Breaking Borders: Co-Producing between the US, Latin America and Spain
Friday May 16th at PDC Center, Rm 1406
12:30pm – 1:30pm
The Panel
MODERATOR
Alejandro Pedemonte
Alejandro Pedemonte is an actor, producer, director, and screenwriter with over 20 years of experience in theater. He has appeared as an actor in television series such as Prison Break and Crash, and he is the founder of the first Spanish-language theater company in Austin, Texas.
His first short film, Loop (It’s a Matter of Time), earned him the Best Director Award at the LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival, was an official selection at the Sidewalk Film Festival, and competed in the narrative short film category at the 2024 Cine Las Américas International Film Festival.
He is currently developing Identidad, his debut feature film as a director and producer, a U.S.–Peru co-production written by acclaimed Argentine screenwriter Pablo del Teso (Crímenes de familia, La ira de Dios).
At the same time, Frank(o), his debut project as a screenwriter, is also in development. The project was selected for the 2025 Storylines Workshop at Cine Qua Non Lab.
Jess Gutierrez-Hefner
Jess is a Creative Producer with over 15 years experience in international co-production and development.
She was the supervising producer for Michel Franco’s film, April’s Daughter, winner of the Jury prize in the “Un Certain Regard” section of Cannes International Film Festival in 2017.
She worked on projects in Mexico such as Nosotros los Nobles (Warner Bros), Club de Cuervos (Netflix), Pulling Strings (Pantelion), Blacker than Night(Videocine) and in 2016, she was one of the producers of La Leyenda del Diamante (Corazon films) which was accepted into and shown at San Diego Comic Con International Film Festival in 2017.
From 2018 to 2019, she was Supervising Producer at 11:11 Film & TV, working on international series such as Rubirosa with the Dominican Republic, La Negociadora and Claramente for the streaming platforms ViX+ and Mexico’s Clarovideo.
At the end of 2021, she moved to Austin, where she has worked on various projects including the film Accidental Texan that premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival in 2023.
Nowadays, she is developing, packaging and seeking financing for various projects such as House in the Clouds (to be an international co-production between US and Mexico), the female-lead, latinx raunchy comedy film Why am I still Single? and the psychological thriller Doll House, produced in association with Banskota Productions, also exploring international co-production between the US and countries in South Asia, Latin America and Europe.
She currently sits on the Board of Directors for Women in Film & TV Austin as the Membership Chair and as of March 2025, she is the Supervising Producer for AEB/ All Entertainment Business.
Anna Carvalho
Anna Carvalho is a Luso-American award-winning actress, director, and producer with over 100 credits in film, television, and theatre—many of which have received prestigious awards and nominations.
Her directorial debut, Death Is The Place On Earth, premiered at the Cannes Short Film Corner with Global Women of Color in Film, earned international acclaim at numerous festivals, and is now distributed worldwide. She is also the co-creator of the multicultural music project One World, One People and the upcoming series Fragmentos de um Corpo(Fragments of a Body), currently in post-production.
Anna holds a Master’s in Acting & Performing Arts and a degree in Communication Sciences – Audiovisuals. She has completed advanced training in the USA, UK, and Europe, working with acclaimed professionals including Margie Haber, Marcia Haufrecht, and Teresa Vilaverde.
She has collaborated with renowned directors such as Pedro Costa, Alain Tanner, Augusto Fraga, and Erik Bernard. Her work is featured on Prime Video, Mubi, Apple TV, and other platforms.
As CEO of her award-winning production company Multeity, founded to unite artists from around the world, Anna is passionate about inclusive storytelling and global collaboration.
She is a proud member of the Portuguese Film Academy and has served as a jury/screener at festivals including IDTV Action Fest, International Film Festival Manhattan, Austin Film Festival, and this year’s Caorle Film Festival.
Guido Turtula
Argentinian director, screenwriter, producer, and script consultant based between Buenos Aires and Mexico City. He is currently working on EL ADIÓS, a Mexico-Chile-Argentina feature film with U.S. collaboration. In 2024, the project was selected for the Co-Production Meeting at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, where it received a special mention from CTT Rental.
He studied film directing at Universidad del Cine (FUC) and trained with well-known filmmakers including Juan José Campanella (The Secret in Their Eyes) and Fernando Castets (Son of the Bride). His short films Ay Viejito and What We Lost in the Sea have screened at several international festivals, and he has worked with actors such as Hugo Arana (The Official Story) and Fernando Contigiani García (Society of the Snow, Argentina, 1985).
He participated in the Script Revision Lab at Cine Qua Non Lab—a binational initiative (Mexico/USA) recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars®)—with the support of an Ibermedia grant, under the mentorship of legendary Mexican screenwriter Paz Alicia Garciadiego. He was also selected for their Storylines Lab, where he worked with Spanish screenwriter David Muñoz (The Devil’s Backbone). In 2022, he joined the Film Program at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, and in 2023 returned to Cine Qua Non Lab as a reader and academic assistant to Senel Paz (Strawberry and Chocolate) and Fernando Castets.
In parallel to his creative work, he collaborates as a script consultant with filmmakers across Latin America and the U.S., offering project development support and one-on-one mentorship.
Valeria Maldonado
Valeria Maldonado is a Mexican-American actress, writer, and producer whose work spans stage, screen, and voice acting, with a growing portfolio that reflects a commitment to bilingual, cross-cultural storytelling. Born in San Diego, California, and raised in Querétaro, Mexico, Maldonado’s upbringing bridges two national identities—a recurring theme in her creative work. Her career has encompassed roles in both American and Mexican media, from television series and films to live theater, as well as co-creating and starring in the independently produced feature Las Tres Sisters.
In the United States, she has appeared in a range of television series including Better Things, NCIS, Castle, Casual, and Single by 30. She also had recurring appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in sketch comedy segments. Maldonado’s film credits include Saving Paradise, where she starred opposite William Moseley, and her voice work contributed to the Academy Award-winning animated film Coco. In Mexico, her film work includes appearances in Así es la Suerte, Locos por la Herencia, El Efecto Tequila, En las Buenas y en las Malas, Travesía del Desierto, and Aquellos Ojos Verdes, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
Now based in Los Angeles, Maldonado remains active in both American and Mexican film industries, and is part of a growing generation of Latina artists working to expand the scope of how Latinx stories are told and who gets to tell them. With plans to continue creating original work and telling stories that reflect a broader spectrum of identity and experience, Maldonado’s career stands as a testament to the power of reinvention, resilience, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Valeria is 1/3 of the filmmaking team behind Tres Sisters represented at this years Conference along side Virginia Novello and Marta Cross.
To attend this panel, please purchase a Conference Badge.