The Future of Film S5:EP7 | Samuel Correa (ILEA, Worldbuilding, Cinematography, FSU, JIT)
In Episode 7 of Season 5, host Tom Oliva connects with South Florida native and AAHSFF alum Samuel Correa — writer, director, and cinematographer of Ilia, which won Best Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy in 2021.
Samuel discusses how he approached building a grounded, emotional science fiction world on a student scale, and how his focus on character, conflict, and visual storytelling helped elevate the film’s ambitious concept. Now studying cinematography at Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts, Samuel reflects on his evolving process, the importance of restraint, and how to make genre filmmaking feel intimate, not just impressive.
This episode is a deep dive into practical worldbuilding, creative control, and the lessons learned by a filmmaker pushing himself to go bigger without losing focus.
ILEA - 2021 Best Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy Winner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samuelcorreea/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/samuelsmovingpictures
