PROGRAMS
2025-2026 FUTURO XR: 360° VIDEO LAB FELLOWS
Jimena Muhlia
Jimena Muhlia is a filmmaker with a background in theater, dance, and architecture. A graduate of the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC) in Mexico City (2013–2019), she has presented her films Evaporado (2017), La Caja China (2018), Lily <3 (2020), and Vacilaciones Cósmicas (2024) at festivals including FICUNAM, Palm Springs ShortFest, FICM, Brussels Short Film Festival, Zlín Film Festival, New York Latino Film Festival, Bogoshorts, FIDBA, Opavský páv International Short Film Festival, Guanajuato International Film Festival, Chicago Latino Film Festival, and San Diego Latino Film Festival, among others. Her work has received awards for Best Director and Best Short Film, among other honors.
She has participated in industry programs such as HBO’s Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today, Talents Guadalajara Co-Production Meetings (2021) with the feature project El Buzo, and Script Station (2023). Most recently, she took part in the “Taller de Cine” with the collective Invasión Cine and the diploma program Tránsitos de Creación Interdisciplinaria at CENART. She was also a co-founder of the Linterna Lab collective, where she worked from 2021 to 2025.
María Azellea Sánchez Ordóñez
María Azellea Sánchez Ordóñez is a filmmaker dedicated to showcasing moments of joy and whimsy through storytelling that celebrates culture and supports conservation efforts. Her first animated film, La Concha Mágica, debuted at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con Children’s Film Festival, where it was warmly received by audiences of all ages.
Following a conversation with a group of children who asked, “Can I create my stories into animation at home too?”, she was inspired to continue creating compelling narratives that empower and inspire the next generation of storytellers.
As a community leader, she has supported emerging creatives through educational initiatives and mentorship, and she is a charter member of LatinX in Animation. She is currently developing content that highlights community, nature, and marine conservation through her latest initiative, Juntos Veramos.
Maria de Jesus Mayo
Maria de Jesus Mayo is a documentary filmmaker, multimedia storyteller, and media arts educator who champions the visibility of BIPOC communities through a social justice lens. She is inspired by her roots in Oxnard, CA and the places she’s called home which have been Bronx, NY, South Los Angeles, and Mexico. She holds an MFA from the University of California Santa Cruz and is an alumnus of the New School Graduate Documentary Program and the University of Southern California. Her short film, La Lupita, premiered at Doc NYC and simi, a modern unconventional meditation on motherhood premiered at Academy Award Qualifying Festival Urbanworld in New York City. She recently completed a Media Arts Teaching Fellowship with the Los Angeles Community College District. She defines her artistry as exploring and illuminating the contradictions and tensions she experiences as a woman of color through art.
Miguel Ramirez
Miguel Ramirez is a Salvadoran American filmmaker from South Los Angeles, raised in a single-parent household by his father. Witnessing the challenges his family faced in their working environments, he found his form of resistance through writing. His work captures the dark, cruel, humorous, and absurd realities his family experienced as housekeepers, drivers, and food service workers.
Film and television became his outlet for sharing stories of family, prejudice, and class discrimination. His commitment to expanding the industry to include stories centered on communities of color and other underrepresented groups has informed his work at Lionsgate, Media Res for Apple TV+, and The Mission.
Miguel participated in the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Series Scriptwriters Program, sponsored by NBCUniversal and Netflix. He received a $25,000 grant from Dolby and Ghetto Film School to write and direct a short film about Los Angeles and was selected as a Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Fellow, where he wrote and directed a short exploring technology.
He worked as a writers’ assistant and script coordinator on the animated revival Everybody Still Hates Chris for Paramount+. Miguel is currently writing a comic for the Wildfire Relief Anthology: We Are Los Angeles, supporting those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. When he’s not channeling his “revenge” into storytelling, you can find him eating Korean food, reading ethnic studies, and calling out billionaires on social media.
Alejandro Palacios: Mentor
Alejandro Palacios is an artist and documentary filmmaker who works in interactive media design. He uses video, photography, and XR technologies to explore the nuances of human experiences, such as immigration and identity. Palacios has received numerous awards for his work and has been featured by several media outlets. He resides in Los Angeles, California, and continues pursuing his passion for documentary filmmaking and immersive storytelling.
