PASSIONATE PROFESSIONALS

The Queens World Film Festival, New York Women in Film and Television, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, The Gaia Zine and Epicenter – NY proudly announce PASSION in ACTION, a day-long mentoring event to bring high school and college students together with Passionate Professionals in the Arts, Sciences, Finance, Women’s Sports, Nonprofit Sectors and More.

The morning session of this day long event will concentrate on developing personal professionalism related to the arts including developing a mission statement, compiling ideas on how to promote your work and creating your back pocket networking tool kit. The afternoon is devoted to a round robin speed networking event so that all attendees have the opportunity to spend 30 minutes with 3 different Passionate Professionals.

The morning will concentrate on developing personal professionalism related to the arts with the afternoon devoted to a round robin networking event so that all attendees, have the opportunity to spend 30 minutes with 3 different Passionate Professionals.

Thank you to Don Preston Cato for being one of our Passionate Professionals!

Don Preston Cato

Artistic Director for Queens World Film Festival / chipAway Productions

Preston Cato, grew up on small specialized fruit farm in Fredonia, NY, a village near Lake Erie south of Buffalo. He has a diverse background in landscape architecture, filmmaking, photography, sculpture, teaching and public performance. Cato earned multiple degrees in Landscape Architecture from Michigan State University and a Masters from the University of Oregon where he was a Graduate Teaching Fellow in Landscape Architecture & Motion Graphics. In Oregon, he worked on various landscape projects for the US Forest Service & Army Corps of Engineers & movies Animal House, How To Beat The High Cost of Living & Stand By Me. In Boston, he worked for and many large scale urban, corporate & private design projects including an award winning project Arverne Housing in Rockaway NYC as part of NYCHA, all the while pursuing his passion for filmmaking at The Orson Welles Film School in Cambridge. Then won the top prize at the Maine Photographic Workshop with Laszlo Kovacs, ASC. He has made over 110 short films and 3 features, one feature played in over 40 countries and was CBS Movie of the week, twice. He has won awards for his films, photography, sculpture, performance, landscape design and rugby. Cato has also worked with NYC Public School System students for over 25 years, bringing film and video experiences into classrooms, and has been recognized for his contribution to the Queens community. Cato has been teaching at the Digital Film Academy since 2004 and serves as the Artistic Director of the Queens World Film Festival, which he co-founded in 2011.

Question & Answer

What is a personal character trait that you have leaned on in your career?

Resolve

What is your best advice for young creatives who are thinking about college?

In addition to the creative path, concider, history, antropolgy & business.

What is your best advice for young creatives who are beginning their careers?

No job is too small to learn & build relationships.