At this year’s Film Fest LA, Jax Malcolm emerged as one of the festival’s most versatile creative forces. Actor, writer, director and producer, Malcolm presented a series of new works that highlight his expanding creative footprint across film, fashion and digital media.
The major debut of the night was This Is My Story, an audio fiction series created by Malcolm and Jake Purfield. The project won three of the festival’s top podcast awards: Best Comedy Podcast, Best Supernatural Podcast and Best Ensemble, solidifying Malcolm as an innovative storyteller in the audio space.
Malcolm also premiered Trident, a fashion film he created in collaboration with Gary Robinson, which won Best Fashion Film, further showcasing his ability to blend visual style with narrative expression. The festival additionally screened The Haunted Assignment, featuring Malcolm alongside Ayla Rae Neal, Charlie Townsend and Jaime Adler.
With achievements spanning entertainment formats and genres, Jax Malcolm continues to redefine what it means to be a multidisciplinary artist. His Film Fest LA lineup reaffirmed his status as a rising creative voice shaping the next era of independent storytelling.
This Is My Story premiered at Film Fest LA and earned multiple awards. What was the moment when you realized this project needed to exist now, for this generation?
I realised this project needed to exist when I saw how much young audiences live in fast content that rarely gives them space to imagine anything. The audio format felt right for this moment. It asks the listener to build the world with us. When Jake and I finished the pilot and heard the last line play back in the mix, I knew it spoke to something this generation is hungry for. A story that feels like an adventure built inside your own mind.
The project won Best Comedy Podcast and Best Ensemble, blending humor, mystery and emotion entirely through voice. What was the biggest challenge of telling a story in a format where the audience sees only with their imagination?
The biggest challenge was guiding the audience without visuals to lean on. Every sound choice mattered. Every pause mattered. As the writer, director and lead, I had to think like a painter who works only with sound. The cast and the sound team became my brush. We had to trust the listener to meet us halfway and bring the world to life in their own head.
You also created Trident, which won Best Fashion Film. How do cinema and fashion intersect in your creative universe?
Cinema and fashion are both storytelling for me. A look can tell you who a character is before they speak. A film can carry a feeling through color and movement. With Trident I design pieces that carry a narrative the same way a scene does. When I make a fashion film I bring both worlds together and let clothing move like a character in the story.
You act, write, direct and produce. In which role do you feel most like yourself?
I feel most like myself when I write and direct together as one process. Writing lets me build the world. Directing lets me bring that world into motion. Acting inside something I created completes the circle. It lets me speak from inside the story I shaped. That combination feels the most true to who I am as an artist.
In Coral The Haunted Assignment you step into a supernatural horror world. Does acting in horror require a different emotional or physical preparation? What surprised you in that process?
Horror draws on instinct. You have to tap into tension and fear even when the set around you is calm. It also demands a lot from your body since reactions need to feel real and sudden. What surprised me most was how much the atmosphere changes your performance. Low light and heavy sound design make your body feel the story before your mind does.
You have grown alongside Film Fest LA through different phases of your career. What changed the most from your first time at the festival to standing on stage accepting awards this year?
My sense of purpose changed. When I first came to the festival I hoped my work would land. This year I understood the impact of building projects that speak to people. I felt part of a creative community instead of someone hoping to be included. That shift made the moment on stage feel earned and steady.
Many young creators hesitate to share their first project. What message would you offer them now?
Share your work. Do not wait. The first project is not about perfect craft. It is about momentum. You learn faster by releasing than by hiding the idea until it feels safe. Let the project teach you. Let the audience find you. Every step forward builds the next one.