Valeria A Avina
an award-winning queer + nonbinary film director, actor, clown, and voice coach from Durango, Mexico based in NYC. They teach voice at Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of Arts. Further, they’re the Regional Coordinator for Latin America at The Fitzmaurice Institute and a Pediatric Clown at Healthy Humor in New York City hospitals. Award recipient of: Best Film Noir at Flow Film Festival 2021 for “Do you Believe Me Now”, a short film focused on giving light to the feminicides in Mexico; Winner of The NYLFF 2022 for “Entre Guerra y Guerra, Afuera La Bicicleta,” a short story on kids repeating history through play; and Winner of The Late Night Competition at Series Fest 2023 for the pilot “One Million Girls”. Their latest film, Even in the Light (2024) shot in Mexico City is currently running festival circuits. The latter was semifinalist in 2022, 2023 and 2024 for PANO Microgrants. Valeria is a 2021 City Artist Corps Grant Recipient, 2021 NALIP Diverse Women in Media Forum Emerging Content Creators Scholarship Recipient, and 2023 Doreen Montalvo ‘Do It Anyway’ Scholarship Finalist.