Lorena Valencia

Lorena R. Valencia is a Mexican writer-director based in New York. Her MFA thesis film Cuanacaquilitl (Dandelion, 2022) received several awards, including the 2022 National Board of Review Student Award, the Best Short Film Award at the 16 Days 16 Films Film Festival, and an Honorific Mention at the Highland Park Independent Film Festival. The narrative short film is also an Official Selection at several international film festivals, including the Morelia International Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the New York Latino Film Festival, and the NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Film Festival. Lorena is also a member of the New York Women in Film and TV organization (NYWIFT) and was a nominee for the 2021 BAFTA-NY Jeff Hunter Charitable Trust award as well as a recipient of the 2020 Dr. David M. Milch Foundation award and the 2021 Bert Saperstein Communication award. Lorena is passionate about both narrative and documentary storytelling and is interested in addressing issues such as reproductive rights, identity, and sense of belonging. Currently, Lorena is directing “Mi Ranchito,” a documentary short film that explores resilience and love for the land, while she is developing her debut feature film, "Mayahuel."