DIRECTOR. FILMMAKER. STORYTELLER
I was born in the beautiful Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. My mother is German, my father is Panamanian, so I guess I am a Puertorrican mixed dog of sorts. I consider myself a universal citizen with very strong Puertorrican roots.
I went to a Jesuit High School in Puerto Rico and then studied a BA in Political Science at PRINCETON UNIVERSITY in New Jersey. I studied Law in Puerto Rico, and went in between to the New York Film Academy in 1996, where I got my first taste of Filmmaking. I finished my law degree in 1999 and left the next day to Germany to pursue my dream to become an artist and filmmaker. I never liked being a lawyer! I moved to Germany, studied fiction film direction and advertising direction at the renowned ACADEMY OF TELEVISION AND FILM of MUNICH (HFF MUNCHEN). There I shot fiction short films, ads, documentaries and my diploma short film "AURORA" (24 mins, fiction, anamorphic) which has won numerous prizes and is currently doing Festivals around the world.
For me, film is a way of expressing my ideas, and desires. It is a way of showing that I am "Alive and Kicking", as The Simple Minds would say. In terms of aesthetics, the filmmakers that influence my visual style the most are: Krysztof Kieslowski, Stanley Kubrick, David Fincher, Ridley Scott, Jonathan Glazer, Robin Kempe-Bergman, Chris Cunningham, Michael Mann, Zhang Yimou, Jacques Audiard, Julio Medem, Christopher Nolan and David Lynch. They are all great in their own kind of way.
I love sports: surfing, basketball, tennis and everything beach-related. My heroes: Kelly Slater, Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Muhammad Ali. And not to forget. I was born on an island, so the ocean is my second home. "See you in the water", as we say in Puerto Rico.

foto by JULIAN ERKSMEYER


Awards for "AURORA"












10th FICAIJ - AUDIOVISUAL FESTIVAL FOR KIDS & TEENS, MERIDA, VENEZUELA, NOV 2019
Best Short Film
FAN CHILE - Audiovisual Festival For Kids in SANTIAGO, CHILE, SEPT. 2019
Best Short Film Long Format
MOSCOW SHORTS 2019 MARCH
Best Director
Best Short Film
TAOBA International Youth Film Festival 2019
Winner Young Audience Award Best Short Film
QUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2019 FEBRUARY
Gold Winner Best Student Short
Gold Winner Best Cinematography
Gold Winner Best Music
Silver Winner Best Director
Silver Winner Best Young Actress
Bronze Winner Best Producer
MYRTLE BEACH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL MBIFF 2019
Best Cinematography (Bernd Effenberger)
First runner up Best Foreign Short Film.
RINCON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
RIFF 2019
Audience Choice Award
WORLDFEST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2018
REMMI Award
ESPELKAMP SPITZiale 2017
Silver Jury Prize Best Short Film