Steve Bachrach

Born in San Diego, California, not far from the international border, Steve Bachrach spoke Spanish and English as a child and began traveling extensively in México as a teen. This kick-started a love for the country and Latin@ culture that has become a central theme of his life and work. After studying Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, he went on to earn his M.F.A. in Film and Fine Arts from California Institute of the Arts. Soon after, he established a filmmaking program at Jefferson High School in South-Central Los Angeles, which produced 20 students' films screened at The Sundance Festival, numerous awards, and graduation and college entrance rates that rivaled those in the most affluent sections of L.A. During this same period, he maintained a residence in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, MX, collaborating on several media and education projects serving the region's indigenous Mayan population. Steve is a Feature Film Program Fellow of the Sundance Institute with "Pueblo Venenoso", a project sharing both protagonist and setting with his recent short film "Dogs & Tacos", the project that marked his return to full-time film work. Both projects are produced in collaboration with former students Abraham Osuna, Ceindy Mata, Carmela Perez, Blanca Perez, and Marlem Landa. To date, "Dogs & Tacos" has screened at over twenty film festivals in the U.S., Chile, México, Brazil, Colombia, and Germany, capturing several awards in the process.