Meet Jena Noveras | Actor & Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jena Noveras and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jena, why did you pursue a creative career?
I think art has the ability to give us a safe space to experience all the good, and bad, that life has to offer. Take for example Joe Wright’s 2005 film Pride & Prejudice; I will never be a middle class woman in Regency-era England, but I do know what it’s like to be a woman who sometimes lets prejudices cloud her judgement. And seeing Lizzy Bennett go through her journey of letting go of her own ideas of people and taking the time to really understand Mr.Darcy, gave me that space to go through that with her. Another example is episode 4 of the FX show Ramy. In it we see the young protagonist, a 1st generation Muslim-American, and how he and his family are treated after the events of 9/11. We spend the first 3 episodes seeing that while his Muslim faith is a big part of his life, Ramy is portrayed as just a normal American guy with his family also being relatively well-liked. Yet in this flashback to his childhood, it’s clear that both his friends and the community treat him and his entire family with hostility solely because of the xenophobia ignited by the 9/11 attack. Being about the same age as Ramy was at the time, it was crazy to me how two people can experience the same event and have completely objectively different experiences. Books and film have always been my escape when things at home were rocky or chaotic, but more importantly they really helped me develop my sense of empathy. Good art has a way of building emotional rapport between it and its audience. My goal has always been to provide the kind of art I needed when I was young, but as I get older my goal also includes wanting to create art that inspires empathy in people. I absolutely think that the world could use more empathy.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It feels wrong to label myself as this or that, because I honestly want to do so much and I never want to limit myself. At the moment, I am focusing on acting and filmmaking, and am super excited to be currently working on a role in a short film by a Filipino-American UCLA Film school grad about the 1st generation Filipino-American experience. I also have a deep love of dance, specifically ballet and modern, and am always looking for opportunities to dance or choreograph. My day job is merchandising and visual displays for a local small business, so I’ve found a real love of visual displays within a physical space, and the all the planning and building that goes into it. And overall, I want to meet and work with other young creatives that are just as hungry to see where the tides of art take us next. In every artistic endeavor I undertake, it is my wish to both build community and/or inspire empathy in people. Throughout my childhood, I would watch a movie, or read a book, or watch a dance performance, and could feel moved so deeply in a way I didn’t get from anything else. Something about how the medium of art communicates with us doesn’t just help you to know, it helps you to feel if you let it. And when I create, I try to create things that give others that same feeling I got; that feeling of connection and mutual understanding. It is pure love and almost delusional drive that pushes me to continue to create anything I can, even if it’s just a little bit each day. It feels a little bit like an uphill battle, constantly having to choose between rest from a full-time job and wanting to throw myself completely into my passion, but I know what I am capable of and what I have to offer, and so I continue because I must.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a native Californian, so I absolutely love the beach and the ocean! I would definitely take them to Sunset Cliffs to watch the sunset, and also would definitely take a stroll along La Jolla cove. I live in North Park and on a Sunday would take them to breakfast at The Mission on University, then to Balboa Park to walk around and people watch. I especially love taking friends visiting me to the Japanese Friendship Garden. For drinks, there are so many great options in North Park; Fall Brewing, Pour House, Polite Provisions, and Cantina Mayahuel (the tacos are yummy!) My favorite food spots include Underbelly, The Taco Stand, Shank & Bone, and Señor Mangos! And of course, we’d have to go to a Padres game! Petco Park is beautiful and has so many good food options!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Andrew Acedo is a Filipino-American UCLA graduate that is currently working on pre-production of a short film entitled Good Filipino Kids, in which I will be starring. His latest short film Sing (to me) was recently screened in the monthly film festival hosted by NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, along with other shorts made by Asian-American filmmakers. Andrew is driven, passionate, and full of love, and I’m both very glad our paths crossed and very excited to work with him on this project!

Instagram: @oopswrongdoor

Image Credits
Sreang Hok