The first film David Exequiel Ferreira ever shot wasn’t for an audience. It was a no-budget music video for his brother’s band, shot in the windswept quiet of Patagonia, Argentina. The gear was borrowed. The lighting was borrowed. The confidence? That had to be built.
“There was no one telling us how to do it,” he remembers. “We just figured it out, frame by frame.”
That first act of creation, raw and imperfect, yet necessary, sparked a lifelong love for filmmaking rooted in purpose over perfection.
Patagonia: Where the Story Begins
Ferreira grew up as a filmmaker in Patagonia, a region often romanticized for its jagged mountains and endless skies. But for him, it wasn’t about the postcard views. It was about stories. Community. The things people passed down over meals and late-night conversations.
There were no film schools nearby. No structured path into cinema. What he had was curiosity, a borrowed camera, and a hunger to connect. With each DIY video project, he wasn’t just learning cinematography; he was learning how to listen.
That early environment shaped more than his visual style. It rooted him in a kind of creative responsibility: tell stories that matter, and tell them well.
A Campaign with Purpose: Gin Comunal
In 2020, as the world locked down and uncertainty stretched thin, Ferreira found himself at the heart of a campaign that felt deeply personal.
Gin Comunal wasn’t a typical brand spot. Created in partnership with AB InBev and R/GA, the campaign celebrated local distilleries that pivoted to produce sanitizer during the pandemic, a blend of environmental responsibility, community action, and cultural pride.
As Director of Photography and Editor, Ferreira worked with a skeleton crew under strict pandemic limits. “We shot with masks, minimal setups, no room for mistakes,” he recalls. “But there was this electricity, like we were capturing something that mattered.”
That urgency translated into a piece that helped establish Ferreira as an award-winning filmmaker with global resonance. Gin Comunal was recognized by the Clio Awards, ADC, Webby, Effie, Diente, and El Ojo de Iberoamérica, but more importantly, it resonated with people navigating fear and fragmentation. It was storytelling as solidarity.
Stories Without Borders
Ferreira’s approach to filmmaking has since traveled far from Patagonia. Over the last several years, he has built a deep collaboration with RightNow Media, a leading force in faith-based media and one of the world’s largest streaming platforms for spiritual content. Together, they’ve created over ten original series, part of a growing portfolio of global productions distributed across Latin America, the U.S., and Europe.
But these aren’t generic faith stories. Each series is anchored by voices rooted in culture and the arts, faith, and lived experience, as well as the beliefs of musicians, painters, and local leaders. Ferreira’s job isn’t just to film them. It’s to hold space for them.
“You’re not just showing a place or a person,” he says. “You’re holding space for their story.”
In that space, something shifts. It’s not just media. It’s memory.
Bridging Faith and Film at Saddleback Church
Today, Ferreira leads cinematic storytelling as Creative Producer at Saddleback Church in California, one of the most influential faith-based communities in the U.S.
His work includes the Dream Now campaign, which helped raise over $77 million, as well as immersive Christmas and Easter films. But for Ferreira, it’s not about scale, it’s about connection.
These aren’t just event videos. They’re cinematic experiences designed to move hearts, whether you’re watching in person or streaming from anywhere in the world.
A Style That Speaks Across Cultures
Ferreira’s films don’t shout. They listen. His scenes often breathe with space, quiet edits, lingering frames, and a rhythm that lets the story settle.
His aesthetic avoids overused tropes or stylized excess. Instead, he trusts emotion to carry the frame. “There’s always a moment in every project,” he says, “where you have to ask: what’s the heart of this? What are we really trying to say?”
That clarity, visual and emotional, is why his work connects with audiences from Buenos Aires to Berlin.
He’s not trying to impress. He’s trying to invite.
Navigating Change, Staying Grounded
The move from Argentina to the U.S. was anything but simple. Ferreira stepped into a creative industry that was faster, bigger, and often less forgiving.
He had to learn new tools, manage larger crews, and juggle multiple stakeholders. However, the biggest challenge wasn’t technical; it was staying true to the reason he had begun.
“It made me sharper,” he reflects. “But also more aware of what I needed to protect: that spark that started with a borrowed camera and a busted tripod.”
If you’ve ever tried to hold onto your creative voice in a room full of noise, you know exactly what he means.
What’s Next: Culture, Craft, and Connection
Ferreira isn’t chasing spectacle. He’s chasing stories that leave a mark.
Looking ahead, he hopes to direct more long-form documentaries and cultural projects that linger, not just filling time, but expanding it. He’s particularly drawn to work that bridges local authenticity with global reach.
The mission is clear: use cinema to connect, not distract.
As more platforms chase content that feels personal and universal, Ferreira is already there. Listening. Collaborating. And framing every shot with a question: Who is this for, and what will they feel?
Why It Matters
In a world that often feels like it’s moving too fast to mean anything, Ferreira’s work reminds us of what film can still be:
A conversation. A memory. A bridge across culture, faith, and identity.
If you’re a filmmaker, artist, or creative trying to figure out how to do something that matters, Ferreira’s path doesn’t offer shortcuts. But it does offer this:
You don’t need to start with much. Just start with honesty.
What You Can Take Away
Image by RightNow Media
Maybe you’re there now, figuring things out as you go. No budget. No roadmap. Just an idea that won’t let go.
Ferreira’s story shows what can happen when you follow that idea with discipline and heart:
- Start where you are. Don’t wait for perfect gear or permission.
- Listen first. Every great story begins with trust.
- Prioritize impact over image. The best films don’t just look good. They connect.
To explore more of David Exequiel Ferreira’s visual storytelling, visit his Instagram or view selected works on Vimeo.
For more stories like this, visit the Culture & Arts section of Our Culture Magazine.
About the Author
Lucía Ortega is a writer and cultural editor based in Barcelona. She covers global storytelling, independent film, and the intersections of art, faith, and identity. When she’s not chasing interviews or deadlines, she’s probably in a dark cinema with a notebook, searching for the next story that lingers.
