I am a screenwriter and film director interested in exploring Latina girlhood and coming-of-age amidst great adversity. As a Chicana thrust into maturity at a young age, I found solace and hope in films about ordinary kids overcoming extraordinary challenges. Now, I write and direct stories that speak to this experience, often through a docu-fictional approach inspired by real-life tales of resilience from young people worldwide.

As a former multimedia journalist, I have directed and edited award-winning documentary shorts showcasing strong women facing adversity from Shelter Me, a film about homeless youth, to McHugh Takes Her Cue, a celebration of a blind music teacher’s remarkable impact. My debut narrative short, Acid Trip (2021), a dark comedy, screened at the 24 Risas Por Segundo Film Festival in Mexico City.

My latest short, Made in America (2025), an intimate portrait of a teenage migrant worker living alone in Los Angeles, is currently on the festival circuit, where it won Best Student Short at The Reel Champions Shorts Fest and Best Acting (Young Adult) for lead Jasmine Sunshine Muñoz at the MY HERO International Film Festival.