Lauren Flores

Born in Ruidoso, New Mexico, Lauren found solace and purpose through feminism, creative fulfillment through theater and ballet, and shared her voice by penning personal essays and short stories. Eventually, these various interests collided when she entered college. She was accepted into New Mexico State University’s Digital Film Making program, where she found that she was able to nurture each of her creative and personal ideals through film by producing and writing films from interesting and marginalized perspectives.

Lauren’s film, Clara Luz, will explore one young woman’s journey to redefine her artistic expression after an unexpected change to a fundamental part of herself - her eyesight. Likewise, our personal identities undergo consistent revisions based on our experiences.

Micaela Burgess

Micaela “Mica” Burgess is primarily a fiction writer from El Paso, Texas. Previously she's written an unpublished novella titled Los Invisibles, and Everything is Blue is her first short film. She is currently working on her MFA in Creative Writing at American University and hopes to continue writing for both the page and the screen.

Film synopsis: A young art curator discovers, to her horror, that she can only see the color blue.

Alejandra Arragon

Alejandra Aragon is a filmmaker from Ciudad Juárez, México. She was part of the Photography Production Seminar of Centro de la Imagen from México City in 2017. Between 2013-2020 she participated in several group exhibitions throughout North America and Europe. Her documentary film Invisible Nights was part of the "Coordenadas" program of the Ambulante Film Festival in 2018. In 2019 she was awarded the Mexican Arts Grant (FONCA) as well as production support for her documentary film Disrupted Borders from the Tribeca Film Institute If/Then Program. She was a member of the 2020 Joop Swart Masterclass of World Press Photo. Through a multidisciplinary process using video, audio, photography, performative strategies and found images, her work explores the intersections between gender, territory, and identity from a de-colonial intersectional perspective. Her short film, Skatas, is a story about two girls who go on an adventure across the border city of Juárez to reach a safe place to skateboard and explore life.

Persia Campbell

Persia Campbell’s photographic work explores female self-representation through color and production design. She works with stage design to reconstruct and represent the intimate border and Norteno aesthetic. Persia Campbell has a degree in Visual Arts with a specialty in Digital Media (Photography and Video) from the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. She has trained in Art Direction with designer Salvador Parra through a workshop at the Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematográficos (CUEC) at UNAM. She concluded her Master's studies in the Creative Processes in Art and Design in 2018. Her short film Con Vista al Río focuses on the frustrations of a rebellious border teen that lead him and his younger sister into grave danger, right along the wall that divides Mexico with the United States.

Alicia Fernández

Alicia Fernández is a photojournalist, audiovisual producer and documentary maker from Juarez, she was part of the El Diario de Juárez team that was awarded the María Moors Cabot Prize in 2011. Her images and visual reports have appeared in media from Mexico, Asia, Europe and the United States. She has been a multimedia producer and editor of the audiovisual team of the Spanish newspaper El País in its Latin American version. She is a digital media manager and consultant as well as a fellow and contributor to the International Women in the Media Foundation (IWMF) and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) through the Border Hub project. Among her latest collaborations is the podcast 'The Red Note', where she worked as a researcher and interviewer.

Ethiene Dali

Molded by the busy yet beautiful Mexico city, Ethiene Dali’s passion for writing spawned from the inability to express.themselves. At age 10, they wrote their first Children’s book. Traveling the world and moving to la frontera rebirthed Ethiene’s love for storytelling. Unable to communicate with people because of the language and culture barrier, Ethiene decided to use film as a way to communicate with people and reconnect with their own culture. Their short script, Nobody's Got Time for You, is about a middle-aged Mexican food cart owner who is forced to cross the border in order to protect her dogs from being put down. Ethiene now works as an independent Filmmaker in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Maria Del Rosario Perez

Meet Maria del Rosario Perez, our official 2021 El Paso Screenwriting Grant Recipient! Maria is receiving support for her short script, The Tornillo Collective, a documentary highlighting the collective and creative process of women of color as they address the issue of human rights, social justice, and the detention of unaccompanied minors, and separations of families by the US government as they attempt to seek asylum while fleeing from the poverty, violence, and injustice in their various homelands south of Mexico.

Ryan Rox

Ryan (they/them) is a queer, non-binary filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. They were born and raised in El Paso, Texas, but currently reside in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Their debut film, “Crawl,” recently concluded a successful festival run, where it won the Gold Award for Best New Mexico Short at the 2021 Albuquerque Mindfield Film Festival.

Their new short film, “Shipping Them” tells the story of a non-binary day-dreamer who pines for the life of the girl next door, but soon finds out the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. ✨

¡Conoce a Ryan Rox, destinatarix de la beca de Producción Cinematográfica del 2022!

Ryan (elle) es cineasta, guionista y actxr queer, no binario. Nació y creció en El Paso, Texas, pero actualmente vive en Las Cruces, Nuevo México. Su película de debut, "Crawl," recientemente concluyó un exitoso recorrido en festivales, donde ganó el Premio de Oro al Mejor Cortometraje de Nuevo México en el Albuquerque Mindfield Film Festival 2021.

Su nuevo cortometraje, “Shipping Them” cuenta la historia de un soñadxr no binario que suspira por la vida del tropo de la chica de al lado, pero pronto descubre que el paso no siempre es más verde del otro lado.

Ciela Ávila

Meet Ciela Avila, 2022 Filmmaking Grant recipient!

Ciela Ávila was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (1997), she is a journalist, dreamer, photographer and storyteller.

Don Efraín Delgado is the last member of a family line dedicated to the two most important cultural traditions of Temósachic, Chihuahua: The artisanal production of the sotol and northern band music. On his ranch "La Ciénega", a space that seems suspended in time on the banks of the Papigochi River, he works to maintain the identity and traditions of his people against the passage of time, migration and cultural syncretism.

¡Conoce a Ciela Ávila, destinataria de la beca de cine de 2022!

Ciela Ávila nació en Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (1997), es periodista-soñadora, fotógrafa y contadora de historias.

Don Efraín Delgado es el último miembro de una línea familiar dedicada a las dos tradiciones culturales más importantes de Temósachic, Chihuahua: la producción artesanal de sotol y la música de banda norteña. En su rancho “La Ciénega”, un espacio que parece suspendido en el tiempo a orillas del río Papigochi, trabaja para mantener la identidad y tradiciones de su pueblo, aún en contra del paso del tiempo, la migración y el sincretismo cultural.

Bella Luna

Bella (pronounced Beya) is a single mother to a beautiful 3 month old baby named Azul. She has written and directed several short films and music videos. In her spare time, Bella enjoys time with family and friends, playing video games, and hosting get-togethers.

Her film, Sabor is a very special and personal piece that is based on Bella’s lived experiences. Two people find friendship amidst their love for alcohol and partying. The main character must learn how to navigate the new friendship while resisting temptation.

Bella hopes to inspire and provoke conversation with this story regarding alcohol abuse and the importance of centering relationships with friends/community.

¡Conoce a Bella Luna, destinataria de la beca para la escritura de guión de 2022!

Bella es una madre soltera de un bebe hermoso de tres meses que su nombre es Azul. Ha escrito y dirigido varios cortometrajes y videos musicales. En su tiempo libre, Bella disfruta del tiempo con su familia y amigos, juega videojuegos y organiza reuniones.

Sabor es una pieza muy especial y personal que se basa en las experiencias vividas por Bella. Dos personas encuentran amistad en medio de su amor por el alcohol y la fiesta. El personaje principal debe aprender a navegar por la nueva amistad mientras resiste la tentación.

Bella espera inspirar y provocar una conversación con esta historia sobre el abuso del alcohol y la importancia de centrar las relaciones con amigos/comunidad.

Verónica Palafox

Meet Verónica Palafox, 2022 screenwriting grant recipient!

Verónica Palafox was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco where she studied Communications. Fifteen years ago, destiny brought her to this border. Her journalism specializes in giving a voice and presence to women’s stories. Seven years ago, Veronica began to write literature and five years ago, she entered cinema. Her life is to communicate and she wants to keep it so.

In her short film "Bailarina", the mirror tells us about Alicia, a woman with Alzheimers who has lived for dance. Her reflection allows us to get closer to her memories and the way she perceives herself, lost between forgetfulness and confusion. To look into Alicia's mirror is to find her, to feel her, before the Alzheimer's erases her completely.

¡Conoce a Veronica Palafox, destinataría de la beca de escritura de guion 2022!

Verónica Palafox nació en Guadalajara, Jalisco donde estudió Ciencias y Técnicas de la Comunicación. Hace 15 años, el destino la trajo a esta frontera. Su periodismo se ha especializado en darle voz y presencia a lo femenino.Hace 7 años, Veronica empezó a escribir literatura y hace 5, se adentro al cine. Su vida es comunicar y desea que así siga siendo.

En su cortometraje “Bailarina”, el espejo nos habla de Alicia, una mujer con Alzheimer quien ha vivido por la danza. Su reflejo nos permite acercarnos a sus recuerdos y a la forma en que se percibe a sí misma, perdida entre olvidos y confusiones. Mirar dentro del espejo de Alicia es encontrarla, sentirla, antes de que su Alzheimer la borre por completo.