PRODUCER
Diego Silva Acevedo Simply Excels By Autumn Murray
A s a rising young star in the film industry in 2016, Diego Silva Acevedo was contemplat- ing moving from Venezuela to live in either Los Angeles or Atlanta. He ultimately decided to make the move to Atlanta due to the rap- idly growing film and entertainment industry in the state of Georgia, in addition to the tax incentives. The Georgia Entertainment Industry Invest- ment Act provides a 20 percent tax credit for companies that spend $500,000 or more on production and post- production in Georgia (the state of Georgia grants an ad- ditional 10 percent tax credit if the finished project in- cludes a promotional logo provided by the state). “Originally, I thought it made sense to move to Atlanta where the film industry was newly developing, and I would be in my comfort zone working with people who were also just starting out,” Acevedo says. “My assumptions about the Georgia film industry turned out to be incorrect, as I quickly found out that there was a host of talent at all levels taking advantage of all that Georgia has to offer to the entertainment industry.” Acevedo was born in Chinácota, Norte de Santander, Colombia. He is an internationally recognized filmmaker with over 12 years of experience. He is also a director, producer, writer, visual effects artist, and cinematogra- pher. And his credits include independent films, music videos, commercial ads, and television productions, in- cluding Hunting Souls, Smile Cam, Guns, Endicott Falls, Por La Sombra, Recuerdos en el Jardín, Helena, Para Que Cojones, Kelly Talk Show , Fanáticos Hispanos en la NFL , as well as several other award-winning productions. It was watching the Jurassic Park movie in his youth that first sparked his fascination with the film industry. As he describes, “I became obsessed with wanting to learn about the behind-the-scenes production, the electronics, and the cinematography involved in creating the film.” At the age of 20, Acevedo received his bachelor’s degree in mechatronics engineering from Santo Tomas de Aquino University in Bucaramanga, Colombia. At the time, film was moving to digital format, so he made the decision to expand his knowledge of film even more by attending Trazos School in Spain, where he received his master’s degree in animation and modeling 3D. Then later, he attended Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia, where he received another master’s degree in digital compositing. When Acevedo first arrived in Atlanta, he spoke very little English. He met his wife, Kelly Young-Silva, on set and she has helped him to learn English over the past six years. Young-Silva is an acting coach and owner of Words in Motion Acting Studio in metro Atlanta. Their
Photo by Miguel Martinez
Diego Silva Acevedo and Kelly Young-Silva
18-month-old son, Oliver, can often be seen on set with his parents. “I am very thankful for Kelly being patient with me,” Acevedo says. “Learning and speaking English has been a process. With a language barrier, it was difficult just getting the actors to move from point A to point B, let alone trying to direct them.” Acevedo is the recipient of five South- east Emmy Awards, has been nominated in
Photos courtesy Kaptura Media
“My passion is to create, design, build and transform audiovisual content of any type, either for movies, televi- sion, or for the internet,” he notes. “I am always inter- ested in learning new techniques and working in a team environment to generate state-of-the-art content offering and experiences.” Ever productive, Acevedo is the creator of Mundo TV a streaming media service of Mundo Hispanico, Cox Media Group’s national and international news digital destination of choice for Hispanics, on Roku. “I want to continue to create and support quality content, not just for the Hispanic community but other minority communities, as well,” he closes. “Diversity and inclusion are important in front of the camera as well as behind the scenes. We all succeed when we focus on helping and uplifting one another.”
11 categories (2019 and 2020), and was a finalist at the United States Film Festival (2020). His films have re- ceived numerous awards at a variety of prestigious film festivals around the world. He is also the owner of metro Atlanta’s Seven Studios Productions. Of the studio’s name, he says, “I selected the name Seven Studios Productions as a reference to God creating the world in seven days. We create and produce high-level original cinematographic works and musical productions.” Recently, Acevedo released his first feature film, Hunting Soul s, a suspense horror movie about an American couple who is dealing with the hardships of caring for their sick young daughter. They discover that they are being hunted by a demon that they have to battle in order to keep their child safe. Hunting Souls is now streaming on Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, and Amazon Prime.
@diegosilvaace | www.diegosilvaacevedo.com
18 | THE GEORGIA HOLLYWOOD REVIEW | FALL 2022
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