Fernando A. Fisher, director born in San Diego but with deep Tijuana roots, has taken his talent way beyond these borders by winning an international award. This month, his movie, Entre las Cuerdas, was awarded at the Lulea International Film Festival in Sweden, where it won the "Best Direction" and "Best Movie" awards.

In a conversation with San Diego Red, Fisher shared his experiences in the world of cinema.

He spent most of his life in Tijuana where he studied elementary, secondary, and high school. After that, he studied at Southwestern College in San Diego where, even though there was no film major, he graduated as a Telemedia Production Specialist.

His passion for cinema was born in his teenage years, when his stepfather bought a VHS camera. Fernando started using it to create stop-motion pictures with his sister's dolls. Writing and creating stories became one of his favorite activities, and art at large accompanied him, allowing him to nurture his talent.

Movie 100% made in Tijuana has broken through borders

"Entre las Cuerdas" is the directorial debut by Fernando A. Fisher, a project that began around 10 to 11 years ago. The idea was born from the desire to tell a story of a Mexican superhero, but without superpowers: so he became a boxer. Beyond sports, this plot addresses serious issues as violence, feminicides, disappearances, and the mafia.

The story takes place in an area marked by violence, where Martín struggles to get his first boxing championship. While trying to make his way with his talent to give his girlfriend a better life, he faces an unexpected tragedy that forces him to confront a new reality about himself: revenge and bravery. Anonymously, Martín decides to fight violence by his own hands, recovering the control of his own environment.

When asked if there was something specific that inspired him to talk about these issues, he said:

Yes, bureaucracy. I put myself in the place of people who are losing their family members and have to wait 27 hours, especially when it comes to feminicide or human trafficking cases. I think that it is urgent to do reforms for these procedures so as to improve promptness when it comes to rescuing and searching for missing people.

In addition, he said that Entre las Cuerdas is a project that is 100% made in Tijuana and independently, with a cast mostly consisting of people from Baja California. With scenes filmed in iconic places in Tijuana, such as Parque Teniente Guerrero, DAX, and Downtown.

This movie tells a powerful story that paints a picture of the harsh reality that affects hundreds of families in Mexico and the world. In the credits, the movie is dedicated to people who are still looking for their family members, making an urgent call to authorities to speed up processes to look for missing people.

From Tijuana to Sweden: Internationally renowned projects

This binational filmmaker has managed to go from the Tijuana-San Diego region to Sweden and London. His directorial debut "Entre las Cuerdas" was awarded "Best Movie" and "Best Direction" in 2024.

However, this is not the first time that Fernando A. Fisher has been recognized for his projects. Here are some other awards he has won:

• Best Supporting Actor: Pedro Rodman: Rainbow Umbrella Film Festival 2019 with “El amor no existe”

• Best Original Story: Mexica Film Awards 2023 with “El amor no existe”

• Mejor Short Film and Best Actor: Purgatory Film Festival 2021 with “Perturbado”

• Mejor Short Film: SD Film Festival with “Perturbado”

• Mejor Short Film: Open Window International Film Festival Challenge with “Perturbado”

Fernando A. Fisher's beginnings in the world of cinema

Fernando started helping his friends and participating in projects and stories, but he always wanted to do his own work. He decided to accomplish his dream, so he bought a computer, lights, a camera, and everything necessary to begin.

One day, he had the idea to shoot a short film about vampires. However, he was worried about delegating tasks, fearing that his vision would not be understood. That's why he decided to direct it himself and, since then, he has become a professional. His first short film with a production crew was "Mujer de la Noche".

Horror is one of the genres that attracts him the most, and among his upcoming projects, there is a new movie and short film in this genre.

Fernando's dedication has managed to earn him recognition in the Tijuana-San Diego region, but also demonstrates that with resilience and efforts, dreams can break through borders and make way to the new generations of binational filmmakers.