Aurora Guerrero facts for kids

Aurora Guerrero is a talented writer and director from California. She is known for telling stories that show the lives of people from diverse backgrounds, especially those who are working-class and people of color.

About Aurora Guerrero

Her Early Life and Education

Aurora Guerrero was born in the Mission District of San Francisco, California. Her parents were immigrants from Mexico. She grew up near the cities of Richmond and El Cerrito. During her childhood, she also helped out at her parents' small Mexican restaurant in Berkeley.

Aurora went to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she studied Psychology and Chicano studies, earning a bachelor's degree. Later, she moved to Los Angeles to study directing. She attended California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, California, where she earned a master's degree.

Her Film Career and Projects

Early in her career, Aurora helped start a group called Womyn Image Makers (WIM). She worked with Dalila Mendez, Maritza Alvarez, and Claudia Mercado. In 2005, as part of WIM, she directed a short film called Pura Lengua. This film was shown at the famous Sundance Film Festival.

Her second short film, Viernes Girl, won a competition in 2005. Both films got attention from major film groups. Aurora also worked as an assistant director for Patricia Cardoso on her film Real Women Have Curves. This film won an award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002.

In 2005, Aurora was chosen as a Sundance Institute film fellow. This program helps new filmmakers. While there, she worked on the script for her film Mosquita y Mari.

Mosquita y Mari and Its Impact

In 2012, Aurora Guerrero's first full-length movie, Mosquita y Mari, was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. This was a big moment because she was the first Chicana filmmaker to have a feature film debut at Sundance after being a fellow there.

Mosquita y Mari was shown at over 100 film festivals around the world. It won many awards, including Best First Feature at Outfest. It also received nominations for other important awards. Aurora said she felt a strong connection to the story in Mosquita y Mari. She wanted to show what it was like to explore who you are when you are young. She felt that early friendships can really shape you.

Future Projects and TV Work

In 2014, Aurora announced her next film, Los Valientes. This movie is about a young Latino man living in the U.S. who does not have legal documents. Los Valientes has received grants and was chosen for special film markets.

Most of Aurora's films have been set in California, especially the San Francisco Bay Area where she grew up. However, she also directed an episode of the TV show Queen Sugar. This show is set in Louisiana, which was her first project outside of California.

In 2017, Aurora directed an episode of Queen Sugar called "What Do I Care for Morning." The show's producer, Ava DuVernay, chose Aurora because of her work on Mosquita y Mari. DuVernay felt Aurora was great at showing deep connections between people. This was perfect for Queen Sugar, a show about family and relationships.

Later, Ava DuVernay suggested Aurora to Lin-Manuel Miranda. This led to Aurora directing the music video for Andra Day's song "Burn" from The Hamilton Mixtape.

What Inspires Her Work

Aurora Guerrero has shared what inspires her. In a blog post from 2011, she wrote that her first inspirations were writers. These were feminist writers of color like Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Angela Davis. She discovered their powerful books in college. She said their work planted a "fierce creative seed" in her. Her films often show the experiences of Chicana women, which sometimes reflect her own life.

In an interview in 2012, Aurora talked about how important it is to help Latino artists, especially women and young people, get involved in filmmaking. She wants to create a community of artists, something she wished she had when she was younger. She also believes it's important to be active in politics and cultural movements.

Awards and nominations

Filmography

See also

• List of female film and television directors
• List of lesbian filmmakers
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women