About me

I’m Javier Castillo, but everyone calls me Javi. I’m a Salvadorian-American Cinematographer based on the US East Coast, mainly bouncing between Boston and NYC. My work covers a little bit of everything—commercial, documentary, scripted, and unscripted projects—but at the heart of it all is storytelling.

I grew up in El Salvador, and moving to the U.S. in 2015 changed everything for me. My love for filmmaking started with a camera in my hands, capturing everyday life. Coming from an immigrant family, a career in the arts didn’t seem like a realistic option, but I followed my gut, and it’s led me here. I earned my Dual-BFA in Film/Video & Photography from Massachusetts College of Art, where I also met the love of my life—so yeah, that place holds a special spot in my heart.

What excites me most are projects that explore real, human stories—those moments that feel raw and true. It’s the people I get to meet along the way that make this journey worthwhile. I’ve been lucky to be part of so many incredible projects, and more importantly, to have built meaningful relationships with the people behind them.

My dream is to create a community of filmmakers who uplift and inspire each other—a space where we all feel safe to create, experiment, and grow together.