Samara Pérez Santiago - Director & Executive Producer

Samara Pérez Santiago (they/she) is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and creative producer from Hatillo, Puerto Rico. They hold a B.A. in Psychology and a Film Studies Certificate from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, where their passion for filmmaking fully emerged. As a writer-director, Samara is guided by their own queer agenda, creating authentic LGBTQ+ stories for global audiences. Their short film “La espera” (2024) won Best Local Dark Comedy at the Lusca Film Festival and screened at festivals including the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF). Their documentary short “Hustleween”, about Black and Trans euphoria, won the Audience Award at NewFest and the Puerto Rico Queer Film Festival in 2025. As the co-founder and producer of the independent production company Filmes Casa, Samara has worked on award-winning films that have screened at festivals such as Tribeca, SXSW, AFI Fest, Outfest, and Inside Out, and have reached audiences through platforms including MUBI and PBS. At Filmes Casa, they lead a growing slate of narrative and documentary projects that tell bold, joyful, and authentic stories about life, love, and queerness.

Coralis Cruz González - Writer & Producer

Coralis Cruz González (she/her), lovingly known as Cora, is a writer and producer from Caguas, Puerto Rico. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Communication Research at the University of Puerto Rico. Her work explores memory, identity, and the tensions between the intimate and the social from a racial and gender perspective. Her first short story, “El beauty de Jenny,” was published in the digital magazine "Afroféminas", giving her international exposure. She developed audiovisual and oral history projects such as “Los Perfiles”, through Casa Comunitaria de Medios, where she also collaborates closely on community work and cultural management initiatives. As part of her development in film production, she participated in the Filmes Casa Producers’ Lab and the "La Residencia" project incubator in 2025. She has worked on theatrical productions and cultural events, including “Rito de Paso” at Puerto Rico's Museum of Contemporary Art and the "Cumbre Afro" at the University of Puerto Rico. She is currently focused on the creation and production of stories that intersect the personal, the political, and the spiritual.

Shakira A. Calderón - Producer

From Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Shakira Calderón (she/her) is a producer and production manager. She began her film education at a young age at Specialized School in Cinematography Cacique Agüeybaná Secundaria. Since then, she has been part of multiple audiovisual projects, including the Puerto Rican film “Receta no incluida” (“Without Prescription”), winner of the Audience Award at the SXSW in 2022. She worked as production manager on “Hasta que la celda nos separe” and “Extranjera” (“Foreigner”), an official selection of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in 2025. These projects were produced by Filmes Casa, an independent film production company she has been part of since 2019. She has also produced short films such as El Cuaderno, 2050 and Chulo.

Andrea Laguerra-Viera - Producer

Andrea Laguerra-Viera (she/her) is a producer, creative strategist, and cultural organizer born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a B.A. in Communication, specializing in Public Relations, Advertising, Audiovisual Production, and Business Communication. Since 2020, she has worked on cultural events, short films, documentaries, music videos, and feature films; consistently supporting a national cinema that reflects Puerto Rico’s stories and communities. She has also collaborated on community initiatives such as La Maraña and the program “Documentar la memoria” alongside Casa Pueblo and Puerto Rico’s Documentary Association, where she is currently a member and served on the Board of Directors in 2024. In 2025, she organized “La Sala de Productorxs” (Producers’ Lab) and “La Residencia”, intensive programs focused on the role and development of film producers, led by Filmes Casa, an independent film production company with which she collaborates as a coordinator since 2024.

Hery Colón Zayas - Associate Producer

Hery Colón Zayas (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist from southern Puerto Rico whose work exists at the intersection of audiovisual media, music, and community-based practice. His work explores memory, territory, and everyday narratives through a sensitive and critical lens. Through photography, film, rap, and community media, he develops creative processes that connect art and social justice. He is part of Casa Comunitaria de Medios, where he promotes cultural and educational projects aimed at amplifying the stories and experiences of communities. His practice is rooted in community, active listening and collaboration. 

Raúl Abner Samrah - Executive Producer

Raúl Abner Samrah (he/him) is a producer, creative strategist, and educator from Ciales, Puerto Rico, with experience in film, documentary, and digital media. He is the co-founder and executive producer of Filmes Casa, where he drives authentic storytelling through collaborative production models. His work includes producing and co-producing award-winning short and feature films screened at international festivals across more than 20 regions, including the United States, Latin America, Spain, and the Caribbean, with notable credits such as “Receta no incluída” (Audience Award – Global Category, SXSW, 2022) and the international co-production “Extranjera” (Mar del Plata International Film Festival, 2025). He has also worked on other formats, including production management for animation projects like Bad Bunny’s music video “KETU TeCRÉ”. In education and cultural management, he has taught film production at the secondary level at the Specialized School in Cinematography Cacique Agüeybaná Secundaria and at the undergraduate level at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. Raúl holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Film from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in Event Production and Marketing from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón.

Jeannice Mustafá López - Director of Photography

Jeannice Mustafá López (she/her) is a Puerto Rican cinematographer based in San Juan, with over a decade of experience across Puerto Rico and the United States. She studied at the University of Puerto Rico and earned an MFA in cinematography from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Her work spans narrative, documentary, and commercial projects, collaborating with artists like Bad Bunny, Ivy Queen, and Villano Antillano. She has served as director of photography on acclaimed short films like “La espera” and “Mara has Three Jobs in San Juan, Puerto Rico”, and her cinematography on “Pan de la esquina” earned her a Best Cinematography award at Puerto Rico’s European Film Festival - Cortadito Film Lab 2024. Her recent works as director of photography include the stand-up special “Nunca digas nunca” and the feature films “Hasta que la celda nos separe” and “Extranjera”.

Yarelmi Iglesias Vázquez - Sound Director

Yarelmi Iglesias Vázquez (Yare; they/them), is a Caribbean queer soundperson. They use sound and active listening to build a sonic world that contributes to the telling of authentic stories in film and audiovisual media such as: short films, feature films, documentaries, advertising, tv series, and more. Their work has been recognized at the PR Queer Film Festival and premiered in media platforms and film festivals such as: Telemundi, PBS, AJ+, NewFest LGBT+ Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Los Angeles Latino Film Festival, among others. Yarelmi holds a Diploma in Sound Art from Tsonami Arte Sonoro (Chile) and collaborates with the independent production company Filmes Casa.

Mario Fierro - Editor

Mario Fierro (he/him) is a Mexican-American film editor who earned his MFA from the AFI Conservatory in 2020. Born in Veracruz and raised in Denver, Mario is not one to wait for opportunities. He began his filmmaking journey as a personal camera operator for Cardi B, and after turning 30, he decided to focus exclusively on editing. Since then, he has edited several feature films, including “A Place in the Field”, which was acquired by Lionsgate, and “Party People”, which premiered at the 2024 Austin Film Festival. His latest short film, “Sweet Talkin' Guy”, had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

William Russell - Composer

William Russell (he/him) is a Puerto Rican composer, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and sound designer based in Puerto Rico. Raised in the Caribbean, he developed his musical foundation through fingerstyle guitar, blues, gospel, and boleros, later graduating from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico in 2019 with a concentration in Jazz, while expanding into music production and film scoring. His work blends acoustic and electronic elements, moving between minimalist and maximalist approaches to create emotionally driven soundscapes. He has collaborated with major networks and brands including Amazon Prime Video, Freeform, Hulu, Sephora, and Output, contributing to feature films, series, and documentaries under tight production timelines. He recently composed the original score for the short film “Recao”, shaping its emotional tone through a distinct and textured sonic palette.

Dana Kercadó - Production Designer

Dana began her training in Digital Cinematography, where she developed a sensitivity to forms, colors, and textures, understanding how each of these elements constructs a visual narrative. She is currently studying Architecture at the University of Puerto Rico, a field that complements this vision by incorporating constructive logic and the behavior of space into her creative process. She conceives each project as an opportunity to build spaces that captivate the eye and immerse the viewer in a story, translating the vision of a script into environments that can be explored, inhabited, and experienced. Her career includes Puerto Rican film productions such as La Pecera (2022) and Borealis (2026), among others; international projects such as Neon (2023) and La Otra (2026); and collaborations with renowned artists in the music and entertainment industries. In 2025, she received the Best Production Design award at "Cortadito Film Lab" from Festival de Cine Europeo de Puerto Rico. In addition to her work in film, she develops interior design and construction projects in Puerto Rico, including restaurants and commercial spaces, which she has overseen from concept to completion. This experience broadens her understanding of space and strengthens her ability to develop designs that not only work on camera but can also be built and realized.