Ernestina Juarez received a B.A. degree from Texas A&M University at Kingsville, a M.A. from Texas State University in San Marcos and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Tina's screenplay on the birth of the Republic of Mexico, THE BANNER, was a semifinalist in the 2024 Academy Nicholl Screenplay Competition. It was a finalist in the 2026 Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition, the 2025 Final Draft Big Break Screenplay Competition, the 2023 Golden Script Screenplay Competition (Scotland), the 2023 Filmmatic Screenplay Awards, the 2023 Screenwriter's Network Screenplay Competition (United Kingdom) and the 2023 Faith in Films Screenplay Competition. It was the First-Place winner of the 2024 Hispanic International Film Festival Screenplay Competition, the 2024 Chicago Script Awards and the 2025 Feature Category of the 2025 New York Scripts Awards.
Tina’s screenplay on the Mexican American War, LABYRINTH OF DESTINY, was a finalist in the 2018 Academy Nicholl Fellowship Screenwriting Competition, the 2020 Final Draft Big Break Screenplay Competition (Diversity Category), the 2021 Golden Script Competition (Scotland), the 2022 Vail Film Festival Screenplay contest, the 2023 Screenwriter's Network International Screenplay Competition (United Kingdom) and the 2023 Dallas International Screenwriting Competition.
Tina’s script SOUTH WIND COME, a contemporary supernatural thriller inspired by the poetry of the 16th century Spanish mystic San Juan de la Cruz, was a finalist in the 2024 Page International Screenplay Competition and the 2024 Hispanic International Film Festival Screenplay Competition. It was a semifinalist in the 2024 Austin Film Festival Screenplay contest.