What does it actually take to sustain a creative life today? Join moderator Miguel Angel Caballero in conversation with Gerardo “Gerry” Maravilla, Wesley “Wes” Rodriguez, and RocÃo Lopez—writers, directors, cinematographers, producers, and performers who’ve built careers by working across mediums, formats, and roles rather than staying in just one. From narrative shorts and features to branded content, vertical micro-dramas, and family-focused media, this panel will share how they’ve pieced together sustainable creative careers and how versatility, rather than specialization, has become essential to longevity in the industry today.
Wesley Rodriguez
Director, Writer, Pa'lante Pictures
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Gerardo “Gerry” Maravilla
Writer, Director
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RocÃo López
Actor, Singer, Educator, Creative Producer
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Miguel Angel Caballero
Writer, Director, Producer
About Wesley Rodriguez:
Wesley “Wes” Rodriguez is a Cuban-Guatemalan-American writer, director, cinematographer, and founder of Pa’lante Pictures, an independent production company creating film, branded content, and digital media. Mentored by Werner Herzog, he directed the award-winning short film PALANTE, shot on location in Cuba.
Since 2024, Wes has directed seven vertical micro-drama series, including projects for DramaBox, one of the world’s leading vertical entertainment platforms, where he specializes in romantic and absurd comedies. As a cinematographer, his work spans narrative, commercial, and branded content for clients including Alienware, Blizzard, Intel, and Dungeons & Dragons. He has also worked as Virtual Production Cinematographer and Technical Director for AMC Networks’ interactive Twitch channel, FearHQ.
Wes is a STARZ #TakeTheLead Writers Intensive Fellow, DGA John Frankenheimer Fellow, NALIP Latino Media Market TV Writing Fellow, and holds an MFA in Film and Television Production from USC.
About Gerardo (Gerry) Maravilla:
Gerardo “Gerry” Maravilla is a Mexican-American writer-director based in Los Angeles. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, he escaped his suburban Catholic upbringing through punk rock and horror movies, and now makes supernatural horror with heart.
His latest short, Enseñame Como Morir (Show Me How To Die), made as a Latino Film Institute Inclusion Fellow, is nominated for Best Short Film at the Imagen Awards and has screened at L.A. Shorts, BOGOSHORTS, and MOTELX, among others. His previous short, Vivir, premiered at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and played more than 45 festivals worldwide. It is currently streaming on ShortsTV.
He is a Film Independent Project Involve Writing Fellow and a New York Film Festival Artist Academy Fellow. His feature Niño de Vidrio (Child of Glass), developed at Cine Qua Non Storylines Lab and Scrip Revision Lab, won the BendFilm Basecamp Pitch Competition.
About RocÃo López:
RocÃo López is a Mexican-American actor, singer, educator, and creative producer whose career has never fit neatly into one box. For over 20 years, she has worn many hats across entertainment, education, and family engagement, bringing together her experience as a performer, teaching artist, and creative content producer. Her theatre credits include Zoot Suit and Song of Solomon, and her TV credits include Modern Family, Goosebumps, Poppa’s House, Vida, and Insecure. Her recent film credits include El Paisa, The Ballad of Tita and the Machines, and Namaslay. Offscreen, she has created educational content and resources for nonprofit organizations like Common Sense Media and Abriendo Puertas Opening Doors (APOD). Whether she is acting in front of the camera, producing a children’s song, leading a family workshop, or creating social media content, RocÃo’s work is rooted in representation, joy, and service.
As the founder of Aguaysol Studios, RocÃo brings all of those worlds together, developing bilingual, culturally responsive media for children and families through music, storytelling, intentional design, and transcreation. Her recent work includes producing bilingual children’s music and videos for PBS SoCal’s Family Math program, creating digital resources for young children and caregivers, and developing original entertainment projects. The proud daughter of Mexican immigrant farmworkers and the first in her family to attend college, RocÃo holds degrees from UCLA and NYU and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Educational Leadership at CSULB. At the heart of all the hats she wears is the same purpose: using creativity, education, and entertainment to make meaningful work that serves, connects, and supports families.
About Miguel Angel Caballero:
Miguel Angel Caballero is the son of Mexican immigrant farmworkers and an award-winning queer Mexican-American/Chicano writer, director, and producer. His inspiration for storytelling came young: though his English was limited, he invented storylines in real time as he interpreted reruns of Little House on the Prairie for his grandmother. He later earned his bachelor’s degree in Theater from the School of Theater, Film & Television at UCLA.
As a former actor, he gained a profound understanding of character development, emotional nuance, and the collaborative nature of filmmaking, an experience that shapes him into an empathetic, communicative director today. One of his strengths is guiding actors to mine and explore the emotional arcs of their characters.
His films have collectively garnered more than 60 awards and recognitions. His sci-fi short The Ballad of Tita and the Machines, executive produced by Lena Waithe, premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2023, screened at TIFF (Rising Voices), and won the Humanitas Award and the Latinx Award at HollyShorts. His short Acuitzeramo premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival and won 21 awards internationally, including the Imagen Award. His film Broken Sunflower Hearts was named by Remezcla among the year’s best short films by U.S. Latino directors.
The Library of Congress has officially recognized his three short films in its Latinx Representation in Film research guide, cementing their cultural and historical significance in Latinx cinema. Miguel is a proud member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Short Films Branch), a Film Independent Project Involve alum, and a Fast Track fellow. His feature screenplay Angel in Retrograde was one of five selected for Tribeca’s Untold Stories. He is a Humanitas Award winner, was named by the International Screenwriters Association among its Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch, and is currently adapting a sci-fi novel for television with Ley Line Entertainment (Everything Everywhere All at Once) alongside his writer, Luis Antonio Aldana.
www.CabaldanaAlchemy.com / www.MiguelAngelCaballero.com
IMPORTANT DETAILS:
This panel will take place virtually over ZOOM. Ticket purchasers will receive a ZOOM link to this panel 2 hours before the published start time. If you don’t already have the ZOOM app, please make sure to download on your device before the panel start time.
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