Lorena R. Valencia is a Mexican writer-director and producer based in New York. She holds an MFA in Film from the City College of New York and a BFA in Design and Visual Communication from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Her MFA thesis film Cuanacaquilitl (Dandelion, 2022) received the Best Short Film Award at the 16 Days 16 Films Film Festival, an Honorable Mention at the Highland Park Independent Film Festival, and the National Board of Review Student Award. Cuanacaquilitl is Official Selection in several international film festivals, including the Morelia International Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the Human Rights Arts & Film Festival, the New York Latino Film Festival, and the NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Film Festival. Lorena is a member of the New York Women in Film and TV organization (NYWIFT) and was a nominee for the 2021 BAFTA-NY Jeff Hunter Charitable Trust award. She was also part of the Emerging Content Creators Workshop at the NALIP Media Summit 2022.
Lorena is passionate about both narrative and documentary storytelling and is interested in addressing issues such as reproductive rights, identity, and belonging. Currently, Lorena is directing “Mi Ranchito,” a documentary short film that explores resilience and love for the land, while she develops her debut feature film "Mayahuel", project selected in the Taller de Lineas Argumentales 2024 (Storylines) at Cine Qua Non Lab.