Maria Valdez

Maria Valdez is a Guatemalan-born, California-raised, award-winning filmmaker. She was one of eighteen students selected into the prestigious UCLA film school and is a recent graduate of the MFA Writing/Directing program. She is also a Cal State University, Fullerton graduate, having received two B.A.’s, one in Journalism and the other in Cinema & Television Studies.

Maria is currently participating in two mentoring programs, Women in Film and Unlock Her Potential. She is a recipient of The Hollywood Foreign Press Association Directing Fellowship, The Gerald Hughes Comedy Directing Fellowship, the Verna Fields Fellowship, and The Motion Picture Association of America Award.

Maria has a great passion for storytelling, and her goal as a filmmaker is to tell stories that reflect the diversity of the human spirit; she wants to specialize in bringing human interest stories to life from the Latino perspective. She’s currently developing two other projects; Home and Empty Nesters. Her short comedy “Camping” is currently playing at several film festivals across the country.