From the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival to his fast-growing DJ mix series that’s evolving into a global soundscape, Theo Dumont is always chasing what’s next—driven by curiosity, connection, and a deep love for artists and entertainment. We caught up to talk about his creative roots and the organic way he builds platforms. For Theo, it all comes down to the love for what you're creating, authenticity, staying open to new opportunities, and nurturing the relationships you build along the way.

From the moment he stepped into my studio, you could feel his magnetic energy: a true zest for life. Humble, thoughtful, and endlessly curious despite all he’s accomplished. Great people attract great people, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Theo Dumont on Creative Curiosity, Cultural Shifts & the Beat That Binds It All

Q: What inspired you to venture into the entertainment industry, and how did your journey unfold from there?
A: I think it all started with my father, watching films together in the theater sparked something early on. Later, a trip to L.A. and walking down Hollywood Boulevard made me feel "Wow I could be a part of it".

Back in Miami, I studied communications, business, and advertising, and did a bunch of internships. One was in advertising, but I found myself drawn more to public relations and events, especially after experiencing the Miami International Boat Show that lit up the entertainment thing for me and I realized you could actually build a career in entertainment and movies.

I was also a promoter growing up, organizing big nightclub events, making flyers, filling rooms. That hustle taught me a lot about marketing, working with artists, and creating experiences. And one of my English professors in college loved dissecting movie scenes—that really lit a fire too.

All of it came together: the business side, the creative inspiration, and the hands-on experience. It was a mix that eventually led me to start a festival and build a career rooted in storytelling and relationships.

Q;  Can you share a pivotal moment - a challenge or project - that significantly shaped your career path?
A: One of the biggest turning points was my first job in L.A. There were no jobs, so I took a paid internship at a small PR firm. The founder wasn’t even in the office at first, he was in France working a conference, but I was determined. I gave it everything.

A few months in, being noticed for the hard work I put in, I got the opportunity to go to Cannes to represent about 15 clients. I didn’t even have a U.S. passport yet — I went with my Haitian passport. I was thrown in the fire and it was intense. I made mistakes, sure, but I learned fast. Days were full of press conferences, and nights were these wild parties, but the next morning, everyone showed up sharp, like nothing happened. That was eye-opening: the work-hard, play-hard culture, the pressure, the professionalism.

Later, one of our clients Harry Sloan sold his company for billions and became CEO of MGM Studios. My old boss from the PR firm, whom I remained very close friends with, was brought in to run communications, and he asked me to join. That’s how I ended up at MGM, working on films like James Bond, Quantum of Solace and Stargate. So I had the corporate hat after that, which was kind of cool. And in the meantime I had this whole other business running the festival that whole time.

Even now, we still work together. That early experience taught me the value of relationships and how important it is to stay sharp, no matter how chaotic things get. It's hard to find good people, so stay with them!

Q: You’ve co-founded several festivals — HollyShorts, Mammoth Film Festival and Hollywood Comedy Festival, each with its own distinct voice. What inspired the creation of each, and how do you see them serving different communities or creative goals?
A: HollyShorts started 21 years ago, and honestly, it happened pretty organically. Our friends were making great short films but no one had managers. No one was getting signed. but there was no real place to showcase their work in L.A. I was thinking this is the movie capital of the world, Why is there no festival? They’d have to go to Sundance or SXSW. Our mission was to create a community where people can bond, keep it chill, maybe get signed, and show their work — without needing to fly somewhere cold. That energy grew into something much bigger: now we’re Oscar (4 categories) and BAFTA-qualifying which means a lot and you really have to keep the bar high. It’s become a connection point, a next stepping stone for people who want to be big directors or advance their careers, and we’re proud of that — even if the stakes are higher now.

Mammoth Film Festival was different. I have another business where I've managed people, A client I represented, a brilliant producer who produced a Terrence Malick film at the time and was on the rise — came to HollyShorts, got inspired, and asked me to help him as it had been a dream of his to launch a film festival in the snow, a feature film festival. Most people say that and don’t follow through, but he had vision, resources and a lot of celebrity friends. It was very challenging because sometimes you start in a market that you don't live in, and there's people that exist there. There's other festivals, there's other events, and there's barriers to entry. We spent years building it up doing research such as going to Austin to participate at South by Southwest. It takes about 4–5 years to break the mold. You you have to decide what kind of flavor it is, what kind of festival it is, how do you have to do your research, how do you adapt to the cust, to figure out what is it for to catch on? Mammoth became this mix of indie premieres, action sports culture, and a more intimate, less corporate version of Sundance. We sold films there, it started hitting, we had world premieres. It had momentum. But it’s on pause now.

The comedy festival was kind of an accident — and a lesson. We had some film friends. Festival people know festival people. There was a festival and it was run by some great people who were comedians. They had done it for four years or five years, and they had a great buzz in Los Angeles, in the Los Angeles Comedy Festival.

They decided that they were gonna fold the tent up and quit doing it because they were moving on to become executives, and one of 'em was an actor and who's gonna focus more on his work. So they sent an email saying, we quit, and we said, wait, we love your festival. Don't die. We had long conversations about us running it, but in the end they said no. I was crushed, as I had fell in love with the idea of us doing it. So we decided to do our own. At first, it didn’t click — it didn’t feel authentic. I think we were too in love with the idea of inheriting something, rather than building it from scratch and it being born out of love. But a few years in, I started to truly enjoy it. There was no pressure, just pure connection. Eventually, we rebranded it under the HollyShorts umbrella — now it's HollyShorts Comedy and it feels right. I really love this event. Why? Because the other festival, HollyShorts is so now so elevated, there's so much expectation. The reason we started in the first place was just so we could be around friends, talk to people and vibe, and meet people. And at this one, it's not as big. It's not pretentious.It's more casual, community-driven, and based in Glendale now, which has been great. 

Across all these festivals, I’ve realized I’m drawn to discovery, whether it’s new filmmakers, comedians, or artists — and that energy of creativity. I’ve worked with legends like Spike Lee, RZA, Wu-Tang Clan, childhood idols in different art disciplines, and I’m always trying to  I try to pick their brains to see what makes you so great at the craft, being a genius. Even if I wasn’t in this business, I think I’d still want to be around that kind of creative brilliance. That’s what keeps me inspired.

Q; What kind of ripple effect have you seen these festivals have on the careers of emerging filmmakers or storytellers?
A: It’s real, so real. One standout is Misan Harriman, a brilliant photographer who became the first Black artist to shoot the cover of Vogue and capture Prince Harry and Meghan. He told me he was making a short film, and I was skeptical at first, it felt like a whole new lane. But when I saw it, I thought, “Okay, this is solid.” We picked it for HollyShorts, and Netflix came on board.

That film ended up opening the festival. People loved it. It went from a personal pick to winning Best Live Action, an Oscar-qualifying category, and then got nominated for the Oscar. He lost to Wes Anderson, but it was a game-changer. I saw him the day of the Oscars, and he told me, “If we win, it’s because of HollyShorts.”

Another example is Skin, a short film version of a feature that came out at the same time, which is unheard of. We championed it, it won our festival, and Searchlight picked it up. It went all the way to winning the Oscar. That created pressure, and suddenly everyone wanted their Oscar moment. But it showed what’s possible.

We’ve also had inspiring moments with names like the Russo Brothers, Eli Roth, and the late David Lynch who even sent us a surreal Twin Peaks-style short to accept his award virtually. We were floored.

The point is, when you do something with love and intention, and build it year after year, it compounds. Like Warren Buffett says, it’s compound interest. You surround yourself with people you admire, do the work, and before you know it, you’ve built something meaningful. Every year we build a little bit of the bricks. You work on it and you have a crew, a team, people you really like and admire. And then before you know it, you have a puzzle, you know? But it takes good people and love and passion with it. If not, it's not gonna work. 

Q: You founded Dumont Marketing Group and led it for six years and now as a Managing Partner at Alta Global Media, how has your approach evolved? Are there things you're doing differently now that reflect how the industry, or your vision has shifted?
A: It’s changed a lot. When you’re running your own shop, you’re kind of a one-man band in the corner. There’s only so much you can do on your own.  In order to grow and compete with the bigger companies, you've gotta grow as well as an entrepreneur. That's what we were able to do with the Alta Global setup, where I could take on bigger projects and have strength in the room so that we can execute at scale the bigger ideas. That’s what allows us to collaborate with companies like Focus Features, Netflix, and A24. You need scale and strategy to play at that level.

One of the biggest differences is that we’ve built an international footprint. We have clients in Barcelona, we specialize in Israel, working with showrunners, directors, even consulates. My business partner had this vision of focusing on the African continent, and now, five or six years later, he’s got eight clients in South Africa alone. We’re talking Netflix Africa deals, financing in place… It’s real. I just got back from there, and the momentum is strong.

What’s powerful is that international expansion has become a competitive advantage. While the U.S. market can slow down or contract, we’ve already built relationships in other territories. Today, if you said, “I want to start an international agency,” it’s a lot harder, it takes time, trust, and consistency.

We’ve been fortunate to have presence at most of the major festivals, either with projects in the lineup or repping clients who are. It’s been an incredible ride. We’re constantly evolving, always pivoting. That’s part of the game now, especially with the way the agency world is shifting. Between AI and the changing media landscape, we’re all figuring it out in real time.

Q: You founded Dumont Marketing Group and led it for six years and now as a Managing Partner at Alta Global Media, how has your approach evolved? Are there things you're doing differently now that reflect how the industry, or your vision has shifted?
A: It’s changed a lot. When you’re running your own shop, you’re kind of a one-man band in the corner. There’s only so much you can do on your own.  In order to grow and compete with the bigger companies, you've gotta grow as well as an entrepreneur. That's what we were able to do with the Alta Global setup, where I could take on bigger projects and have strength in the room so that we can execute at scale the bigger ideas. That’s what allows us to collaborate with companies like Focus Features, Netflix, and A24. You need scale and strategy to play at that level.

One of the biggest differences is that we’ve built an international footprint. We have clients in Barcelona, we specialize in Israel, working with showrunners, directors, even consulates. My business partner had this vision of focusing on the African continent, and now, five or six years later, he’s got eight clients in South Africa alone. We’re talking Netflix Africa deals, financing in place… It’s real. I just got back from there, and the momentum is strong.

What’s powerful is that international expansion has become a competitive advantage. While the U.S. market can slow down or contract, we’ve already built relationships in other territories. Today, if you said, “I want to start an international agency,” it’s a lot harder, it takes time, trust, and consistency.

We’ve been fortunate to have presence at most of the major festivals, either with projects in the lineup or repping clients who are. It’s been an incredible ride. We’re constantly evolving, always pivoting. That’s part of the game now, especially with the way the agency world is shifting. Between AI and the changing media landscape, we’re all figuring it out in real time.

Q; You've worked on both acclaimed TV series and major feature films now music. How does your approach to publicity or creative strategy differ between the these formats?
That’s a great question. If we go backwards, starting with music, those teams are scrappy. They’re way more nimble, more in touch with tech, and quicker to adapt. They had to be. The whole music distribution model flipped on them, and they figured it out. In film and TV, we’re much slower to change. I have a friend running a cutting-edge AI production company, and when he walks into traditional entertainment offices, he freaks people out. It’s like we’re trying to avoid the inevitable.

That same mentality shows up in publicity. Right now, everything is social. Reels, TikTok, Instagram, that’s where the audience is. In music, our first calls aren’t to traditional journalists anymore; they’re to social media departments. That’s a major shift. I think film and TV are slowly catching up, but they’re still a little “oil tanker”—big and slow to turn.  Let's say Sinners, for instance. Social conversation drove that campaign. If we know that, wouldn't we just focus on that first? You know, but we're, we're a little bit dinosaur. And that’s fine, those are expensive companies. But you gotta adapt.

I’ve had the chance to visit companies like Google, Salesforce, and do programs with folks at Goldman Sachs. You realize: entertainment isn’t the biggest game in town. These companies are way bigger and way ahead in how they think about investment in tech, storytelling, and engagement. We have to look at what they're doing and learn.

So when it comes to PR, I’ve been in the game over 22 years, and I’m personally starting to look for new challenges. But if I had advice for the next wave of publicists? Focus on creators, social media, and where tech is heading. And don’t chase virality just to chase it, do it from a place of love, or it won’t land. Audiences can smell the difference.

And here’s the thing, sometimes, the biggest PR moment isn’t in the plan. I was recently at one of the biggest festivals in the world, on a huge campaign, with all the strategy and reviews lined up. But what did people talk about when I got back? A viral red carpet moment. That’s it. All that effort, and the first question was, “What happened there?”

So now the real questions are: Does that moment drive awareness for the film? Maybe. Does it move the needle if you lean in and amplify it? Possibly. But the bigger question is: Is the studio even willing to lean in or are they too scared?

Q: Has working with high-profile clients like Spike Lee or Netflix through Alta brought new challenges or pushed you in unexpected creative directions?
A: It’s been fantastic. Working with someone like Spike was honestly film school 101. I've worked with 'em for a long time and learned everything; Everything from being a brand, a personality, manage your public persona, and execute at the highest level, both creatively and commercially. He's been famous for 50 or something years. That relationship opened doors, including with Netflix. These clients don’t just open their doors to anyone. Spike trusted us to help him launch his work on the platform, and that led to more. We promoted the documentary Rodney King, which my business partner produced, and that led to She’s Gotta Have It on Netflix, which ran for two seasons. Netflix liked our work and brought us on for over 30 projects; Army of the Dead, Kevin Hart’s Fatherhood, and more. Spike’s a staunch supporter and fights for people he believes in. But you gotta also hold your end of the bargain. You can’t just keep up; you’ve gotta run ahead.

Q: You completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. How has that program reshaped the way you think about the “business” of storytelling whether through film festivals, artist representation, or your radio show?
A: Woo, it changed everything. Honestly one of the best programs out there. You apply, they select entrepreneurs, and then you deep-dive into every facet of business, P&L, HR, raising capital, hiring. It's like a super-MBA in a short amount of time. What hit me most was meeting other entrepreneurs, we’re so often in our own silos, and suddenly you’re surrounded by people who really get it.

The program makes you evaluate your business from the inside out. What’s working, what’s not, how do you scale, how do you sustain? It gave me new growth ideas, not just cool concepts, but stuff I had to break down and ask:  Is this contributing to your lifestyle? Will this be fulfilling? Can this create jobs? How do you sustain it? How do you scale?

Being at Goldman HQ in NYC was surreal.  I can't explain to you how inspiring it is not to just be with the entrepreneurs that were in the program, but learning from the partners and seeing their their mission and vision, and sometimes they're younger than you and it's fascinating. I left Cannes just to graduate in person. Then a few weeks later I’m back for Rizzo’s film premiere at Tribeca, and the theater’s literally across the street. I took it as a sign and I went back to get that inspiration back.

The support is unmatched. People cried at graduation. I mean, they invest in you, literally. If I had to put a number on what they poured into my business through that experience, I couldn’t. And I was the only entertainment company there. Every week had a theme, every day you met someone new. It's inspiring. Still in touch with the cohort, and there’s a big conference coming in October.

Why I did it? After the strikes, things slowed. I needed to reset. I never had an MBA, I started my business organically. This helped me get sharper on the finance and management side. I found it, applied, got in. It was tough, but worth it. I’ve still got the certificate, the lanyard, a whole shrine! It means that much.

Q: Has working with high-profile clients like Spike Lee or Netflix through Alta brought new challenges or pushed you in unexpected creative directions?
A: It’s been fantastic. Working with someone like Spike was honestly film school 101. I've worked with 'em for a long time and learned everything; Everything from being a brand, a personality, manage your public persona, and execute at the highest level, both creatively and commercially. He's been famous for 50 or something years. That relationship opened doors, including with Netflix. These clients don’t just open their doors to anyone. Spike trusted us to help him launch his work on the platform, and that led to more. We promoted the documentary Rodney King, which my business partner produced, and that led to She’s Gotta Have It on Netflix, which ran for two seasons. Netflix liked our work and brought us on for over 30 projects; Army of the Dead, Kevin Hart’s Fatherhood, and more. Spike’s a staunch supporter and fights for people he believes in. But you gotta also hold your end of the bargain. You can’t just keep up; you’ve gotta run ahead.

Q: You completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. How has that program reshaped the way you think about the “business” of storytelling whether through film festivals, artist representation, or your radio show?
A: Woo, it changed everything. Honestly one of the best programs out there. You apply, they select entrepreneurs, and then you deep-dive into every facet of business, P&L, HR, raising capital, hiring. It's like a super-MBA in a short amount of time. What hit me most was meeting other entrepreneurs, we’re so often in our own silos, and suddenly you’re surrounded by people who really get it.

The program makes you evaluate your business from the inside out. What’s working, what’s not, how do you scale, how do you sustain? It gave me new growth ideas, not just cool concepts, but stuff I had to break down and ask:  Is this contributing to your lifestyle? Will this be fulfilling? Can this create jobs? How do you sustain it? How do you scale?

Being at Goldman HQ in NYC was surreal.  I can't explain to you how inspiring it is not to just be with the entrepreneurs that were in the program, but learning from the partners and seeing their their mission and vision, and sometimes they're younger than you and it's fascinating. I left Cannes just to graduate in person. Then a few weeks later I’m back for Rizzo’s film premiere at Tribeca, and the theater’s literally across the street. I took it as a sign and I went back to get that inspiration back.

The support is unmatched. People cried at graduation. I mean, they invest in you, literally. If I had to put a number on what they poured into my business through that experience, I couldn’t. And I was the only entertainment company there. Every week had a theme, every day you met someone new. It's inspiring. Still in touch with the cohort, and there’s a big conference coming in October.

Why I did it? After the strikes, things slowed. I needed to reset. I never had an MBA, I started my business organically. This helped me get sharper on the finance and management side. I found it, applied, got in. It was tough, but worth it. I’ve still got the certificate, the lanyard, a whole shrine! It means that much.

Q: You’ve recently launched a DJ station that curates mixes from around the world. What inspired that move, and how do you see it connecting with your larger vision for storytelling and cultural exchange through music?
A: I love dance music, it’s literally in my heartbeat. Loved it for a long time. One of my close friends has a music PR firm, which is huge.

It probably started back in my Miami days, in South Beach, being around big DJs. big personalities, big night clubs at a young age.  Always inspired by house music and attending many cool concerts. I  always wanted to find my lane and have and make music, and play music. I was promoting parties back then, always around music, always plugged into that scene. It just became part of who I am.  Traveling to so many places, always checking out the scene, falling in love with artists. 

Maybe my film and my festival work, has inspired creation of new platforms. The idea for my DJ station really came from that lifelong connection. I’ve always been obsessed with radio shows such as Pete Tong, the Insomniac show every Friday, and I just know a lot of cool musician. After traveling to places like Berlin, London, and New York, and being immersed in those underground scenes, I started thinking, “Why not create something of my own?”

I’ve also been around so many musicians over the past few years, just vibing out, making tracks in the studio with no pressure. That energy pushed me to launch this mix series.  I just wanted to start my own little flavor and highlight cool people and cool music. We drop new episodes every Friday, and it’s global, we’ve had artists from Africa, South America, Mexico, Europe… it’s just about sharing flavor and building a space for sound discovery.

I kicked it off with a close friend from Midnight Movement, and now we’re 15 episodes in. Some DJs I’ve seen live, like on rooftops in Cannes or tiny venues in LA and I’m like, “Who is this? I need them on the station.” Other times, it’s friends recommending friends. Whether they’re touring artists or low-key producers, if the sound hits, I’m reaching out.

There’s definitely overlap with what I do in film, too. At HollyShorts, we recently added a music video category, and we’re launching a full-on music section this year. So if we connect with an artist on the station, there’s a chance we’ll feature them in other ways through the festival, a guest mix, whatever makes sense.

 I've had some good support from friends that have been instrumental in finding new artists on Instagram, seeing what's working. Eventually we do some live element. Are you thinking? Is there a Trojan horse behind this? Maybe? Yes. There could be a festival edition of it,  in the coming months. But for now, I’m focused on curating good music and giving talented people a platform almost like an art gallery. That’s the whole point. I don’t know where it’s going yet, but it feels good and that’s what matters.

Q: Your radio show features exclusive guest mixes from top DJs around the world. How do you select a guest, and what artistic narrative do you aim to craft through their music?
A: It’s all organic. Sometimes we hear a hit or just something really moving, and we’ll reach out, just pitch them directly. Other times I’ll be at an event, hear a set I love, and think, “Who is that?” Then I dig in. For example, there’s an artist named AVÖ, we haven’t dropped the mix yet but my colleague Jessica found him, and now we’re talking about having him in the festival and on the show. That kind of crossover happens a lot.

Having the film festival helps too. Since content is content, and we now have a music video category, and soon, a full music category, it gives us another way to connect with artists we love and celebrate their work.

I like to hear people’s stories. Doesn’t matter if they’re touring or resident, big or unknown. If the vibe’s right and the music speaks to us, we’re in. We’ve got a mix dropping tonight from a DJ I found on a rooftop at Cannes Lions, a super corporate crowd, but the energy was great. Turns out they run a label and have a deep catalog. I listened and said, “Let’s go.”

Genre-wise, it's open. Right now there's a lot of Afro-house, Afrobeat, EDM, but we just had some funk last week. If we love it, we’re down.

Q: What new musical styles or voices are you most excited to introduce next?
A: I met this guy recently, Florian Picasso that I want on the show. Super talented and got a vibe I can’t even describe the music. He’s from Cannes in France, which I visit a lot, and his sound leans more progressive house, which I really like. He’s cool.

I’m also drawn to music coming out of places like South Africa that is not known here. The music is different. It’s not commercial pop, but it’s so damn good. It feels raw, real and authentic. When I was out there, I hit up a couple of festivals and was just vibing. There’s this artist, Vinny, I met him, we connected, and now I’ve got to follow up. That’s how it happens. I meet someone, feel their energy, hear their sound, and I’m like, “Let’s go.”

It’s wild sometimes. I look around and think, damn I did that, I met them, I’ve been there. What a life. God help me, what a life. It’s strange, but it’s beautiful.

Q: If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say?
A: Keep it authentic. Be patient. And get your corporate side tight early, set up that LLC, handle your paperwork. I started building an advisory board of five or six mentors, people already where I wanted to be, and I checked in with them regularly. That helped a lot.

Also: relationships, relationships, relationships. Don't fuss over the small stuff because things change. Life is so fluid.   You have to let go. You can't really hang on to the little problems because there's deeper things in life. We're in the movie entertainment, film, music business to make people feel good.  I think there's more challenging things happening in the earth, so we shouldn't get bogged down by the little stuff. Just have fun, enjoy, stay nimble and be open to opportunity.  Sometimes you focus on one thing and then new opportunities happen. Say yes to that.

If you’re gonna start something big—like a festival or whatever—you’ve gotta really want it because there are some lonely nights.  You gotta have some friends, your board, some good colleagues that you can go on the ride with and have a fun journey. 

Q; What kind of ripple effect have you seen these festivals have on the careers of emerging filmmakers or storytellers?
A: It’s real, so real. One standout is Misan Harriman, a brilliant photographer who became the first Black artist to shoot the cover of Vogue and capture Prince Harry and Meghan. He told me he was making a short film, and I was skeptical at first, it felt like a whole new lane. But when I saw it, I thought, “Okay, this is solid.” We picked it for HollyShorts, and Netflix came on board.

That film ended up opening the festival. People loved it. It went from a personal pick to winning Best Live Action, an Oscar-qualifying category, and then got nominated for the Oscar. He lost to Wes Anderson, but it was a game-changer. I saw him the day of the Oscars, and he told me, “If we win, it’s because of HollyShorts.”

Another example is Skin, a short film version of a feature that came out at the same time, which is unheard of. We championed it, it won our festival, and Searchlight picked it up. It went all the way to winning the Oscar. That created pressure, and suddenly everyone wanted their Oscar moment. But it showed what’s possible.

We’ve also had inspiring moments with names like the Russo Brothers, Eli Roth, and the late David Lynch who even sent us a surreal Twin Peaks-style short to accept his award virtually. We were floored.

The point is, when you do something with love and intention, and build it year after year, it compounds. Like Warren Buffett says, it’s compound interest. You surround yourself with people you admire, do the work, and before you know it, you’ve built something meaningful. Every year we build a little bit of the bricks. You work on it and you have a crew, a team, people you really like and admire. And then before you know it, you have a puzzle, you know? But it takes good people and love and passion with it. If not, it's not gonna work.