While images speak volumes their true impact is within the conversations they ignite and the exchange that follows
Hi I’m Salvador, and I specialise in filmmaking, research and education.
Welcome to my portfolio, where I showcase projects at the intersection of cross-cultural collaborations, strategic communication and the creative arts.
I specialise in participatory filmmaking that prioritises community-centred storytelling. Using principles from Participatory Action Research (PAR), I guide evidence-based decisions that enhance collaboration with clients and their communities. My focus is on creating high-impact, culturally responsive films rooted in reciprocity, self-determination, and stewardship—ensuring each project resonates authentically with and benefits those it represents.
What began as a passion for filmmaking has evolved into a career that bridges education, research, and practice. I’m currently in the final stages of a practice-led PhD at Griffith University, focusing on documentary and climate change communication with coastal communities. Recently, my research paper, Reshaping the World Through Documentary Cinema, won both “Runner-up” and “People’s Choice” at the Griffith University Three Minute Thesis Finals. The films I have co-created as part of this research have received international recognition and have been showcased at major events, including the SWELL Sculpture Festival, World Science Festival Brisbane, and the Climate Ready Australia National Summit.
Additionally, my short documentary Spirit Orphan, exploring a chamber opera singer’s lived-experience during 2020 Black Summer bushfires, won Best Documentary Short at London Shorts (2022).
If you’re excited about exploring innovative ideas—whether in through film, education or research—let’s connect. I’m always looking for new and meaningful collaborations!
- Consultation and Mentoring
- Directing
- Creative Producing
- Cinematography
- Film Editing
- Strategic Communication
- Research and Co-design
- Education
- Da Vinci Resolve Studio
- Adobe Premier Pro
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Photoshop
- Sony Cine Line
- Red Cine Line
SHOWREEL & RECENT PROJECTS
Click on thumbnails to watch.
Cool Jobs #WSFB
Educational Web Series
Wildflower Gin
Brand Video
Property Hunting
First Nations Foundation x Commbank
Home Ownership Series
Buying your home
First Nations Foundation x Commbank
Home Ownership Series
Glenn Barry - First Nations Artist (Gamilaraay)
Reflective Vignette. Altered Tides Series - Custodians of our Ocean (Public Screening)
Reflective Vignette
Altered Tides Series – Custodians of our Ocean (Public Screening)
Kerrie Foxwell-Norton
Griffith Climate Action Beacon
Reflective Vignette
Altered Tides Series – Custodians of our Ocean (Public Screening)
Sara Hicks
Gecko Environment Council
Reflective Vignette
Altered Tides Series – Custodians of our Ocean (Public Screening)
Spirit Orphan: A short documentary film about an Australian chamber opera in development
***Winner, Best Documentary Short, London Shorts, London, UK***
***Winner, Silver Award, Best Women Short, Independent Shorts Awards, Los Angeles, USA***
***Winner, Honorable Mention, One-Reeler Short Film Competition, Los Angeles, USA***
***Nominee, Best Documentary Short, Indie Short Fest, Los Angeles, USA***
***Official Selection, Sydney Women’s International Film Festival, Australia 2022***
***Official Selection, Experimental Film, Fashion, Music Festival, Los Angeles, USA 2021***
***Official Selection, FlickFest, Los Angeles, USA 2021***
***Official Selection, Gold Coast Film Festival 2021 SIPFest, Australia, 2021***
***Official Selection, World Science Festival Brisbane 2021 Digital Program, Australia***
SPIRIT ORPHAN: Short Film Credits: Director / Filmmaker: Salvador Cantellano. Writer and Producer: Jenna Robertson. Composer: Dr Corrina Bonshek . Interviewees: Jenna Robertson, Alexandra Dunn, Dr Asmaa Khadim and Dr Corrina Bonshek. Production: Studio Luma, Currumbin. Sound Post Production: Folklore Studios Re-recording Mixer: Ben Stewart Soundtrack:
Thank you to Dr Mary Graham, Beechmont and Lower Beechmont community members who participated in the community research for this project. Second Stage Development of Spirit Orphan is made possible by support from Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, which supports the arts in regional and remote Australia, and the Regional Arts Development Fund, which is a partnership between the Queensland Government and the City of Gold Coast Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
SERVICES
Video Production
Consultation
Strategic Communication
Co-Design workshops for screens
Film Editing
Data and Project Management
Bio
Salvador’s contributions to the world of cinema have been recognised with prestigious accolades, such as the Best Documentary Short award at the London Film Festival in 2021 and the Silver Award for Independent Shorts in Los Angeles in 2022.
Throughout his career, Salvador has garnered numerous commissions and residencies from organisations like UNESCO and the Youth Looking Beyond Disasters initiative, to collaborations with the World Science Festival, highlighting his commitment to using digital storytelling, across film and podcast as a means of education and awareness.
In addition to his cinematic achievements, Salvador is an active participant in the academic community. He has presented his research at various scholarly conferences, including the recent conference for the Association of Iberian and Latin American Studies of Australasia, and the inaugural Transformative Future 2023.Salvador is also a published author, with his most recent work, ‘Sentimental Territorios,’ a creative non-fiction piece, featured in the latest edition of Talent Implied. His ability to blend the worlds of cinema and literature reflects his multifaceted, creative non-fiction approach to storytelling.
Salvador’s current research project, ‘Cinema Del Pueblo’ (The Village Cinema), focuses on climate change communication through a decolonial lens, fostering south-south conversations and artistic collaborations. Utilising the language of documentary-led practice, Salvador explores new narrative horizons at the intersection of cultural paradigms and Indigeneity.
An integral part of Salvador’s identity and approach is his unique perspective as a Latin-Australia immigrant. Having resided in the country for 35 years after arriving as a refugee from Chile, he brings a distinct and profound cultural richness to his cinematic and scholarly work – contributing to his commitment to community engagement, storytelling, and bridging the worlds of cinema and academia.
Spotlight - Call to Action Video
Climate Ready Australia National Summit 2023
The Climate Ready Australia National Summit – Call to Action Video brings together a unique group of climate action leaders, experts, researchers, and decision makers from across Australian society. This video is an invitation to energise and engage in the types of climate action that are needed during this critical decade.
The filmmakers have collaborated with the Climate Ready Australia 2030 team to codesign this video along with the participants you see here. This is an innovative approach to collaborative filmmaking that enables climate change dialogues that are culturally attuned and responsive to local ways of knowing. This video project holds significance in advancing the potential of evidence-based screen practice, by engaging in filmmaking as a tool for climate change and environmental communication.
The filmmaker (Salvador Cantellano, PhD Candidate, Griffith University) would like to leave you with this thought ‘While images speak volumes their true impact is within the conversations they ignite and change that follows’.
This film features the following speakers in order of appearance:
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MACKEY, Director of the Climate Action Beacon, Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC Australasian chapter.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR KERRIE FOXWELL-NORTON, Head of Research – Motivation, Climate Action Beacon, Associate Professor – School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University.
SAMUEL MACKAY, Board Member – Climate Ready Initiative, Sustainable Development and Climate Action Adviser.
MICHELLE HOBBS (Bidjara and Dunghutti Woman), Associate Lecture | PhD Candidate Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University.
LEONA MURPHY, President and Chair – RACQ, Board Member – Climate Ready Initiative, Resilient Communities and Economies Adviser.
ANDREW PETERSEN, CEO – Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia.
Credits: Direction, Cinematography, Editing and Sound Design (Salvador Cantellano) Collaborative Scripting. Helen Elliott and Salvador Cantellano in collaboration with the participants. Camera and Lighting Assistance: Shenil Ranpura, Rebecca Leong, Oran Applbaum and Pablo Mejia lopez. Make up artists: Lucy Johnson & Sarah Taylor Artist Music: Artist @Turpak, soundtracks: Dream Big, Over the Horizon, Shaping the Future, The Next Step.
Camera and video production equipment supplied by Studio Luma.