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Devin: What is your superpower?

Ileana: Ability to trust her intuition to guide her creative decisions and personal journey.

Women have long struggled to achieve parity in Hollywood, both in front of and behind the camera. Ileana D. Vasquez, a self-taught filmmaker, is blazing a trail for women in the industry by writing, directing, and producing her new film, Topple.

This thrilling female-led story brings together eight women to overthrow an authoritarian regime. But what sets Topple apart isn’t just the compelling narrative—it’s the intentional focus on empowering women in pivotal roles and operating with an environmentally conscious mindset throughout production.

“We’re casting female leads,” Ileana explained, “and this is going to be exciting on stage and behind the scenes.” She elaborated on the project’s inclusive vision, highlighting how Topple is putting women not only in key creative positions such as directing, producing, and writing but also throughout the broader film production process.

Her passion for supporting women in filmmaking stems from her own experiences. Having encountered harassment and limited opportunities early on as an actor, Ileana transitioned behind the camera, teaching herself screenwriting, directing, and producing. Reflecting on this journey, she shared, “I was not given specific opportunities, so I started teaching myself. I studied how directors I appreciated worked with actors and the camera.”

Ileana’s commitment to inclusivity and innovation extends to the environment. With the guidance of a sustainability consultant, her production is making deliberate choices to minimize environmental impact, from using hybrid vehicles to selecting cruelty-free makeup and sustainable clothing. “This approach runs through everything, even down to meal choices on set. We’re focused on being plant-based with options for everyone,” she said.

To support this initiative, Ileana turned to crowdfunding. “We did find an investor for the main budget,” she shared, “but we still have a gap for late development. That’s why we’re raising funds.”

Readers are invited to join Ileana’s inspiring effort to bring Topple to the silver screen. Visit s4g.biz/topple to explore this exciting opportunity. By investing, supporters can uplift women while championing sustainability in filmmaking.

This is more than just a movie; it’s a movement with lasting impact. Topple embodies the values of empowerment, environmental responsibility, and meaningful storytelling.

tl;dr:

Ileana D. Vasquez is creating Topple, a woman-led, environmentally conscious thriller about overthrowing an authoritarian regime.

Her career journey began with struggles as an actor, inspiring her shift to directing and producing.

Topple embodies inclusivity by casting women in lead and behind-the-camera roles to address gender inequality.

The production aims to model sustainability, avoiding toxic materials, using hybrid vehicles, and supporting a plant-based diet.

Ileana is crowdfunding the final development of Topple, inviting investors to join this empowering project.

How to Develop Intuition As a Superpower

Ileana’s superpower is rooted in her ability to trust her intuition to guide her creative decisions and personal journey. She describes her superpower as “intuition, resilience, and an ability to foresee certain things,” and it’s a strength that has continuously shaped her filmmaking career.

Ileana shared how intuition often gives her creative insights on set. For example, during the filming of Finding Sahara, an actress walked toward the camera while a “stop” sign appeared in the frame—a symbolic moment perfectly aligned with the story. She explained, “It kind of clicked, and we got that shot. It really blends in well with the story.”

Her intuition isn’t just confined to the creative process. She named her company “Lolita Moon” after an inspired moment of clarity drawing on personal connections: “My middle name is Dolores, which can be shortened to Lolita. My sign is Pisces, ruled by the moon. One night, it just hit me—Lolita Moon.”

Ileana suggests developing intuition by honing self-awareness. She emphasized listening to your gut: “If you feel unease in your belly—like something is unsettling—take that as a sign to reconsider.” She also advocates paying attention to dreams, noting that they can provide clues and inspiration, as many of her creative projects have originated from dreams.

By following Ileana’s example and advice, you can make intuition a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.

Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!

Guest Profile

Ileana D. Vasquez (she/her):

Founder/Writer, Director, Producer, Perfidious Movie, LLC

About Perfidious Movie, LLC: Perfidious Movie, LLC was created to produce the female led action-thriller called TOPPLE.

Website: topple-movie.com

Other URL: invest.fundinghope.com/share/offering/topple

Biographical Information: A UCLA graduate/ BFA, Ileana D. Vasquez is a Telly, Gold Aurora and Accolade Award winning auto-didactic writer, director, producer and founder of LolitaMoon Productions and Perfidious Movie, LLC. She has obtained a certificate from Sundance Director’s Collab - Workshopping Your Feature, and WME NEXT Industry Sessions as well Washington State’s SCALEUP Business Development Course. LolitaMoon Productions was founded to write, direct and produce content for women and girls in lead roles. She and James Vasquez, Esq (writer, production legal) have developed a slate that currently seeks an equity partner. She is in pre-pre with “”TOPPLE”“ and an 8 project slate in various stages of development and counting. Ileana wrote and directed for Women In Film, Los Angeles in association with LolitaMoon Productions, the award winning PSA short , “”Finding Sahara’ distributed by CBS. She also wrote, directed and produced the short romantic comedy, ‘A New Yorker@Paris’(currently in post), sponsored by DIOR, Vanessa Bruno, IFP, Paris Film and filmed on location in Paris, France, and a Barcelona 2010 Make an Ad Competition of Yoplait for MOFILM – were she was a finalist.

Ileana’s previous production credits: ‘Visioneers’, Executive Produced by Jory Weitz of ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ with Zack Galifinakis & Judy Greer, & ‘Butterfly Dreaming’ with Andrew Bowen. Ileana is also an exhibited photographer - her photographs were featured in ‘Butterfly Dreaming’. She executive produced the short, ‘Of Yesterday & Tomorrow’ winner of a 2010 Accolade Award of Merit with LolitaMoon Productions & Kori Productions.

Ileana also acts and has been featured in ‘Lucky Them’, ‘Higher Learning’, French series ‘Crime En Series’, ‘Fortune Hunters’, The Comet Chronicles’, ‘Late Autumn’ , Rachel Rosenthal’s ‘Zone’. A freestyle, modern and tango dancer, she loves to sing ‘in the shower’. Affiliations WIF, NALIP, AWD, Animal and Nature Advocate.

LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/ileanadvasquez

Instagram Handle: @ileanadvasquez

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