HI, I'M VIA BIA!
WHO IS VIA?
Picture it.
The humid asphalt of Long Island, New York.
A young girl raised in a multi-generational Evangelical Puerto Rican and Jewish family where God was in charge, and by that, I mean my abuela.
I learned a lot in those days.
How to cut an avocado; how to memorize a Bible verse by turning it into a rap;
and how to mix English, Yiddish, and Puerto Rican slangs into one devastating diss.
Most people never knew how deep those disses went, but I knew... I knew.
I left Long Island and religion a while back yet their imprints have lasted
through moves to Philadelphia, Mexico City, DC, and Los Angeles,
where I've worked as a teacher, in social justice non-profits, and now, in filmmaking.
Through filmmaking, I've been able to explore the emotional truths from my past
by creating heightened realities, using animation, and sprinkling in magical realism.
I've been fortunate to have projects go through labs with Sundance, Cine Qua Non (sponsored by AMPAS), and the Stowe Story Labs.
My first short (shot on film!),
THESE COLORS DON'T RUN,
about a little girl's first communion gone down the shitter,
was supported by Kodak and the Arlington Commission for the Arts,
and was distributed by HBO.
My latest project, POST COMEDY,
about a stand-up comic living in the shadow of her past,
received a camera and lighting grant through DC-Camera and WIFV DC,
and is being submitted to festivals for consideration.
Producing other filmmaker's projects brings me a lot of joy,
and in the works are four shorts -
LA JUANA (Dir: Anayamel); BRIDGE (Dir: Cristina Wolf);
PETIOLE (Dir: Meghan Brown); and DEVELOPMENT (Dir: Chloe Caudillo),
which is part of of a fellowship sponsored by LALIFF and Netflix!
On the writing side, I have an absurdist holiday rom-com I co-wrote called
CHRISTMAS HANGOVER, in development with Fear Not Productions.
My dream is to staff on a 1/2 hour comedy or dramedy,
so if you're looking for folks to add to your room, hit me up for my original pilots in the 1/2 hr comedy and dramedy spaces (animated and live-action);
or if you'd prefer tv specs, shorts and features, I got those too - just gimme a shout!
SHORT FILMS
THESE COLORS DON'T RUN
Via Bia: Writer | Producer | Director
Starring: Maggie Celeste, Neyla Cantu, and Yesenia Garcia
Producers: Wilson Smith and Michael Tully
Director of Photography: Yuta Yamaguchi
The story of a first communion gone down the shitter.
POST COMEDY
Via Bia: Co-Writer | Producer | Director
Jax Baires: Co-Writer | Producer | Lead Actress
Kunitaro Ohi: Director of Photography
A comedian's set is interrupted
by the one thing she never jokes about.
LA JUANA
Via Bia: Creative Producer
Anayamel: Director | Writer | Producer | Editor
TeCheetah López: Lead Actress
Erin G. Wesley: Director of Photography
La realidad. La fantasía. La Juana.
Reality. Fantasy. La Juana.
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Copyright 2014