DIRECTORS STATEMENT

As a United States Navy SEAL and Special Operations Combat Medic (18D) Veteran, and now UCLA MFA Narrative Directing Graduate, I can provide a very unique voice to the issues my brothers, teammates, and I face in this evolving society. PTSD, transition, and veteran suicide are complex issues that are often misunderstood. As Veterans are returning home and integrating with our communities in this post-war era, it is becoming a new norm that faces us together. I desire to bring awareness to these subjects to help understand how we can respond to these rising issues and grow as a society.

JUSTIN MATTHEW GARZA

SOCIAL AWARENESS

VETERAN SUICIDE

20 Veterans kill themselves a day. That’s almost one an hour. 4 times as many Veterans have died by suicide than in combat. I want to bring to light this issue that has been classified as a national security crisis, and not just suicide but the underlying problem leading to veteran suicide.

VETERAN TRANSITION

Veterans have spent their whole adult lives serving their country and sacrificing their lives to do so. Veterans have been often miscommunicated in today’s society. They are the highest functioning and well-trained individuals in the world executing the highest level missions for United States assets. When they leave service, they face many problems of adjustment and often have to start back at the bottom. This is a severe atrocity and injustice to these selfless heroes. The majority of veterans have an unsuccessful transition, which leads to homelessness, depression, and suicide.

MEET THE TEAM

  • JUSTIN GARZA

    Producer/ Director

    Former Navy SEAL, UCLA Directing MFA thesis student, and SAG actor. Written, produced, and directed several short films, large budgeted prime-time T.V. spots, and performed in productions such as Amazon’s upcoming streaming series “Terminal List.”

  • RAY MENDOZA

    Producer

    Former Navy SEAL Chief. Starred in Act of Valor, and produced History Channel’s “Warfighters” with Peter Berg. Ray has worked as lead tech advisor on numerous high-budgeted projects; with his latest being the new Amazon streaming series “Terminal List”, starring Chris Pratt, and Alex Garland’s upcoming “Civil War.”

  • PATRICIA GARZA

    Producer

    Former Navy SEAL spouse. Graduate of UCLA’s Professional Producing Program. Worked as Producer, Line Producer, UPM, and production coordinator of multiple features, AFI thesis films, UCLA short films, high budgeted commercials, and TV spots.