StormMiguel Florez is a Xicanx trans artist from the SF Bay Area via Albuquerque, New Mexico. His Southwest desert roots are deep and are a muse for his art, which includes filmmaking with an emphasis on editing. StormMiguel is also a singer, songwriter and actor.
StormMiguel has lived and worked in San Francisco as a professional artist for 20 years. His work has been staged and exhibited nationally and his films have screened at film festivals throughout the world.
“My artistic practice addresses the history of queer and trans people of color and identity through music and narrative and documentary video. For me, filmmaking is a form of creative exploration that uncovers the ignored and hidden stories of marginalized people and communities. My practice brings together three dominant themes: trans identity, queer sexuality, and the history of queer and trans people of color.”
Why are you a strategist for good?
“I love using storytelling and story-showing through the medium of video. Video is a powerful and accessible tool that, when utilized intentionally, can help build bridges among communities and individuals by showing us that we have more in common with each other than we might think.”
What’s your superpower?
“Not all superheroes wear capes.” – unknown (case in point)
“My superpower is that I am a master media wrangler and organizer. While this may sound tedious and boring to most, I thrive in creating immaculately logged spreadsheets with meticulous file naming conventions that have saved many lives — or at the very least aided workflow while saving directors and other editors from massive headaches and meltdowns.”
Who is your intellectual crush?
“Alicia Garza, Oakland-based organizer and co-founder of Black Lives Matter. She brings both her fierce intellect and her huge heart to her work advocating for Black lives, trans and LGBQ lives, and domestic workers’ lives. I am always struck by her way of holding intense compassion and love for her communities while speaking no-holds-barred truth to power.”
