Laura Perez

Laura is an award-winning filmmaker known for her strategic and intentional approach to cultural storytelling that boldly uplifts and authentically represents marginalized communities. A third-generation Mexican-American raised near the Texas-Mexico border, she blends lived experience, cultural fluency, and creative insight to develop stories that resonate across audiences while honoring their roots.


She wrote and produced Harvest of Redemption, one of the first nationally distributed bilingual feature films (shot for $25k), which won Best Foreign Feature at the International Family Film Festival in Hollywood and secured distribution in both the U.S. and Mexico. Her directorial debut, The Place in Between—a raw, intimate portrait of motherhood through the lens of women of color, was produced by an all-female team, and won Best Narrative Feature at the 2025 Miami Women’s Film Festival. The film is slated for commercial release in 2026.


Laura is currently directing American Orange, a groundbreaking environmental justice documentary that exposes the covert production of Agent Orange in a Latino border community during the Vietnam War – home to the most contaminated man on the planet. The project, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, reflects her commitment to telling overlooked cultural stories with clarity and impact. She is also producing the upcoming indie feature Why Am I Still Single, a sharp, genre-defying film that challenges social norms around women and dating through a culturally nuanced lens.


A passionate advocate for emerging voices, Laura has judged major screenplay competitions including Final Draft’s Big Break and the American Screenwriters Association’s International Competition. Her work is defined by a strategic commitment to narrative authenticity and cultural integrity—spotlighting the strength, complexity, and resilience of underrepresented communities.