If you aren’t looking for him, you won’t notice him. He blends in with the crowd, casually acknowledging his friends from the sidelines holding his Sony a7III camera. Exhausted from a long varsity soccer practice, he hustles around the field looking for the perfect angle. Massimo Soto ‘23 is well known throughout the school for his sports highlight videos as they flood students’ social media. However, what many students and faculty might not be aware of are his projects and success outside of the Hilltop.

Great lighting, perfect framing, shadows, and contrast are cornerstones of his videos. The breathtaking quality of his work astonishes the people he works with time after time.

”His photos and videos are elite and his talent is very clear. I’m always excited when he sends the final product back to me.” Varsity football captain Will Maier ‘23 who collaborated with Massimo over the summer on a fitness video said.

However, it wasn’t always like this, Massimo always had a love for film but his journey first began with photography.

“I got into film at a really young age,” he said, “It started by wanting to know how the things I was watching in movies actually happened. I was fascinated by the idea of creating your own worlds like Lord of the Rings. I got my first camera and started taking it when I traveled. I began making travel videos in Mexico, Ireland, and Virginia.”

As Massimo practiced, it got the attention of first, his peers, and then other creators who were in need of a videographer or photographer.

Massimo covers a variety of topics through his work including music videos, sports game recaps, violinists in Central Park, and images of beautiful scenery in other countries. However, what hits closest to home for Massimo is using his film to promote social justice issues.

“Film can shed light on social injustices by giving others the medium to speak,” he said. “Film also has the ability to convey images and sound in an emotionally impactful way. The genuine voice of a person can carry such an influence in how the story is interpreted. It’s more powerful than just words. People who normally can’t get their voice across now have the ability to do so through film.”

In April of 2021, Massimo flew to Costa Rica to make his first documentary film on the rising sea level titled “Below the Rise: The Untold Story of Costa Rica.” Costa Rica is known for its beautiful views and national parks. Tourism is a major part of their economy. While capturing the region’s beauty, Massimo wanted to go deeper into the issues facing the locals with the conditions of the sea level.

He interviewed over two dozen experts in marine biology, national tourism, and sustainability education to further understand the complexity of this issue on the local people and those in the area. A topic that particularly interested Massimo was the civilians’ openness to fighting climate change and sustainability. Ninety-eight percent of Costa Rica’s energy is renewable, making Costa Rica one of the top five most sustainable countries in the world.

Over the course of the ten days, Massimo was filming and learning. He met with over 15 representatives of marine biology, national tourism, and sustainability education,

“The parts I enjoy the most about filmmaking are the people I get to interact with and the places and cultures I get to experience… Every person I interview has a fascinating story and a wonderful outlook on life.”

“Below The Rise” was not an overnight success; the original script and idea of the Costa Rica film was made in December of 2019 and Massimo only began filming in April of 2021 and edited throughout that summer. It was released for film festivals in March of 2022 and is still in that process until the summer of 2023. Already, Massimo’s film has received global recognition and success being recognized at eight film festivals in Spain, the US, and Czechia. The film also won the award for Outstanding Excellence at the Nature Without Borders Film Festival.

After the success of his first film, this summer Massimo took to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming to use his ability to show the highs and lows within the reservation. Massimo journeyed with classmate and co-director Reece Weinberger ‘23 as a part of the Full Court Peace program. After working with Full Court Peace for years, Reece was invited to lead the Wind River reservation trip. The organization warned the group about tense relations with the natives and to stay away unless entirely necessary. Besides the obvious task of rebuilding courts and replenishing supplies, the goal of the trip was to use the members’ expertise in basketball to not only offer the natives safer and newer equipment and courts but also to use this as a first step to mend the relationship between the natives and the program. After seeing how impactful documenting our journey could be, Reece reached out to Massimo and asked him to join in hopes of successfully capturing this vision. Upon arrival it was far from what the two had expected, the natives were extremely warm, and welcoming and really appreciated the work the organization was doing. They were happy being interviewed because they wanted their suppressed story to be told.

Full Court Peace is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uniting and strengthening local communities through the sport of basketball. Over 27,000 Native American residents of all different ages live at Wind River but one thing they share in common is a love for basketball. In the film, Massimo explores the cultural and natural beauty in contrast to the struggles the reservation faces.

“The documentary captured the living conditions on the reservation along with the embedded issues told by several members of the community. Whether it be drug abuse or the obesity rates, it was clear this area had been dealing with many issues. What was unexpected, however, was the mere fact basketball was their escape. I never expected a sport to be so meaningful on such an extreme scale and that’s exactly what “Wind River” helped get across. No matter the people, or the area, basketball can truly unite any combination of players in a way that helps communities cope with issues or temporarily escape current situations to have some fun. “

“Wind River: Full Court Peace” has been a smash hit so far in the screening process leading to Massimo’s invitation to the SohoFilmFest as well as being a finalist for New York Indie Shorts Awards and a semi-finalist for Lunenburg Documentary Festival. One of Massimo’s biggest accomplishments so far has been becoming the youngest filmmaker ever accepted at Black Cat Picture Show Film Festival,

“I think my greatest achievement is producing a film successfully and receiving global recognition for it, especially at a much younger age than most of my colleagues,” he said, “It’s easy for friends and family to tell me I made a wonderful film but once the world started considering my work, I think that’s when I realized that might be worth something.”

Both films are still in the screening process and racking up awards and recognition by the minute. And as for the master artist behind the work, he has no plans of stopping.

”In five years I see myself working in a studio in LA or traveling the world filming documentaries. I want to pursue this passion and turn it into a professional career. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do in life.”