LOMA Film Festival presented by LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 2025 Main Program

“Della” tells the story of two sisters, bonded and connected by a shared past of childhood trauma and abuse. Each having gone their separate ways, the sisters now confront their shared history and past with the tragic passing of their abusive, alcoholic mother. Della, a headstrong, angry fighter is triggered in the ring by an equally talented and antagonistic from the Latino fighting community. After the gloves touch, an unanticipated unleashing of past hurts derails Della’s projected victory.

Director Statement “Della” is my third short film installment. The story of these two estranged sisters that are bonded by their past childhood traumas really spoke to me. I was presented with the idea back in 2022 and really connected with the concept. I am grateful to have reached the finish line and eager to share with film lovers who appreciate cinema.

Director Biography – Alessandro Gentile

Alessandro Gentile is an award-winning director and cinematographer. His short film “Lodo” had its World Premiere at the Santa Barbara Int’l Film Festival in 2022 and has won five awards to date, including the Tim Burton Visionary Award for directing at the Burbank Int’l Film Festival. Most recently, Gentile participated as a cinematographer on the award-winning feature film, “Moon Garden” now screening in select theaters in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Gentile’s third short film “Della” has been completed and going out to film festivals nationwide for presentation in 2025. In 2012, Gentile shot the television pilot for the Emmy Award-winning series “Schitt’s Creek.” In 2014, he co-founded the Highland Park Independent Film Festival. In 2020, Gentile was acknowledged at the Brazil Int’l Independent Film Festival by receiving a Best Cinematography award for his cinematography work on the feature film “Trade” and has garnered two Telly Awards for innovation in youth education.

In the commercial world, Gentile has provided services to corporate clients such as Microsoft, BMW and Acura. He has a bachelor’s degree in Film Studies from UC Santa Barbara and studied cinematography at UCLA.

Last Words is a family drama/comedy centered around Melanie, who is struggling with the looming death of her grandfather. As their family gathers on his final day, her relatives, particularly her mother Isa, continually get in the way of Melanie saying her last words. As a peaceful, somber day becomes filled with chaos and tension, we follow the family as they navigate this loss, their resentments, and ultimately, their love for each other on what is easily the worst day of their lives.

Director Statement: In the past, I’ve shared my grandfather’s last words with friends who were grieving, hoping to connect with them. This is a deeply personal film. I hope that if this story can bring even a small smile to someone who’s grieving, it will have value for a wider audience.

Director Biography – Inez Franco

Inez Franco is a queer, Xicana filmmaker currently based in Long Beach, California. Although a native Angeleno, Inez likes to say she was raised in the backrooms of a now-defunct Blockbuster on Whittier Blvd that her mother once managed.

While at USC, Inez has made over 15 short films. She is currently working on her first feature-length script, LA ZORRA, a gender-bending, re-imaging of the legend of Zorro, and THE FIREKEEPER, a historic epic about an indigenous Yahgan boy who must canoe through Antarctic seas in search of an eternal flame.

Inez recently associate-produced a docuseries for Peacock about mental health in the Latiné community, titled A GREAT DAY WITH J BALVIN, and produced the short film WORK IT OUT, for Sundance-nominated director Jazmin Garcia. She also produces digital content for the North Korea Nuclear Update organization, led by professor Jim Walsh at MIT.

Inez obtained her undergraduate degree in Cinema Studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, with a minor in History. She has worked for various production companies and clients such as Spotify, Target, Interscope Records, and Remezcla. Her work at Zoe Saldaña’s digital media company BESE earned her a Webby nomination for an episode of web series FOLKSLORE.

CCC: Conflicted Cuties of Color A mockumentary following a secret society at an Unidentified Ivy League University created for students of color.

Director Statement: In a world where elite institutions hold sway over cultural narratives, CCC: Conflicted Cuties of Color dares to disrupt the status quo with humor, heart, and a healthy dose of satire. The world needs CCC now because representation matters, and satire has the power to provoke thought and spark change. By supporting this film, you’re championing diverse voices, breaking barriers, and proving that even the most exclusive spaces can’t silence stories that deserve to be heard.

Through the lens of comedy, CCC unpacks the privilege, legacy, and systemic challenges woven into Ivy League institutions—challenges that disproportionately impact BIPOC students and women+. It’s a story of navigating power structures, building community, and finding your voice in spaces not designed for you to thrive.

Director Biography – Roman Sanchez, Mikayla Stanley

Roman Sanchez and Mikayla Stanley met as M.F.A. candidates at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University and CCC: Conflicted Cuties of Color marks their seventh creative collaboration and first film!

Roman has worked for Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Teatro Espejo, Dell’Arte International, California State Summer School for the Arts, the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and countless other theatre non-profits as a producer, director, and educator. He is also an Herb Alpert Theatre recipient, Kennedy Center National Arts Impact Award recipient, and was one of American Theatre’s “6 Theatre Practitioners You Should Know”.

Mikayla has worked in collaboration with Ars Nova, La Mama, New Victory Theater, Dixon Place, Ritz Theater, Jungle Theater, the NYC Fringe Festival, Port Fringe, Minnesota Fringe, Cincinnati Fringe Festival, and others throughout the U.S. As co-artistic director of Hit The Lights! Company, she led over ten years of puppeteering, teaching, directing, and designing with diverse organizations such as the New York Botanical Garden, Vogue, New York University, Williams College, and Portland Stage Company.

Hullabaloo: The Curse of the Cheshire Cat A young aristocrat, who fancies herself to be a super-sleuth, attempts to apprehend the elusive cat-burglar known as “The Cheshire Cat”.

Director Biography – James Lopez

James Lopez is a former Disney animator who has been working as a professional in the animation industry for 35 years.

His credits at Disney include being a Lead Animator on films such as ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’ and ‘Hercules’ and as an animator on the character “Dr. Facilier” in ‘The Princess and the Frog’ and “Timon” in ‘The Lion King’.

He has also worked for studios such as Warner Bros., Dreamworks and Nickelodeon in both television and features and has performed a variety of positions that range from Directing, Storyboarding, Layout, Art Direction, Production Design and Character Design.

He is an alumni of CalArts where he has taught drawing and animation to inspire a new generation of artists.

Dear Nancy, Sincerely Addy An original story of a transgender man navigating life and eventually finding his higher self.
This is a personal narrative about a transgender man getting closure from his younger self, who was once named Nancy, and born female, she was a bit lost and unhappy until he reached another spiritual awaking. It’s a love story of their past self as he heals the wounds within. He has a new sense of life and self-love.

Director – Adriel Bernal

The Refugee: David Peña
Venezuelan refugee David Peña was welcomed by New York City with open arms, provided with safety and shelter at the Bellevue Hotel in August of 2022. One year later, he is being forced to evict from his shelter facing a winter without a roof. A mass influx of migrants have arrived in NYC following a series of protective sanctuary laws, overwhelming the city’s resources and promises. The city is facing a shelter management crisis and David is the collateral.

Director Statement

“El Refugio: David Peña” chronicles the human side of the shelter management crisis and highlights how the promises made to migrants like David are falling short as New York City struggles to manage its resources and protect those in need. Through this documentary, I aim to bring attention to the stories of individuals like David, capturing their resilience and the harsh realities they face. My work is rooted in empathy, aiming to shine a light on marginalized voices and the urgent social issues of our time with a goal to put a name & face to those used as political pawns.

Director Biography – Julia Elizabeth Mena

Julia E. Mena, known professionally as JEM, is a filmmaker and storyteller with a strong foundation in screenwriting and multimedia journalism. A recent graduate of New York University (NYU), she earned a double major in Dramatic Writing from the Tisch School of the Arts and Broadcast Journalism from the College of Arts & Sciences.

Julia’s passion for documentary filmmaking has driven her to explore complex, human-centered stories, particularly those that examine the intersections of culture, politics, and social issues. Her experience in video journalism, where she covered cultural events, local politics, and personal narratives, provided a foundation for her transition into documentary filmmaking.