An exclusive screening of Ask A Punk was held on March 25, 2025 in an intimate room at Soho House Chicago in the heart of the West Loop. As the film unfolded, we were immediately transported to the vibrant streets of Little Village, immersing ourselves in Brian Herrera’s powerful fifteen-minute narrative. The screening was more than just an opportunity to watch a film—it was an inspiring journey that broke boundaries and embraced community. About thirty guests gathered not just to view a film, but to experience a celebration of cultural identity and punk spirit.
Herrera’s path to filmmaking was anything but conventional. With a background in design, illustration, and visual arts, filmmaking was not a medium he had worked with before.
“This is my first time diving into the filmmaking world,” Herrera told the Weekly. His journey began when he was invited to participate in Full Spectrum Features’ Community Storytellers program, a nonprofit initiative aimed at giving underrepresented communities a platform to share their stories. The selection process is highly competitive as it is designed to amplify voices from those with no prior film experience. Herrera had a concept in mind: a punk-rock narrative intertwined with the complexities of family dynamics, rooted in his own Latino background.
“I submitted a story and already had the whole premise of the film surrounding the punk scene and family relationships. I wanted to make a zine about it,” he said. The opportunity to turn this idea into a film, despite his lack of formal experience, marked a significant shift in his creative career.
When Full Spectrum Features offered Herrera the chance to turn his idea into a film, he didn’t have a script. “I just had this idea,” he recalled. The program pushed him to move beyond his comfort zone, and the leap into filmmaking proved to be a pivotal moment in his career.
Ask A Punk tells the story of Luna, a teenager who finds herself at odds with her family’s traditional values while discovering the rebellious world of punk music. Set against the backdrop of Little Village, the film explores the tension between her desire for independence and her familial duty, particularly with her grandmother, who was once part of the punk scene herself.
Luna’s search for her identity is set against her relationship with her grandmother. The film captures Luna’s rebellion not just against societal expectations but also against the constraints placed on her by her family. As Luna navigates these complexities, the film ultimately highlights the intergenerational bond between her and her grandmother, who bridges the divide between past and present punk culture.
The film reflects Herrera’s own experience growing up in a Latino community, where punk music served as a form of rebellion against both societal norms and familial expectations. “I experienced similar things,” Herrera said. “With the music I listened to or how I dress or the friends I had. And also, I really wanted to sort of shift a little bit of the focus of this negative stigma that like Little Village has.” The film combines punk aesthetics with deeply personal themes of identity, family, and tradition, making it a compelling exploration of the immigrant experience through the lens of rebellion and cultural pride. “The punk scene is rooted and very present still, you know, in the South Side of Chicago and the Latino communities,” Herrera said. “And there’s a lot of history.”
One of the most striking elements of Ask A Punk was its unconventional production process. Herrera was given a rare opportunity to be involved in every aspect of the filmmaking, from selecting the director to choosing the locations and casting the actors.
“I was the one that chose the locations,” he said. “I picked the actors, the director, and they compiled a list of groups for me to select Luzzo, the producer.”
At the heart of the film’s setting is a DIY show, which holds a special place in the punk scene. This particular show took place at a real DIY venue, capturing the raw, authentic spirit of the community. The band performing at the venue in the film was one that Herrera personally selected, ensuring that the energy and atmosphere felt true to his own experiences growing up in the scene. The decision to incorporate a live punk performance not only deepens the film’s connection to the culture but also highlights the importance of DIY spaces in nurturing both musical and personal expression within subcultures.
This hands-on involvement allowed Herrera to shape the film authentically and gave him the freedom to bring his personal experiences and vision to life, which was a valuable learning experience as he transitioned from visual arts to film. He also learned the importance of collaboration. He was guided by a talented team who helped him see his ideas from new perspectives.
The film also stands out for its diversity. With sixty-one percent of the crew identifying as Hispanic and fifty-eight percent as women or non-binary, Herrera’s film showcased a commitment to representation both in front of and behind the camera.
“It feels really great to be part of this project because I not only relate to the story but everybody in the story can relate,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in the filmmaking process.
With a live performance by the original Garfield Ridge band, blood club, the event provided a deep dive into the creative process behind Herrera’s film.
At its core, Ask A Punk is a story of cultural identity, rebellion, and the relationships between family members from different generations. Growing up in a Latino household, Herrera experienced firsthand the clash between traditional values and the punk spirit.
“The whole reason why I wanted to do this very specific niche story is because I wanted to do something that I could relate to,” Herrera said, pointing to the personal nature of his work.
Beyond the personal story of Luna, a sixteen-year-old girl, Ask A Punk also aims to shift the negative stereotypes associated with Latino immigrant communities. Although Herrera is from Humboldt Park, he spent much of his teenage years in Little Village. His experiences there provided a clear outlook on his decision to create a film highlighting the neighborhood’s vibrant creativity, cultural pride, and community resilience.
The film’s focus on punk culture as a form of self-expression and rebellion against societal norms reflects Herrera’s broader goal of challenging the dominant narratives about immigrant communities. By using punk music as a vehicle for storytelling, Ask A Punk explores how creativity and rebellion can offer a voice to those who have long been marginalized.
The film also emphasizes the importance of representation. As an immigrant artist, Herrera understands the significance of telling stories from within the community. “I tell the students, ‘Our stories are really fucking important. Our stories are the ones that major studios look for when they create these expensive films, yet they keep all the money for themselves,’” Herrera said.
Herrera’s transition from visual arts to filmmaking was filled with twists and turns. As a visual artist, he was accustomed to working solo and having complete control over his creations. However, the collaborative nature of filmmaking required him to embrace teamwork. “As a visual artist, the way I work is that when I create a painting or finish a digital design, things start to move when I share the work. With this film, it was a slow process. We shot it and then spent months piecing everything together,” he explained.
The editing process, in particular, was an eye-opener for Herrera. He worked with a crew experienced in editing major productions like Chicago Fire and Empire, and this exposure to professional filmmaking was a transformative experience. “The really exciting part was going to Center Space to work with Periscope for the editing,” he recalled. This blend of indie filmmaking with professional expertise helped Herrera refine his creative vision.
As the film evolved, Herrera learned the value of relinquishing control and allowing others to bring their own interpretations to the project. Ask A Punk made its world premiere at the prestigious Miami Film Festival on April 4. The independent film collective Sub Tropic selected the film, alongside six other shorts. The event was sold out, with over 240 people in attendance. Ask A Punk was the only film in the lineup not shot in Miami, highlighting a stark contrast in its portrayal of the Latino communities in Miami, Little Village, Chicago, and beyond.
Although Ask A Punk is a short film, Herrera has bigger ambitions for its future. He envisions expanding the story into a full feature film, delving deeper into the characters and their backgrounds. “We originally wrote more backstory for the grandmother, who was part of the punk scene. There’s so much more to explore about her journey and how she stepped away from that world,” Herrera said.
He also hopes to screen the film on the South Side, where the narrative’s reflection of cultural pride, resilience, and creative expression could deeply resonate. Herrera said he hopes the film will spark broader conversations about diversity and representation in media. “I think it’s important to bring this narrative to different audiences, not just to keep it rooted in our neighborhood,” he said.
Sofia Mc Dowell is a freelance writer and marketing professional. Her short story, “La Noche en que te perdí,” was published in the anthology Los Mecanismos del Instante,” featuring sixty-four Spanish-speaking authors from the United States and Canada.