Emil Gallardo is an Oscar-qualifying Mexican-American writer/director from Los Angeles. His first short 1, 2, 3, ALL EYES ON ME won the Grand Prix at HollyShorts. Emil was also honored with Panavision's Future Filmmaker award and selected as an HBO Directing Fellow. He has been recognized for his ability to tell evocative stories that stand out for their authenticity and willingness to confront uncomfortable truths. Emil's latest film, EXIT FEE is no exception.

The success he had on his first festival run was a surprise with 1, 2, 3, ALL EYES ON ME winning the Grand Prix Best Film award at HollyShorts, a Jury Award at the Austin film festival, Best Short at the NY Latino Film Festival and being nominated for a John Singleton Impact Award.

Emil's excited to be back with EXIT FEE, a short that challenges misconceptions about sex trafficking.