Cynthia is an award-winning film director and Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Denver College of Arts & Media. Her work spans various genres, from feature to half-hour documentaries, narrative films, and commercials. With a strong focus on social justice and community, her films have been recognized at some of the world’s top film festivals, including the San Antonio Film Festival, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, Seattle Latino Film Festival, the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, and Cannes Shorts.

Her most recent documentaries include Tepeyac: Legacy of Health (2025), an inspirational story about the transformation of a community health center—from its humble origins to being recognized by the highest ranks of government as a model of integrated healthcare for underserved populations and an example of how the most expensive healthcare system in the world can function more equitably and cost-effectively.

Upcoming films include The Art of Growth, about the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District, and Built with HeART, about the Colorado Creative Industries—both of which prove how sustained investment in art and culture has breathed new life into Colorado communities.

Cynthia’s recently released film Nothing Safer (2024), which was broadcast on RMPBS, follows incarcerated women who participate in a prison dog-training program, gaining skills, self-esteem, and income. In a society that often harshly judges those who have committed crimes, the film emphasizes the possibility of growth, redemption, and second chances.

Her documentary Fábrica de Arte Américas (2023), also broadcast on RMPBS, highlights a remarkable cultural venue recreated in Denver as part of the first Cities Summit of the Americas. The film features Grammy Award-winning musician X Alfonso, co-founder of Fábrica de Arte in Havana, and more than 100 other artists from across the Americas—from Canada to Chile. The project transformed Denver into a hub for arts, culture, and political dialogue. The film was honored as “Best Documentary Short” at the 30th San Antonio Film Festival.

Cynthia directed the feature-length documentary What’s a Cuban Doing in Colorado? (still in the works) and served as Pre-Production Co-Director on the Emmy-nominated film When Colorado Went Major League (2023).

What’s a Cuban Doing in Colorado? narrates the experiences of the Cuban diaspora in the U.S., reflecting on the struggles, opportunities, and obstacles Cubans face. Included is the story of Cuban children who participated in Operation Peter Pan during the 1960s, a program that saw over 14,000 unaccompanied children arrive in the U.S. from Cuba. Some were raised as orphans, and it took decades for many to reunite with their families. Colorado was one of the states that provided shelter.

The feature-length television documentary When Colorado Went Major League (2023) is a quarter-million-dollar production that tells the story of a baseball-loving community coming together to make its dream of a Major League Baseball team a reality, culminating in the 1993 arrival of the Colorado Rockies.

Cynthia also directed the film noir The Implausible (2021), which received a Silver Remi Award at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, was nominated for Best First-Time Filmmaker at Cannes Shorts, and was a finalist for Best Cinematography at the New York Istanbul Short Film Festival.

Before immigrating from Cuba to the U.S., Cynthia was a cinematographer for the short film La Huida (2018), where she ventured into stop-motion animation. La Huida combines puppet and cutout animation, allowing her to experiment with silhouette animation, inspired by Lotte Reiniger's work.

Cynthia’s film on the mistreatment of animals, Natural Selection (2016), was broadcast on Cuba’s national television, helping to change animal welfare policy in Cuba and receiving multiple international awards and nominations.

Cynthia holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Media Art from Emerson College and a Bachelor's in Film, Radio, and Television from the University of Arts in Havana, Cuba.

“Producing documentary films allows me to connect deeply with the communities I portray. My films have led to social change and created meaningful impact upon release, something I deeply value in my work.” – Cynthia