Valeria Contreras

Valeria Contreras is a Mexican-American filmmaker pursuing an MFA in Film at Columbia University in the City of New York. Although she is an artist at heart, Valeria led binational policy projects and political campaign strategies alongside the U.S.-Mexico Border in her hometown of El Paso, Texas, prior to pursuing her love for film. This experience continues to inform her creative work today. Valeria is passionate about storytelling, with a special interest in narratives that highlight the experiences of individuals most impacted by policy decisions, in hopes of advancing social change. At Columbia University, Valeria has been awarded the Hobson/Lucas Foundation Award, the Katharina Otto-Bernstein Mentorship and Development Award, and the 3Pas Studios Production Award for Underrepresented Filmmakers. Her directorial short film debut titled "Homesick" has been selected for the Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase, El Paso Film Festival, New York Shorts International Film Festival, and Texas Short Film Festival. Valeria has produced several short films, including "No es mi nombre," filmed in Bogotá and Ibagué, Colombia. She is a Columbia Alumni Association Scholar. Valeria is also an entrepreneur and the founder of Valcon Comics, a small business specializing in the publication of bilingual, educational comics for kids. She is a graduate of The University of Chicago with an Honors degree in International Studies and a minor in Visual Arts. She is fluent in Spanish.