Maria Valdez(III)

Maria Valdez is a Guatemalan-born, California-raised, award-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She was one of eighteen students selected into the prestigious UCLA film school and is a graduate of the MFA Writing/Directing program. She is also a graduate of Cal State University, Fullerton, having received two B.A.'s, one in Journalism and the other in Cinema & Television Studies.

She has extensive production experience in both film and television, having worked on such shows as The Latin Grammy's, The Kid's Choice Awards, David Copperfield's - Tornado of fire, Friend's or Lover's, and Man of the House. In addition, she has worked for various networks including ABC, CBS, FOX, USA, CMT and Nickelodeon.

Maria has been selected twice into the NALIP Producers Academy and is currently participating in two mentoring programs, Women in Film and Unlock Her Potential. She is a recipient of The Hollywood Foreign Press Association Directing Fellowship, The Gerald Hughes Comedy Directing Fellowship, Verna Fields Fellowship, and the Motion Picture Association of America Award.

Maria has a great passion for storytelling, and her goal as a filmmaker is to tell stories that reflect the diversity of the human spirit; she wants to specialize in bringing human interest stories to life from the Latino perspective. She's in development on two projects; Home and One More Day. Her short film comedy "Camping" is playing at several film festivals across the country.