Sofia Yepes isn’t just stepping onto the screen in the gripping neo-thriller “The Low End Theory”— she’s the driving force behind it.

This Colombian talent has masterfully woven her creative threads as co-writer, producer, and the compelling lead, Rachel Pacheco. She plays a traumatized veteran navigating the dangerous world of money laundering while stealing from her drug-dealer boss. Now available for streaming through In The Black Network’s new Latino division, the film is an official selection of the New York Latino division, New York Latino Film Festival, NVISION Latino Film Festival, and GuadaLAjara Film Festival 2024.

In an exclusive interview with Modern Muze, Yepes shares her multifaceted involvement and unique perspective on the film’s intricate storytelling.

1. You wear multiple hats as co-writer, producer, and actor in “The Low End Theory.” How did juggling these roles influence your creative process and approach to storytelling?

Wow, it’s been incredibly humbling to realize just how much I didn’t know about this industry. Coming in as an actor, my focus was always on being the best possible performer I could be—studying the craft, understanding the business, and equipping myself with the right tools to succeed. But once I stepped into producing and co-writing a feature, I had to approach those roles with the same dedication, but also with entirely different skill sets.

Each role—actor, writer, producer—requires care, passion, and a whole lot of responsibility. And what I’ve learned is that while they work independently, they also need to function in harmony. Understanding how each piece fits into the bigger picture has completely shifted the way I approach the creative process.

Now, the order of how I do things has changed. So has my vision. I no longer just think about the role or the script—I think about the future of the piece. How do we build something sustainable from day one? How do we set it up for success before the cameras even roll? Wearing all these hats has taught me to zoom out—to think bigger, plan smarter, and lead with intention. 

2. Your character, Raquel Pacheco, is complex and layered. What drew you to this role, and how did you prepare to embody her journey?

Thank you. What drew me to Raquel was her moral dilemma—this tug-of-war between right and wrong. It’s easy to believe things are black and white… until you’re the one faced with a choice. And suddenly, both options have strong arguments for why they’re right—and why they’re wrong.

I’m always drawn to stories that explore consequences, because they’re part of our everyday lives. And as an actor, I love diving into the psyche—what drives a person, how they justify their choices, how they carry the weight of them.

In preparing for Raquel, I broke down her backstory and built out a personal history for every layer of her. I researched each part of her life to fully understand who she is and what shaped her. For example, Raquel is a military veteran, and I had no real insight into what it’s like to go to war, or what it means to be a woman in the military. So I reached out, I asked questions, I listened to people who lived that experience, and then I folded those insights into the story I had built for her.

I approached every part of Raquel like that—curious, committed, and deeply focused on honoring the complexity of who she is.

3. The film brings important representation to the screen, highlighting queer identities, Latinx artists, and single mothers. How does it contribute to shifting narratives in the industry?

Gosh, I know it sounds cliché to say this—but representation really does matter.

It’s vital for younger generations, and honestly, every generation can benefit from seeing themselves reflected in a variety of characters on screen. It can be empowering, revelatory, healing—even a way to process pain or shame—especially when the character looks like you, loves like you, or lives like you. That kind of connection? It’s powerful.

With The Low End Theory, it was important to us to create a genre film—one that stood up next to the neo-noirs we grew up loving—but one that just happened to center queer folks and Latino artists. We didn’t want to make a film about being queer or about being Latino—we wanted to tell a gripping, stylish story and let those identities live inside it naturally, just like they do in real life.

And that commitment to representation didn’t stop with the cast. Behind the scenes, we were intentional about our crew and department heads. The Low End Theory was built by a team led by queer, Latinx, and women-identifying creatives. It wasn’t just diversity for the sake of optics—it was about bringing in people with lived experience, perspective, and the creative power to shape something truly authentic.

We don’t move through the world constantly explaining our culture or our queerness—and we didn’t want to do that in this film either. The story itself was the star. The identities of the characters and the team behind the camera? They’re just part of the world—present, complex, and unapologetically there.

4. Being part of major film festivals like the New York Latino Film Festival and winning ‘Best Ensemble Cast’ is an incredible achievement. What has the festival journey meant for you and the film’s impact?

The festival journey is something indie filmmakers talk about for years—but to be honest, before this, I didn’t really get it. I knew it helped with visibility, sure, but I didn’t fully understand the magic of it until we took our little baby—The Low End Theory—on the road.

Now? I get it.

First, you’re surrounded by people who completely understand the journey you’ve just been through. The years of work, the sacrifices, the emotional rollercoaster of getting a film made. There’s a deep, almost instant bonding that happens with other filmmakers—because they’ve lived it too. You might even realize your next producing partner or collaborator is sitting right next to you in the audience.

Second, festivals are your moment to celebrate—with your cast, your crew, your creative family. After working so hard together, this is the time you get to actually sit back, watch it with an audience, and feel the impact. That kind of energy is electrifying. It fills you up. And it gives you the excitement and strength to keep pushing your film forward.

It’s a reminder of why we do this—and that we’re not doing it alone.
I’m especially grateful to my Low End Theory family—we really built something beautiful, and getting to celebrate it together has meant everything.

5.  With “The Low End Theory” now streaming what do you hope audiences take away from the film?

I hope it wrecks them a little. I hope it makes them sit with the ugly parts of themselves—the parts that would do things they swore they’d never do if they were scared enough, broke enough, cornered enough.

Because that’s what this film is about. It’s about surviving in a world that doesn’t give you easy choices. It’s about carrying shame, rage, guilt—and still waking up and trying to keep going. Raquel isn’t a hero or a villain. She’s just human. Messy, flawed, trying.

I want people to stop seeing everything in black and white. To stop acting like people are either good or bad, right or wrong. Life doesn’t work like that—and neither does this story.

And I want people—especially queer people, Latinos, single moms, anyone who’s ever been made to feel invisible—to feel like they exist in this world. Not as a headline or a side character or a statistic. As the damn lead.

If someone walks out of that theater feeling uncomfortable, cracked open, or simply a little more compassionate… then we did what we came to do.