Writer and Director

Maria is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. She has an MFA in Film & Video Writing-Directing from Columbia College Chicago and a BA in European Studies from UCLA. Maria received a Fulbright Grant to live in Ecuador and complete research for her feature script Girl with Child, about a teenage girl searching for a new home with her toddler. Maria’s short film of the same name won Best Short Short at Aspen Shortsfest and the Chicago Award at the Chicago International Film Festival. Maria was a 2018 Tribeca TFI Network Fellow, 2018 Film Independent Directing Lab Fellow, and 2016 Film Independent Screenwriting Lab fellow with Girl with Child. Maria has worked as a director and producer on documentaries, commercials, music and fashion videos, artist development labs, and the Webby-winning NBC/Snapchat digital series Face Forward.

Producer

A Colombia native, Luz attended Columbia College Chicago where she received a BA in Film and Video. Her works include several award winning short films and countless cross platform commercials for a multitude of brands, most notably the “Obama for America” 2008 presidential campaign, which received the Titanium and Integrated Lions Grand Prix award at Cannes. Luz is currently the Executive Producer at nationally acclaimed music and audio house, Comma. She has led the establishment of their Hispanic division, and is now spearheading efforts to ensure their library continues to grow nationally. Luz was a 2016 Film Independent Producing Lab fellow for Girl with Child.

Associate Producer

Lucía has worked in film in Ecuador since 2003 as a producer, assistant director, actor, and festival coordinator. Her projects include the short film “En Espera”, about an indigenous girl who works as a housekeeper to support her family, the documentary Labranza Oculta, about workers restoring a 17th-century building, the narrative feature Sin Otoño, Sin Primavera, about Guayaquil’s disenchanted youth, and the short film “Girl with Child”, about a lonely teenage girl traveling by bus with her toddler. Lucía has been a coordinator for the film festival Encuentros Del Otro Cine (EDOC) and the youth film festival Chulpicine. Lucía is also a member of the Corporación Juego en Escena theater company that creates interactive theater pieces to discuss topics such as machismo, domestic violence, and teen sexuality with audiences throughout Ecuador.

Co-producer

Off-Hollywood Films is a Mexico City and LA based production company that provides production services, equipment rentals, and tailored post. Off-Hollywood’s mission is to create stories with diverse voices that remind us that the world deserves better - better people, better thinking, and better content. General operations are overseen by producer Georgina Gonzalez, who is also the Head of Development at Cinépolis.

Team

We have a talented and experienced group of collaborators based in Ecuador, including production crew, camera, lighting, and sound crew, casting specialists, catering, and transportation. These team members have worked on international and local productions - films, TV, and commercials - that have screened around the world. We are confident that with this team we will have a successful shoot no matter the challenges and complete production on schedule and on budget.