José Manuel has been working in films for 15 years, and in that time he has gone from designing and animating title sequences, to writing and directing award winning films.  

After years working as a motion designer and professor, he packed his bags and moved to New York City to pursue his dream of filmmaking and is currently in his final year at the Graduate Film Program at NYU.

His body of work has centered around queer stories, their experience and in particular the queer Latino experience, drawing inspiration from his own memories and the people that have crossed his path in his life.

For his first narrative short film, Fervor, he was recognized with the Grand Jury Prize at NewFest New York’s LGBTQ Film Festival, a Special Mention of the Jury in SANFIC Santiago International Film Festival, and the Wasserman Award for Best Directing at NYU First Run Film Festival. The short film shot in Chile screened in festivals in the US and around the world, from South America to India, Australia, and Europe.

His next project, Travis, currently in post-production, was supported with a mentorship with the Independent Spirit Award nominee filmmaker Isabel Sandoval.

José Manuel is the recipient of two grants by Chile’s Ministry of Culture and Arts, and a grant from Chile’s National Agency for Research and Development.