there. Yeah, was, yeah, I was Forest Hill, yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (48:11)
There's a feeling of joy. it's not just like anger, like we are upset with the system, down with the system and like down, like, you know what I mean? Like there's a sense of like we are happy that we get to play a part in this. And I think that joy really is a huge part of like resistance, like in being able to have stamina for this, because it's like a long. All of these things are long journeys, like they're not just short battles. And so I think that joy, joy is really important. And there is there's an organizer and an artist that we've.

Led Black (48:21)
Yeah, for sure.

Anthony Alvarez (48:38)
worked with in the past, her name is Marla Lu. And she has like a phrase for her nonprofit. It's like, our mission is to make the revolution irresistible. And I think that what Momdani is doing is like, it's making people feel like, I'm missing out on something. Like, let me at least show up, me canvas or something. And I think that that level of like engagement and that level of joy and willingness to give up your time to be a part of something bigger than you, I'm like, that we need.

Octavio Blanco (48:45)
Hmm

Led Black (48:45)
Ooh,

I like that.

Mm-hmm.

Anthony Alvarez (49:02)
more of and like it's in the pursuit of a more equitable city. So I'm like, you know, I'm really excited to just see the momentum of all this and how that continues to pick up. And also I'm like, you know, prepared for when it like we were going to have battles like throughout the way. And like I, I'm ready for

Led Black (49:05)
Yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (49:19)
Trump to be like, ⁓ you guys elected him. All right. Now, now we're really going to have beef with each other. And so I know that that won't be easy, but I have faith in our city to be able to come together and be able to do what we got to do.

Led Black (49:29)
Yeah.

You know, it's funny you say that, because I just saw right before we started this, Mike Johnson was blaming, um, Mamdani for the shutdown, basically. So he was saying that he was, he was basically saying that because, you know, we want to be, uh, you know, dealing with Marxist communists, that that's why the Democrats are holding up, you know, you know,

you know, opening up the government, which is so ridiculous, you know. But what's interesting, what you were saying back to that joy, right? You know, I was there in Forest Hill Stadium with 13,000 people, you know, and it was such love and it was such joy, but it was also something else what I found very interesting. It's a collective awakening.

Right? And what we mean to each other that we do have power, right? And what I'm realizing, you know, is that it's either gonna be us in control or the oligarchs in control. It's one of the other in this city, right? So I think we should be us with whatever mistakes we made, we're gonna make whatever. They made tons of mistakes, right, before. But one of the things that was interesting, right, is that Kathy Hochul came out, right? And Kathy Hochul came out, right?

Anthony Alvarez (50:10)
Mmm.

I think I peeped this.

Led Black (50:33)
Yeah,

and it was really interesting because she's there to bask in the glow of Mamdani, right? To get some of that glow to rub off on her. But Mamdani, as a candidate, is smart too. He wants to have a good working relationship with the government. That's beautiful. But the audience, right? The collective, they were there like, tax the rich, tax the rich. And they were savvy enough, right? And we were savvy enough to do it enough that she heard us, not to be rude.

Octavio Blanco (50:50)
you

Anthony Alvarez (50:54)
Yeah.

Led Black (51:02)
But then she acknowledged it, you know, but we're letting him know, like, and that's what I think is beautiful about this moment, that there is really people power. he's the, and I think he's, and I say this for my other ad that, Mamdani is who we thought Obama was, right? You know I'm saying? And like, and Mamdani, you know, when he was saying, this is a commitment.

Anthony Alvarez (51:11)
Mm. ⁓

Mm.

Led Black (51:23)
You know, I'm making a commitment, you know, and I think he's he he knows that he needs us like we need him and it's a a it works for both of us. So I'm super excited, man. You know, I think, you know, there's no way we got it. Like you said, we got to pretend like we're five points down. So we all got to go vote. I think the early voting numbers are greater than all of early voting ever. You know what saying? New York City. You know what mean? So I'm super excited for for what Mamdani means for the city as an alternative to what's happening, you know,

Anthony Alvarez (51:43)
Yeah, they're good already. Yeah.

Led Black (51:53)
federally right we had we had ice and canal street last week you know what mean and and and what was I you know I also had to give shout out to New Yorkers right there was a girl there you know I think she was Dominican she had the flats and then something like this you know I mean like New York you know I mean so so it's an interesting time though

Anthony Alvarez (51:57)
crazy.

Yeah. Well, I

think that's so important to that. Just as people like not everyone has to do everything, but everyone could do something at least. And I think knowing like what arenas we live in and whether it's what and what how we're standing up for our values.

whether it be in our job or whether it be in our social spaces, churches, neighborhoods, whatever, in our art, because I think we all have some role to play. And I think not everyone needs to be on a stage running for mayor, but that doesn't mean that that's the only person that needs to do something. And I think about that because I feel like something that I worry about, or I think what happens that like we elect Zoram and he has all these intentions, but he runs into all that is the bureaucracy of...

of state and federal government. like, you know, we want to see certain things and like it's not as clear of a path that he would have wanted it to be. And instead of like being, you know, if that happens, instead of finding frustration with him, it's I hope that we view it as an opportunity to look at ourselves and be like, okay, like what, what is there left for us to do as people, as organizations, as a community to make sure that we're doing our work and like just making it easier for everyone else at the top who wants to do a lot of things, but like, you know, runs into whatever it is. And I think that like,

you like the no Kings Day protests, when you see hundreds of thousands of people show up, like there becomes a point where it becomes undeniable what's going on. And so I just want us to keep showing up in whatever way like that, you know, like you said, that woman who was standing there, like she's a hero.

Octavio Blanco (53:32)
Well, I think.

Yeah, and one of the things along those lines that we need to, as a community, as a society, as a city, as a country, individuals, people need to realize is what you're talking about, this collective awakening, but the collective awakening that A, not only do we need to voice our opinion, like speak out and attend these rallies,

Led Black (53:35)
Yeah, for real.

Octavio Blanco (53:57)
But also in sort of the minutia of government, know, the oligarchs have created the government that they want. They have created the government that they want. they make the, they lobby for the laws that they want. They rally for the politicians that they want. And so they've created a government that they want.

Anthony Alvarez (54:04)
Mm.

Octavio Blanco (54:18)
We need to go and attend our community board meetings. know, like we need to be, you know, at the community board and making sure that we're speaking up for the things that are important to us as a people. We need to make sure that we're speaking to our representatives and saying, Hey, this law isn't helpful to me. I need it to be changed into this law, which will be helpful to me. And so I think that this

Anthony Alvarez (54:23)
Absolutely.

Octavio Blanco (54:48)
This awakening that we're seeing is the fact that as a community, we do have power and that the oligarchs also have power. And I think that it is unfortunately a battle for attention from our government leaders. if we can, if we, one of the things that I think that this campaign from Mamdani has done so well is that despite the

Anthony Alvarez (55:05)
Hmm.

Octavio Blanco (55:12)
multi hundred millions of dollars that the oligarchs have been pouring into combating him, he's still coming out on top. Right? So, so when you look at that, because for our whole lives that I've known it, I feel like it's been like money talks, bullshit walks, right? But, ⁓ this is the first time that I'm seeing that, well, you know what money doesn't really talk for all of us necessarily.

Anthony Alvarez (55:21)
Mm-hmm.

Led Black (55:21)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Anthony Alvarez (55:36)
Yeah, mmm.

Led Black (55:38)
And it's funny because Oran said they're spending more money than he would tax them. Right. So it's like, you're not what are you doing? Like, you know what I mean? And yeah, I'm glad Anthony.

Anthony Alvarez (55:43)
What

No, I was gonna say I feel like exactly what you just brought up connects to what Octavio saying in terms of like the Like the peep the powers that be

Like the system exists the way does for a reason and those powers that be like they benefit from there being a sense of confusion and confusion or hopelessness and being like, I don't know. Like I already have my own family to worry about. I can't worry about politics. Like, you know what I mean? And so they benefit from that because then things remain the way they are. But the fact that, like you said, Led that they're spending more money to keep things as they are rather like more than it is. And they pay to change the system shows that like you just your main concern is self-preservation.

Led Black (56:19)
Right, right.

Right, right.

Anthony Alvarez (56:24)
which I think

any people in power, I don't blame them because there comes a point where when you have that power, you don't wanna get rid of it. at some point, there comes a breaking point. I always wonder what that breaking point is for people and for society and what it'll look like. I have so much hope about it now, because I feel like we're just...

Led Black (56:31)
Yeah.

That's right.

Anthony Alvarez (56:46)
It feels like that change is happening and it's accompanying with that joy and hope rather than like just destruction,

Octavio Blanco (56:51)
I-

Led Black (56:53)
Yeah,

Octavio Blanco (56:53)
I want to say Anthony

Led Black (56:54)
I agree.

Octavio Blanco (56:55)
that about that joy and that hope, know, I love it what you're doing, that you're creating these events and you're bringing people together. You're mentioning the joy that Mamdani is working towards. And I think that it's so important to have intentional joy, know, like Mamdani is creating a soccer league in New York City. Each borough gets its own team and...

Anthony Alvarez (57:02)
Thank you so much, man.

Mm. Yeah. Cost of living, I

think, was the name of the... They had like some kind of tournament, I think, recently. Yeah.

Octavio Blanco (57:23)
Yeah, and he's

Led Black (57:24)
That's

so cool.

Octavio Blanco (57:24)
done all these like treasure hunts, know, where like, you know, people go and that's fun stuff, you know? And this society, we are number one, we talk about the grind, we talk about entrepreneurship and I think that's very important. But in America, most Americans,

even the ones that are doing, you know, quote unquote, well, they don't take their whole vacation time that they're legally entitled to take. You know what mean? Like we generally wear it as a badge of honor. How, how little we sleep at night. You know what I mean? And like, I take your point about making sure that your team gets some rest and that your team, you know, because without that, we can't work to our full potential. And that's what we have to always keep that in mind. And so like in

Anthony Alvarez (57:49)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Absolutely

Octavio Blanco (58:12)
joyfulness I think that's something I'm taking away from this episode that we should all be be looking at I know that things I think our time is starting to to run out so so ⁓ Anthony tell me is there anything any last thoughts what's your social you know your social social give us all the deets and and and where can people find you and how can people you know get in touch and or or buy tickets to the event things like that

Led Black (58:28)
Yeah, give us the deets.

Anthony Alvarez (58:31)
You

Absolutely. Well, firstly, thank you guys so much for having me. Like I'm this I was actually feeling a little under the weather, but I feel galvanized after this conversation. So thank you guys for the opportunity. And you guys are great at what you do. So genuinely from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you guys. Project feel at ⁓ on Instagram at project dot feel. But I think the best way because people reach out to us all the time like, I want to, you know.

Led Black (58:42)
Thank you.

that's awesome. Good to hear.

Thank you. Thank you, brother. Likewise.

Octavio Blanco (58:54)
Thank you.

Anthony Alvarez (59:02)
make something with you guys, are you guys looking for crew members for this? Are you guys looking for these types of artists? Cause we have different series that we do as well. And people reach out, the best way is really to just show up. Like we have free events, we have ticketed events, just showing up and being a part of the community we're building lets us know like you're here for everyone, not just for yourself. that, so at The Other Lens, November 6th, you can get tickets on projectfeel.com and then you can follow us on at project.feel But that's the best way to like, you know, just

being active in our community shows us that like you value what we value and we want to grow with people that do that such as yourselves. By the way, you two are on the list. If you're available, we'd love to have you both. Like, no, thank you guys, man. But this has been really, really fun. And that intentional joy that you said, Octavio, like that's, I'm feeling that now. So thank you.

Led Black (59:38)
⁓ awesome. Thank you, brother. Thank you.

Octavio Blanco (59:48)
Yeah, yeah.

Led Black (59:48)
Anthony, man, my brother,

thank you so much. It's been a pleasure. And you know, like I said, I look forward to going to the events, man. I feel like you, you that type of brother that, you know, that you really bring the positivity and it's part of what you do. So thank you for that. And for all the listeners, make sure you subscribe. It don't cost you nothing. You hook your brothers up. All right, so thank you. Spread love is the uptime way, y'all. Thank you. Bye bye.

Octavio Blanco (1:00:06)
Yeah.

Thank you, thank you, bye

Anthony Alvarez (1:00:10)
Thank you guys so much.