2022 Inclusion Fellowship Fellows

Indigenous Latino cohort

William D. Caballero


William D. Caballero is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, multimedia storyteller, 2018 Guggenheim Fellow, and 2021 Creative Capital Award recipient. Born in Coney Island, New York and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Caballero obtained the Gates Millennium Scholarship in 2001, and returned to New York City where he graduated from Pratt Institute (BFA Digital Art, 2006, Minor in Art History ) and New York University (MA The Arts and Humanities in Education, 2008). Caballero’s directorial films have debuted at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, 2013 Slamdance Film Festival, the Museum of Modern Art, and on major networks, such as HBO, PBS, Univision, and World Channel. He aims to empower all diverse creatives to tell their own stories in their own unique voice.

Title of Project: Raúl Playing Game

Evelyn Lorena


Evelyn Lorena is an actress and filmmaker. With Nouvelle Entertainment, her production collective, Evelyn has written and produced films that have premiered at Academy Award qualifying festivals such as Outfest Los Angeles and the Cleveland International Film Festival. Evelyn has also directed short-form content and music videos for several Los Angeles recording artists, as well as a short for Outfest Fusion, which was awarded Best Short. Her online videos for a prominent Democratic Party Candidate went viral and caught the attention of thousands of viewers, including celebrities such as Rosario Dawson. Evelyn was also one the directing semi-finalists for the inaugural Brisk Creator's Class, sponsored by Michael B. Jordan and his company Outlier Society. She has also expanded into VR film with her latest short, “Thirteen”. Her series Crash Dance is currently being adapted for television and she is developing two feature film scripts. BFA: NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Title of Project: Gabriela

Nicole Mejía


Nicole Mejia's short films “I Am” and “Shades of Blue” were key in granting her the 2019 Audi Fellowship for Women, a full scholarship to the American Film Institute Directing Program, which she just graduated from. Nicole creates stories about the resilience of the human spirit through drama, thriller and magical realism. She is currently in post-production for her first feature A Place in the Field that was shot safely during the pandemic. Her AFI thesis film “My Life Stopped at 15” has recently started the festival circuit and won best film at the Official Latino Festival.

Title of Project: Mancha

Sebastián Rea


Sebastián Rea is an Ecuadorian-American filmmaker from New York City. After studying cinema and political science at SUNY Purchase College, he served as content manager for Tribeca Enterprises for 7 years, overseeing digital content across the festival, on-demand, and digital studios. His comedic short film, “Ruta Viva”, based on his family in Ecuador was picked up by HBO and his other short, “Skin”, about a gay man coming to terms with his weight, can be streamed on HereTV. He was selected as a fellow of the Industry Academy and Artist Academy at Film at Lincoln Center in 2019. He is also the founder of the 30 UNDER 30 Film Festival, which screens 30 films from 30 directors under 30 years old. He is a mentor for the Smithsonian Institute Latino Center's Young Ambassador Program, as well as a Council of Urban Professionals Fellow.

Title of Project: Heritage

Kristi Uribes


Kristi was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. As an only child, her babysitter was often films and TV shows that whisked her off on adventures. While attending UC Davis, she realized she could make her own films and adventures. She continued to make films while at USC's School of Cinematic Arts where she received an MFA in Film and Television Production. After graduating from USC in 2011, Kristi worked in various positions in film and television, including on TV shows for Sony, ABC and Marvel. Kristi is currently living in Los Angeles with her Fiancé Josh and bossy cat Daisy Mae.

Title of Project: The Record

Afro Latino cohort

Elyssa Aquino


Elyssa Aquino is a Dominican filmmaker, born and raised in the Bronx, who celebrates Latina female-driven Dramedy. She enjoys exploring political and social conversations with a comedic twist. As a Director, her narrative film "Secadora" has gained the attention of Popsugar Magazine and Inwood Film Festival. Alongside her narrative work, Elyssa has filmed celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Kevin Hart, Issa Rae, and Maluma for Men’s Health and Esquire Magazine. Elyssa’s vision is to empower women of color in front and behind the camera.

Title of Project: Somos de Aquí

Jeanette Dilone


Jeanette Dilone is an actor, writer, and director, born and raised in Washington Heights, New York City. Since graduating from Columbia University, her acting work has spanned television, film, theater, commercials and new media. She made her directorial debut with the short film, "Return," which she also wrote and produced. It premiered at the NY Shorts International Film Festival and was acquired by Shorts TV. Her second short, "Rizo", which she wrote, produced and directed, premiered at LALIFF. “Rizo” won the 2020 HBO Latinx Short Film Competition and is now available to stream on HBOMax.

Title of Project: Hoar

Gabriella A. Moses


Gabriella A. Moses is a director, writer, and production designer based in Brooklyn, NY. She is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Her production design work has been featured across top film festivals across the globe including Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca and SXSW. Gabriella has been a Hispanic Coalition of NY Rising Latino Stars and a Shadow Director for the ABC Diversity Showcase. Gabriella is currently developing her debut feature Leche, which has received support from the Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Lab, the NYWIFT "From Script to Pre-Production" Workshop, Sundance Screenwriter's Intensive, Tribeca Film Institute All Access Lab, Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund program and IFP No Borders Program. She has most recently been a Tribeca and Chanel Through Her Lens fellow. She believes in sharing stories with underrepresented protagonists that test viewer’s perceptions of identity and their imaginations.

Title of Project: Sin Raíces

Alexis C. García


Alexis Garcia is a writer, director and proud Afro Boricua whose work has spanned both TV and digital. She was the voice of Pero Like, working behind the scenes for the brand as its content strategist before becoming the creator and showrunner of its Webby Award winning series, Mi Quinceañera Come True. Through her previous work at Univision’s Flama and current work as Supervising Producer for Pero Like, Alexis has honed an expertise in Latinx audiences & storytelling across multiple platforms, and is passionate about driving critical conversations that inform and uplift the Latinx community.

Title of Project: Daughter of the Sea

Eli Vazquez


Eli Vazquez is a proud afro-Mexi-Rican, hailing from Chicago, IL. After disappointing his mother who wanted him to be a priest, Eli went on to become a filmmaker, writer, and digital storyteller. Eli is a writer/producer for BuzzFeed’s Latinx digital brand Pero Like, generating over 500 million views online through his video work and director of his own digital production company Hype Media House which focuses on uplifting and creating more BIPOC stories on screen. In 2018 he became a fellow in the HOLA Mexico Film Festivals, Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today program and recently was chosen as a NHMC's Writer Fellow. Eli’s projects have been seen at such festivals as the Chicago International Latino Film Festival, Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, and most recently nominated for multiple awards at the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival.

Title of Project: Bodies Will Tumble and Roll