Felix Martiz was born and raised in South Los Angeles. His tight bond with his community is what inspires him to write and direct films. Exposed to international cinema at a young age, films like The Red Balloon and films from the Italian Neo-Realism movement, showed him that films could come from anywhere, not just a studio. With over a dozen short films to his credit, Felix has screened at festivals across the country and won awards such as a New York Latino Film Festival Best Episodic Award for his film “Gone” (2021). Filmmaking is a passion that he believes can empower the youth of tomorrow. As an educator with a Master of Fine Arts degree from Mount St. Mary’s College, he mentors for the Youth Cinema Project in addition to volunteering for other youth organizations.