Written and directed by Evelyn Lorena, Gabriela follows a young undocumented Guatemalan woman who dreams of joining a country club swim team in the American South. Despite her single-minded determination, she is soon confronted by her overprotective mother’s fears, the limitations imposed by her economic and legal status, and her own self-judgment.
As Gabriela attempts to find a way around the systems that exclude her, Gabriela is propelled on a journey towards self-acceptance. The film stars Evelyn Lorena (The Resident), Maria Telón (of Golden Globe-nominated film La Llorona, and Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Viktor White (The Idea of You) and is produced by Maris Lidaka and Ottawa local Isabelle Boulton.
Writer and director Evelyn Lorena is a Guatemalan American actress and filmmaker. With Nouvelle Entertainment, her production collective, Evelyn has written and produced films that have premiered at high-profile festivals such as the Atlanta Film Festival, Outfest Los Angeles and FestivalRegard.
Gabriela is a was awarded the prestigious Latino Film Institute’s Indigenous Latino Fellowship, supported by Netflix and the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
More about Gabriela and its filmmakers:
- The water sequences were shot thanks to production assistance from EUE ScreenGem Studios.
- The film’s two lead actors are Indigenous Latino of Guatemalan descent.
- Gabriela is a recipient of the Cucalorus and Footcandle Film Grants, and won Best Short at the Cannes World Film Fest, along with the Talent Award at the LOMA Film Festival in Los Angeles.
- The film was also a Screencraft Finalist, and was a semi-finalist for the inaugural Creator’s Class sponsored by Michael B. Jordan and Outlier Society.
- The film was shot entirely on location in Wilmington, North Carolina, on the Arri Alexa LF.
- Gabriela has enjoyed a warm reception on the festival circuit, including screenings at the 2023 Riverrun International Film Festival, ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, Academy award qualifier Atlanta Film Festival, and at the New York Latino Film Festival.
Just before the December 2024 holiday break, I had the opportunity to connect with Evelyn to discuss this short film in more depth. Sharing our conversation with you here.
If you are in Canada you can stream Gabriela in French via Tele-Quebec starting January 15th through end of March.
For more information on Gabriela and where else to watch the film, visit gabrielashortfilm.com.
